Your community needs an art teacher. Part III: The Pay Off

This is part three of a three part story.  Revisit Part I or Part II .

When my daughter started junior high she had to decide whether to take band or art as an elective.  I'm an art teacher, my husband's a professional musician.  Decide child!  Which parent do you love more!!?!

It wasn't really like that.  She is already very musical, and band seemed the way for her to go.  Since I was opening an art studio with after school art enrichment classes anyway, she'd hopefully get her art education gaps filled in.

The opening of No Corner Suns Art Studio coincided with this new policy in our school district.  I found the scheduling system completely unreasonable.  But, it did help convince me that our community needed quality arts education.

I took the plunge, and devoted myself to the art studio in the summer of 2015.  I maintained my philosophy that arts education is for everybody.  I developed classes for all ages and abilities and kept advertising and advocating.  I couldn't quite keep my eye off of the public school job postings though...

It's scary okay!  I just quit a job I had for nine years.  I'm making no money. We're paying for health insurance out of pocket. Paying rent for two small businesses!  Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that?  My husband is self-employed too? We have a mortgage. Three kids!  Two of them have braces! What was I thinking!?

At one point I noticed a .2 job posting for a neighboring school district.  Between running the business and my sporadic teaching schedule, it took me awhile before I actually applied - and for some reason I emailed the principal expressing my interest in the position (which - you know- I don't really want to have to talk to people...) She emailed me back almost immediately saying they were having interviews the next day! Aaahhh!  I'm not ready!  But, I pulled it together.  I was offered the job the same day my dog died.  It was such a relief.  Not the dog dying.  That was the worst.  Having that part-time job to return to in the fall in a respected school district. It eased a little of the pressure of my new life endeavor.

Over the past year and half I have maintained working super-part-time (as I like to call it) in the public school.  I haven't had one day of standing like a deranged Mona Lisa in the front of the room either.  I have also kept the art studio and maintain a pretty steady weekly schedule.  Classes and students have evolved and I have started teaching more adult enrichment, and less wine + paint.

I've also become that art teacher.  My community did need an art teacher.  When I started blasting ART CLASSES! ART CLASSES! ART CLASSES! All over town, I should've realized that even two years later, people remember.

I've become this GO-TO person for after school enrichment, mural painting, sign making, Brownie painting & pottery badges, libraries looking for unique programs, park district classes and children's events, school programs, museum functions... and more.  Most recently I was asked to teach classes at a small private school twice a week.  It was the easiest job I ever got. I'm known as this art teacher and I was asked to do a job that I actually love doing.

When I say "Your community needs an art teacher" it's because I started to think - who was doing all this stuff before I came along?  Nobody.  Honestly, until my junior high kid had to make that decision between music and art, I didn't even realize how little art my community had.  We didn't have quality after school arts classes, or wine + paint parties, or after school art club, teen nights, make-n-take art projects at our street fair, or paint parties at the park district, or real art teachers teaching library programs.  How were those Brownies earning those badges?

The pay off.  Yes, so now I am the richest and most famous and most powerfulest art teacher in all the land. Ahhh haaa haaaa haa.  Not quite. The business pays for itself; and fancy dance lessons, camps, and all those little extra things for my daughters.  Real school goes towards family expenses, but we are living off my husband's earnings. I can't recommend just quitting your job willy nilly.  The real pay off is the actual work.  I still come home physically and mentally exhausted, but it's different.  I have real pressure to advertise and sell my teaching as a business, but I also have the power to teach what I want when I want.  Sometimes I'm at the studio till 9:30pm, or on a Saturday afternoon, but there are only six kids in a class, and they are hilarious and we are learning some awesome stuff.  Sometimes there's a kid who's not hilarious, but I only have to see them an hour a week for five weeks!  Instead of a whole year, or six years!  Sometimes I have to talk on the phone *eeeewwww* or respond to email, or talk in person to other people.  Amazingly, this has been easier over the past two years.  It's almost as if repeatedly doing something over and over again makes something easier to do.  Oh yeah, and there is paperwork, insurance, taxes and bills, but there are also classes where we drink wine, and that's been a pretty good pay off too.

Your community needs an art teacher. Part II: Teach where you can, 'cause you are teaching

This is part two in a three part series. Revisit Part I

June 4th, 2014 will be a day long remembered.  It was the end of my long non-teaching teaching-streak, and it was the beginning of No Corner Suns the business.

On June 4th, 2014 I hosted my first wine + paint event.  I wrote a little about it on the blog, but more importantly, I was teaching. I was actually teaching.  Whippee!  I'm an art teacher!

I turned No Corner Suns the blog into No Corner Suns the business that year. I can't type out the proper word to describe how I remember that time.  Let me think.

Have you ever made frozen French fries?  You pull the hot cookie sheet out of the oven and put it on the stove top to cool for a bit.  You rummage around in the cabinet for a serving dish, and get ready to slide the piping hot fries off the pan.  As you reach for the spatula you snag a rogue fry on the countertop and pop it in your mouth, but that fry ain't hot, and that fry ain't cooked. You just ate a cold uncooked french fry. Your mouth is filled with little chalky, mushy, greasy potato, and your chewing, and swallowing, and spitting all at the same time.  That's the word I would use to describe that time.

If you are driving to school thinking, "Hey, maybe I'll get into a car accident and wont have to go to work!" Then you probably don't have a job you love.  The cold greasy french fry feeling of your life might be a better alternative.

It started off with getting classes hosted at our park district (yes, I had to talk to real people).  They were very eager to have programs for their guides, so that wasn't too bad- it's getting students to actually sign up for your classes that is the issue.  I got my name out there and started spreading the word. ART CLASSES!

Mid 2014 was the year that kicked my ass.  I started to teach where I could, 'cause I was teaching. Library classes? Yes! Wine + paint parties? Yes!  Private events? Yes!  Children's birthday parties? Yes!  A volunteer art booth here, there, & everywhere? Yes! Yes! Yes!  I was also determined to get my name everywhere.  I emailed every art teacher and principal in close vicinity. I passed out flyers, hung up posters,  and became a general nuisance.

I started renting a classroom.  I advertised everywhere I could (that was free) and offered classes and events for cheap.  I took every job I could manage. No wait.  I took every job.  I wasn't managing anything.

I'm smiling like a crazy person. Everything will be Allllllll right.  There's nothing creepy happening behind you.

I was still teaching in my school .75 time

I was not supporting myself doing this.  My .75 job was supporting my family, all the crazy extra teaching was supporting the business.  Furniture, rent, supplies, advertisements - everything was going back into the business. Why would I possibly be doing this?  I was actually teaching.  My days at real school were mostly miserable. My time in the studio was not.  I was hoping it would pay off at some point, I just had to hang in there.

No Fail Acrylic Painting on Canvas. It was fun! Was it Art?

I held a special Modern Art Masterpiece Class at No Corner Suns Art Studio on MLK day.  I had seen this little idea on Pinterest.  Using masking tape to mask off a canvas, and painting over it, and thought that would be a fun thing to try.

A fun thing to try...  yes.  But is it art?

Isn't that the real struggle?  I want my studio to be a learning place, yet I want to appeal to the masses too.  What I've learned is that I can have it both ways.  It is a matter of finding FUN and SUCCESSFUL lessons that do actually teach something.  No matter the age.

This little class began with a discussion of Modernism to an extent.  We looked at some Mondrian, and Miro.  We talked about horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines too.  Once everything was taped off, we got only the primary colors and spent a lot of time mixing, mixing, mixing!  Then we painted.  It was one hour, it was fun, and look at those faces!  It was successful.

How do you feel about themed art classes? Is The Fine Art of Harry Potter fine art?

Things that I love, like Star Wars, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Cat Memes, and Jurassic Park just don't get much attention with the K-5th grade set.  I have in the past taught a meme project to 4th & 5th grade, and we used Dr. Who during our van Gogh unit in 5th, and I'm always quoting Star Wars...

None of this impacts my students with as much enthusiasm as it does me.  No one laughs when I say "I have a bad feeling about this..." and no one understands my terrified face when their water cups start to tremble.

I started coming up with themed classes and events for teens that come to my art studio.  I started Fandom Friday in the Fall and it has been very popular. I recently tried adding themes to more of my classes that teach outside of school with varying success.

I just wrapped up a three week class called The Fine Art of Harry Potter.  I planned the mini-curriculum to include headmaster portraits, wand-making, and mini-figure construction.

We began with headmaster portraits.  We looked at various portraits found on the Harry Potter wiki.  I equated them to portraits painted by Rembrandt and during the Renaissance.  We learned how paint with acrylics, mix colors, and generally use our imaginations.

Our second project was Wand Making!!  This was fun.  We used dowel rods and model magic.  We looked at some of the famous wands of the wizarding world.  We were inspired by those, but ultimately designed our own.  Very fun!  Teens love Model Magic.

View the Flickr album to see some pix.

Successful art projects at a birthday party? Yes! Art Party: Georgia O'Keeffe

I recently had the greatest/most intense birthday party experience ever.

I hosted a first grader's birthday party at my studio, No Corner Suns.  It is a very small classroom up above an old travel agency.  On my website I say our maximum is 12 kids/party.  Well, we've been able to stretch that to 15...and this weekend I stretched it to 17.  Yes.  Seventeen first graders up in my little attic classroom- and it was off the hook.

My party mom was awesome.  If every customer who came to the studio was like her, it would be a dream.  She took the art party theme to the next level with her details!  It looked great and her daughter was so nice and appreciative.

I taught the kids a little bit about Georgia O'Keeffe and showed them a ton of her flower pictures.  They sketched for a little bit, and then we prepped their canvas.  They spent several minutes mixing their palette (they were great with color theory!) and then painted.  They were so cute!

We of course had our share of spilled water, painted hair and sleeves.  My floor has never been as colorful, and I truly worked up a sweat cleaning up before cupcakes!  It was great fun and I hope to get the chance to do it again.

Successful art projects at a birthday party? Yes! Art Party: Pirate Theme

I started hosting birthday parties at my studio, No Corner Suns.  But, I don't want families to come to an art studio and get a blah blah run of the mill cookie cutter project for the kids to make.  I want it to be an art lesson!  I want the kids to make choices and find success, learn, and enjoy what they are doing.  

In anticipation of more parties being booked at No Corner Suns, (fingers crossed) I started preemptively planning party themed lessons.  Welcome to Art Party! 

For one class, we concentrated on Pirates!  We made these really cute pirate hats as our warm-up.  I taught the kids how to make a skull & cross bones, but they could decorate them any way that they liked.

For our project, we made Treasure Maps!  This involved a few visuals and I brought a few books for the kids to look at.  My fun little group was 1st - 6th graders, and they all had fun!

Art Around the World! Check out these cuties and their Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagi!

I teach an after school class at my art studio called Art Around the World.  Our first stop was Egypt.

These K-2s made their own Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus just like my fourth graders did last year!  They were so cute, I had to get a group shot.

Successful art projects at a birthday party? Yes! Art Party: Frozen

I started hosting birthday parties at my studio, No Corner Suns.  Of course, the first party that booked wanted a Frozen themed party and project.  I was charged with coming up with an actual art lesson around the wildly popular movie.  I scoured Pinterest, but was having a hard time finding fun lessons...not just put-together projects.

Knowing my class would be wildly excited 8 year old girls lead most of my decision for these projects.  When the girls arrived they built and designed their own Snow Queen Wands.  I stocked up on silvery shiny papers, streamers, ribbons, duck tape, and a die-cuts.  I taught the girls how to cut snowflakes as they arrived.  It was differentiated!

We cleaned up our wands and got ready for our real project...Do you want to build a snowman?  Using Olaf as our guide, the girls built a snowman collage.  I sometimes teach a variation of this lesson to kindergartners during my normal public school teaching. I was SOO afraid we were going to run out of time during the party, that I kind of over prepared and it. Instead of running out of time, we had a ton of time leftover.  Ooops.  Do not do that with a group of wild 8 year old girls.

Fortunately, mom brought a game, we ate cake, opened presents, and I had plenty of recyclables and fun masking tape for a little Open Studio Time.  I think they loved the tin can/toilet paper tube/plastic lid/masking tape projects better than the actual projects! And, it kept them all busy while parents came to pick them up!

Oooohhhhh NoCornerSuns.Blogspot.Com how I've missed you....

To say this year is a little hectic is an understatement.

This is about what my world feels like right now. #artteacherproblems (amirite?)

My School:

My schedule has changed so I've been teaching more (less planning time = less blogging time)
Our school district implemented a new grading system, unit planning system, email, lesson plan system, evaluations...& I have a new principal.
The new art standards are in effect, so my plans and things from the past all need to be reworked.
Common Core is nipping at my toes too!


plus...

I opened an ART STUDIO!

What started as this little pipe dream of years past has blossomed into a full blown small business.  It took many months, many tears, many muscles, and many terrific friends & family help - but I did it, and it's real.

Here's Mike.  He owns Weston Travel.  No Corner Suns moved to his vacant room upstairs.  Look how happy I am to get the keys.  Look how happy Mike is to get my rent check.

From the frustration with the climate of art education in the public schools, the lack of quality arts enrichment classes in my community, and those damn wine & paint events where everyone PAINTS THE SAME THING,  No Corner Suns Art Studio was born offering classes for everyone!  I am currently teaching a few elementary classes after school and have been hosting BYOB events and  art parties for kids. it. is. so. cool.

My beautiful and wonderful friend, Val made this sign!
I like to display my students' work in the windows downstairs for all the cars and pedestrians to see.  Featured here are my K-2s Matisse inspired collages.

I am lucky to be in a great community and have lots of support.  My years as a public school art educator are serving me well, and I just looooooooveeeee sharing it with so many new faces.  I have many things on the horizon for No Corner Suns!  But, I'd like to get back to this blog.  I know that my first love is art education, and being in the classroom, but a close second is writing about art ed. and sharing EVERYTHING I've learned over the past 16 years.... Ugh!  16 years?  I'm like a pro now.

Before

And After.

So, consider this a warning - New posts will be arriving daily.  To learn more about my school classroom, please visit MrsKostal.blogspot.com   or mrskostal.tumblr.com and to see more cool pix from No Corner Suns Art Studio, visit my Flickr page!