UIC Art Education

"Let's try thinking about accessibility as a creative, long-term process. It's not just about the built environment, but about ideas of agency and power." This week, visiting artist Carmen Papalia took UIC Art Education students and Chicago Public High School students on a wayfinding walk, relying on their non-visual senses. Carmen invited students to create "I want" statements about their own accessibility needs through art making. Thank you, Carmen, for guiding us, and for challenging us to rely on one another.

An inspirational moment to kick off the new year! In the spring of 2022, William Estrada's ART 280: Collaborative Resistance Printshop class worked in collaboration with Housing Action Illinois (HAI) to reflect on questions the organization posed about the future of housing justice. Here's what HAI had to say about the experience: "While lifting up the past and present for our 35th anniversary, HAI also thought it essential to look toward our collective future. We decided to ask young housing advocates how they think about good, affordable homes and give them a platform to share their messages in Momentum: 35 Years of Housing Action. Led by artist and activist William Estrada, the class practiced creating graphic images within a social and political context to amplify the stories and concerns of historically marginalized groups. Their work spotlights the struggles that marginalized communities face when it comes to housing access and calls for a tomorrow in which good homes are available to all."
Congratulations to ART 280 artists Arta Amiti, Ashley Holiday Perez, Afnan Ellythy, Guillermo Zacharias, Maggie Reynolds, Brock Vander Wrigley, and Alejandro Valdez.

We're back with another recent grad update! Jacki Olson graduated from the BFA in Art Education program in May 2022. This fall, Jacki started her new job as a full time K-12 art teacher at Vine Academy in Burr Ridge. When we asked Jacki how it's going in her new position, she said, "Everything is exciting and new (and also a bit stressful)." Aw, we know you're crushing it, Ms. Olson! That classroom looks very chill. We especially ❤️ the mood lighting. Best of luck in your new role, Jacki!

Alejandro Colunga Jr. graduated from the BFA in Art Education program in spring 2022. Here he is fuelling up at the end of a busy day as the new full time art teacher at Back of the Yards College Prep High School. A job he was offered on the last day of student teaching! Your classroom looks ready for action Mr. C, and we love seeing the student artwork from a recent poster project. That burger looks pretty good, too. ❤️

Meet a recent SAAH alumnus! Viviana Martinez graduated from the BFA in Art Education program in 2022. This fall, Viviana became the the new full time art teacher at Tilden High School, which is in between the Canaryville and Fuller Park neighborhoods. Viviana had this to say about her time in the Art Education program: "You did a great job preparing us for this!!" We love to hear it. But we also know that we learn as much from our students as they learn from us. Good luck in your first year of teaching, Ms. M! And congratulations. Your classroom looks awesome.

Graduating BFA in Art Education students representing at the CADA Commencement. Congratulations to all of our student teachers in the Class of 2022!

Have you always wanted to teach art? Grow Your Own Teachers (GYO) is dedicated to recruiting racially diverse teacher candidates. With GYO's assistance, you will complete a teacher preparation program and become a licensed teacher. In return for support and financial assistance from GYO, graduates commit to teaching for at least 5 years in an under-resourced school. UIC BFA in Art Education alumni Latrell Walton and Edith Mendez participated in GYO and you can too! Application deadline: April 15th, 2022.
https://growyourownteachers.org/

Today our shout out goes to Bu Reh. Having graduated with a BFA in Art Education in May 2021, Bu is wrapping up the fall quarter at Rickover Naval Academy School in Portage Park. At our recent open house, Bu shared his students' works in progress on their one point perspective drawings AND told us why he thinks art education is important to students: "My students are working in response to the things that matter to them in the world."

As we wind down the fall semester at UIC, we want to give a big shout out to Patrick Richert. Having graduated with a BFA in Art Education in May 2021, Patrick is about to wrap up the fall quarter at Alan B. Shepard High School. At our recent open house, Patrick shared some student artwork AND his thoughts on teaching art at the high school level: "My theory is that if students can learn to make art at home with the materials they have available they will be more involved with it."

Congratulations to Tariyawn Knighten on his 2021 Make a Wave award from 3Arts!!! Tariyawn graduated from UIC's BFA in Art Education program in 2021. He is an artist, documentarian, educator, and self-published author whose work is informed by his experience growing up in Chicago’s K-town neighborhood (whose name derives from its placement between Pulaski Road and Cicero Avenue where the names of the streets all begin with the letter “K”). Knighten sees his work as part of the narrative tradition of the Black aesthetic, with particular attention to Black migrants and the Great Migration, specifically Black neighborhoods established on the west side of Chicago. Follow the link to learn more about Tariyawn's Art practice.
https://3arts.org/artist/tariyawn-knighten/

Remember Kevin Dill? Kevin graduated from the BFA in Art Education program in May 2021. Now, he is a full time art teacher at Albany Park Multicultural Academy! This fall, Kevin is getting to know his students, what the world looks like through their eyes, and how they picture their dream neighborhoods. We can't wait to see what the plan is for that amazing kiln! Stay tuned for more stories about our recent grads as they embark on their art teaching careers.

Meet Edith Mendez, visual arts teacher at J. Sterling Morton West H.S. in Berwyn! Having graduated from UIC in 2020, Edith is already a seasoned art teacher heading into her second year. The best part? Edith is an alumnus of UIC *and* J. Sterling Morton West High School. She got her dream job at the high school she attended, in the neighborhood she lives in. To kick off the school year, Ms. Mendez’s students dove into mural-making on the school grounds, and they also created organic 5 x 5 patterns and combined them into a mini mural for the wall of the art classroom. What a great way for students to collaboratively make the school and classroom into a space of their own. Good luck with your second year of teaching, Ms. Mendez! Stay tuned for more stories about our recent grads as they embark on their art teaching careers.

Meet Angelica Mendoza, the new visual arts teacher at Nicholas Senn H.S.! Angelica completed her student teaching experience at Senn in spring 2021 during remote learning. When CPS schools reopened in the spring, Angelica was invited to volunteer at Senn to get some extra in-person experience. Angelica stayed on at Senn for a few more months, and when a full time position opened up, she got it! Angelica has been busy prepping her classroom and getting ready for prime time. Here she is masked up and excited to welcome her students. Good luck with your first year of teaching, Ms. Mendoza! Stay tuned for more stories about our recent grads as they embark on their art teaching careers.

Introducing Ricky Rodriguez! In summer 2021, a few weeks after graduating from UIC, Ricky became the new visual arts teacher at West Town Academy High School. Ricky is one of SIX recent BFA in Art Education graduates starting full time teaching positions in Chicago middle and high schools this fall. To create an engaging and welcoming space for his students, Ricky decorated his classroom with an oceanic/environmental theme. And to help everyone manage the back to school butterflies, Ricky came up with an activity for students and classroom visitors to fill out a coloring sheet and post it on a wall of fame! Here is Ricky's message for current Art Education students: “Hope this inspires the new cohort, they’re gonna do amazing work, I know it!” Best of luck to you, Ricky - we know you’re doing great work. Stay tuned for more stories about our recent grads as they embark on their art teaching careers.

Meet Eraldy Ballesteros (“Ms. Laly”), the newest member of the Visual Arts team at Benito Juarez Community Academy! Eraldy graduated from UIC in spring 2021, and she is one of SIX recent BFA in Art Education graduates starting full time teaching positions in Chicago middle and high schools this fall. During her student teaching experience at Juarez, Eraldy challenged herself to become a bilingual teacher, leading class discussions and communicating with her students in English and Spanish. It’s no surprise that Ms. Laly got her first full time teaching position at the school where she completed student teaching! Here she is trying on some school swag and getting her classroom set up to meet the students. Good luck Ms. Laly! We are so proud of you. Stay tuned for more stories about our recent grads as they embark on their art teaching careers.

We are so proud of all of our graduating BFA in Art Education seniors! Check out this story about inspiring grad Bu Reh.

“In my artwork, I tend to speak about where I came from in Burma/Myanmar, and my early childhood in Thai, which was defined by conflict and war, and the issues many people of color who live in the United States are currently facing, such as racism and discrimination.

Everybody has a unique story, and for me, making art is the ability to capture moments in my life — the things I saw that I can’t overlook — and place those into art,” Reh said.
https://today.uic.edu/inspiring-grad-bu-reh

Calling UIC Art students!

Are you interested in becoming an art teacher at any grade level (K-12)? UIC's BFA in Art Education program is accepting applications NOW THROUGH APRIL 16TH for our 2021-2022 Pre-Art Education cohort.

For information about how to apply, please visit: https://artandarthistory.uic.edu/art_ed_bfa

For even more information about the BFA in Art Education major, check out our program handbook: https://issuu.com/ksandlos/docs/arted_handbook_final_version

Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions at all!

Program logo design by BFA in Art Ed major Alejandro Colunga Jr.

BFA in Art Education major Silvia Morales is in the news!
"Silvia Morales detested creating art as a child, and she probably would still feel that way today if not for an art teacher in high school.

That teacher helped me find that I not only had a passion in something I thought I hated, but she showed me I had a future career in it,” Morales said.

Now, the 20-year-old herself is pursuing a career in art education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is beginning to make a name for herself in Little Village’s public art scene.

Morales’ work largely is commentary on social injustices and the need for unity among Black and Brown people on the Southwest Side. Her first major mural was painted with her own students outside Ald. Mike Rodriguez’s (22nd) office and calls for harmony between Little Village and Lawndale residents."

Local artist aims to ‘Protect Little Village’ with public art that celebrates mask wearing Silvia Morales’ latest work is a hyperlocal spin on the city’s "Protect Chicago" campaign that aims to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus — she calls it "Protect La Villita."

Do you have questions about art education today? Our BFA in Art Education students are doing research and they want to hear from you! Maybe you're wondering what art education looks like in the pandemic, or how art education creates change, or what it means to be an artist and an educator at the same time. PLEASE POST YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT ART EDUCATION IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. And don't forget to join us at our Art Ed hangout this afternoon, Thurs 11/12, 4-5:30, on Zoom.
https://artandarthistory.uic.edu/eventdetails/1218/1199

Art Education Today | artandarthistory.uic.edu History, theory and practice are entwined endeavors in the UIC School of Art & Art History. Located in a diverse, public, urban, research university, our programs ignite intellectual and creative curiosity, empowering students to expand the boundaries of the possible. Students are encouraged to enga...

The latest issue of the MUSE program's journal, Fwd: Museums is out! It's on the theme of Home, with cover art by BFA in Art Education student, Bu Reh!

Fwd-Museums-2020 Print with cover 2020-10-17.pdf

Our Associate Director, Jen Delos Reyes, interviewed recent SAAH alum of the BFA in Art Education program, Edith Mendez! Find out what Edith's first few weeks as a CPS art teacher have been like, what led her to teach art, and what advice she has for artists who are thinking about pursuing becoming an art teacher.
https://artandarthistory.uic.edu/newsdetails/820/807

Today is the first day of the fall quarter for Chicago Public Schools.To the mighty force of teachers, staff, parents, and students headed back to class remotely today, we see you. A special shout out to our very own BFA in Art Education graduate, Latrell Walton! Mr. Walton is the new, full-time art teacher at James H. Bowen High School on Chicago's South Side. Good luck, Latrell! We know you got this. ❤

Edith Mendez graduated from the BFA in Art Education program in May 2020. This fall, Edith is going back to school as the new, full time Art teacher at J. Sterling Morton West High School in Berwyn. The best part? Morton is the high school Edith attended! Here she is prepping for fall teaching in her newly renovated art classroom. Good luck, Edith! We are so proud of you.

If you made it to our third Pandemic Lessons convening, Where Can We Go From Here: Re-imagining the Future, then you already know it was exactly what we needed to get us ready for the start of the school year, a school year that will be unlike any school year. There is no plan, but our presenters William Estrada, Danton Floyd, Nicole Marroquin, Miriam Dolnick, and Casey Murtaugh showed us how to go in with open hearts and open minds. If you missed it, don't worry! The recording is available NOW.
https://gallery400.uic.edu/our-events-upcoming-events/where-can-we-go-from-here-reimagining-the-future/

Where can we go from here? Reimagining the future | Gallery 400 | University of Illinois at Chicago Where can we go from here? Reimagining the future Thursday, August 6, 2020 from 4 - 5:30 pm William Estrada, a visual art teacher at Telpochcalli Elementary and visiting faculty, UIC School of Art & Art History Nicole Marroquin, Associate Professor of Art Education, School of the Art Institute of Ch...

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Desiree Rosales! Desiree was accepted into the Grow Your Own Teachers Illinois program in the Spring of 2019 and entered into the BFA in Art Education major the following Fall. She is a firm believer in the importance of a diverse teaching force and feels that she can provide both more culturally relevant material and a better understanding of the situations that students of color may face within her classroom. Desiree is interested in incorporating nature and plants into the classroom and in recognizing the verbal passing down of stories as a valid source of information and inspiration--one just as powerful as those written down in books. Welcome to your senior year, Desiree!

ART 280 is in the news! Taught by SAAH faculty member William Estrada, The Collaborative Resistance Printshop class was made up of twenty students in UIC's School of Art and Art History. The class focused on the creation of graphic images within a social and political context in order to amplify the stories and concerns of historically marginalized groups, with specific attention given to Chicago neighborhoods.

Resistance Prints: Linocuts for the movement – South Side Weekly Using accessible printmaking techniques, students responded to the needs expressed by community organizations doing grassroots organizing.

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Tariyawn Knighten! Tariyawn entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019 after spending the previous semester in the Pre-Art Education cohort. He wants to offer his students resources that weren't offered to him and show them all the realms of possibility that can be opened up through art. Tariyawn especially hopes to provide students with a space to explore their own identities without parameters. Welcome to your senior year, Tariyawn!

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Elizabeth Cardona! Elizabeth was accepted into the Grow Your Own Teachers Illinois program during her year in the Pre-Art Education cohort and officially entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019. An alum of Benito Juarez Community Academy in Pilsen, Elizabeth wants to use art education to support people in her community and make positive change. In her experience, art education connects students to their culture and the rest of the world. She hopes to help her students to realize how art can impact society on a large scale. Welcome to your senior year, Elizabeth!

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Ricky Rodriguez! Ricky was accepted into the Grow Your Own Teachers Illinois program in the Fall of 2018. An alum of Carl Schurz High School on Chicago's Northwest side, he grew up in Humboldt Park and has always wanted to teach in the city. Ricky's main art practices are painting and drawing. He believes in the importance of diversity in education and hopes that his classroom can be a safe space for students to express themselves. Welcome to your senior year, Ricky!

Scroll through the following photos to take a look at some of Ricky's artwork!

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Janet Sanchez! Janet believes that art is an invitation for all people to bring their ideas into the light. She hopes to act as an advocate for her students and use her classroom as a safe space for them to voice their concerns. Welcome to your senior year, Janet!

Scroll through the following photos to take a look at some of Janet's artwork!

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Eraldy Ballesteros! After spending a year in the Pre-Art Education cohort, Eraldy entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019. She believes it is important to teach students to have an open mindset and to explore by engaging with their surroundings. Eraldy hopes to tap into the issues that her students are invested in and show them that art can bring people together towards a common cause. Welcome to your senior year, Eraldy!

Scroll through the following photos to take a look at some of Eraldy's artwork, as well as images from a lesson that she planned around the concept of using art to visualize personal, foundational memories.

Our series of convenings on Pandemic Lessons starts this Thursday, June 18th, 4-5:30. All are welcome, registration info is below.

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Patrick Richert! After spending a year in the Pre-Art Education cohort, Patrick entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019. He wants to use art education to help ensure the success of his future students. He believes that the classroom should be like a playground--a place for students to play with ideas where there are no right or wrong answers. He hopes that he can help his students to make connections and build community through sharing their diverse experiences with one another. Welcome to your senior year, Patrick!

Scroll through the following photos to take a look at some of Patrick's artwork!

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Bu Reh! Bu entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019 and was accepted into the Grow Your Own Teachers Illinois program that same year. He wants to help students pursue artistic endeavors and perhaps even careers in art. Bu hopes that students in his classroom will feel safe to embrace their own cultures openly. He believes that this will lead to the kinds of collaborations between peers that can create social change. Welcome to your senior year, Bu Reh!

Scroll to the next photo to see a collage that Bu Reh created! It was recently chosen to be featured as the cover art for the 2020 edition of the Fwd: Museums journal, called Home.

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Kevin Dill! After spending the previous semester in the Pre-Art Education cohort, Keven entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019. Kevin was inspired to become an art teacher because art class was the only reason he went to high school. He hopes to help students to use art to engage with their communities, believing that both students and teachers can be agents of social change through the creation of protest art. He wants his classroom to be a place of collaboration, where students are active participants in the educational process. Welcome to your senior year, Kevin!

Scroll through the following photos to see portions of a lesson that Kevin planned around protest art!

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Brenda Nevarez! Brenda entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019 after spending the previous year in the Pre-Art Education cohort. She believes that the future starts in the classroom and wants to allow her students to create art that reflects what is important to them. She hopes to implement a multicultural and trauma-informed pedagogy to encourage students to use their artistic practice as a healing tool. Welcome to your senior year, Brenda!

Scroll through the following images to see portions of a lesson plan that Brenda created, and scroll to the post below to see a video of a work of art she created!

We're so proud of our first graduating cohort of BFA in Art Education student teachers. In this article, Edith Mendez reflects on ending her time at UIC during the Covid-19 pandemic, and what becoming a teacher means to her.
“I didn’t really get to say goodbye [to my students],” Edith said. “I knew things that they were going through, but we also got to learn from each other. I feel like maybe they could see themselves in me, just because there’s not a lot of teachers of color or women of color that teach in Chicago Public Schools.”

Bittersweet e-ceremony for UIC grad: ‘I didn’t really get to say goodbye’ Edith Mendez had a final year of college she never could have imagined, but the first-generation grad still found positives in a commencement that was anything but traditional.

The BFA in Art Education program is made up of an incredible group of future educators! Each of our students has a passion for both art and education that shines through in all of their work. So we’ve decided to use these summer months as an opportunity to brag on our incoming seniors!

This week we're featuring Angelica Mendoza! After spending a year in the Pre-Art Education cohort, Angelica entered into the BFA in Art Education major in the Fall of 2019. She believes that art offers the potential for students to re-imagine their realities, and that the art classroom can enable students to think critically and question societal norms. She hopes to inspire students to continually investigate their own identities and their roots. Welcome to your senior year, Angelica!

Scroll through the following photos to see Angelica's artwork, as well as slides from a lesson plan that she created surrounding the exploration of identity through art.