Artist Statement
I am an artist and preschool teacher finishing up my degree in Community Arts.As a community artist, I have technical art skills and the ability to provide invitations to create that are flexible to the interests, abilities or needs of any community I work with. As a preschool teacher I am becoming keenly aware of early childhood development and have observed that art looks a lot different for my toddler-aged students than what adults consider it to be. For my project, I amusing my knowledge of artistic materials and practices to initiate creative play in my preschool classroom that meet the needs of their developing minds. As a preschool teacher, I observe my students engaging in behaviors that can be harmful towards their peers or surroundings but are rooted in a deeper developmental need. Whether that be sensory exploration, or the development of fine and large motor skills, these behaviors are projections of important connections that are being made as a part of growing up. My goal is to use art to meet these needs in a constructive and positive way. Through introducing new materials and observing daily interactions of my students with each other and their surroundings I am providing invitations to play/create rather than rigidly structured art projects.I will know I am successful when I have given my students creative opportunities that keep them engaged, make them excited and use the motor skills or sensory experiences they crave.
