Virgi Driscoll
Virgilyn Driscoll ’55/’74 has been a powerful leader in art education and a highly prolific painter since she earned a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from the Wisconsin State College, which would later become the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also earned her Master of Science in Art at UWM. Virgi loved teaching and believes it to be among the noblest of professions. She spent 38 years in the classroom, starting the first elementary art program in Elmbrook Schools, where she taught for four years, and supervising and writing the first art curriculum for the district for another eight years. She rounded out her teaching career with 26 years at Greendale High School where she served as department chair. Always realizing the finest for her students, Virgi started Advanced Placement in Art and the National Art Honor Society programs in the school. She served as host to students on numerous European trips and regularly took her students to major shows in the U.S.
Virgi also was executive director of Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education for 6 years concentrating on national brain research and arts education. She has been active in Wisconsin Art Education Association serving on many committees, task forces and programs, developing and chairing many over the years. She served as President of Wisconsin Art Education Association (WAEA) for two consecutive 2 year terms, and following that as President of Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education for one 2 year term. She became the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Secondary Division Director, Secondary and Middle School Division, and served on the Executive Committee of the NAEA as well as being a delegate to the NAEA Delegate Assembly. She developed the 1990-91 NAEA Year of Secondary Art Education with the first Pre-conference and wrote the Secondary Division Handbook. She also developed and chaired the WAEA Visioneer Design Challenge, which is hosted here at UWM. Her impact has been immense; fingerprints are on too many art education initiatives to list here. Virgi has also been an incredibly active artist and arts world participant. She shares that she always continued to paint throughout her career she did not begin to exhibit in earnest until 2000. That said, she has an impressive list of shows including 20 solo exhibitions and wee over 100 group shows. She continues to paint and draw, which was evident when we visited her home studio. We were amazed at the number and quality of works. On top of raising a family and engaging in the art education world in unparalleled ways, Virgi has somehow been able to create the three very accomplished bodies of work that are represented in this exhibition. Virgi also co-chaired the development of THE Fine Art Gallery in the Third Ward, Milwaukee. Her passion for the arts and the power of the arts in the lives of all people is important to her.
Virgi is a fantastic role model for our students. She exemplifies her belief that art education is vital to human development. Her boundless energy, incisive intellect, and love for art and teaching are inspirational. We are happy to have had a chance to showcase Virgi’s career with this exhibition.
Interview with Virgi
Briefly describe your experience in the Art Education program at UW-Milwaukee.
I was so very fortunate to have outstanding art professors who treated everyone as artists. There was no separation between students who were to become teachers and those who did not… I got the best education possible. I got my love for drawing by the encouragement of my drawing skills from Joe Freeburg. The colors I used in my paintings at the time were definitely influenced by his color palette also. He taught us how to do egg tempera paintings and I could still remember the smell in the hallways of the rotting egg tempera. I had Van Noiyman for oil painting. In my first semester of painting, he required 18 paintings, one every week. I can remember buying masonite and using white house painting instead of gesso. He was demanding but gave us full freedom to create however we wanted as long as we knew the process. Charlotte Major was a wonderful instructor who gave me great pieces for teaching art. I remember her saying “guide, don’t lecture.” The acceptance and encouraging atmosphere was wonderful and a joyful place to be.
What advice would you give yourself looking back at your beginnings as an art teacher and artist?
Wow! That’s a great question! Work hard. Really hard. I believe that hard work, great plan of action, a strong curriculum and a love for students and teaching were my greatest strengths as a teacher.
So, know your teaching skills and continually build on them. Know your art processes and art history. Begin building resources for your classroom. Many resources now can be acquired on the internet you don’t have other sources. But, art history books, publications, videos, et cetera are very important. Expose your students to real art by visiting art museums. A field trip once a year can be your goal. See real works makes a difference. Bring in other artists to talk to your students. Invite your students’ parents to see the art of your children and accompany you on field trips.
Also, and this is so important, display the work of every child, not just those that do the best. This builds confidence in childing. Above all, watch out for those students who have issues or challenges or come from a home that has little guidance. Work hard to understand and really, really care for them. I truly believe that all students can learn and that creativity occurs when students are given problems to solve in their own way. Just as you, an artist, need the freedom to create your own statement, not someone else’s. Try to keep your own work of art going as much as you can and set up space in your apartment or home in which you can continue to make art. That helps motivate one to work.
As an artist, I love the freedom to create and this really was a reflection of my early training in art at the University. I wanted the classroom environment to reflect that and I know it did. I guided and did not lecture Charlotte Major would have been very proud of me. This also was a reflection of my own work. I always continue to create and tried to be original in my work. I wanted my work to be unique. It had to be me.
Has your work as an art educator influenced your studio practice/creative research or the other way around…has your art practice influenced your work as a teacher?
I really do think that is a difficult thing to answer. I believe in having lots of resources in order to continually build one’s knowledge and understanding of art. I do a lot of reading of artists and their work, even now. And I wanted to have my students to have the same freedom to create. Freedom to create was paramount in my classes and my students knew that I created my own work in my own studio…All of this was who I was as an artist and an art educator. I also wanted my students to experience actual works of art in art museums. As an artist, I needed to see what was being created by other artists to see informed new approaches, expressions, and new artists. I was modeling my role as an artist-educator for myself and my students.
I’m a drawer. I need to draw. Drawing is important and the basis of all creativity. I don’t know why or how but I firmly believe drawing informs all the other art processes. I also believe in developing ideas through these skills. Art is ideas. Therefore, I assigned my students weekly sketchbook problems in their idea books. This was a tool for deeper learning. I still draw.
What are your hopes for the future of our profession?
Much of my emphasis and work for promoting art at the local, state, and national level is what I want for the future. I firmly believe that art is important and as important as any other academic course a student takes at school. Or, perhaps the most important. I believe all students should have the arts K-12 and all college courses should include one arts course requirement.
The arts humanize us and open up our eyes to the sensitivity and the wonder of the world in which we live, learn and experience. Art is essential.
To learn more about Virgi Driscoll and view her other collections of work, visit the webpage below:
http://www.virgidriscollart.com/