2018 Art Educators

Art Education seniors Alyson Fair, Erin Frederick, and Sara Gonzalez are sharing an exibtion of their work from their fall Advanced Studies. Exploration is a defining characteristic of this body of work and is greatly valued in the teaching philosophies of each of these three students Alyson, Erin, and Sara are in a semester of Pre-Service Teaching this spring.

Alyson Fair 

Alyson Fair is an Art Education major at Messiah College concentrating in 2-Dimensional studies. She is from New Freedom, Pennsylvania.

Artist Statement: 

I am interested in using my own photographs of tree bark and stones as a basis for collage to be built upon. My body of work this semester has been grounded in the process of collage, exploring the relationships of form, texture, shape, and color in each composition.My collages have explored form in their interaction with the surfaces on which they have been created, including paper and found wood. The paper provided a traditional, flat surface for images, paint, and pastel to be arranged. Found wood from a disassembled table offered a structure and surface quality that I was interested in implementing in the process of collage. Additionally, the texture of the wood, as well as the implied texture of the photographs of tree bark and stone, became integral parts of each composition. Color and shape were introduced to further reflect elements within the photographs and surfaces. This practice of working in the process of collage transfers directly into my own educational experience and will be incorporated into my future classroom.

Erin Frederick

Erin Frederick is an Art education Major concentrating in 3-Dimensional studies, from Reading Pennsylvania.

Artist Statement: 

When beginning this collection, I was interested in exploring the form and surface texture of natural objects such as leaves, cacti, and stones through the familiar process of papermaking. After making the paper, I altered its surface and form to resemble textures of natural objects that were recorded by photograph or collected on walks around campus. As the first work, Specimen Board, progressed, I found the display board taking on a form that could be used in a classroom. This discovery inspired an exploration of art making through the lens of an elementary/secondary art educator, while continuing to work with papermaking processes. Simultaneously, I felt a strong need to continue making work inspired by natural objects. At this time, Artist book and Textbook, Relating Visual Art to Writing, and Quilted Leaves were created. Through the creation of these three pieces, I discovered a triad of concepts; nature, fiber art processes, and education, which appear in the works both intentionally and subconsciously. When one of these three categories was not present, I myself felt imbalanced. With the realization of the three categories the final piece was created, Quiet Conversations, which consisted of two boxes holding objects. One box with found objects, the other with objects made from fibers to resemble forms of nature. Similar to the first work, Quiet Conversations relation to education was not an intended concept for the form, yet arose as the work took life. While creating the objects for this piece I found common threads in teaching and art making, a tendency to treat materials delicately, work quietly, meditatively, and to teach in a gentle, conversational manner.

Sara Gonzalez 

Sara Naomi Gonzalez is an Art education Major concentrating in 3-Dimensional studies, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. During her time at Messiah College, she has gained an understanding of community and diversity, and she is excited to be able to incorporate these concepts into her teaching.

Artist Statement:

Family looks different to everyone; some play the part very well and others not so well. Every family has their own struggles, but the love still lingers because of the blood running through our veins. This body of work explores my personal growth, redefining family, as a college student. My "family" has expanded greatly over the past four years, and this definition of "family" will be incorporated into my classroom. Family: people who are there for you through thick and thin and want the best for you. People who will try to understand one another's shortcomings and respect their backgrounds. Lastly, people who will push you to excel and accomplish your goals.