GAEA Conference Fall 2024

Take a docent-led tour of the GIANTS exhibit.

The High will be the exclusive venue in the Southeastern United States to present the first major exhibition of the world-class art collection owned by musical and cultural icons Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) and Alicia Keys.
Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, where it debuted in February, Giants will feature a focused selection from the couple’s holdings, spotlighting works by multigenerational Black diasporic artists, from 20th century legends such as Nick Cave, Lorna Simpson, and Barkley L. Hendricks, to artists of a younger generation including Deana Lawson, Amy Sherald, and Ebony G. Patterson, who are expanding the legacies of those who came before them.
Giants stands as a testament to the Deans’ ethos of “collecting and preserving the culture of ourselves for ourselves, now and into the future.” Through approximately 115 objects, including 98 major artworks, the exhibition will trace the evolution of an audacious and ambitious collection and explore the ways in which the featured artists and their work have grappled with societal issues, embraced monumentality, and made a palpable impact on the art canon. In addition to paintings, photographs, and sculptures, the galleries will include noteworthy examples of the Deans’ early non-art collecting interests, including albums, musical equipment, and BMX bikes, along with related ephemera.

I'll share best practices for teaching oil based media in a classroom, focusing on how to use thrifted equipment such as picture frames for ink slabs or pallets, donated t-shirts for rags, and donated jars for cleanup. Using baby oil and simple green for cleanup, phone books for blotting tools, and dollar tree table cloths, we manage oil based printing and painting in 55 minute periods.

This presentation will delve into the integral role of arts education in fostering literacy skills among students. By exploring the connections between visual arts and literacy, we aim to demonstrate how art classrooms serve as rich environments for nurturing reading, writing, thinking, communication, and creativity. Through research findings and practical examples, we will showcase the transformative power of art education in improving literacy rates and enhancing overall academic achievement.

As a new-er art teacher, the list of all the things you’re navigating is endless: You’re learning a new school & community culture, building relationships with students & their families, preparing project materials, creating displays, and figuring out a new curriculum…in addition to teaching! There is so much to navigate as a new-er art teacher, and it can get overwhelming. This session will draw from the real-life experience of new and veteran art teachers and provide best practices tips for teaching, classroom management, and finding work-life-fit. Come ready to collaborate through interactive conversation and walk away with tangible strategies to try out in your classroom!

We will be drawing an easy but realistic looking eye and a spider web-like pattern that will connect our inner and our outer world. By visually connecting these two elements, we aim to explore how they interact and influence each other in our daily lives. Understanding and being aware of both our inner and outer worlds can help us gain insights into our motivations for positive and negative choices and the overall reactions to our experience and thought patterns.

Local Artist, Leah Kellaway, shares about her work. Leah Kellaway (she/her) is an art educator and award-winning illustrator based in Atlanta, GA who blends illustration, fine art, and design to create expressive work that focuses on themes of character and portraiture, everyday magic and adventure, and inspiration and empowerment. After a decade of working independently and collaboratively to solve a multitude of visual problems, she founded Kellaway Creative Collaborative in 2023 to provide vibrant, bold, unique visual storytelling to businesses and individuals of all sizes and kinds. Kellaway holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Georgia (‘16) and a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the University of Hartford (‘23).

Based on my capstone from Piedmont, in this workshop, I will be going over the research I used to help older elementary students want to create art. Students who were part of this research were more excited to make art. We used pop culture-based lessons and more engaging projects for older students.

Calling all aspiring digital artists! Join us for a fun and informative workshop where you'll learn to create inspiring artwork like Jason Naylor, whose vibrant illustrations promote positivity. Using a Wacom One tablet and the free program Kleki, we'll explore the magic of digital drawing. This workshop will equip you with essential skills like layering, opening the door to exciting creative fields like graphic design. Get ready to transform your ideas into stunning visuals and explore how digital art can make a positive impact on the world! **Teachers will need to bring a computer/laptop.**

In this session, Jennifer Griner and Tiffany Weser will provide valuable insights into the AP Art and Design portfolio scoring process and share strategies for guiding students towards success. As experienced AP Readers, they have gained unique perspectives on what makes a portfolio stand out and the common pitfalls to avoid. Through engaging discussions and real-world examples, participants will learn: Key Factors for a Successful Portfolio, Navigating Challenges, and Biggest WHOAs. This session is ideal for art educators, AP Art and Design teachers, and anyone involved in guiding students through the AP portfolio process. Whether you're a seasoned educator or new to the AP program, you'll come away with practical strategies and a deeper understanding of what it takes to succeed in AP Art and Design.