MISD Students Create Stroke of Kindness for Children in Need

Portraits that are ready to be shipped to children overseas.

The students in Summit High School’s Pre-AP and AP art classes have a knack for bringing objects to life on a piece of paper; but they never expected that their talents would be able to change the lives of children in impoverished countries.

Through The Memory Project, the students created portraits for youth around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as neglect, abuse, loss of parents, and extreme poverty. The finished portraits are then sent back to the nonprofit organization and personally delivered to the child.

Art teacher Jennifer Messer learned about the project and presented the idea to her students. She said it can be difficult for an artist to give away his or her work, but her students didn’t think twice about it.

“They were super excited about the project,” said Messer. “I wanted them to have a sense of how much their talent would mean to somebody else and the kindness that the child would see from getting such a personal art piece.”

Junior Drew Johnson putting the finishing touches on his artwork.

Many people wouldn’t consider having a picture of themselves as being a luxury; but for thousands of underprivileged children around the world, it is the one thing they can finally call their own.

“A lot of times, these kids have to share their belongings, so this is something just for him to keep,” said junior Drew Johnson about the boy from Madagascar who will receive his portrait. “I hope he’s really happy with it.”

Senior Katelynn Sigrist used her portrait to share a message of thinking past current circumstances and setting bigger goals.

“The background of his portrait is outer space because I wanted him to feel like he can go anywhere and do anything,” said Sigrist. “I wanted to put him somewhere he wouldn’t have thought to go.”

Katelynn Sigrist paints a picture she hopes will give
inspiration to the young boy who receives it.

Messer said she’s proud of her students and is not surprised about the level of talent she saw with the finished artwork.

“They all did a fantastic job,” Messer added. “Each of them got to use their own artistic voice, and they brought true passion to each portrait.”

With the help of talented artists like the students in Summit High's advanced art classes, The Memory Project has been able to create more than 80,000 portraits for children in 35 countries.

MISD High School Art Camp Quadruples in Size

Dallas Williams (left) and her art camp students.

When it comes to creating art, there is an element of surprise that can sometimes lead to a stroke of genius. The same concept came into play when Timberview High School art teacher Dallas Williams prepared to launch an art camp seven years ago.

When Williams was in high school, she experienced a tough time, and it wasn’t until she connected with her art teacher-turned-mentor that she gained clarity about her future.

“I went from being a very poor student to a straight-A student,” recalls Williams. “It was definitely the relationship I made with my art teacher that made all the difference for me.”

Williams went on to receive the “Bootstrap Award” for improvement her senior year. It was then that she decided she wanted to work to inspire positive change in the lives of students, just as her mentor had done for her.

Williams has now been teaching art for 20 years, 10 of which have been in MISD at Timberview High School. Seven years ago, she began offering an art camp for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Middle school and high school students also participate in the camp as volunteer helpers and counselors. As the camp gained popularity, Williams gladly developed a plan for expansion. There are now four art camps offered throughout the year.

The camp has drawn students from all across the district, as well as some out-of-district students. For Williams, the greatest surprise has been watching the relationships develop between the campers and the high school students that volunteer as counselors.

“Watching the creative connection between the kids is so rewarding,” Williams said. “A lot of them continue to come back each year and they build on those relationships. It’s really special for me because I can say firsthand; you never know when you’re going to meet that one person or mentor that could change your life forever.”

A student learning how to sculpt clay.

Many of the counselors enjoy helping out with the camp so much that they continue to volunteer even after they’ve graduated from Timberview.

“My absolute favorite thing about the camp is getting to know all of the little kids and seeing their personalities come out through their artwork,” said 12th grader Keshayla Gainer, who is considering returning to volunteer at camp after graduation this spring.

In addition to being an avenue for the development of many friendships and mentor-mentee relationships, the camp also serves as a substantial fundraiser. This year, Williams will be taking some art students on a trip to New York where they will have an opportunity to view lots of famous art and take part in a workshop at the legendary Guggenheim Museum.

Teacher Gains Fame by Telling Story of Home Through Lens of iPhone

For first-year teacher Temi Coker, photography teacher at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy, taking pictures is therapeutic.

“I was just going through a lot when I was in college, so taking pictures was just a way of me allowing the world to see it the way I saw it,” said Coker.

Temi Coker's family in Nigeria
Courtesy: Instagram (@temi.coker)

But he never imagined the visual story he told through social media about a trip to his childhood home would go viral and bring him some unexpected attention.

Coker traveled to Nigeria in December 2014 to celebrate his grandmother’s 70th birthday. His birthday happens to be the day after; so on his birthday, he decided to walk around Lagos, Nigeria and document the city in a new way.

“I wanted people to see Nigeria in a way that the media didn’t show it,” said the Nigerian native. “I wasn’t expecting anything from this. I just wanted to show the people—at least the people who were following me [on Instagram]—my trip and how beautiful Nigeria really is.”

Using the hashtag #TemixNigeria, Coker shared his story, and his artistic photos were noticed by the Instagram community manager. Soon after, Coker’s photos were featured on the Instagram blog.

Self-portrait of Coker
Courtesy: Instagram (@temi.coker)

Since then, Coker’s artwork has been shown on the local news and noticed by several art enthusiasts around the world.

“I was like, ‘Man, are you serious?’ I was almost crying because I didn’t do this for the fame. I did it because I just wanted to document Nigeria in a special way."

He noted that he’s extremely thankful for all the support and recognition he’s been getting.

Science Coordinator Displays Artistic Side

An attendee admiring Garza's artwork.

As art enthusiasts toured the Mansfield High School library viewing an amazing 35-piece exhibit of paintings, one of the patrons turned to her friend and said, "And to think, this was all painted by some science guy!"

That was the sentiment of several people who attended Tuesday's debut of "Shadows and Reflections" by Dr. Fred Garza, which featured paintings of literary novels brought to life or kitchen tools through the eyes of a cooking aficionado.

Dr. Garza is Mansfield ISD's science curriculum coordinator who has been with the district for more than 20 years.

Science and art aren't typically used in the same sentence. However, for Dr. Garza, those two words sum up his greatest passions.

"It's all about creating to me. In chemistry, you're creating a new product. In art, you're creating a new piece," said Garza.

Garza always had a knack for the arts because both of his parents were artists. He said he would always critique his mother's artwork, which led her to tell him to take art classes and make his own creations. And that's exactly what he did.

Dr. Fred Garza and Suzanne Moncuse enjoying the exhibit.

Although this is the second year the former science teacher displayed his artwork at Mansfield High School for the public to see, he said he wasn't always comfortable showing off his creative side to outsiders. It took some nudging from his friends.

"Once Suzanne Moncuse [Mansfield High School's librarian] found out that I was an artist, she pushed to have me showcase my work in the library," said Garza. "Now, I wouldn't have it any other way. She shows a true appreciation and care for the artwork."

Moncuse said the honor is all hers to be able to host such a local artist in the library.

"With the level of talent he has, he could easily be showing his pieces in art galleries. I'm glad to support him, and even happier that our district also supports the arts." said Moncuse.

Garza hopes his story will encourage others to not be afraid to tap into their own passions.

"Everyone has potential," he said. "They just need to dive in."

Garza's work will be on display at the Mansfield High School library until March 1.

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