JuneauArtsandHumanitiesCouncil–JuneauSchoolDistrict

PARTNERSINEDUCATION

TEACHINGARTISTPROFILEArtistName: AmyO’NeillHouck

Address: 3251DouglasHwy

Juneau,AK99801

PhoneNumber: 907-988-8000

EmailAddress: aoh@ipsmedia.com

1. Iamavailabletowork/teach(checkallthatapply):_______in1-2weekresidencyperiodonly __X_____Iamflexibleandcouldworkdifferenttimes_______Icanwork1dayperweekforamonthormore _______Icouldworkpartdays,differenttimes

2. Pleasedescribeyourartseducationand/orartsbackground.IhaveanMFAincreativewriting,andanundergraduatedegreeintheatreandlinguisticswithaconcentrationinInternationalStudies.Iamafiberartistandknitweardesigner.Ihavepublishedthreebooksandnumerousarticlesonknittingandcrochet.Imaintainablog,TheHookandI,whereIwriteaboutfiberart,food,andlifeinAlaska.Ihavetaughtfiberartsclassessince2004tostudentsofallagesinschools,shops,libraries,andartandcommunitycenters.

3. WhichArtFormsareyouinterestedinteaching,andhowwillyouincorporatethemintotheclassroom?Pleaselistall,and

indicatepreferencesifany.Alsoindicatewhatagechildrenyouprefertoworkwith.FiberArt:Knitting,Crochet,Felt-work,Spinning,Weaving,Embroidery,lace.andknotwork.Iteachcreativewriting,andIcanincorporatewritingintootherartsresidencies.Ialsoteachforagingandcookingclasses,andIaminterestedinteachingstudentsofallages.

4. Whatthemes,concepts,andexperiencesdoyouwanttosharewithstudents?

Conceptsofcolor,artanddesign,thehistoryandcultureoftextilesandfiberart,themathematicalapplicationsofcreatingfabricfromyarn,thescienceofwool,andtheexperienceofturningwoolintoyarn,andyarnintofabricallinformmyfiberartsteaching.IncreativewritingIseektostimulatestudents’creativityandinspirethemtotellengagingstories.Inteachingforagingandworkingwithwildfoods,Ilooktoshareaconnectionwithournaturalworldandanawarenessofthedailychangesthathappenthroughouttheseasons.UsingandpreservingwhatbountySoutheastAlaskaoffersallowsstudentstodevelopareverenceandanappreciationforwheretheylivenowandwherevertheymightliveinthefuture.

5. Pleaselistordescribeanypriorteachingexperiencesyoumayhavehad(apartfromresidencies)

Ihavetaughtknitting,crochet,andfibercraftssince2004.I’vetaughtinmiddleschoolafterschoolprograms,citycommunity-centerprogramsforchildren,libraryprogramsforchildrenandadults,communityartcenters,andyarnshops.Ihavetaughtprofessionaldesignersandyarnmanufacturers,storeowners,andretailers.Ihavetaughtchildrenfromtheagesof4andup.IhavetaughtinNewJersey,Maryland,Cordova,Alaska,California,Ohio,Pennsylvania,andJuneau.Iteachonlineandinperson.IleadforagingandcookingwalksandworkshopsthroughtheJuneaucooperativeextension.Iteachcreativewritingworkshopsthroughthe49WritersWritingCenterinAnchorage

6. WhydoyouwanttoteachtheartsinJuneauschools?

Ienjoyteachingstudentsofallages.I’mfascinatedbytheirvariouslearningstyles.Iloveshowingthemhowfiberart,writing,andforagingfitinwiththerestofthecurriculum.IhavetwochildrenintheJuneauschools,andIenjoybeingapartoftheeducationprocess.

7. PastExperiencewithArtistintheSchoolsresidencies:(listall)HarborviewElementarySchool,Juneau,Alaska,December2013.Wetfeltingwithapprox.200students,grades1-5.Studentscreatedwet-feltedlandscapesandstudiedwoolsciencewhilelearningbasicartconceptsneededtocreatelandscape.Finishedpieceswereembellishedwithembroideryandbeadsanddisplayedinschoolcommons.Teacherworkshopofferedinconjunctionwithresidency.MontessoriBorealis,Juneau,Alaska,October-December2014.AMP(Grade7-8)classroom.Aquarter-longsurveyoffiberarts.Studentsmetweeklytoexplorewetfelting,needlefelting,andspinning.JuneauDouglasHighSchool,Juneau,Alaska,January2015.“FireandFiberBreaktheIce.”Thisresidencywith3highschoolceramicsclassesexploredcommunicationandrelationshipsusingfiberandceramicasmetaphor.Studentscreatedwet-feltedwearableswithhand-madeceramicbeads,andwrotereflectionsontheirwork.ResidencyculminatedinastudentartshowattheJuneauArtsandCultureCenter.Teacherworkshopofferedinconjunctionwithresidency.GlacierValleyElementarySchool,Juneau,Alaska,October-November2015.“StrawintoGold.TheScienceandArtofSpinningaYarn.”185Studentsgrades3-5.Studentsbuiltturkish-stylespindles,andlearnedthebasicsofspinningyarnbyhand.Studentsstudiedquantitative,scientific,literary,andhistoricaltie-instospinningandwool.TeacherworkshopofferedinDecember2015.JuneauYouthServices,MontanaCreek,January-March2016.“TheHookandI-CrochetforBusyMindsandEagerHands.”Fiberartistshavelearnedthroughresearchandexperiencethatratherthanbeingadistraction,havingsomethingtodowithyourhands--likecrochet--canmakeyouabetter,moreattentivelistener.Fiberartsengagetheleftandrighthemispheresofthebraininexcitingways:Studentsthinkgeometricallyastheymeasureandcalculatehowmuchyarnittakestomakeafinisheditem--theycangetcreativewithdesignincorporatingcolor,shape,andtexture.InAmy’sresidencyatMontanacreek,shehelpedstudentsdevelopaserviceprojectwhereintheycandonatefinisheditemstothoseinneed.

8. HaveyouparticipatedintheJuneauTeachingArtistAcademyseries?

_X____Ihavecompletedtheseries_______Iparticipatedinsomeoftheseries_______No,notyet

9. Pleaselistthreereferenceswhocouldbecontactedaboutyourworkandteachingexperience.Includename,phonenumber

andemailaddressforeach.ShannonOkey,shannon.okey@gmail.com216-569-4398HeatherRidgeway,heather.ridgway@juneauschools.org,907-523-1547MelissaHighfill,seasideyarns@gmail.com,907-723-9227

10. Provideanyadditionalcommentsoradditionsthatmighthelpilluminateyourworkorlifeasanartist.\

Ihavealwaysthoughtofmyselfasa“teachingartist;”whenIcreateanewprojectorwork,evenformyself,itisalwayswithastudentinmind--whatskillswillthestudentsgainfromcreatingthisproject,howcantheyuseittoexpresstheirowncreativity?

Photosofmyrecentresidencywork:https://goo.gl/photos/opA4i46L2aLQmMEv8