I am always on the lookout for new ways to inspire my students, especially with local examples of art. One amazing new addition, now in its third year, in my community is Sculpture Tour Eau Claire. The non-profit organization has created a free outdoor sculpture exhibit that is on display year-round in the city. This year the exhibit features 31 sculptures, all of which are owned by the artists and on a year-long loan to Sculpture Tour Eau Claire. Each May, a new set of sculptures will arrive to be displayed. The artists reside as far away as Florence, Italy, but the tour has also included local Eau Claire artists as well. There are three Eau Claire locations where you can see these sculptures, all of them located near the downtown vicinity. This year’s tour includes the Water Street area, which is near the UW-Eau Claire campus and frequented by many college students. One of the Water Street sculptures reaches 13 feet into the air. For more information on the sculptures featured in Sculpture Tour Eau Claire you can visit the website: www.sculpturetour.org/index.html. In addition to the fact that Sculpture Tour Eau Claire offers the residents a chance to see amazing sculptures within the city, the community also gets to vote on their favorite sculpture. After the voting closes, the sculpture with the most votes is purchased and put on permanent display somewhere in the city. Art collectors and community members have also helped to purchase more than 12 sculptures over the past two years. Some of the sculptures have even been donated to local nonprofit groups such as the YMCA and L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. During my time as a student teacher, I was fortunate enough to be placed in an elementary school that was within walking distance to one of the three sculpture tour locations. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take my students to see art that was practically in their backyard. I developed a lesson on digital photography and the sculptures were our subject matter. On a beautiful fall day, with my cooperating teacher and aids, I walked 45 fourth grade students downtown to take pictures of the sculptures. Divided into smaller groups, we had the opportunity to see, touch, and vote on the art. We spent time discussing the materials used in each sculpture, how they were created, and photographing the sculptures. The majority of my students had never been to an art museum; they were very curious and interactive with the art. More than anything, I simply enjoyed watching them run their fingers over the smooth cold marbled torso, sit next to the bronze girl on a bench, and high five the larger-than-life sized dog. Oh, and their photographs turned out amazing, too.
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Advertising Manager![]() Amy KentAs a young graphic art student at Minnesota State University-Mankato, Amy had an opportunity to teach art classes for economically disadvantaged students. This began her passion for teaching. After finishing her BFA in Graphic Design and Sculpture, she spent a month backpacking through Europe where she was able to see, first-hand, many of the art pieces she studied in college.
Amy enjoyed 15 years as a graphic artist, website designer, and entrepreneur. Finally, the opportunity presented itself for Amy to go back to school and pursue a career in art education. Last summer, Amy graduated and became licensed to teach art. She spent the past school year as a long-term art substitute teacher in two different school districts and is looking forward to having her own classroom. Because of her diverse background, Amy feels that she can guide her students in their current artistic achievements and also help them envision themselves as artists in the future. Advertising Resources
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March 2015
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