Student Art Ed Representative

Kimberly Buck.

My name is Kimberly Joy Buck, and I am excited to be a part of the Wisconsin Art Education Association. I decided to study art education the summer before my freshman year of college. During that summer, I helped coordinate a week-long summer art camp for four and five year olds at Sheboygan Lutheran High School. Throughout the week, the children discovered how to experiment with a variety of media. Since then, I have been able to participate in various clinical activities. In January 2011, I was able to observe and teach a week of classes at a small Lutheran church in Watertown, WI. During my time at this school, I helped the preschoolers with art projects, taught fourth through eighth grade art classes, and gave a presentation on college art curriculum to the students. Later on in the year, I visited a school located in the inner city of Milwaukee where I observed a 5K classroom.

I also volunteered at the Art Museum in Milwaukee during their family event. My responsibilities included taking surveys, handing out tickets, and observing the children working at various art workshops.

For the past year, I have been a member of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) program at Concordia University, Wisconsin. At the end of the year, I was elected secretary for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year for the NAEA. In addition to the NAEA, I am also a member of Concordia’s art club, “Art Guild”.

I am currently a student at Concordia University Wisconsin and an art enthusiast who has much to learn and discover. I was born into an artistic family- my mother’s side mainly. Growing up I was encouraged to express myself through different media and to develop skills. I discovered a talent and passion for visual artistic expression. Over the years, especially through my college years thus far, my eyes have been opened to the value of art within schools. This value runs deep. To say that having art in schools provides a unique outlet to learn skills in other subject areas or that it helps a child develop creativity, problem solving, or interpersonal skills, although true it may be, is shortchanging. Art reveals the deep thoughts and feelings of the soul. It is a unique form of expression that is a common fiber amongst the weave of every human being. Through art, humans can make the incarnate or spiritual material and tangible. For children to come to this understanding of art and to experience it fully is valuable.

While being in school, I dedicate much of my time to art and education. Along with taking rigorous course loads that prepare me for teaching art, I am involved with various organizations on campus. I am the president of Art Guild and the president of the NAEA: Concordia, WI Student Chapter. I am in constant collaboration with other art students and plan and coordinate certain art-related events. One past event was “Art in a Cart”, an art supply drive to benefit the Milwaukee Children’s Hospital and a Milwaukee after-school program. I have also coordinated “Empty Bowls” and “Scoops for Troops.” Concordia students volunteered to create hand-made bowls. In exchange for a cash donation, guests received a hand-crafted bowl filled with chili or ice cream. The proceeds went to organizations (Local food pantries and Stars and Stripes Honor Flight).