Michelle Monteith

Artist Statement

I have been passionate about art and creating since I can remember, using any free time I had to draw and craft. I decided to pursue a degree in art education so that I can educate future generations of the importance of art. Art is a vital part of our daily lives and surrounds us, from artwork, architecture, clothing, and even vehicles. Art leads to creativity, problem-solving, and persistence; many of these things are best learned through trial and error and playful exploration. Art has been used to educate for generations long before we had a written language, making pictures a universal language between humans, to teach life skills, tell stories, and record history.

My curriculum contains various methods to cater to as many individual learning styles as possible. This is to ensure that everyone is included in the learning environment whether they learn by example, verbal explanation, or written directions. I also feel that incorporating technology into my teaching is important; using digital aids, visual references, and art creation applications in the classroom to expand the arsenal of tools a student has to learn and express themselves within the classroom and in society.

I believe that every person is capable of creating, and should have a welcoming environment to explore and create. Students should feel free to express themselves, learn, experiment, and embrace their own uniqueness, as well as the ideas and the uniqueness of others through group critiques and collaboration. My goal is to pass my own passion for art down to my students, ensuring that their creativity, innovation, expression, and self-discipline can flourish through the rest of their lives, and be applied, not just in the arts, but in whatever their future careers might hold for them.