Photo by Ashley Thalman
Art has been a part of my life from a very early age and everything thing I do has something to do with art. From the moment I could hold an object in my hand I was using it to express something about my world and myself. I studied art in college simply because there was nothing that piqued my interest more than expressing myself through art. I could never see myself doing anything but art.
I didn’t set out to be an art teacher although I have taught it for over twenty-seven years at the university, college and high school levels. I did want to invite others to explore the unique way that art allows one to discover self and our place in time and existence. I’ve discovered the pivotal domain art occupies in my life. Art connects everything for me.
“You’re all over the place! How do you do it all?” I hear that a lot in art circles I move in. Most recently I served as the Pacific Region Vice President for the National Art Education Association and previously served on the board as the Secondary Division Director and have now been appointed to the NAEA Research commission. I’m a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar and have also received awards from the National Art Education Association and the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation as well as several residencies and fellowships throughout the United States. I’m an Art 21 Educator and have worked as a mentor teacher for the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago’s Teacher’s Institute for Contemporary art (TICA). I’ve also served as an appointed panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and currently serve on several national advisory boards and state art education committees. Why do I do all this? Because I’m passionate about advocacy for the arts.
James Rees