FCS Art Teachers’ Work Featured in Local Art Show 

Art teachers teach their students to create and often encourage students to share their creative works with others. Now, the talents of 10 Fulton County Schools (FCS) art teachers are featured in a local art show.

The Zuckerman Museum of Art, part of the School of Art and Design at Kennesaw State University, featured “Playful Encounters” this fall, which displayed how art can be playful and created for fun. All work was created by K-12 art teachers across Georgia. This was the third annual exhibition for art teachers.

Elizabeth Thomas is the Education and Outreach coordinator at the Zuckerman Museum of Art.

“Art teachers are artists first,” explained Thomas. “It’s really difficult to pursue your art professionally [when teachers] give so much to students.”

The idea for this show was formed during the COVID-19 shutdown when Thomas noticed that art teachers were spending more time in their own studios and thinking creatively about how to teach art to their students online instead of in person.

“We always encourage art teachers to make and exhibit their art,” said Elizabeth Eppes, the Visual and Performing Arts coordinator for the district. “Part of the standards in the state are students exhibiting their work, so [teachers] are modeling state standards.” 

The 10 FCS art teachers included: 

• Alaa Belkasim, Alpharetta High School
• Mary Besel, Alpharetta High School
• Shakirah Bryant, Banneker High School
• Tory Daniel, Chattahoochee High School
• Robert Foster, Centennial High School
• Jordan Glastetter, Manning Oaks Elementary School
• Natalie Hudson, Cambridge High School
• Aimee Miller, Stonewall Tell Elementary
• Lauren Moret, Tri Cities High School
• Kara Rice, Chattahoochee High School