Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

Category: Specialist Spotlight

  • EXTRA! EXTRA! Truman Elementary Sneaks in Art Show Before School Closures

    Nathan Smith, BTSALP Visual Art Specialist at Truman Elementary School in Granite School District, makes sure to not only display the work of his students but to explain to parents and art show visitors the content integration that informs the art projects.

    First grade students examined their roles and the important roles of other people and places in their communities. They referenced the artwork The Block by Romare Bearden, an amazing contemporary African American collage artist. Then students used organic and geometric shapes to create their own collage of their favorite places in their community.

    Second grade students created Color Wheels to explore how colors mix to create new colors. They discovered that the Primary Colors (red, blue, and yellow) mix together to create the Secondary Colors (orange, green, and purple.) Then they turned their color wheels into their own original Life Cycles, and explored how every living thing grows and changes over time.

    Third grade students explored their understanding of the force of gravity – how it acts on everyday objects, and how it affects the Earth, Moon, and Sun. Then they showed the force of gravity in abstract artwork by creating colorful Contour Lines – lines that trace the outline of a shape or form.

    Fourth grade students created Pixel Artwork – drawings or designs created by small colored squares. They examined the artwork of the famous street artist, Space Invader, who creates pixel art outdoors. Their challenge was to create a design and find the Area and Perimeter of their work.

    Fifth grade students used their knowledge of land forms and Earth’s surface to create their own hand made historic maps. They created thumbnail sketches (small practice drawings) of a variety of land forms to study how they look. Then they drew and watercolor painted them before aging their map by covering it with a wash of coffee.

    Sixth grade students used their knowledge of Moon Phases and the Solar System to create their own space masterpiece. Their goal was to use Value (the combination of light and dark) to create the illusion that their planets were three dimensional spheres.

    Kindergarten students explored how they can express and recognize feelings on others’ faces. They created their own original Emotion Monsters to show different feelings. These monster faces are examples of a collage. Collage is a way of cutting and gluing paper shapes to make artwork.

  • Specialist Spotlight: Britt Black

    Britt Black, BTSALP Visual Art Specialist at Philo T. Farnsworth Elementary and Gerald L. Wright Elementary was featured on the Murray City website. Read all about Britt and her connection to Murray City below. 

    Britt loved to doodle and imagine all kinds of creative ideas when she was young but never paid much attention to art. While attending Hillcrest Jr. High, she was required to take an Art class from Mr. Kline. Although reluctant, she eventually decided to give her assignments a real try.

    It was not until her older sister, Meghan, encouraged her to take Mr. White’s Drawing 1 elective class at Murray High, that she realized art was her niche. As she continued to learn more in Mr. White’s class, she would often tell her parents of her desire to be a professional artist. She grasped how to refine portrait drawings and sampled painting with oils for the first time. With Mr. White’s encouragement, she participated in an Art show for the first time. Following her passion, she continued taking art classes, including an AP art class from Mr. Moffet, who also offered her much support.

    As she neared her senior graduation, Mr. White pulled her aside and said, “Brittany, I want you to know that art sometimes doesn’t click with everyone, but it does with you, so keep doing it.” Those words caused her to believe she was an artist and helped her stay the course at times she doubted herself.

    After graduating from Salt Lake Community College, Britt was uncertain of her plans. She acquired a job as a paraeducator for an elementary school. As she assisted kids in reading and writing, teachers often solicited her aid in teaching art classes to their students. With a taste for teaching art, Britt returned to school at the University of Utah, taking education and art courses. However, once she attended the art classes, she terminated the education courses and focused on art full time. After four years she graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree. During her time at the university, she learned from several amazing professors and artists, including John Erickson, Sam Wilson, Alison Denyer, Tom Hoffman, John O’Connell, and Kim Martinez. 

    Britt continued learning, participating in many printmaking classes and additional education classes. Eventually, she became acquainted with the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program (BTSALP), where she began working as a paraeducator once again at the same elementary school. Another educator, Linda Williams, explained the Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL), where Brit could obtain a teaching license. That year she taught art five times a week to all the grades in a rotation as a para. As a result of her hard work and talents, Principal Joan Bramble offered her the BTSALP position. Now she has now been teaching in the BTSALP since 2016 and is close to achieving her teaching license through the ARL program.

    “Art is what got me through it all, art and all the people who helped me along the way. It’s also incredibly validating to know that art is, what will get me to my future” 

    Britt Black

    Visit Murray City’s website to read the rest of the article,  “Connecting Lives on Canvas.”