<![CDATA[MrDeWildeArt.com

<![CDATA[MrDeWildeArt.com - Blog]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:24:07 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[2025: A Year of Art and Community]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:26:26 GMThttps://www.mrdewildeart.com/blog/2025-a-year-of-art-and-communityIt’s been a meaningful year, full of growth, creativity, and connection. Here are some highlights and lessons from the past year.

Photo: Mindy Young

Growing into the Role: Community Engagement with RAAC

Photo: Kevin Haas/Rock River Current

In May 2024, I officially started as Community Engagement Officer for the Rockford Area Arts Council.
Since then, I’ve been deeply involved in managing youth arts programs and helping guide the Rockford Region Cultural Plan.
I continue to advocate for elevating arts access in Rockford. Part of my job is to build relationships with local creatives and community partners.
In this role, I help support our grant programs. I’ve encouraged local artists and organizations to apply, helping to elevate emerging voices in the Rockford Region.

Supporting Art Educators

On my blog, I continue to reflect on my previous experience and support other educators with creative ways to teach art. In a recent post, I wrote about pairing ancient and contemporary art in my curriculum. Rather than studying ancient civilizations in isolation, I connected those units with modern artists from the same regions — giving students cross-cultural perspectives.
I also described a metal tooling foil project I used to teach my 6th-grade classes. The foil adds a shiny surface that engaged my students’ work on symbols inspired by Mayan glyphs.
Art educators are often assigned an activity at school wide events like Field Day or holiday parties. I shared a puzzle activity I designed, creating wooden “artist cubes” decorated with mini artworks by artists like Frida Kahlo, Keith Haring, and Kehinde Wiley. I'd ask two teams of students to begin assembling them. The first team to successfully put their puzzle together, won! The activity was fun and educational.

Recommitment to the Creative Process

Over the summer, I began a print series inspired by Rockford, centered on a concept I originally pitched for a city utility box. Though my design wasn't selected, I turned it into a personal creative project titled, "My 815."
Since then, I've been working on a series of prints inspired by my favorite childhood bedtime story, "Tiger's Bedtime." I've challenged myself to work bigger, and in more detail with this series.
I have ideas and sketches for the next project, and I'm excited to continue challenging myself, but most importantly keep creating each week. Whether its only sketches, carving a block, or inking and pulling a finished print, my goal each week is to create something. I've done a pretty good job at holding myself accountable in 2025, and I hope to continue this in 2026!

Why This Year Mattered

Photo: Nathan Taylor

This year reinforced something I already believed: art builds bridges. Whether it’s in a classroom, a community grant, or a public space, art has the power to connect people in powerful ways.
My role with the Rockford Area Arts Council has strengthened my belief that arts for everyone isn’t just a slogan, it’s a mission. In fact its been a part of my personal mission statement as an educator, long before I changed career paths. Every decision I make, whether curricular or programmatic, is rooted in inclusivity and access.
Through my website and social media pages, I’ve kept sharing ideas about curriculum, reflections from experience, and new artwork! I’ve been grateful for the conversations and feedback from teachers, students, and community members.

As I head into 2026, I'm excited for what’s ahead: reaching more youth with meaningful arts programming, new public art projects, and fresh ways to make art more accessible to everyone.

Here’s to creating, connecting, and growing in the new year!

]]><![CDATA[Top 5 Lesson Plans to Get Art Teachers Through the End of the Year]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:24:01 GMThttps://www.mrdewildeart.com/blog/top-5-lesson-plans-to-get-art-teachers-through-the-end-of-the-year

The end of the school year can feel like a sprint and a marathon rolled into one. Students are buzzing with energy, schedules are unpredictable, and art teachers need lessons that are creative, but also manageable. If you're looking for engaging, low-prep, high-impact ideas to keep your classroom running smoothly through those final weeks, these five lesson plans may be your new best friends.

Whether you're wrapping up long-term units, filling gaps between events, or just trying to keep students creating in meaningful ways, here are my Top 5 End-of-Year Art Lessons to save your sanity and spark creativity.

1. Winter Artists Trees

Seasonal Creativity with a Twist

A great project for late fall or early winter, this lesson uses inspiration from famous artists—Kandinsky, O’Keeffe, Warhol, and more—to turn traditional holiday or seasonal imagery into modern, vibrant “artist trees.”

Students choose an artist style, apply key visual characteristics, and design their own winter tree in that signature look. It’s structured enough to guide learning but flexible enough for individuality.

Why it works at the end of the year:

Students stay focused through a clear, step-by-step structure
Easy to scaffold for different grade levels
Beautiful hallway display potential

2. Green Screen Photo Portraits

Immersive Digital Art Without the Stress

This fan-favorite lesson gets students behind the camera and into imaginative worlds using green screen effects. Students pose for portraits, then digitally insert themselves into creative or humorous environments.

From surreal landscapes to pop-culture scenes, each final image becomes a highly personal—and often hilarious—piece of digital art.

Why it works at the end of the year:

Students LOVE seeing themselves in the artwork
Highly engaging for restless end-of-year energy
Perfect for mixing photography, digital editing, and storytelling

3. Soda Brand Design Packet

Graphic Design Meets Real-World Creativity

This lesson taps into branding, typography, illustration, and product design as students create their own original soda brand. The packet guides them through concept development, logo creation, flavor ideas, and package design.
It’s a fantastic introduction to career-aligned arts content—plus students have a blast inventing their own beverage.

Why it works at the end of the year:

Independent, self-paced project (great for chaotic schedules!)
Integrates writing, design, and problem solving
Perfect for older elementary and middle school students

4. Mix and Match Faces

Playful Portraits with Big Creative Payoffs

A classroom hit for all ages, Mix and Match Faces helps students explore facial proportions, character design, and expression through interchangeable drawing prompts. Students draw a variety of eyes, noses, mouths, and hairstyles, then combine them to create unique characters.

Why it works at the end of the year:

Minimal setup and quick cleanup
Endless combinations keep students interested
Encourages exploration without perfection pressure

5. Pop Art Characters

Bold, Bright, and Endlessly Fun

Inspired by the playful energy of pop art, this lesson has students create characters using bold outlines, bright colors, and graphic shapes. It’s visually exciting and accessible to all skill levels, making it a great way to end the year on a high note.

Why it works at the end of the year:

High engagement and big visual payoff
Perfect for fast finishers or mixed-ability groups
Works well as a one-day lesson or extended mini-unit

Wrap Up the Year with Creativity That Counts

Whether you need a digital project, a quick drawing activity, or a more structured design challenge, these lessons offer the perfect mix of fun, flexibility, and meaningful artmaking. They’re classroom-tested, student-approved, and designed to help you finish the year strong, and not stressed!

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​Growing into the Role: Community Engagement with RAAC