Elementary Art Educators

Meghan Ford

West View Elementary School, Art Teacher

[email protected]

I grew up in Pauline, SC and graduated from Dorman High School in 2009.  While at Dorman, I participated in a variety of art classes including sculpture and watercolor.

After graduating high school, I attended USC Upstate where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Art Education with a Minor in Art History. While at USC Upstate, I served with the National Art Education Association, USC Upstate Student Chapter, as vice president for one year and president for two years. During my time at USC Upstate, I was fortunate to have the experience of teaching at Pauline Glenn Springs Elementary School, Anderson Mill Elementary School, Gable Middle School and Dorman Freshman Campus.

In the fall of 2013, I became a proud member of the District 6 art staff. During my first year of teaching, I taught at Anderson Mill Elementary School, Arcadia Elementary School and West View Elementary School. Now I am a full time Wildcat at West View Elementary.

During the summer, I enjoy teaching summer classes and have had the opportunity to teach at Lone Oak Elementary and West View Elementary.

 

Jackie Weeks

Roebuck Elementary School, Art Teacher

[email protected]

I grew up in Cleveland County N.C.  I have always enjoyed drawing, painting, and photography. As a young adult, I acquired my informal art education in the bohemian district of Atlanta. I continued to pursue artistic endeavors as a hobby while I raised my family and worked with students with profound disabilities.

Eventually, my love of art, and my wonderful husband, persuaded me to return to college for a degree in art education. Therefore, in 2009, I, along with my five children, set off to college. While working towards my degree, I also worked in home health care, often with Alzheimer’s patients. I found that the arts, both visual and musical, were especially beneficial to those suffering from Alzheimer’s.

I received my Bachelor’s of Art Education from the University of South Carolina in 2015 and accepted a temporary teaching position at Dorman High School. After completing my certification, I began taking graduate courses and obtained my Master's in Education. I now teach at Roebuck Elementary where I currently serve as the art teacher.

My husband and I enjoy traveling, ceramics, and photography. I also enjoy serving alongside my family at church and through a local jail ministry.

 

 

Amelia Lorenz

Woodland Heights Elementary School, Art Teacher

 

Art rescued me from high school.  It was my refuge and my joy.  Since then, art has been for me a safe place.  One where I could:

Play

Laugh

Experiment

Argue

Lash out

and Escape.

Aside from all that, painting in particular is a form of meditation for me and I have always wanted to share that open window with my students.  My sister might say I began teaching around age 4 or 5.  She was my first and most challenging student.  Later, as an English major, I decided that my true passion was for art—a more accessible vehicle for teaching creative thinking.  Now, I feel like I play all day.  I love the enthusiasm and sheer joy of young students recognizing their own creative power to express themselves.

Outside the classroom, I still paint.  I have been a member of the NAEA, SCAEA, NBCT, and Spartanburg Artist’s Guild at various times.  But, my favorite place to be is in the art room.

Cheryl Stemple

Fairforest Elementary School, Art Teacher

 

Art and music have always been a part of me; I participated in art and chorus groups
throughout high school and college.  After graduating from the University of
Massachusetts-Dartmouth with a BFA in Textile Design, with a minor in art education, I
worked as a textile designer for a large textile company until my family moved to
Hickory, North Carolina. While volunteering in my daughters’ school, I was persuaded to
return to college to complete my teaching certificate in Art Education from Lenoir-Rhyne
University.  I have taught all grade levels but found my home teaching elementary art at
Fairforest Elementary. With the generous help from our Board of Education, I went
back to school (a third time!) and received a master’s in Education.
 
My husband and I have three daughters and one son-in-law.  We live in Spartanburg
with our two cats and one turtle.  We love to attend family gatherings, WVU football
games, and take trips to see our beautiful world.  I enjoy all things art-related like
discovering new artists, creating quilt patterns, and going to art exhibits but my favorite
thing to do is to share my love of artmaking with my students.

 

Hello! I am Detria Graham, Art Teacher at Jesse Bobo Elementary School in Spartanburg School District Six. I graduated from the University of South Carolina Upstate with a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education. After graduation, I decided to remain in Sparkle City with my community and friends. Prior to my current position, I was a Visual Arts and Photography Instructor with the Boys and Girls Club of the Upstate for seven years. I traveled to several schools in the region, meeting community leaders and other young professionals. I am a member of SCAEA and I very much enjoy learning and meeting new art friends! And I am a former member of the Spartanburg Artist’s Guild. I currently serve as a Volunteer Member of the Spartanburg Big Brother Big Sisters Advisory Board. My goal is to serve our students first and teach them as much about art as I can. I believe art and technology are the ways of the future and I hope to inspire students to join art careers and grow into well-rounded, forward-thinking learners.

Jesse S. Bobo Elementary School, Art Teacher
My name is Mackenzie Frederickson. I live in Moore, SC with my husband, Trever and my son, Lincoln. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education from Converse College. I am currently the art teacher at Jesse S Bobo Elementary and travel to West View Elementary. I have a passion for cultivating creativity in the minds of young people. I love teaching children how to make messes, think outside of the box, and create art that tells their story. Outside of teaching art, I am a photographer. I am primarily a digital photographer but have dabbled in film and alternative photographic processes. I also enjoy printmaking and sculpture. When I am not teaching or creating my own art, I enjoy traveling to new places with my family and hitting every coffee shop on the way! I also love reading, running, and shopping. I am honored to be a part of the District 6 family. 

Louisa Hucks - Anderson Mill Elementary School, Art Teacher
Hi! My name is Louisa Hucks and I teach Visual Art at Anderson Mill Elementary School. I was born and raised here in Spartanburg and attended District Six schools myself. I participated in Art Visions in elementary and middle school at Woodland Heights and Dawkins Middle and continued my fine arts education at Dorman High by playing cello in the Symphony orchestra and taking as many art courses as I could fit into my schedule. After high school, I attended the University of South Carolina where I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education. Throughout my time at USC Columbia, I continued to explore many different types of art making and joined clubs such as the NAEA Student Chapter (National Art Education Association) where I served as Vice President. Now as an educator, I am still an active member of NAEA. Prior to moving back home to Spartanburg to be closer to family and friends, I taught Visual Art at Gilbert Elementary School in Lexington County School District One. 

I am passionate about learning different ways of creating art, and love to be a student myself picking up new skills and information from other artists and educators. I am typically in the middle of multiple projects at one time and can almost always be found with ink or paint-stained clothes and hands. Outside of the classroom, I love to travel and explore new places and cultures. I am constantly buying new artwork to fill up my home and love to share these artists’ work with my students. I enjoy being outside and spending time in nature, and sometimes bring my two cats, Ruby and Josephine, along for the adventure!