SFA offering art educators' retreat in June

Participants in a previous Art Educators' Retreat work on one of the many projects completed by community college, elementary, middle and high school art teachers during the four-day retreat offered by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art. Registrations for the 2010 retreat, June 20 through 24, are being accepted through May 20.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Registrations are still being accepted for "Renew Yourself in Art," a four-day retreat for art educators offered by the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art.

Open to community college, elementary, middle and high school art teachers, the retreat will be held on the SFA campus Sunday, June 20, through Thursday, June 24.

The retreat offers art educators a chance to renew their creative selves and to attend workshops by two extraordinary guest artists, explained Dr. Marsha Blount, SFA assistant professor of art education and director of the retreat.

Acclaimed impressionist painter Caroline Jasper will present four workshops: "Powercolor," "Creating Dramatic Depth in Painting," "Plein Air Painting" and "Keys to Contrast in Painting." Nationally recognized Dallas artist Ted Kincaid, who works primarily with photo-based imagery, will present "Optics and the Renaissance for the Classroom" and "Constructing a Camera Lucida."

Dr. David A. Lewis, SFA professor of art history, will offer a lecture series, "Making Faces: Portraits and Masks."

"The heart of the program is to provide an aesthetic experience for art educators, with time and space to devote to their own artistic development," Blount said.

All meals, art supplies and on-campus lodging are included in the $400 registration fee.

The retreat is limited to the first 30 registrants, and the registration deadline is Thursday, May 20. Applications and instructions for registering are available at www.art.sfasu.edu/retreat.

For more information, e-mail Blount at blountmarsh@sfasu.edu. Inquiries should include the educator's school name, teaching level, school telephone number and educator's e-mail address.