President’s Letter – January 2018

Happy New Year – 2018!

Mayor Rob Rennie has selected the Art Docents as a  

Small Business Big Applause recipient.

Please Join the Art Docents

Tuesday, January 16 at 7 p.m.

during the Town Council meeting

 

The Mayor and Town Council  would like to honor our organization on

Tuesday, January 16 at 7 p.m. during the Town Council meeting.

Each month they recognize one small business/organization that is selected

by the Mayor.  This takes place right after the Pledge and are typically

done by 7:15 p.m., with no expectation to stay for the entire meeting.

Every volunteer is what makes this organization great,

therefore we want to extend an invitation to all of our

Docents, Board Members and Supporters of the Docents.

We hope you will be able to attend the meeting on

January 16 at 7 p.m. as we accept the commendation.  

We look forward to seeing there!

 

The Art Docents are 45 years strong and still going!

45 years ago, in 1973….due to funding cuts in the Los Gatos School District, two volunteers, Ema Rau and Emma Hopp, founded the Art Docent Program.  They felt that Art Education was just too important to simply not teach to our students.

The mission of the Art Docents of Los Gatos is to provide high quality visual arts curriculum to students in Kindergarten through 5th grade in the Los Gatos Union School District, with the goal of fostering the development of flexible, innovative and creative individuals.

1. The Art Docents serve students in the Los Gatos elementary schools (Blossom Hill, Daves Avenue, Lexington, Louise Van Meter) and R.J. Fisher Middle School.
2. The curriculum is led by staff and trained volunteers who teach students the elements of art through sequential lessons and hands-on STEAM workshops, including foil sculpture, collage, printmaking, digital photography and scientific illustration.
3. Our program consists of four major components, Print presentations, Hands-on Workshops, Guest Artist Program and finally our Annual Student Art Show where we showcase artwork from each student in the district grades K-5 and some Fisher students.  
4. As we move forward, we have continued to update our curriculum to stay current.  We are the “A” in S.T.E.A.M.….putting Art into the mix of important subjects all students need for a more complete education.  We emphasize the basic principles of art with Color, Line, Composition, Design Elements, and Art History.  Our lessons focus on Critical thinking skills and vocabulary to discuss and contemplate what makes something art.  The A in S.T.E.A.M. is represented in some of the workshops we teach where we cover:
   1. Proportions and Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” drawing – we have 4th graders measure their own proportions with string and then practice drawing the human figure more accurately.
   2. Science: in the 7th grade we use preserved real spiders & bugs to teach students how to draw more accurately what they see when they study science.
   3. Online Digital Photography manipulation: is taught in the 5th grade based upon a lesson where we describe abstract photographic compositions
   4. Math: we are currently developing a 6th grade lesson that will introduce math students to the concept of BIG DATA ART and what it is to be a data scientist and using big data as an interesting art medium.

Who are we….we are the community who cares about Art Education!

1. We currently have 63 Active Volunteers and 22 Sustaining Members
2. Executive Board (Volunteers)
   1. Julie Ferrario – President
   2. Stacey Closser – VP Programs A
   3. Theresa Bricker – VP Programs B
   4. Stephanie Draca – VP of PR
   5. Sue Nystrom Walsh – VP of Membership
   6. Sue Ward – VP of Fundraising
   7. Jenny Gifford – Treasurer
   8. Michelle Abene – Parliamentarian (past president)
   9. Judith Fishwick – Secretary (past president)
   10. Stefanie Johnston – Program Coordinator (paid position)
3. Board of Directors (Local Business people and artists)
   1. Bonnie Westman
   2. Julie Jenkins
   3. Darrell Monda
   4. Elizabeth Reigal
   5. Marie Cameron
4. Supporters of Art Docents
   1. Los Gatos Union School District Superintendent – Diana Abbati
   2. LGEF President – Ryan Rosenberg,  & Executive Director – Deborah Weinstein
   3. Home and School Clubs – Blossom Hill, Daves Ave, Fisher, Lexington, & Van Meter
   4. Town of Los Gatos
   5. City of Monte Sereno
   6. Los Gatos Community Foundation
   7. AM Rotary of Los Gatos
   8. PM Rotary of Los Gatos
   9. Silicon Valley Creates
   10. Los Gatos Community Foundation
5.  Thank you to our Friends of Art Docents.

History Club of Los Gatos
Los Gatos Morning Rotary
The Rotary Club of Los Gatos
Michael Rosenthal Gallery
JCO’s Place
Agilent Technologies
Los Gatos Music in the Park
Alain Pinel c/o Jeff Barnett

Diana & Edward Abbati
Abene Family
Maureen Cappon-Javey
Elaine Cardinale (in memory of Marge Brown and Patty Baker)
Dr. James and Maxine Carroll
Ros Edmonds
Fishwick Family
Friends of Patty Baker 
Candace and Douglas Grady
Hakkarainen-Marselli Family
Patti Hansen
Julie Jenkins
Donna Jensen-Madier
Mary Leonardis
Mary Martin
Louise Millman
Natalie Jo Nelson ( in memory of Jean and Larry Nelson)
Maureen Oates
Sue Nystrom Walsh
Dora Piccoli
Allison Redington (in memory of Marge Brown)
Elizabeth Riegel
Carol Tinsley
Mark Vantress
Carol Webb and Philip Chen
Bonnie and Dean Westman

.

It does take a village to make it all come together for the students – Thank you all for supporting the Art Docents Program!  

Happy New Year 2018!

Julie Ferrario

President of Art Docents of Los Gatos