education Budding artists receive encouragement

By Carol Rolf

THREE RIVERS AREA — Among its nearly 400 students in grades seven through nine, Pottsville Junior High School has its fair share of budding young artists.

Under the tutelage of art instructor Carrie Drake, the art students not only learn the basics of art, they also are encouraged to enter any number of contests in which they may display their talents.

“We are one of only a few schools that offer Pre-AP (Advanced Placement) Art,” said Drake, who is in her 10th year as art teacher at the local school. “We also offer general art for our students.

“For the seventh-graders, art is a nine-week rotation class. For students in grades eight and nine, it is a semester rotation class. And for students in Pre-AP Art, it is a yearlong class.”

Drake said she begins with the basics in seventh grade “and builds from there.”

She said the Pre-AP Art students “have had tons of success.”

“We started that program about eight years ago,” she said. “From that first year out, we’ve had students win state recognition. We’ve had 14 state winners and three national winners (as of the end of last year’s school term). And our Pre-AP ninth-graders are given the opportunity every year to attend Portfolio Day and begin interviewing with colleges.” Drake said the art program in the Pottsville School District is strong.

“We have a wonderful K through six art teacher, and her students feed right into our program,” she said. “They do some good stuff at that level. And from here, the junior high students go right into the high school art program.” A graduate of Dover High School, Drake holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in art education from Arkansas Tech University.

She is also certified in Pre-AP Art Studio.

Pottsville Junior High School is the only school in which she has taught.

Her own specialty in art is portraits.

“I work on my art in the summers,” she said.

“I try to make one or two pieces a year just for me. Every once in a while, I will take a commission piece.

“During my senior year in high school, I wanted to illustrate books. But my high school art teacher led me to teaching.

“Art has a trickle down effect. It’s fun to see how it effects one person right after another.” Students from Arkansas Tech University spend a six-week internship in Drake’s art classes.

“Everyone wants to get into her class,” said Tonya Rhodes, one of the interns from ATU. “I come to this class every day. She’s a wonderful teacher.”

Drake admits to being a “movie buff.” She has movie posters displayed in her classroom and has a “Wall of Fame” where her students’ artwork is displayed.

One of her recent assignments dealt with comic strips.

“I’m just trying to teach them about careers in art,” she said. “They have to develop a comic strip character, write an original story and illustrate that story.”

Drake sums up the art program on her page of the school’s Web site: “The art program focuses on all mediums. We incorporate a variety of techniques and emphasize the importance of observation and experimentation. I believe that every person has an inner artist just waiting to be discovered. My students know that hard work and an open mind equal endless possibilities.”

Drake’s art students will display their work in May at the annual art show held in the Pottsville Junior High School cafeteria. She said students will also display their work in regional shows in the spring.

- crolf@arkansasonline.com

River Valley Ozark, Pages 66 on 11/19/2009

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