MSDE Media Arts Masterclass Showcase with strikeWare

Join us in celebrating Maryland teaching artists and arts educators as they showcase their new-media artworks.

This spring, strikeWare Art Collective members Chris Kojzar, Mollye Bendell, and JLS Gangwisch guided 11 Maryland teaching artists and arts educators in a masterclass designed to explore, explain, and exploit ever-changing technologies. They critically examined the threats and opportunities AI platforms impose on human creative expression, and employed these platforms to facilitate new-media artmaking. Their study and studio work has culminated in a group showcase in the BMA’s Joseph Education Center.

Schedule

6-9 p.m.
Light refreshments

6:30-7:30 p.m.
Media Arts Masterclass with strikeWare
Presentation of artists’ work

7:30-8:30 p.m.
View artwork and meet the artists

Participants

Brooke Weslow

My name is Brooke Weslow. I currently teach Art at Mountain Ridge High School in Frostburg, MD. I graduated from Frostburg State University where I majored in both painting and printmaking. I have been teaching Art for 21 years. I hold my Master’s Degree in counseling and view my own artwork as an outlet. When words are not enough, we have images. Through my own paintings I have been working on a series of landscapes and over the past few years have focused on perfecting details and Realism through both acrylic and oil paint. After moving from teaching middle school to high school art, my interest in the world of digital images has expanded and grown and I find myself opening up to manipulating photos and using graphic programs to go in the opposite direction and abstract my work.

Cynthia F. Golding

I am both a fine-art and a digital artist. I began drawing at five. My art education was limited after I was 13; however I have drawn my whole life. I sporadically pursued art throughout the decades. I attended a tech school in hand drafting, later majoring in engineering as I pursued structural design. After working with a design/construct firm and obtaining my degree, I created a small CAD firm operating for over 25 years. During this time for 15 years, I taught AutoCAD 2D & 3D, and web page design as an adjunct professor for three community colleges. In 2010, I picked art back up taking up oil painting and teaching drawing to the local artists. In 2018-2019, I wrote and ran a MSAC public art works grant in Historic Stevensville. I also, operated a small art gallery there showing Phaecyn Artworks from 2019-2021 closing due to COVID.

Diane Spann

Dr. Diane Spann received her bachelors in business administration from Howard University and would later complete graduate studies in education at Bowie State University, and then her doctoral work at Walden University, where she specialized in educational technology. Diane is an educator at Prince George’s County Public School’s Media Arts Department. She presently teaches Technology, Media & Design and serves as Design Department Chair at Dwight D. Eisenhower MS, Laurel, MD. In this capacity, she is passionate about delivering culturally relevant instruction that empowers scholars to find and ultimately use their voice in a way that transforms them from passive consumers of content to powerful “creators” of work capable of impacting their lives and transforming their community. As CEO/Founder of ABBA Education,.501.C.3, Diane has spearheaded several MSDE 21st Century Learning Centers initiatives designed to enhance the mission of schools by forging purposeful partnerships within underserved communities.

Laurie Hunt

Laurie Hunt is a 25-year educator in Prince George’s County Public Schools. Ms. Hunt is the Visual Arts Department Chair and program coordinator for the Graphic Arts, Media & Communication CTE academy. She primarily teaches darkroom and digital photography, computer graphics, and adaptive art. Ms. Hunt’s personal work has been an exploration of memories and how images fade as time goes on and become abstract forms, through a merging of old and new photography processes. The main medium in this series is cyanotype, a process that dates back to the mid-1800s, that works with silhouette and sunlight.

Nickolaos Konstantopoulos

Nickolaos Konstantopoulos, hailing from Maryland, is both a dynamic visual artist and an esteemed educator, deeply influenced by his Greek heritage and passion for art, art history, and design. Nick obtained his BFA from Towson University, where he made significant strides in the print industry, crafting branding solutions for small businesses. Since commencing his teaching career in 2018, Nick imparts knowledge in various art disciplines at secondary education levels, guiding students towards exploring and developing their artistic voice. His teaching philosophy is rooted in inclusivity and differentiated instruction, fostering personalized learning experiences through student-centric strategies. His community acknowledges his continual professional development as an educator, highlighted by AACPS and GBHS Teacher of the Year nominations. Nick is currently enhancing his educational impact by pursuing an MEd in leadership. He aims to foster a creative and reflective learning environment powered by a commitment to lifelong learning and a growth mindset.

Rachel Horner

Rachel Horner is a Baltimore-based artist who examines the complex entanglement between humans, the environment, and the world’s biodiversity. Born in California, she currently lives in Baltimore, where she earned her MFA from Towson University. She holds a BS in art education, and has taught art since 2013. Her work has been shown internationally, with exhibitions in Mexico, Colorado, and Delaware. The recipient of an environmental initiative art scholarship in her undergraduate studies, she has continued to create environmental work, and was awarded the Terminal Degree Graduate Fellowship for 2019-2020. Largely inspired by international travel, Horner visited Mexico for a self-directed art residency and earned a scholarship to attend Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Tennessee. She also has experience as an arts writer and curator. Her interdisciplinary work encompasses painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture to investigate nature’s vulnerability and paradoxical ability to convalesce.

Samir Razzak

My name is Samir Razzak and I am an art instructor at the Montgomery Virtual Academy. I spend a lot of my day working online and teaching students digital art. We have discussed AI and its implications in the art world many times. I have not fully experimented with AI like this before and used it in my own artwork. I love the way art is always evolving and rather than run from innovation I want to run towards it and be open to the positives it can create for artists. My own work is largely done in sculpture, assemblage, and painting. Since starting at the MVA I have really embraced digital art and now get excited to experiment and learn new techniques that I can share with my students.

Erniz Quiles Cruz

Educator for 25 years in public schools in Puerto Rico and Maryland. I am passionate about the arts and the Spanish language. I am an elementary level teacher of world languages Spanish, theater, and dance. I am certifying in Integrated Arts and intend to obtain certification in music and visual arts. I integrate all the arts into the instructional content. Proud of my culture and my Puerto Rican roots.

Ivy Daniels

Ivy Daniels is a seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience in shaping young minds. As the department chair for the design department at Prince George’s County Public Schools, she seamlessly integrates her passions for computer science and the arts, fostering creativity and innovation in her students. Ivy is not only a curriculum writer but also a facilitator, conducting workshops to empower fellow educators in incorporating technology into their classroom effectively. With a steadfast belief that student achievement hinges on the skills and knowledge of educators, Ivy is dedicated to ensuring that every student receives the best education possible. Her commitment to bridging the gap between technology and traditional education methods reflects her forward-thinking approach to teaching and learning.

Ebony DeGrace

Ebony DeGrace is a visionary multimedia artist with a fervent dedication to cinematography and photography. Her journey began in Baltimore, where she first began her visual arts journey in B&W film photography in middle school. Her immense interests in photography eventually connected her to the visual compositional expression of filmmaking where she immersed herself in film workshops and independent study, honing her skills and crafting her unique voice as a cinematic experimentalist. Inspired by luminaries like Terence Nance, Jenn Nkiru, and Sophia Nahli Allison, Ebony’s work transcends traditional boundaries, aiming to uplift and honor the Black experience through vivid, evocative, and surreal imagery. With a rich background spanning over two decades in photography and filmmaking, Ebony is now venturing into the realm of Creative Technology and New Media Art. A recent graduate of Per Scholas, she is integrating cutting-edge technology into her creative endeavors, exploring visceral immersive experiences. From her soulful short films to her experimental visual series, Ebony’s work is a testament to her boundless imagination and unwavering commitment to storytelling. As she continues to evolve as an artist, Ebony remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of visual expression and connecting audiences on a profound, spiritual level.

Elizabeth Kendall

Elizabeth Kendall believes that creativity and collaboration are essential contributors to strong individuals, effective groups, and a more empathic world. She lives in Deale, MD and is cofounder and President of Arts Lab of South County in Tracys Landing. She coordinates the Lab’s Clay on the Bay program, teaching and providing mentorship. Elizabeth has also taught for ArtFarm, Maryland Hall, and APEX Arts.  Her ceramic and glass artwork has been exhibited in national and international venues and held in numerous public and private collections. She has been featured in a variety of publications including: Ceramics Monthly, Pottery Making Illustrated, Clay Times, and Studio Potter. Elizabeth holds a BA from Smith College and a Masters of Organization Development from American University.  She travels extensively, conducting workshops and participating in symposia and residencies. She holds MDE Creative Aging and Creative Process micro credentials and has trained with the Maryland Arts Institute for Racial Justice.