Yesterday, I was honored to receive the St. Francis of Assisi Church and School Art Recipient of the Year award. This is a great honor, not only due to the fact that I am a struggling artist, an adequate art teacher, and not even a parishioner or graduate of that school! But the criteria stated that I had to have at least one year of Catholic Education and have some career in the Arts.

I guess it helped to have two parents motivate and trusted enough in the Catholic Education System, to enroll their 4th child into a Catholic school for not just one year, but seventeen years. Surprisingly, it was not until I entered high school, that I had a full-time art teacher to teach me my main interest in school. That would be art.

I mention this fact because when I recieved the award i thought of all my art teachers I have had that taught me. So I would like to thank

Miss Wozniak in first grade,
Mrs. Peaslee in 2nd Grade,
Mrs. Schultz in 3rd Grade,
Mrs. Lorrigan in 4th Grade,
Mrs. Franz in 5th Grade,
Mr. Fitch and Mrs. Gleichner in 6th Grade,
Mrs. Fritch in 7th Grade,
Mrs. Beine in 8th Grade,
Mr. Woodcock, my high school art teacher,
Donna Dart,
R.J. Skrepinski,
Sr. Andre,
Sr. Marilee, all art teachers at Silver Lake College.
They have all influenced me in the schools I have attended, to become a better artist. I do have to mention Mr. Spatz who taught me in kindergarten at J.F. Magee School. At the time there was no Catholic Kindergarten classes at St. Mark’s so I went one year to the public school and really used my share of the taxpayers money.

Anyway, it was quite an honor to receive this award. Many friends and family members nominated me, by my urging, after seeing that no one was nominated for this award. I noticed the story in the paper and thought, I had the qualifications, why not me? So for all the people who nominated me and wrote nice things about me, Thank you!

The ceremony was at the Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc and it coincided with the St. Francis Cabrini Schools art show. The main room was filled with artwork from some very gifted students from K-8th grades. They left me a spot to showcase my work and so I had brought my Ron Dayne painting (that is signed), my Tony “Monk” Shalhoub painting (which is also signed), the collage of Presidential fish I entered at the Rahr County show last August, and about 12 penguins, an elephant and an armadillo. So if you have time to see an art show, go see it.

I then gave a little talk about my education, my art, how cancer happened to me, and how all those things are connected. I thought I did well, but I did it off the cuff and I must have blanked out as there were many puzzled looks on people’s faces. I was behind a podium so I knew I was zipped up and not showing. Maybe I was talking fast? Or maybe it just took awhile to let people know what I was saying. Like a 5 second delay. Either way, I think it went well.

There actually is an award that goes with this honor. I joked about calling it something because saying to people, “Hey I was just nominated to win the Saint Francis of Assisi School and Church award for Fine Arts,” is quite a mouthful. I thought it would get a laugh…..maybe a few chuckles but I realized I am not Jerry Seinfeld. I explained what I do, where I teach, how I got cancer, and congratulated the kids on their work. Then I took pictures and posed and walked around and had some cookies and punch. I drew a few caricatures and talked to people and had a good time. 

I really think they should give artists more awards. Not to be greedy, but it is one way to get these artistic people out in the world and give them praise for what they contribute to society. They don’t have to stay in their studios all the time. Let them actually see real people and real lighting and breathe actual air. We as artists tend to be quite introverted and not socially active. Plus we tend to dwell on the mistakes instead of the triumphs, at least I do, I think.

So for one last time, Thank you very much for this honor, and I hope I do not seem selfish, but I hope I can win some more awards.

 

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This is what kids at school usually say when I hand out the grades. Well, they usually say many things, some of which cannot or should not be repeated on a public forum blog. Oh you would be surprised to hear some of these children express their feelings. I have not heard such biting and verbally offensive words in such a manner, since, well when I was a kid. But back then if you said a swear word or even suggested it, you were looked upon as a “hood” or “brat” or even a “rebel”. Just for saying one word! Yeah times have changed….

Getting to the point though, many students ask me why do they need art, need to know artists, need to do anything artistic for the 30-40 minutes of class time we have in a week. What good will it do them? I even have some parents ask me the same thing. It is usually followed by the comment, “Look at you! I surely want my son/daughter to be more successful then YOU!”

Now that bites.

Yes, I am not a world famous artist. I have not even stepped off on this continent, or have seen more then two oceans. I have not even gone out of the Northern Hemisphere.

The salary I receive from being an artist, is small. Small is not even a good word for it. If you add up the amount I make teaching, doing art, and working at the library, you could see why it is necessary to live in the upstairs of my parent’s home. Granted I have access to the whole house, and I get what I need not what I want. But even though to you I may be struggling, I am perfectly fine.

Yes, there are times I wish I could be a world-famous artist. I look at the lives of some artists and think, “Gee, I wish I could live like that.” Tom Richmond is probably the most famous and maybe richest caricaturist there is. He is handsome, has a wonderful family, hobnobs with celebrities, tops in his field. He’s a nice guy too. Would I want to change my life with his? The answer would surprise you.

No.

Well why the heck not? In a way, Tom’s lifestyle and paycheck makes me envious. Sure, I would love to get paid amounts of money that I couldn’t even count by myself. Sure, I would love to be adored by fans and a loving wife and kids and the famous. Who wouldn’t?

The thing that makes me satisfied of who I am as an artist, is that I was on the other end of that dream. I was broke. I could not create art. I was in sad shape financially, physically, mentally. If some magical being asked me if I wanted to change, you bet I would! I was dying. I did not want to go on, I saw no future for me or my dreams. That’s it. Write me off. Shattered dreams and wasted talent.

BUT….

I had a family that cared for me. They kept me going and made me want to fight back. Sure, I had people say under their breath that I should just give up. Die peacefully. But my family pushed me to get better, stronger, enough so that I could get back on track. I had doctors and nurses that kept up the beat of the drum, to never give up and to keep going. I had friends and neighbors and strangers that said they are praying for me to get better. I had an entire town know who and what I was doing and they supported me.

Now, I am 15 years to the day that I had that nosebleed. That nosebleed helped me notice that I had cancer. Without that warning, I would not be here typing this blog to you. That is how a doctor realized that there was something wrong. That nosebleed that wouldn’t stop, saved my life. Saved my career, saved my dreams.

So today, on a rainy April morning, Holy Saturday to be exact, I say to you that no matter what your dreams are and what you want as “your future”, remember that all those dreams are just that, dreams. Nothing wrong with having goals, living a fantasy, being better. But dreams can change. They can morph into new realities that have no boundaries or be cramped into a small cubicle. Regardless of that, without acting or doing or trying, those dreams are not goals. Give all your effort in all that you do, live your life the way you want to live it. Express it. Show others. Be an example.

Now what does this have to do with teaching an art class? In my class, you have the tools, the instruction, the guidance, to create something out of nothing. You are to make your mark on the world as an individual with dreams and aspirations. To do that you are given the tools, the instruction, the guidelines to accomplish your goal. Much like life, you can do what you want in class, but in the end we have to look at your progress and see where you are going, where you came from, and what you will become. You might not draw very well, or are colorblind and cannot paint, but anyone can create and imagine an infinite amount of unique ideas. With an art class, an instructor can guide you, so eventually, on your own you can create and solve problems in your own way.

That is the reason to have an art class! That is the reason that Art is important! It is a way for you to solve problems that seem unsolvable. I guess I had to have cancer to realize that. There is a reason, in this world that I was given a second chance at life. I was given the chance to teach, an option I did not originally plan for in my life. I guess I am on this earth to help, get those young brains going and try to solve some of these minute problems so that they can can solve the bigger problems later on.  You wouldn’t run in the Boston Marathon without training, so why would you expect anyone to solve problems without ever having to do any?

Don’t get me wrong, art is not all about problem-solving. It is beauty, life, death, hope, fear. Art is many things. We have to appreciate what art can do and what we can do about art. Not everyone is artistic, but we all enjoy things. We have appealing ideas. Art brings all of that together and makes us one. It gets us on the same page. Or on a different page. It opens the mind to new possibilities and ideas and can transcend to other areas not known for artistry.

To do that, is not easy. But we can light the flame of creativity in school, by having a good teacher. A teacher that opens up the world to all the possibilities that are possible and to those other options that are impossible. If we work hard at a project, if we try to do as best as we can, if we fully concentrate on the goal at hand and achieve it, then all my teaching is worthwhile. You, as students have hit the goal, and I,as your teacher, am proud that you have. No amount of money, no fame, no glory is worth more to me than to be a guiding light to a young student. To be an example, to be one of the good guys. 

I hope that I am thought of like that.

 

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