Longfellow ES
(detail)

 


St. John's Lane ES
(detail)

 


Bells Mill ES
(detail)

 

 

 

 

 

Artist Statement    Bio    Exhibitions    Awards    Publications


Teaching
Teaching the crafts of hand embroidery and ceramics is a big part of my life and as enjoyable to me as creating my own work. I have been teaching children and adults in various settings since 1986. Creating my pieces is a very solitary affair. Teaching provides an entirely different artistic dynamic, where a group comes together to design and execute a piece.

Artist-In-Residence, Maryland State Arts Council
I am very pleased to have been part of Maryland's Arts In Education Program as an Artist-In-Residence since 2002. The Program is designed to promote and strengthen the arts and arts education in Maryland's schools. I work in tandem with art teachers to guide students through the design and execution of a project. My projects can involve 60 to 300 students. Many have become installations.

There are many possibilities to consider for an art project involving embroidery and ceramics, two media rich in history and potential:

- Pieces can be individual projects or part of an installation to enhance a public space within a school
- Each project has a theme often related to the school, local history or the curriculum, or it can allow students to tell their own stories
- Each student can create both an embroidery and a ceramic frame, or they can form teams completing various aspects of the work
- Project scope depends on space and time availability
- A project can involve embroidery only or ceramics only
- Embroidery can be done anywhere. Clay requires space that can be easily cleaned, and where the wet clay can be stored, as well as a kiln.

If you are interested in a residency and an art project for your school, make sure the art teacher approves it and contact me for details. Please also check MSAC for applications for grants, as well as your county's art council.

 

School projects organized and supervised by Suzanne Herbert-Forton

 

 

 Rockburn Elementary
Elkridge, MD

Library installation by 300 students depicting plants and animals in the local Rockburn Park, 2006. Funded by MSAC and PTA.

 

 

 Bells Mill Elementary
Potomac, MD

Lobby installation by 75 students depicting colonial trades (part of the 5th grade curriculum), 2005. Funded by MSAC and PTA.

 

 

 Longfellow Elementary
Columbia, MD

Lobby installation by 167 students celebrating the diverse student body heritage, 2006. Funded by MSAC and PTA.

 

 

 Ilchester Elementary
Ellicott City, MD

School Office installation by 120 students, celebrating the history of Ellicott City, 2002. Funded by MSAC and PTA.

 

 

 St. John's Lane Elementary
Ellicott City, MD

Installation by 275 students celebrating the 50th anniversary of the school, 2005. Funded by the Howard County Arts Council.

 

 

 

 Magruder High
Rockville, MD

Two samples of individual pieces from 152 students involved in a project celebrating ethnic diversity, 2003. Funded by MSAC and PTA.
Artist Statement    Bio    Exhibitions    Awards    Publications

© Suzanne Herbert-Forton