Teacher steams ahead to inspire young Winterfest artists

The young artists of Tallahassee unite to make the Winterfest Youth Art Exhibition a creative wonderland though Feb. 13 at City Hall. Marilyn Proctor-Givens delights with pride and amazement in seeing her students soar.

Achieving through art

Children often delight in cutting, pasting, and coloring for hours. Art serves as the tour guide through the stories they create of faraway lands filled with life-affirming characters. Whether with a paintbrush or a sculpting chisel, children use art as a form of self-expression.

For some, it becomes a gateway to exploring new subjects and academic success. Research supports that test scores increase, as well as a positive fondness for learning and school. Although the recent push toward STEM in schools is logical and practical, the "A" is necessary to create a well-rounded student. A "STEM" stands still, but "STEAM" combusts and propels forward.

Luckily for the Tallahassee community, Proctor-Givens, one of the hottest steam engines that continues to move art education forward, has taught in Tallahassee for almost four decades and continues to shape young artists in new and inspiring ways.

A classroom of expression

Artist and arts educator Proctor-Givens has devoted a lifelong career to fostering artists. As a child, Proctor-Givens fell in love with paper and drawing. She experimented with different media throughout her life, and although she currently has found a love for ceramics, she has learned many styles and techniques over the years.

With her parent's support, she honed her skills and eventually chose to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Arts. "I was a graphic design major in college, and my parents wanted to make sure I could financially support myself with an art degree, so I decided to double major in Art Education," Proctor-Givens said.

It's a choice that has supported her career all these years later. Proctor-Givens culminated her studies with a Doctorate in Art Education from Florida State University. Soon after, she began a 37-year journey as an Art and Design teacher and a proud Lincoln High School Trojan.

Proctor-Givens fills her classroom with exploration and experiences that nurture artistic expression. Three decades of teaching have shaped her pedagogy and view on art education. She considers herself an "innovative curriculum chameleon," developing new approaches alongside her students, going so far as to often name techniques after students who discover things on their artistic journey.

Proctor-Givens' goal in the classroom is to enhance students' unique skills with the practical experience they can take to any career they choose. This compassionate and empathic way of educating is one of many reasons why Proctor-Givens was declared a national Star Teacher and awarded $2,000 to purchase new art supplies and state-of-the-art equipment and technology for Lincoln High School students.

Additionally, Proctor-Givens advocates for students and their work as both the group leader for the secondary arts group at Lincoln High School and as a liaison for students in the Winterfest Youth Art Exhibition, commonly known as Winterfest.

For Proctor-Givens, nurturing new artists makes it all worthwhile. Proctor-Givens appreciates "students who contact me once they graduate and still remember their experience in the art room." "The most rewarding thing about teaching," Proctor-Givens said, is when "your new colleagues were your students."

And with so many former students in her life, it's easy to tell the feeling is mutual.

Celebrating fresh artists

The role of any educator is to be supportive, but Proctor-Givens goes above and beyond by committing to sharing her student's work with the world. Similarly, the Tallahassee visual art community bolsters its young artists by celebrating their work in the annual Winterfest exhibition, sponsored by the Council on Culture and Arts.

This yearly youth art extravaganza highlights amazing Leon County student artists and their art teachers. Proctor-Givens was honored to spotlight two of her students, Lainey Strickland and Desiree Scorsone, who won an Honorable Mention for their work called "Blue Nose."

Witnessing the hard work and dedication to honing their craft exemplifies the attributes Proctor-Givens values in her classroom. In addition to the Proctor-Givens student work, attendees can enjoy seeing 2D and 3D art featuring traditional and non-traditional mediums and subject matter made by K-12 students.

Celebrate future artists of our community and the creative wonderland they made at the City Hall Art Gallery.

If you go

What: Winterfest Youth Art Exhibition

When: Through Feb. 13, 2024

Where: On display at the TLH City Hall Art Gallery, 300 South Adams Street Main Gallery 2nd floor mezzanine, and online at tallahasseearts.org

Cost: Free

Contact: Sahara Lyon | sahara@tallahasseearts.org and 850-224-2500 x5

Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area's umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Teacher Marilyn Proctor-Givens propels young artists