Crooked Tree Arts Center hosts local art teachers for professional development day

PETOSKEY — The Crooked Tree Arts Center hosted art teachers from throughout the region for a professional development day on Monday, April 15.

According to Liz Erlewine, visual arts director for the arts center, the idea to start hosting professional development workshops for local art teachers started right before the COVID-19 pandemic started, and the center was finally able to host the first event last year.

The teachers are able to practice their skills with hands-on workshops, including glaze making, pottery, screen printing, watercolor and more. Additionally, there was a social hour after the day ended so the teachers could talk with one another and brainstorm together.

"We're just so appreciative of what our art teachers do in our community," Erlewine said. "We think of this day as not only an opportunity for them to grow professionally, it's also a day to build community so our art teachers get to see one another."

The event, which is a collaboration between the arts center and the Char-Em ISD, allows teachers to get their continued education credits.

The day is also made to let art teachers have time for their own creative practices, rather than facilitating work in a studio, Erlewine said.

She added that when it comes to hosting the development day, it's valuable to hear feedback from the teachers about things they'd like to see. One of the workshops this year, led by Boyne City High School's Jim Beckering, came from last year's discussions of teachers saying they wanted to learn how to make their own glaze instead of ordering it, which would save money for their schools.

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Erlewine said the plan is to offer this program every spring and continue expanding it.

"It's so fun, as soon as folks start showing up in the morning, you can tell that it's something that everybody really wants and really needs — to have that sense of community," she said. "Our feedback from last year was overwhelmingly positive. They really liked the balance of work that we're doing in the session."

To learn more or get involved with the Education and Outreach committee that helps put on the event, visit crookedtree.org.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Local art teachers attend professional development day hosted by CTAC