Art Educator of the Year

Jane Fay Baker – Falmouth Public Schools

Studio time is a haven for Jane Baker.  An art teacher and printmaker for thirty years, she spends her personal time chipping away at the negative space of her woodblock drawings until she has a textured surface to print.  The surprise of the image reversal never gets old.  Jane feels that studio time is a chance to get lost in figuring out a small puzzle that forms a tangible response to an idea or feeling.  This time is often a struggle, but experiencing the time itself is an important part of the creative process.  In the classroom, Jane tries to give her students similar opportunities to stretch their abilities with media experimentation as well as fieldwork outside of the classroom.  Advanced projects can take weeks and involve periods of research, direct observation, sketchbook plans and then final products.  Students are given a variety of materials to choose from; with peer critiques, gallery exhibitions and written reflections rounding out the experience.  The goal is not to make “artists” of her seniors but to remind them that they will always have the ability to visually communicate their ideas if they give themselves permission to pause, experiment and create.