Credit: Chris Glass
Summary:
Walking into Berea High School's Visual and Effects and Design classroom, author Sara Bernard is faced with all sorts of artistic creatures of different sizes and forms. She interviews Jim Bycznski of Berea High School's Visual Effects and Design (BHSFX) in which he offers a course that allows students to use creativity in his classroom. Located in Berea,Ohio, his classroom uses "movie making" as the main subject in his art program. Bycznski's inspiration came from Arnold Goldman, owner of the Cleveland-based mask-making shop Monster Makers. When Bycznski first proposed the idea to the school, there were skeptics about the program as art programs around the nation were facing budget cuts. Another controversy was whether it was crafting or art. In looking at the curriculum, it has been decided that it is indeed art as it involves 3-D making, drawing, sculpting, painting, balance, and color mixing. The physical environment is described as a "...studio and a classroom..." where his students build and create for professional interests such as local restaurants, their school plays, independent films, trade shows, just to name a few. This helps the program with funding to keep it alive. The students not only go for the grade, but due to outside projects they become motivated, thus creating quality work. According to the article his students collaborate and create projects that goes from start to finish. Communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills come into play when they work on improving a project, so it is not only about art. BHSFX's team-worked with mid-career mechanical engineering and graphic design professionals at their local community's Polaris Career Center.One of their biggest projects involved creating a huge caricature of legendary artist Viktor Schreckengost in celebration of his 100th birthday. BHSFX's has been recognized in a special effect publication, Horrorshow, where they spoke about their accomplished works alongside professionals of the industry. Many of Bycznski's students attend renowned graphics and art schools such as The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and Cleveland Institute just to name a few.
My Opinion:
Because art is one of my strongest assets, I do find myself being biased in this article. In reading the article, I imagined myself being inside Jim Bycznski's classroom. I think I would've literally touched everyone's work and get my hands dirty by creating a mask myself. The author presented his curriculum in a whole new light, not to mention Bycznski's positive influence over his students. She portrayed him as someone who is down-to-earth and not academically uptight about perfection. The idea of using "movie-making" as his whole curriculum is something that kids recognize (prior knowledge) and can integrate into their (future) lives (long term objective). He has surpassed everything that an artist-idealist convey as to what the positive influences art can do in a child's life: problem-solving, collaboration, math, etc. He has thought "outside of the box" and has given every child a chance to express themselves. In speaking in a non-artistic view, this may influence/motivate other teachers to think in creative ways more than what is asked in a basic curriculum.
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