网红头条

KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 20, 2024

Teacher Jenni Horne now enjoys a deeper level of connection with art students

KSU alumna Jenni Horne renewed her passion for teaching art by completing a master鈥檚 degree in art education through 网红头条鈥檚 M.A., Art and Design program, housed in the School of Art and Design in the College of the Arts.  

After years of teaching at the high school level, Horne now enjoys a deeper level of connection with her art students in her current role as a Limited-Term Lecturer of Painting at the University of West Georgia. She credits the unique program with directly leading her to this 鈥渄ream job.鈥�  

The studio-based approach of the degree, as well as the fully online format, piqued her interest. She鈥檚 always been a studio artist and believes that 鈥減art of being an art teacher is being an active artist.鈥�  

鈥淓verything we did was [centered] around art,鈥� Horne says. 鈥淚 saw a spark and [saw my peers] excited about making art again. [This program] invigorated a lot of people with their personal studio practice.鈥�  

Horne experienced this same revitalization after feeling overwhelmed from teaching during the Coronavirus pandemic. She was excited and inspired by the opportunities and welcomed the 鈥減rospect of growing as an artist and invigorating my own artistic practice through this new educational opportunity.鈥� 

One of Horne鈥檚 most impactful experiences of this program was the completion of her Capstone alongside peer and coworker, Erin Teets. Together, they completed a series of collaborative art pieces and presented them as an exhibit entitled 鈥淭he Third Person.鈥� 

Horne emphasized the isolating nature of art, claiming that 鈥渁s an artist, you鈥檙e kind of a loner鈥�[it鈥檚 just] you and your studio time,鈥� but this experience offered an element of communication and community that Horne had never before experienced in her own studio practice. 

鈥淎ll the research we completed gave me new insight into why I create what I do. I took the time to really dig and find a narrative that shares a more vulnerable side,鈥� Horne says. 鈥淢y work is mostly reflective of my role as a mother-artist. Even as a teacher, I find myself in the role of mother. It鈥檚 in my nature to nurture students 鈥� to love them where they are and to find a way to connect them to their own narrative.鈥�

Horne鈥檚 work itself is largely a reflection of her motherhood journey and 鈥渢he gentleness of being a mother.鈥� Her paintings reflect this theme, as does her approach to teaching. She seeks to provide comfort for her students, claiming that 鈥淵ou can make an impact if you just listen,鈥� and she seeks to call them higher in their own artistic practices. 

She enjoys encouraging her students and providing 鈥渋nsight into what it can look like to be a practicing, full-time artist.鈥� During her time as a graduate student, she experienced the same level of insight and inspiration from KSU faculty.  

鈥渕ade an impression on me. It鈥檚 hard to describe in words, but there was something about her鈥攁nd the way she inspired me鈥攖o think differently about teaching and about my place in the world as an educator,鈥� Horne says. 鈥� [also] had me really reflect interpersonally. Some of her lessons made me realize why I鈥檓 such a successful teacher and artist. She had us digging鈥攖hey all did.鈥� 

Horne adds that Goss had 鈥渁 beautiful way of inspiring and teaching us.鈥� 

Goss explains that each group of students is different and brings something unique to the table. 鈥淢y teaching style stems directly from first getting to know my students. Each module evolves and changes according to what I am seeing and hearing from my students as they create work and respond to readings and videos.鈥� 

Goss also appreciates the practice-based approach of this program, and believes, like Horne, that 鈥渟ometimes, as art teachers, we are so involved in what our students are making that we don鈥檛 take the time to create our own art.鈥�

Horne joked that 鈥渢eachers can be the worst students,鈥� but through this program, not only did she excel as a student, but she grew to be an even better teacher.

鈥淭he whole program challenged my thinking as an educator and artist. The teaching style of each professor really had me thinking about how I interact with students and how I present content. Now, as a college professor, I teach in a deeper, more layered style.鈥� Horne says. 鈥淲hat I gained was glorious insight, which I am now using to create artwork which is truly breathtaking and layered in meaning.鈥� 

--Kendall Chamberlain