JANICE MARSILI

Art Instructor of Drawing, Printmaking, Ceramics, and Advanced Art Open Studio
David Brearley Middle/High School
Kenilworth, New Jersey

A professor at Kean University advised Janice, as she was working on her teaching degree, to make herself indispensable to the town in which she taught. Many art rooms were being changed into computer rooms at that time, and art teachers were often being phased out as a result. "He told me to paint 'every vertical surface in the town to make myself visible, and to institute interdisciplinary student projects as well as ones that took the students out into the community. I took his advice at first to forge an element of job security for myself, but soon I found that expanding my program beyond the classroom walls was what gave me, as well as my students, the greatest sense of accomplishment."

Janice continues to work with the Kenilworth Historical Society, the veterans, and the senior citizens. Her small projects have grown into town-wide programs to document the present life and accomplishments of Kenilworth’s students and citizens. Two years ago she attended an Artists-in-Education (AIE) grant workshop and was inspired to apply for an Artist Residency Grant. "I felt totally comfortable teaching ceramics, but less so with printmaking. I decided to ask for a printmaking residency that would improve my skills, and highlight our existing collaboration with the town."

In addition to the grant itself, her experiences at aTi have charged her creativity and allowed her to expose students to even more artistic techniques. "Bookmaking and writing added to art-making are two of the activities that I have brought back to the classroom from my two summers of attending the Artist/Teacher Institute. Every aspect of my involvement with Artists in Education has enriched my teaching and taught me ways to show my students, parents, administrators and community residents the undeniable value of the arts in education. I have chosen to participate as a fellow in the aTimpact Fellowship Program in order to share what I have learned with other teachers who might also be inspired to take advantage of this valuable approach to teaching."