Words: Bridget Israel

On Friday, October 16, 40 National Art Honors Society students from Centennial and their art teachers, Mrs. Collins, Mr. Hanssen, and Ms. Tulkoff, held a convention in the school.

The county supervisor called Centennial High School asking if the art program was interested in hosting, and the art teachers all agreed that they were. The convention was called the MAEA and it was an art teacher conference where about 400 teachers from all around Maryland came to set up their own tables.

The 40 National Art Honor Society students, who signed up to help, set up for the conference all Thursday and came in for the actual conference to serve lunch, set up tables for teachers, and assist them. The students got a lot of experience and the chance to feel like real art teachers.

Junior Maggie Sullivan, a NAHS student, said, “I really enjoyed being surrounded by mature artist and budding artist.”

The convention wasn’t only work for the students, they really got to enjoy themselves. They learned a lot from the teachers, received free art supplies and food, and also got the chance to buy extra art supplies.

“It wasn’t like any other conference I’ve been to. It was welcoming and inviting,” said junior Jackie Lee.  

Teachers were raving and complementing the students of the Centennial Art Program, who took their day off to help out with the convention. The visiting teachers had nothing but good things to say about the students, like how polite and helpful they were. Many of the teachers were so impressed that they made comments about how wonderful it would be to be an art teacher at Centennial.

Mrs. Collins said, “I was very proud of my students because of their enthusiasm and willingness to help. They really made Centennial look good and I was very proud to call them our students.”  One booth that was set up by Centennial sophomore Isa Hanssen was to raise money for their charity Art With a Heart. Art With a Heart is a program that helps the United Way Local Chapter with the Maryland Family Stability Initiative, which prevents families from becoming homeless. At this booth there was a presentation about what they were accomplishing with Art With a Heart and there were original artworks being sold to raise money. Mr. Molfino, the County Fine Arts Supervisor, asked I. Hanssen to show her presentation at the Keynote Address.

“The Maryland Art Education Association Conference ended up being a great opportunity for [Centennial] and its Art Program. It was great to show off the art department of Centennial to other art educators in Maryland.”, said I. Hanssen.

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