For the first time, Heart of Ellsworth has filled its gallery with artwork from local art teachers across Hancock County—and two of our own phenomenal educators at Ellsworth High School are among them.
Mrs. McDougall and Mrs. Olson are showcasing their talents in Makers and Mentors: The Art of Hancock County Art Educators, a special exhibition running through Friday, Oct. 24, in downtown Ellsworth. The show highlights the creative work of the hARTrocks group—a collective of art teachers who, outside the classroom, continue to nurture their own artistic practices.
Together with ten other educators from across the county, Mrs. McDougall and Mrs. Olson are proving that while they’re outstanding teachers, they’re also accomplished artists in their own right.
“It’s important to be able to get our work out there but show our students and the community that we’re artists—and not just art teachers,” Mrs. McDougall says. “I think a lot of times teachers kind of get pegged into the role of education. So to be able to show that not only are we passionate about our subject matter and have an interest in our subject matter, but we work professionally in that subject, also. We’re putting our money where our mouth is.”
The Heart of Ellsworth describes the exhibition as “a rare opportunity for the community to experience the artistic voices of these teachers themselves, showcasing the depth and diversity of their talent across media and style.”
For this year’s show, Mrs. McDougall submitted a series of ink landscape paintings created in her free time. Mrs. Olson contributed a painting that she created back in 2000, a collection of ceramic vessels, and hand-made jewelry inspired by the topography of Mount Desert Island.
“Well, art making is one of those needs. I need to be creative and make art. And being able to show it and share it with people, I think, gives me a nice end goal,” Mrs. McDougall says. “And it helps to reaffirm that, you know, I’m doing something that I love and that other people recognize that too. It shows our students that it’s good to do. It’s important to do—to get your work out there is an important part of the process.”
“You have to remember what it’s like to be a student,” Mrs. Olson says. “I find that very valuable to be vulnerable—‘Oh, I’m doing this for the first time.’ It’s awkward, you know—and students go through awkwardness all day long sometimes. So for them to feel like they aren’t alone in that—everybody that is human goes through it, and has to go through some kind of process and fumble through it until you get it and can enjoy it.”
Mrs. Olson and Mrs. McDougall won’t stop creating after the gallery closes, either. Both plan to be a part of our Empty Bowls event coming up in March, and their students will have work on display both in the school and in the community several times throughout the school year. Stay tuned for more while our wonderful team continues to inspire—both through their artwork and through their role in the classroom!