While many MHS students have likely met our new art teacher, Mx. Colleen Flanagan in class with her or through her posts on the MHS art class Instagram, the staff here at the Solon Spectrum thought it would be interesting to sit down with Mx. Flanagan (Flan or Flannie for short) and talk to her about art, what brought her to MHS, and what it’s like teaching during a global pandemic:

 

Tell us a little about yourself.

 

If I had to sum up who I am in a few words they would be: parent, artist, outdoor enthusiast, snowboarder, and gardener. These are my favorite things.

 

What has your artistic journey looked like? What brought you to MHS?

 

I was a freelance artist for a number of years. I was a commissioned painter, draftsperson, and graphic artist. I moved to Vermont in the late 90s, and knew it was home. I've lived in New York City, San Francisco, and most recently in the North Shore, about 20 miles from Boston, but Vermont has always been the place I have come home to. When living in the North Shore, I saw that MHS was hiring and knew it was time to come home once again for a final time! And now I plan to never leave! I am so excited and grateful to be a part of the amazing community that is MHS.

 

What drew you to art education?

 

Since I was out of high school, I was always interested in education. I was a snowboard instructor, taught organic vegetable farming, and worked at a number of independent schools. I also have always been an artist for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until I had my first son that I decided to go back to school and get my masters to combine both art and education into a single career.

 

You started teaching classes at MHS this quarter. How has that been going?

 

So far so good! My class is great (shout out to Art I Q3!) and I'm very excited for this quarter, next quarter, and the years to come. Montpelier High School is such a special place. I've been snapping photos of all of the things I love about this place- from the chickens, to the black lives matter flag- everything about this school feels so open and accepting and right.

 

What’s it like teaching art during a pandemic, where you only get to work with each class for a few months? How has that changed your approach to the curriculum?

 

Before coming to MHS I was teaching art virtually; from school to all remote high school students. Every class met every day on Zoom for 45 minutes and I had 5 classes. It was SO MUCH ZOOM! With classes being short, and because we were remote, our projects took so long to get through! Now that I see students and have 2.5 hours to work together, it feels much more manageable. My hope is that, for the most part, we will get through all that I feel is important to cover without leaving too many things out.

 

Are there specific parts of art that are near to your heart that you’d like to be able to incorporate into the curriculum?

 

All art is near and dear to my heart! But I would love to somehow incorporate stop-motion animation and screen printing into a class, an extra-curricular, or an enrichment class.

 

Finally, if there’s one idea, skill, or feeling you hope students take away from your art class, what is it?

 

I hope that students know that their ideas are important to share; that their ideas are worth saying and worth hearing. Through art, we communicate the complex issues of what it means to be human. I hope that all students know that their unique experiences in life are valid, and through art we can explore those experiences and express them in safe and nurturing ways.