Emma Catania: Painter, Graphic Designer, Future Educator
WHO I AM :
Just as there are elements of art within every work of art, each person has their own set of trait that make them different from everyone else. My passions to be creative and kind allow me to get excited when I get to teach others the owners of art history, or show them a new skill by teaching them about proportion or form. I’m hoping that in beginning my career as a future art teache. I achieve a further understanding of how to teach students to understand the fundamentals of art and design in a way that excites them and allows them to use the skills they learn in all kinds of ways outside the art classroom, whether that be for their personal or educational benefits. I have a substantial understanding of how to be a well-rounded artist and a solid understanding of how to be a productive educator, but I would like to understand how to use those skill sets better together.
My main goals are to enhance my knowledge in curriculum planning as well as executing concepts thoroughly in the classroom, and to further develop my knowledge of art history, techniques, and concepts essential to the instruction of varying disciplines covered in the art classroom.
My journey into the art education world began in high school when I took Film Photography I. I met one of my best friends to this day in that class, and I also met a version of myself that had always thought I had to be naturally gifted to make good art, but that in this class, I actually made quality photos with my hands and a film camera. I advanced and continued taking art classes, taking AP Art as a senior, just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic to shut everything down weeks before I was due to graduate. Losing all hope for what my future plans were going to look like, and having my AP Art exam only submit as my writing portion, leaving me without a score, I spent a year at Northern Essex Community College taking Fine Art electives, and then transferred to Southern New Hampshire University, where I changed my major to Media Arts and Graphic Design, and did a year online and two years on campus there. I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Media Arts and Graphic Design and a minor in Education, but knew that I was going to pursue a pathway in Art Education. Currently, I am a graduate student at Boston University pursuing a Master’s in Art Education and looking forward to what the future holds in store for me.