Offering opportunities to art students – Mr. Spohn and Mrs. Dommel

On November 14 and 15 art students participated in a workshop for “above-the-door artwork.” The project stands to put small murals painted on boards above every teacher’s door. The teachers must be interviewed beforehand by the students on the specifics of their painting. From there, groups of two or more students provide a rough sketch that the teacher has to approve. Finally, the students sketch and paint their designs onto the boards. This workshop began only a few years ago, but the students have managed an impressive amount of paintings in that time. 

Before the workshop could commence, Hamburg Area High School principal Mr. Spohn had to approve it. Mr. Spohn is a “huge supporter of the arts.” He noted that the district shares this same sentiment in supporting art and music. Mr. Spohn paraphrased a quote from Mr. Holland’s Opus to sum up his position, “If there’s no music and art, what is there to read or write about?” Approving the workshop was not a hard decision for Mr. Spohn, despite the loss of class time for the students involved. He believes it is the student’s responsibility to be responsible for their missed assignments. Mr. Spohn believes it is very important for art students to “practice their craft” and put major emphasis on application of skill. When he moves to his new position, Mr. Spohn intents to push his involvement with art students even further. He says he will connect employers in the area to students so that they are aware of the opportunities available to them.

Mrs. Dommel believes it is very important for students to have, “creative experiences.” She believes the variety in schedule provided by the workshops helps to excite students to create and explore. Mrs. Dommel enjoys that she is able to work more closely with students during the workshop time. The “collaborative” spirit of the workshop is also important to Mrs. Dommel because professional artists often have to collaborate with others. Mrs. Dommel is also working with students on other art installations, such as painting pianos. “Bringing more beauty to our environment,” is a major goal of Mrs. Dommel’s.