Best of the Week 2018-2019: Teaching to the Future
ST. ED'S OFFERS FIRST INNOVATION INSTANT WITH MURALIST LISA QUINE
As part of our initiative to teach to the future, St. Ed's will be offering new opportunities for students to create and collaborate through Innovation Instants. Innovation Instants are one-time events designed to bring students and greater Cleveland innovators together in the Lowe Institute for Innovation to participate in rapid-fire design challenges. Teachers will receive "An Innovation Instant" ticket book and will distribute these tickets over the course of the school year to students who have a natural interest in the topic of the Innovation Instant or to students who have a talent that needs further encouragement to foster. Innovation Instants, created by Director of Innovation Mr. Nick Kuhar, will serve as a hallmark of the Edwardian culture of innovation and are an opportunity for students to develop lifelong learning and curiosity.
On Thursday, August 30, St. Ed's welcomed their first Innovation Instant guest, muralist Lisa Quine, who has created notable works for StubHub, Cleveland Flea and Hilton Hotels. Ms. Quine shared with students, faculty and staff members in attendance her top four design tips to inspire students before jumping into their challenge. First and foremost, Ms. Quine shared that murals are a time-consuming piece of artwork, therefore, they must convey a design and inspiration that the artist loves and has a passion for. She also emphasized that artists must consider their audience and use of color in order to create designs that are impactful and positive so audiences take away something new each time they look at it. Lastly, Ms. Quine shared that researching other artists' works, finding your own inspiration through their art and even reaching out to those artists to network and connect with them could be beneficial in growing as an artist.
After Ms. Quine's introduction, students had the chance to put their artistic skills to the test. The 30-minute challenge required students to use their smartphones to find their favorite inspirational quote and to then sketch out an illustration of their mural designs inspired by their quote. Students drew their designs on the walls, windows and whiteboards surrounding the room and then shared with the group their designs and the inspiration behind them. Some of the quotes students used as inspiration for their creations included: "Come Follow Me," "NEGU (Never Give Up)," "Stand Out," "Your wings already exist. All you have to do is FLY," "It's Ok to be Different," and "Creativity is not a Competition." The winning student of the first Innovation Instant challenge, Alex Hauptman '19, won a $30 Amazon gift card and is now the first artist to feature his mural, which will be drawn into a life-size version, on the dedicated mural wall in the foyer of The Ken Layden '80 Center for Entrepreneurship Solutions. The Lowe Institute for Innovation already has four more Innovation Instants lined up for next week and more will come as the school year progresses.
