TFES Art Teacher Dunn, Students, Nationally Honored for Gallery

Crystal Dunn, art teacher at Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School, is drawing attention by being recognized by Artsonia, the world’s largest online kid’s art museum, for outstanding leadership in the area of arts education. Fitzwater’s online art gallery, found at http://www.artsonia.com/schools/fitzwater1, ranks number three in the state and 35th in the nation, according to Artsonia.

Dunn was recently presented with the website’s “Leadership Award,” which honors teachers who go beyond the classroom walls to encourage family and community involvement in arts education. The award also recognizes significant achievement in the area of technology integration within the school arts program. State and nationwide rankings are based on specific criteria, which demonstrate both aspects of the Leadership Award.

 “She has been awarded for her on-going efforts that she puts into the art program to rally teachers, parents and students to support the number of art pieces submitted, the number of fan club members and the number of visitors who leave comments on the site,” explained Artsonia Education Director Tiffany Rahn.

Dunn, when asked about the honor, mentioned the excitement for the students first.

“The kids were so excited when we won! There is a running tally of what is posted, but the kids kept saying they could not believe out of all the schools in Pennsylvania, that we won third place,” Dunn said.

Dunn went on to explain how the process works.

“I take photos of every project the kids complete, and put it on the site to share with the parents and the kids,” Dunn said. “Once I post the photos, the parents receive an email letting them know they can view the artwork. We do a lot of artwork at Fitzwater and hold on to a lot of it here at the school through the end of the year for our May art show. By using Artsonia, the parents can see the projects as they are completed in advance of which pieces are placed in the show.”

While teachers in more than 100 countries showcase their student artwork on Artsonia, Dunn has created a school community deserving of recognition. During the 2010-2011 school year, the Fitzwater Elementary School gallery showcased 6,346 pieces of artwork. This popular collection of art has been visited more than 13,4557 times and has received 1,025 comments from friends and family.

"Artsonia is a simple yet effective way to get parents and family members more involved in art education at the school," said Dunn, “And, my students love it. It is a way to connect the parents and families to the program and a way for the students to build pride in what they have accomplished. ”

 In addition, family members can purchase keepsakes imprinted with the child's artwork, with Artsonia donating 15 percent of their annual product revenue back to the school art program.

“We received about $200 last year,” Dunn said. “All of the money goes back to the art department and I used it to purchase art books for the classroom. I can then use these books to read to the kids and create projects based on what we read.”

Dunn says that she hopes to be able to purchase a camera and other digital tools for the classroom with this year’s funds.

To visit the gallery, click here.