Madison Heights Elementary Art Studio
Madison Elementary District:
"Inspiring passion for learning and leading in an ever changing world."
Madison Heights Elementary School:
"Dedicated to Meeting Student Needs."
Kindergarten Self Portraits
Hello and Welcome to the Madison Heights Art Studio!
On this site you can find out what we are up to as well as resources for creating digital art and making step by step drawings.
Encouraging children in art has many benefits such as: fostering creativity, fostering abstract thinking, and broadening understanding of other peoples experiences and cultures. These are 21st century skills that now, more than ever, are crucial to understanding and engaging with the world around us. Art is also very important for communicating and expressing ideas about and with ourselves and others. Art it is an awesome way for children to interact with the world! I feel very lucky to be a guide for our Heights Artistas!
In the studio Heights artists study contemporary artists, art history, and world cultures. They draw, paint, sculpt, collage and more. Our art projects are aligned with the Arizona Art Standards and are curated to focus on Elements of Art and Principles of Design. My goal is to have a variety of art projects with a spectrum of choice while teaching fundamental skills and encouraging students to develop the Studio Habits of Mind.
At least two projects per grade, per year, focus on subject matter/art from Latin America and/or artists with Latin American roots to support the Spanish Immersion Program at Heights.
Take a look at some of the art we made this year in our 2021-2022 Art Gallery!
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!
(602) 664-7838
Room D238 at Madison Heights: 7150 N. 22nd Street Phoenix, Arizona
What are we up to now? February 2024
Kids Kreations Fundraiser Projects
Kinder: Self Portraits inspired by Frida Kahlo
1st: Symmetrical Printing/Painting
2nd: Self Portraits focusing on facial proportions, inspired by Frida Kahlo
3rd: How to draw figures in Action, preparing for Keith Haring inspired Action Figure Painting
4th: Pop Art Paper Mache Sculptures
Meet Ms. O'Connor, Madison Heights Elementary School Art Teacher
I began teaching art at Madison Heights (K-4) in 2017. This is my seventh year teaching in the Madison Elementary School District.
Education:
2018, Post-Bacc in Visual Arts Education K-12 from Rio Salado College.
1999, Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Texas, Austin in Studio Art with an emphasis on painting and drawing.
1995, Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona in Tucson in Studio Art with an emphasis on painting and drawing.
1991, graduated from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Prior to working for the Madison District I taught:
Drawing for the Visual Arts at the ground campus of Grand Canyon University from 2015-2017.
Beginning Drawing and Figure Drawing from 2009-2012 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
art classes in a variety of settings such as elementary schools, summer camps, nursing homes, preschools and more, from 1995-2017. My students in these settings have ranged from 3-90+.
More info:
My son attended Madison Simis from Kindergarten through 4th grade. While he was there I was homeroom parent for his 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade classes. I also volunteered for 3 years at Simis in the Art Masterpiece Program and DIGGS (gardening program). My son is now a freshman at Sunnyslope!
For 13 years I worked as an animator with Austin based Flat Black Films Animation Studio creating movies, television specials, commercials, music videos and more.
I have shown my paintings and drawings at the Austin Museum of Art, in the publication New American Paintings, at the Texas Biennial, the Dallas Contemporary Art, as a part of Five15 Gallery in Phoenix and in many other galleries and venues.
My new favorite hobby is knitting and crocheting. Currently I am making a sweater and a poncho!