Mrs. Wengel

Email Address: kwengel@srvusd.net

Room 4103

Education

B.A. from UCSB in Studio Art, minor in Education and Applied Psychology, Single Subject Credential from Sonoma State University.

M.A. from APU in Art Education class of 2020

Philosophy

Above all else, I want my students to be happy, healthy, and eager to create. Our state-of-the-art studio environments are welcoming, comfortable, and conducive to producing varying types of two and three-dimensional art. As artists, we are like family to each other; we share, critique, teach, follow, and lead one another. As their instructor, I see myself as a facilitator of this learning, a mentor of their journey of self-discovery and mastery. Through our engaging curriculum, you will learn to not only draw realistically, but with intention and conceptual integrity. We welcome each varying level of ability into the DVHS Art Family, knowing, in the words of Pablo Picasso, “every child is born an artist…the only problem, is how to remain an artist once you’ve grown.

“…just because you have looked at something doesn’t mean that you have seen it. Just because something is available instantly to vision does not mean that it is available instantly to consciousness….access is not synonymous with learning. What turns access into learning, is time and strategic patience.”

-Art Historian, Jennifer L. Roberts

I was born and raised on a ranch, in Pleasanton, CA and attended K-12 in the SRVUSD. I played the flute and piano through most of my childhood and adolescence and loved playing softball and volleyball through high school. I took her first, formal art class as a sophomore, and completely loved everything about it. I admired my art teachers; their open-mind, free-spirits and positive attitudes. Needless to say, I fell in love with the environment of the art room, the friendliness of everyone, and the feeling of calm I had when I created. I was so inspired and passionate about art, that I was career-destined to become an art teacher at the young age of fifteen.

My upbringing and education has greatly influenced my love of creativity; it has taught me to find beauty and purpose in most everything around me. Art is the process of creating something from nothing. It is so much more than a product, or “making something pretty;” but more so “making something meaningful and important.”

I studied Studio Art at UC Santa Barbara, with a focus in Arts Education. I graduated with high honors, with a B.A. in Studio Art, and a minor in Education and Applied Psychology. During my time at UCSB, I juggled several jobs and extracurricular activities. After taking an Art Theory class, I landed a competitive internship with an up-and-coming Installation Artist, and traveled with her back and forth to Los Angeles on our evenings and weekends to set up her art shows. This experience shed light on the grueling hours of a successful artist; the conceptual ingenuity needed to sustain in the industry, and the dedication and resilience needed to thrive. As an upperclassman, I began to volunteer at the local schools, in grades 6-12, where I started to find my niche teaching high school art. It was, after all, where I fell in love with the subject! I also worked for a program called “Arts for Humanity,” during my final two years of college, where I taught visual and performing arts classes for young adults with developmental disabilities. My college studies, and multitude of jobs, solidified my interest in not only the arts, but in teaching and sharing my love for creative expression with all levels of ability.

I began working at Dougherty Valley High School in December of its inaugural year. Since then, I've taught several levels of art, including: Art 1, Art 2, Advanced Art, AP Studio Art: Drawing/Design and 3D Art 1. I help run the Art Club (NAHS) and am actively involved in Art Advocacy within our district and county. I'm happily married to my college-sweetheart, Andrew, who is also a teacher, coach and the amazing father to their daughter, Evelyn Grace and son, William Norman.