JFKMS Art Room

Hi! My name is Mrs. Dixon and I am the Art Teacher here at JFK Middle School.  I am originally from the Finger Lakes area, but for the past 20 years, Buffalo has been my home.  I received my Associates in Fine Arts from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York.  Looking to find a way to combine my love of art and working with kids, I transferred to Buffalo State College where I earned my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Art Education.  I was fortunate to have had experience teaching in the Buffalo Public Schools before I was hired here in Cheektowaga-Sloan in 2001.  I have been happily teaching the wonderful students of this community ever since!

 

Growing up I have always been creating things.  My earliest memories include drawing on scraps of paper or creating my own little worlds from empty boxes and pieces of fabric.  Much of my childhood was spent growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  The many hours and seasons spent absorbing the natural beauty there had an in-delible mark on me.  Those first sensory experiences has had a lifelong effect on my work as an artist and how I view the world.  When my family relocated to New York State, my need to draw and create provided me with an outlet for my feelings of home-sickness and a bridge to help make new friends.  I could not imagine a life without my ability to create.

 

As an Art teacher, I have the rare and exciting opportunity to introduce my students to new media in which to "play" with.  I can share stories about Art History in which to better understand our world's past and present cultures.  I can provide them with a language in which they can express themselves.  I can inspire them to think critically about what they see, hear, and feel when viewing a piece of Art.  Art is an experience which can engage the students' heart, mind, and soul.  I want my students to feel respected and valued.  My wish is that my students will walk away with an appreciation for the Arts and respect for all of those who are brave enough to create it.