Local restaurant features students’ work

For the 18th year, Coconino is collaborating with Brandy’s Restaurant and Bakery in the Midtown Shopping Center Plaza to showcase students’ work. Former Coconino art teacher, Vicki Loskota, started the collaboration between Coconino and Brandy’s.

Coconino has a well developed art program, including not only classes for beginners, such as Intro to Art or Drawing and Painting, but also more difficult classes such as Advanced Sculpture and Ceramics.

According to Benjamin Proctor’s classroom management plan, one of the most important keys to success in an art studio is a positive environment for students to learn and work. A productive climate is created and maintained by having a good attitude, maintaining momentum and avoiding distractions in the studio.

Proctor and Cheryl Vignoli, both art teachers at Coconino, work to sustain the best possible creative workspace for their students, and are very happy with their students’ work and progress.

Proctor’s goal for his students is to explore the world of art and learn to use the elements and principles of design in order to create work that shows a better understanding of the world. Students in his art, drawing and painting classes have a chance to utilize their projects for self exploration as well as learning to create and cooperate in a classroom environment.

“[Mr. Proctor’s class] was very well planned out- great instructions and we had plenty of time for our projects,” said freshman Joey Murphy.

Vignoli, on the other hand, focuses her attention mainly on the sculpture and ceramics portion of the program. Her course objectives encourage her students to develop an artistic persona and style, build time management and planning skills, practice safe habits in a ceramics studio and learn to provide and receive constructive criticism, all the while creating sophisticated works of art.

“[Vignoli’s class is] very open and free, it allows everyone’s mind to be creative,” said sophomore Darvin Descheny. The class is just a way to form critical thinking. It never has deadlines, which I think is important to create good works of art.”

In addition to serving tasty original recipes, Brandy’s proudly supports the art community by displaying many local artists’ works.” For three months each school year, Brandy’s displays artwork from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy, the Lou Corporation and Coconino. Artwork to be displayed is chosen by the art department of each school or establishment.

“[Having my work displayed is] new to me, but I think it’s a cool thing they do, because it helps people’s work get noticed,” said sophomore Matt Klein.

Students have the option of naming a price on the information tag, to sell their work, or they may mark it “not for sale.” If a student chooses to offer his work for sale, the money goes straight to them.

“Two pieces of my own, personal artwork are on display. One of the [pieces] sold. I’m really happy about that. I find it very amazing to be able to show people what kind of things I’ve created,” said Descheny.