Katie Emmitt discusses her paintings with art teacher Michael Bell at Southern High School. Katie, who took up painting only two years ago, was named the National Arts Education Association “Rising Star” award winner last month.
By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital
Southern High School has won quite a few honors in 2009. The school was named a Maryland Blue Ribbon school early in the year, and nabbed the national Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education in September.
In December, the school also found out that one of their own students, Katie Emmitt, was named as a national winner of the National Arts Education Association "Rising Star" award.
Katie was selected from among thousands of applicants across the country. Her teacher, Michael Bell, nominated her.
Bell has been an art teacher at the Harwood school for 15 years. He nominated Katie in 2008, too - the award is only open to high school juniors and seniors - but she didn't win. He had so much confidence in her, that he resubmitted her name for 2009.
Surprisingly, Katie has only been painting for two years. She signed up for an art class in her sophomore year. She hadn't really taken an interest in art prior to that. In the second semester of that year-long art class, she was introduced to painting. She signed up again her junior year and began painting in oils.
"She is a really hard worker. As an artist, her work ethic is second to none," Bell said.
"Whatever I throw at her, she works tirelessly. She is by far the best student artist I've ever had in my 15 years of teaching," Bell said.
Katie now works mostly in oil on canvas. She said that she likes painting portraits and figures. In the art room at Southern, several of her paintings sit on easels near a window. There are three paintings with images of a girl in various poses - a series of the same subject from different angles. Katie said she likes to play with looking at things from all sides, and showing opposites in her art. She also likes pairing her art with psychology and hopes in her future career to either teach art or use art as therapy.
Aside from her work ethic with art, she is also striving to reach her future career goals. She is currently taking a mix of AP classes. She's been accepted to the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. the California College of Art and Design, Pratt Institute in Baltimore, and the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
She is the school's Art Honor Society president, the Senior Class vice president and one of 36 selected county public school "Gifted Visual Arts Program" student artists.
She is also active in her community. She was part of a group of students commissioned to paint a mural Giant Food in Edgewater. She also helped with a mural at Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie. She also participated in the December Muddy Creek Artist's Guild artist's showcase in Edgewater.
Katie credits mother with modeling a strong work ethic. "She's a really hard worker," Katie said, adding that her mom is very proud of her for her accomplishments.
The award will be presented to Katie at the NAEA annual conference in April. Katie will have an opportunity to present her portfolio in a slide show and then deliver remarks. Katie will be bringing her mom, Michael Bell, and Sue Owens, the coordinator of art for the county school system.
The Shady Side Rural Heritage Society will launch its Winter Luncheon Lecture Series next Wednesday. There will be six speakers presented on six consecutive Wednesdays. Most of the speakers are local and will discuss topics relevant to the area. The cost for the series is $85, or $17 for an individual program. All talks are given in the main meeting room at the Captain Salem Avery House, 1418 EW Shady Side Road in Shady Side. A different homemade soup is served after each presentation, along with an assortment of desserts and beverages.
On Jan 13, Heather Ersts of the Historic Annapolis Foundation will talk about the care and stewardship of the more than one million artifacts, decorative and fine arts objects maintained by the foundation. Lunch for this program is chili with cornbread.
On Jan. 20, Kathleen Litchfield of Petro Design/Build will present, "Inside Out: Relating Gardening to the House." Chicken with rice soup will be served with crusty bread.
On Jan. 27, Andy and Viki Garte will present a program on folk music. Meatball soup will be served.
On Feb. 3, author Mary Kary Ricks will discuss her book, "Escape on the Pearl," about the largest escape attempt on the Underground Railroad. Lunch is tortellini soup.
Feb. 10 will feature Naval Academy Prof. Howard Ernst, who will talk about his book, "Fight for the Bay. Lunch will be bean soup with crusty bread.
On Feb. 17, the final presentation will be by Melanie Lynch, who will discuss her essay on how Ospreys rebounded from near extinction. Soup for this presentation is potato.
To reserve a seat, call 410-266-8846.
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