Press On: The Campaign for Crean Lutheran

Meet Leah Dawson - CLHS Art Department Chair & Teacher

Since the opening of the North Campus in August 2018, I have been amazed by the impact of the extra space on student learning. We have room to not only create, but generous extra storage as well. With the addition of the centrally located art gallery, we can regularly show a large quantity of our student’s work.  We had our first on-campus art show in the fall, and the second one is scheduled in May 2019. We had never had this opportunity to show art to our CLHS families before! With more than double the storage space we had before, new materials are enhancing our student’s work, by the inclusion of bigger medium, such as wood and metal.  We also have enough space to add a second kiln, which will accommodate more students/classes for ceramics projects. As we had hoped, course offerings are expanding at an exciting rate. As an added benefit, the crossover with other departments, especially the performing arts, on the North Campus has been very beneficial. Visual and performing arts teams are forming especially strong bonds. We are holding monthly events for the benefit of all Crean Lutheran students rotating between art showcases, dance recitals, singing or drama performances, and instrumental performances.  I am passionate about seeing students excited to experience the arts, and I believe we are making strides in that direction.

"My faith grew the most when I became an artist.  I was created in His image, and created to create.  The arts allow for any kind of student to participate.  I want to open that world to all my students and help them choose a path...and have fun."

The biggest need remaining for the Art Department at the North Campus is the planned outdoor sculpture studio.  We are in need of walls, doors, and a roof for both student safety and security. Since this space has not been completed, we do not have full ceramics class offerings right now.  Our curriculum is temporarily more restricted than it was in the past because the kiln cannot be used in the current space.

It has been exciting to see how the expansion of the North Campus has helped to uphold the school’s mission of Proclaiming Jesus Christ through Excellence in Education!  Students eagerly watched the process of construction on the North Campus. We also created a group sculpture project, lovingly nicknamed “the Press On Hands” as a visual interpretation of the Press On Campaign’s key verse, Philippians 3:12b.   Improvements in growth of the school showcase our human creativity, reminding us that we were created in the image of God; we can now show the visual representation of the mission of the school even better than before.

During my time teaching at Crean Lutheran, I have felt very supported by the parents of art students.  Their involvement is extremely strong here, and reflects the love of Christ. Yet, it is the students who inspire me, probably every day!  The arts give a different forum for students to express their beliefs and their faith. Watching them grow through the changes on this campus has been very impactful. I  believe that self–image is a big one at this age, and I work on helping students to see themselves how God views them, through the process of creating self-portraits. They inspire me in my work, as well.