The students and the staff would like to give great thanks for allowing us to participate in the Artist in the Schools (AIS) Program. Ann Margret Wimmerstedt taught an encaustic painting workshop for two weeks at Homer Flex. Twenty-four students learned and practiced many of the methods used in this unusual art form, creating exciting paintings and collages. It was a treat to present our art to the public for First Friday.

Ann Margret did an amazing job of teaching encaustic techniques while also encouraging student ownership and expression. She gave brief descriptions and demonstrations of new encaustic practices (use of color, painting and collage). Ann Margret gave very positive feedback to students and was very generous with her materials and time. She gave us great examples of her own work and looked at a variety of students’ work, critiqued it and discussed the process of creating successful art.

Students were engaged from the start, proud of their work, excited to do more  each day. Ann Margret’s endless supply of collage materials fostered an inventive spirit in all participants, their individual creations unique in every way. She had a “way” with these young people that was easygoing and inspiring.

Bunnell Street Arts Center sponsors Artist in Schools with support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Jazzline, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and Rasmuson Foundation.

We would like to give thanks to our legislators Paul Seaton and Gary Stevens for funding the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA), also to ASCA for supporting the Artist in the Schools Program and finally to the Bunnell Street Arts Center for their local administration of the AIS program.

Karen Wessel

for the Homer Flex staff and students