GRAFENWOEHR'S ART ASSOCIATION at Creative Art Fundamentals School & Studio
About Chris
Christine Anne N. Fiala, Owner, Artist and Instructor
In between my military and non-military experiences, I have pursued my love of teaching Art, inspired by the innovative interactions shown in how students express their creativity and develop their own appreciation for Art!
I hold a Masters Degree in Communication Arts and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from New York Institute of Technology. I have taught in elementary- through college-level classrooms, and have worked with a variety of materials to both teach Art Education and create my own work.
Throughout my military service, I also focused on education, teaching and training military leaders, as well as earning a Masters in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. My years within the Army, as a Enlisted Soldier and as a commissioned officer, completing Active, National Guard and Reserve assignments, offered great opportunities for service, but also to experience and see art from other world cultures. Helping others to develop their potential and achieve their creative possibilities ~ remains a key focus of my aspirations ~ both in and out of uniform!
So, now in retirement from military service, I turn again to the path I once left for another day. I am reviving a dream once pursued ~ a dream no longer deferred! Returning to teaching "art" through my realized dream at my “Creative Art Fundamentals School & Studio," my various classes and lessons, for ages 2 and beyond, combine the best of my artistic and military experiences. Now, in sharing my love of art through creative instructions, I have the most wonderful opportunity to continue in service by assisting each student in following their own dream of exploring and developing their own creativity and appreciation for art.
Two Key Poems :
"Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes : "What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore -- and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over --like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?"
"Dream to the World" by Susan Staszowski : "If you have a dream alive in your mind, bring it to the world; give it life! Too often, the treasures, which are ours alone to give, are never given the chance to grow. We each have a unique gift to bring to this world. It is our purpose in life to offer this gift. For even if only a few people benefit from our offering, the world is then a better place to live. (The poem provided at the start of each school year when I taught at Ashburn Elementary School in Loudoun County Virginia.)
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Expanding on previous years of teaching art on all educational levels, Grafenwoehr´s Art Association at Creative Art Fundamentals School & Studio, provides comprehensive art lessons (in single units or consecutive classes) to nurture basic understanding, art-making fundamentals, and creative enjoyment within each learning experience.
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