With year-round programming, the MCAD Continuing Education Department (CE) offers art and design classes for all ages taught by professional working artists. This summer, MCAD MFA Alums and current students taught several of these classes either as the lead instructor or as a teaching assistant. We caught up with four MFA alums and students to hear about their experience:
Patrick Sexton, He/Him
Patrick was the teaching assistant in the pre-college graphic design class. He had conducted some short informal workshops and lessons dealing design, process, and ideation with the high school that partnered with the museum where he was a graphic designer, but this was his first formal class setting.
What did you enjoy most about teaching in PCSS?
It might sound cheesy, but I loved seeing everyone grow over the two weeks. I was constantly impressed with the solutions that students came up with. All the students came in with varying skills and even though it was a shorter intensive, you could really see how much they got out of program. On a personal level, I enjoyed how goofy, weird (in the best way), and funny all the students were. I looked forward coming in every day or staying late for studio hours because I knew they were going to show me something that would blow my mind or make me laugh to point my cheeks hurt.
What was one of your personal goals for your class? What were your goals for the students? My personal goals for the class was to get comfortable in a classroom setting and work on my communication skills as an instructor.My goals for the students were for them to get excited and interested in all the different aspects of graphic design if they didn’t have previous experience. For the students that did have experience, I wanted to show them new ways to think about things or expose them to ways of working that would build upon what they came in with.
Do you have any sweet, inspiring or funny anecdotes or stories from teaching this summer? Everyone in the class was very in tune with internet culture, humor, and memes. So when they were done with their work they loved making their own memes and inside jokes. The class had their own secret shared google drive that they uploaded their memes to. They made graphic design specific memes and also meme’d me and the lead instructor Aaron Deyoe. On the last day of class they presented they took over the projector and showed all the memes they made together. It was super funny and sweet.
Rachael Elam Bonebright, She/Her
Rachael has an illustrative practice that shifts between fine art drawings and small print media, including zines and comics. This summer, she taught Experimental Comic Art, which she had never done before. She proposed the class to fill the space between Intro to Comics and Advanced Comics for young teens. 6. This was her second time teaching with CE and her last class was a one-time drawing workshop that was also experimental. When asked about her experience with CE, Rachael said, “I appreciate CE’s openness to new ideas for courses and workshops.”
What did you enjoy most about teaching in PCSS?
I enjoy experimenting with processes that change the way we look at art and other media. And the best thing about working with the 12-15 age group is that they are open to trying anything, even if it’s entirely new or unusual for them.
What was one of your personal goals for your class? What were your goals for the students?
My ultimate goal was to produce a small series of books and zines for the students to have and hold in their hands, so they can see their work scaled and reproduced in a way that makes the idea of producing their own comics less intimidating. The experimentation comes in when I ask them to try something new or absurd that might change they way they think about comics, or give them a method that helps with their ideas and workflow.
Do you have any sweet, inspiring or funny anecdotes or stories from teaching this summer?
Sarcastic humor is pretty common with the age group I was working with (which suits me fine), but it’s hard to know sometimes when a student is joking or not. I had one student write something to the effect of ‘I hate my life’ in the margin of one of their pages. When I asked them about it, they laughed and said they were just mad that I was making them ink pages. They hate inking pages.
Preston Drum, He/Him
Preston Drum is a maker. He makes drawings, paintings, sculptures and other objects. When he has the time, he likes to make situations in environments with videos and sound.
What courses did you teach this Summer? Have you taught these courses before?
I taught a few courses for CE this Summer including Teen Painting: Tools and Techniques, PCSS: Observational Drawing and Portfolio Prep: Drawing for High School Students. Yes, this is my second year teaching the painting class, my 4th year with PCSS and my 3rd year teaching the Portfolio Prep class.
Why do you like teaching these particular courses?
It is my greatest honour to play a part in inspiring or motivating the creative output of my students. Many students who take CE classes, already have established art habits or practices so I really feel like I am just there to stoke the fire.
What was one of your goals for your class?
In portfolio prep, the goal is for students to walk away with a portfolio that’s ready to be submitted to a college admissions department, but the real goal is to have fun making this stuff.
What do you enjoy most about teaching in the Continuing Ed Department?
I really enjoy the CE staff and my colleagues, but what’s most central is getting the opportunity to connect with the students. CE has such a wide range of people with diverse backgrounds, goals and worldviews. It remind me of my time in community college when I was in my twenties, I was in classes with people who were 67 and 19. That diversity always instigates the best conversations and connections. While teaching for CE, I have taught individuals who have been painting as long as I have been alive and I never thought I would have anything to offer them, but they seemed to have answered to the contrary.
Do you have any sweet, inspiring or funny anecdotes or stories from teaching this summer?
Well, there are moments every class that have the potential to inspire or destroy. But for sure my most memorable moment from the summer was when a PCSS student went out of their way to stop me on the last day of class and insisted on shaking my hand while she thanked me for my time and commitment to the class. It took me by surprise because it felt so formal but also completely spontaneous at the same time. Stuff like this for sure makes you feel good about what you are doing and also gives you hope for the future of society. People can be just so damn decent, given the opportunity.
Alison Novak, She/Her/They/Them]
Alison is an illustrator and designer. Her personal practice is mostly about experimentation and freedom, while her freelance practice is more controlled wherein she specialises in working with sexual health organisations.
How many years have you been teaching Continuing Ed courses at MCAD?
I’ve been teaching with continuing studies on and off since or 2007-2008 I think.
What is your job when you are not teaching CE?
I teach in the Design department at MCAD (many different illustration classes over the years) I do graphic design and communications for Family Tree Clinic and I freelance.
What courses did you teach this Summer? Have you taught these courses before?
I taught the Illustration portion of the Pre-College Studio Intensive. I’ve taught this class for at least 5 years I think?
Why do you like teaching these particular courses?
PCSS is fun because the students are highly motivated and maybe a little less jaded than older college age students.
What was one of your goals for your class?
Trying to fit in as much content as possible while still having fun. I’m teaching a half credit in a week so we really try to get in as much as we can. It’s complicated to balance those things so I make sure we’re doing a project that I find enjoyable.
What do you enjoy most about teaching in the Continuing Ed Department?
I like teaching the adult classes because it’s kind of like a one room school house of illustration classes. You can have people who are hearing about what illustration is for the first time in the same room as someone who works professionally as a graphic designer. Teaching a bunch of levels at once keeps you on your toes.
Do you have any sweet, inspiring or funny anecdotes or stories from teaching this summer?
I don’t think so? it was a nice group of kids but nothing stands out super strong.
Interested in taking an MCAD Continuing Education Course or enrolling in MCAD’s Pre-College Summer Session? Throughout the year, choose from evening, weekend, and online art and design classes, noncredit certificates, summer art educator workshops, summer and school-year youth and teen classes, and professional and graduate programs designed to match the personal and career interests of students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds.
Information about the PCSS program and how to apply can be found here. Also, check out the Pre-College Studio Intensives. These are weeklong, 1-credit courses, available for high school students each summer. Portfolio Preparation courses are also available throughout the year. Pre-College Weekend Intensives are two-day, hands-on intensives available in Animation and Comic Art.
Photography by Hallie Bahn.
