The Art of Teaching: Harrison Teachers Featured in ‘More Than Just a Label’ Art Exhibit

Harrison Intermediate students are getting a glimpse of the hidden creative lives of their teachers, thanks to Art teacher Michelle Beck.

Following Youth Art Month, Beck wanted to keep the artistic momentum going, so she invited her fellow educators to step into the role of artist for a staff-wide exhibit themed “More Than Just a Label.”

“The purpose is to show students how they can be more than just one thing in their lives,” Beck said. “We can do and be many things in life. We have teachers of all different subjects showing their art, such as culinary arts, painting, embroidery, coloring, cross-stitching, woodworking, ceramics, and more.”

The result is a gallery display outside of the cafeteria filled with personal pieces, each offering a window into the lives and passions of the educators students see every day.

For Aimee Schepps, fifth-grade social studies teacher, that expression took the form of a layered mixed-media painting titled The Keeper. The portrait features a woman in a calm state surrounded by intricate textures, including beads, buttons, and fragments resembling book pages.

“She’s the epitome of an educator,” Schepps said. “She’s got chaos all around her with a serene look on her face. Teachers are very layered. There are so many different layers to us; we’re the nurse, we’re the counselor, we’re the mom.”

Schepps intentionally incorporated pieces with faint, unreadable writing to symbolize memories and the unseen parts of teaching. A halo crowns the figure, representing light and wisdom.

Fifth-grade science teacher Cera Byrum showcased a unique kind of artistry in her cookie decorating. Her work reflects both creativity and resilience.

“I always tell my students that in order to do something well, you must be willing to do something poorly,” Byrum said. “It may not look great the first time or the second time, so you keep on trying until you like it.”

She began decorating cookies during a difficult period in her life when she was dealing with fertility challenges. What started as a mental health outlet has grown into a meaningful creative practice she now shares with students as a lesson in perseverance.

For fifth-grade social studies teacher Brian Willeford, art also emerged from hardship. His display of license plate art began after experiencing multiple family losses in a short span of time.

“I was going through something really heavy and started counseling,” Willeford said. “My counselor told me I need to find something to do with my hands.”

That advice led him to transform old license plates into pieces of art. He hopes students see that creativity isn’t confined to traditional forms.

“It’s great that Mrs. Beck started this exhibit to show students that adults do art too, and it’s not just painting or drawing. Art can be other stuff and other mediums,” he said.

Other contributions include watercolor designs by special education teacher Heather Pedersen-Borgmann, crocheted blankets by receptionist Bea Cordova, cross-stitch by Assistant Principal Pam Hennigan, and so much more.

For Beck, the decision to organize the exhibit, but not contribute her own work, was intentional.

“As the curator, I didn’t think I should have anything in it,” Beck said. “I do art all the time. This was a way for students to see that you can have a job and a talent that are separate. And we have some pretty artistic teachers here.”

Through “More Than Just a Label,” Harrison students are learning a meaningful lesson that extends beyond the classroom. Their teachers are not just educators. They are artists, creators, and individuals with stories to tell.