My alma mater, the Holderness School in New Hampshire, interviewed me and wrote an article about my career entitled “The Art of Well-Being” in their Winter 2014 magazine.
Read the full article here: Jay Mead Article, Holderness School Magazine, Winter 2014
I recently had the opportunity to teach an elective Architecture class at The Sharon Academy in Sharon, Vermont. Each of the 8 students completed two projects, one based in fantasy, the other in reality. The first was to design and build a model of a fantasy tree house. The second was to design an artist-in-residence cabin for possible construction on The Sharon Academy campus. Students visited the future site for the cabin to plan a residence footprint no bigger than 800 square feet. Then, they generated drawings and models of their proposed cabins and presented them to classmates, a visiting architect and school administrators:
Through an exciting collaboration with the Harpo Foundation, the school may draw inspiration from the students’ designs to build the actual cabin!
Thanks to Amber Wylie for her photography and slideshow video!
I recently taught a 10-week mural class with 11 students at The Sharon Academy in Sharon, Vermont. In these photos, students are posing with their self-portrait “bodies.” I guided students through a process of cutting out their body shapes from plywood and then painting what they currently identify with on each. For instance Deniz, an exchange student from Turkey, has painted elements in his body that reflect his love for his homeland, travel, the sea, and basketball.
All of the students’ paintings will be screwed to the exterior walls of the high school. I call this “humanizing” the skin of the school.
See more photos of student work and read about my teaching and workshop offerings.
“Mermaid” by Portia. Photo by Courtney Reckord.
In February, I was invited by art teacher Courtney Reckord to teach a mask-making workshop with her high school students in Milton, Vermont. Students had all chosen mythological characters to portray, ranging from Prometheus to Medusa to a mermaid (see right). The workshop was a great success and was featured on the Vermont Arts Council website. In the article, Courtney was kind enough to describe my teaching as “very enthusiastic and honest.” She said:
[Jay] got to know the students really quickly, and was able to connect with many of them right away. One of my most perfectionistic students had chosen Medusa. Jay picked up on that and totally supported her… He also has such an extensive knowledge of masks and has worked with so many groups.
For the full text, click on the article “2/27/2013 Milton Town School District” on this page.
“Jay brought stunning art and a wonderful message to Sharon Elementary School on May 15. He did a beautiful presentation of A Little Farm Story that entertained the kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders and led to a lively discussion of farming practices and local agriculture with the 3rd and 4th graders.
His sharing of The Turning was a terrific chance for 5th and 6th graders to see a graphic novel in progress and to think about issues of climate change. A rich and rewarding experience for all!”
– Catherine Freese, Sharon Elementary School Librarian
Photos by Catherine Freese
Learn more about bringing Jay to your school or organization for a workshop!