The Midwest Artist Studios ™ (MAS) is a three-summer project spearheaded by Sheboygan North High school art educator, Frank Juarez. The goal of the project is to develop an original art education curriculum incorporating the work, life and personal insights of participating, professional Midwest artists. This curriculum will be used to educate and inspire creativity in 6 – 12 students in the public, private and home school systems. The catalog (described below) could also be used effectively in a college setting.

A team consisting of a photographer, writer, social media expert and two field assistants will travel to 12 different States in the Midwest during the three consecutive summers beginning in 2014. They will visit contemporary visual artists who embrace the importance of Art Education, believe that their art experience was influenced or shaped by their K-12 Art Education and are following their dream of making art as a significant part of their lives and careers.

These visits will be filmed and will incorporate a close and personal approach into the studio life of an artist. Artists will talk about their engagement in their creative processes, share their studio workspaces, and discuss their work schedule, daily commitments, work ethic and artistic vision. After each summer tour, the MAS Team will design a catalog consisting of photographs, sketches and artist interviews as well as an MAS Workbook. The MAS Workbook will contain lesson plans that complement and reinforce the artists’ studio practices while exposing, educating and engaging students in different types of art being created throughout the Midwest. The Workbook will also provide a platform for students to tie together classroom instruction while maintaining an active sketchbook and taking creative risks. Access to filmed videos will be given to educators purchasing the Workbook. As an added component to the curriculum, educators will be provided with access to the artists via Skype and Google+. This unique opportunity will allow interactive lesson planning.

The curriculum addresses the Wisconsin Academic Standards for Visual Arts as identified by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Content Standards addressed are as follows:

• Content Standard One: Art and Design Knowing | Students in Wisconsin will know and remember information and ideas about the art and design around them and throughout the world.

• Content Standard Three: Visual Design and Production | Students in Wisconsin will design and produce quality original images and objects, such as paintings, sculptures, designed objects, photographs, graphic designs, videos, and computer images.

• Content Standard Five: Visual Connection and Expression | Students in Wisconsin will produce quality images and objects that effectively communicate and express ideas using varied media, techniques, and processes.

• Content Standard Eight: Visual Thinking | Students in Wisconsin will develop perception, visual discrimination, and media literacy skills to become visually educated people.

• Content Standard Eleven: Making Connections | Students in Wisconsin will make connections among the arts, other disciplines, other cultures, and the world of work.

• Content Standard Twelve: Visual Imagination and Creativity | Students in Wisconsin will use their imaginations and creativity to develop multiple solutions to problems, expand their minds, and create ideas for original works of art and design. 

For questions regarding this project contact Frank Juarez at 920.559.7181 or midwestartiststudios(at)gmail.com.