• ST. LOUIS, MO, February 16, 2012 – Edward Degas, a famous artist, once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” This simple, but factual, statement captures the very essence of teaching visual arts. At the St. Louis Public School District visual arts is not a secondary subject. It is recognized as an important teaching tool that motivates, educates, and inspires students to move beyond what was read in a book and to find what is in their mind.  Because the contributions of the visual art teachers are invaluable, the St. Louis Public School District has awarded the second annual Visual Art Teacher of the Year Award to Mr. Jeremy Winingham from Cleveland Naval Junior ROTC High School.

     

    Nominated by Jason Criveau, Winingham’s mentor and fellow art teacher from Clyde C. Miller Academy, and Susan Viviano, principal at Cleveland Naval Junior ROTC High School, Mr. Winingham stood out from his peers for accommodating artistic styles and abilities to encourage students who once said “I can’t” to try.

     

    “Art is no different than the other subject areas in that everyone is capable of learning, but a student’s desire and willingness to learn is a vital pre-condition to effectively mastering any new concepts and skills. I have been very fortunate to see very real, tangible results from and in my students,” said Winingham.

     

    A teacher at Cleveland since 2007, Winingham’s students have taken tops honors at competitions like the Washington University “Healthy Choices” Student Art Contest, the “Idle Free” Contest, the Missouri Botanical Garden Black History Month Contest, the St. Louis Zoo Contest, the annual Pasta House “Great Works of Art” Contest, and the President Casino Black History Month Contest.

     

    As the 2011 Visual Art Teacher of the Year, Mr. Winingham was honored with an awards reception, and presented with a $1,000 cash award from the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation.  In addition, Winingham was presented with a trophy, a plaque, and a $500 award for classroom supplies and/or professional development through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund.  For more information please contact the Office of Public Information (314) 345-2367.

     

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    Pictured (Left to Right): Chris Lee, St. Louis Public Schools Foundation; Mr. Jeremy Winingham, 2011 Visual Art Teacher of the Year; Linda Kraiberg, SLPS Visual Art Curriculum Supervisor; and Dr. Kelvin R. Adams, Superintendent of Schools.