We recently connected with Sarah Ellis and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Absolutely. First, I want to say that I recognize that I was and am very lucky in so many ways. My parents got a lot of stuff right, in part perhaps because they had a lot of practice by the time they got to me. I’m the youngest of 5 and my next closest sibling is 8 years older than me. In a sense I had a lot of people raising me, and they all contributed to making me who I am. We’re so lucky to still have my parents on this earth, they are healthy and active, and above all made and continue to make me feel very loved. Every day with them is a gift. My dad was an industrial arts teacher and brought me to his classroom on many occasions. As well as teaching during the day he taught night school for the local community College. I often got to tag along and learn all about the machines, and of course make things. He was ahead of his time in instruction and in the early 90s had his High School students build an electric car from scratch. I remember going to Berlin Raceway to watch his students race their vehicle against other schools from around the state and beyond. They were so proud of what they accomplished. I specifically remember that they felt a sense of pride because THEY did all the work. Some other schools had fancy kits they used or their teachers put together the car themselves. My dad’s famous line in the classroom and at home was “Figure it out.” He helped you, and was always there to answer questions, but you knew you had to do the work. For example, when my brother’s car broke down he had him take apart said car and put it all back together. That whole summer there were car parts all over the garage, but he did it, he put it together piece by piece himself. My brother is now very successful in his career, in part I think because of this motto and lesson of our dad’s.
My mom was a preschool teacher, but stayed home for most of my formative years. She volunteered in my classroom and read to me almost every night. Knowing that I was loved and taken care of was the best inspiration to be myself and to follow creative pursuits.
I grew up knowing my parents were liked and respected and I, like all my siblings, wanted to make them proud. My parents were very active in their church, and together made a difference in countless people’s lives. My dad sat on many community boards, including the library and HUD (housing and urban development association), where he served as president for over 25 years. Through my teaching and art I want to live up to this generous foundation I was given, and make a difference too. One of my main goals in my art is to elevate the role of teachers and public education in our society to be seen for what it is, as one of the greatest goods.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an educator and artist. I teach Spanish and Art at Lowell High School, in Michigan, where I’ve been since 2006 (minus a year sabbatical in 2018-2019 teaching in Spain). I received my BFA in painting and sculpture from Aquinas College. I was taught by esteemed artists Sharon Sandberg Kerr and Chris LaPorte, and many others. I really owe so much to my teachers, they continue to help me to this day. I have been fortunate to have my work noted in regional and National news outlets, including the New York Times. I am most proud of a series of paintings I dedicated to our Library Media Specialist, Christine Beachler this past May 2023. Christine is a Rockstar educator, has received multiple awards and grants for her efforts to promote literacy, and to combat misinformation. This series and her efforts were noted in the August 2023 MEA magazine. The fact that these painting helped promote such a meaningful endeavor means the world to me. The MEA will start selling prints of this series to raise money for a good cause related to student literacy, more information will be out about this soon.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best thing society can do to support artists is to pay them a fair wage for their work. So often people see artists and think that just because they love doing what they do that they can get it for free. Take for example art contests. Don’t get me wrong, contests can be great. They can give an artist something to put on their resume, they are fun, and a little competition can really help to motivate young and aspiring artists. However, contests that are created in place of hiring a professional, for example to design a logo, should be reevaluated as they are exploitative at best.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As a dedicated teacher I want to create art that specifically elevates teachers and public education in our society to be seen for what it is, as one of the greatest goods. My mission is to increase quality education for ALL students. The best way I see to accomplish this is to seek as many opportunities to further my own learning and growth, as both an educator and an artist. This year I received a Fulbright TGC award. In conjunction with this award I am learning alongside other award recipients across the nation about global competence and how to best integrate it into my classroom. The award includes a 2-3 week field experience in another country as well as intense coursework. Through this opportunity I am already seeing considerable growth as an educator and artist. I can’t wait to learn more and bring even more back to my students.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @artistsarahellis
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahsQuirksofArt?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Images courtesy of the artist.