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| 6th Graders Show Off Their Finished Paper Mache Masks! |
Hi!
This is Mrs. Nichols, the art teacher at HMS. I have been the art teacher here since 2004.
This website was created in order to give students access to online resources, especially the links to videos about artists who live and work here in Alabama. I want my students to be encouraged that they can grow up to become whatever they want to be, including an artist!
I also wanted to have a place online for parents to see what we do in Art class on a daily basis, and to show off the amazing work our students do. The Art show only happens once per year, but our kids create wonderful pieces every day!
We also have a Facebook Page which is updated regularly.
I am so proud of my 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students; they are wonderfully creative, persistent, and perseverant. I couldn't ask for a better community to serve - Hueytown rocks!
Visual Art Instructor, Grades 6, 7, 8
HMS
Below is a slide show of some of the most outstanding student art work created in our HMS art classes since 2004:
About Mrs. Nichols:
I was born in Florida, but I grew up in south Baldwin County in a log house designed by my parents. When I was a little girl, my brother and sister were in the back yard, playing, and my brother spotted what he thought was a log. It turned out to be a small alligator which opened its mouth wide when we approached. We ran, screaming, into the house, and watched it from my mom's bedroom window until it crawled away.
I always knew I would become a teacher, but for awhile I thought I would become a marine biologist just so I could be the one to figure out the language of dolphins. (I still love animals!)
I am married to a fabulous husband, Den, who is an artist in his own right. I also have a 7 year old little boy. We love to spend time together as a family and we have been seen at the Tennessee Aquarium, the Moss Rock Preserve, any and all art festivals here in town, and we frequent the McWane Center and Birmingham Zoo.
As an artist, I enjoy painting landscapes and drawing portraits in pencil. I consider myself a bit of a culinary artist, as well, and I love to invent recipes. I learn all the time from my students, and my favorite thing about being an art teacher is seeing my students excel with an art technique after they have practiced and worked hard to succeed.
I love working in just about every medium! My greatest inspiration comes from my students, and I consider being a teacher one of the highest honors. Pablo Picasso once said, "I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it." Being an artist, a mom, and a teacher is like that - "Lord, make me a better art teacher tomorrow than I am today!"
Here are a few examples of Mrs. Nichols' personal artwork:
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| woodcut print of my parents' back porch from a photo taken by my mother |
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| sketchbook drawing of my cockatiels, graphite |
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| portrait of Peterson baby, graphite |
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| portrait of McMillan baby, graphite |
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| portrait of Wilson baby, graphite |
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| etching (intaglio print) of my grandfather's place |
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| graphite drawing |
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| My nephew, Jackson, learning about wheel throwing |
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| wheel thrown pottery |
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| wheel thrown pottery with drip glaze |
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| wheel thrown pottery with sculptural addition, glazed stoneware |
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| wheel thrown pottery |
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| glazed and painted ceramic wall plaque |
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| glazed ceramic wall plaque |
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| pastel sketch |
Education
University of Montevallo, B.F.A. (Bachelor's of Fine Arts with a concentration in ceramics), 2000, graduated summa cum laude
University of Montevallo, M.ed. (Master's degree in Education.), 2003, Highly Qualified Teaching Certification, Class A, certified to teach grades K-12
Experience
Mrs. Anna Nichols has been the visual art instructor at Hueytown Middle School since 2004. email: anichols@jefcoed.com
Awards:
Distinguished Service Inside the Profession Award, AAEA, 2015
Top 5 Finalist, Jefferson County Secondary Teacher of the Year, 2015
Teacher of the Year, 2014-2015; Hueytown Middle School
Alabama Art Education Association Presidential Service Award, 2014
AAEA Middle School Art Educator of the Year, 2013
Second Mile Teacher, Hueytown Middle School, 2008
Hueytown Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Month, Sept., 2007
Community Service:
In 2007, Mrs. Nichols was a member of the Jefferson County Visual Art curriculum team.
She was a Jefferson County "Mentor Teacher" from 2010-2016.
Currently, Mrs. Nichols co-chairs the AAEA Mentoring program for visual art teachers across the state of Alabama.
Finally, Mrs. Nichols was the first ever coordinator of the Hueytown Community Fine Arts Night in 2007 and was coordinator again in 2011 and 2012.
