MAY 2021

Dear MATA Members,

Well, it has certainly been a year! Our imaginations and creativity have been challenged in ways we could never have imagined. Now that we are all coming up for air, we can hopefully look forward to an exciting (in a good way) year ahead.

The MATA Board met recently and decided to roll over memberships once again from 2019 into 2021. I know that we all missed out on the good things that MATA offers members; the Small Works Show, the Annual Membership Show, as well as social and professional development opportunities. 2021 looks like a year for revitalization. Carroll University is again generously offering to host our Small Works Show in the fall. The theme will be “Journeys”. I know that I do not have to provide prompts for exploring all the possible meanings of this concept. We have decided to back off on the strict size restrictions, but ask that you keep the sense of working small for this show. We really want to encourage everyone to submit recent work. Information will be coming later this summer.

To celebrate the summer of 2021, we are planning to provide opportunities for “Plein Aire” art making. Watch for details. We are just so excited to see everyone again!

Our yearly Membership Show is in the works for Spring 2022. So, look forward to that too.

Teaching art is challenging work, it is creative and dynamic. Teaching art is a lot like the creation of artwork. You have a concept that you want to express (curriculum), your media (your students), your techniques (your lessons). The process of providing valuable creative experiences for our kids requires first an overriding design for the lesson, sensitivity, skill, problem solving, evaluation and adjustment, response to unexpected results and eventually the ability to pull it all together.

MATA was formed over 80 years ago by a group of Milwaukee Public School art teachers. Our goal and mission have always been to provide mentorship and encouragement. We are always looking for new members. Tell your friends about the opportunities for exhibiting their own artwork and the lovely awards we offer. We strive to be a spark for the personal creative process. This is a great time to join MATA as we have reduced the membership fee for new members to only $15. Or, $30 will cover a new membership AND entry into the Small Works Show. Please share this opportunity with your colleagues, friends, and former classmates.

Finally, please consider joining the MATA board. Do you have some great ideas? Joining the board is a great way to give back to an organization that has supported and continues to support you as a teacher and an artist. We are currently looking for Members-at-Large who have no set responsibilities but who pitch in as needed. It is fun, and we only meet every 4 to 6 weeks.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon,

Paula Jacoby-Spehert
​MATA President