The world is my studio: an interview with Kathy Tacke

Arts & Activities, May, 2004 by Harriet Gamble

Kathy Tacke is an elementary art teacher and working artist--one with a passion for her work, her students and for life. She sells her creative and whimsical Friendly Plastic[R] jewelry at art and craft shops and fairs using KAT Tracks as her "company" name. Kathy has brought that same creativity, inspiration and fun to her art room--for 24 years--and her enthusiasm for what she does is evident.

In the interview that follows, Kathy shares her history as an artist and teacher and offers insight into what teaching art can and should mean.

H.G. Most artists and art educators have been enticed by art from a very early age. What about you?

K.T. I have always loved art--drawing was one of my favorite things to do. I would often try to draw the pictures in the back of my classroom magazines that were advertising those entries into art schools if you could accurately draw a dog or cat. When I was in elementary school my art teacher never had a classroom of her own. Instead, she went room to room dragging all of the supplies necessary to teach us. I always enjoyed art class, although I never gave much thought to the possibility that I would someday teach it.

H.G. Did you get encouragement for your talent and interest at home?

K.T. I have a sister who is 11 years older than I am. Whenever I would color in coloring books she would take them away from me and tell me that I should draw my own pictures instead of just coloring in the pre-printed ones. Actually, that was great advice--advice that I practiced as a parent.

Although our mother did not have formal art training, she was very creative. She could come up with great solutions to problems that no one else would ever think of.

H.G. Did you pursue art in school?

K.T. Yes. As I progressed through school, I chose art classes for electives in junior high and high school because that's what I enjoyed. I did scenery for school plays and dabbled in oil paints. My high school did not have specific types of art classes like fibers, ceramics, etc. Instead, they had Art I and Art II. Art III was cancelled because of a lack of interest. One of my favorite classes was humanities, which was taught by an extremely interesting teacher. He exposed us to music, art, architecture and the real world outside of our own neighborhood. We even spent a day in a Vista center near the housing projects in the inner city of St. Louis.

H.G. So, you went on to study art education in college?

K.T. I received my Bachelor of Science in elementary education, with a certification in art education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis campus. My emphasis was in humanities. Fifteen years and two children later, I received my M.A. in secondary education from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Since that time I have taken numerous post-graduate hours in art therapy, educational methods, studio art, architecture and graphics.

H.G. Why elementary education and Not fine arts?

K.T. Actually, I chose fine arts as my major course of study in college, but an adviser discouraged me from going into art, so I changed my major to elementary education. That kind of advice was pretty typical for women at that time, but I loved working with kids and thought I could do a good job in that field. When I graduated I taught kindergarten and second grade in a suburban school district.

H.G. How did you make the change from the elementary classroom to art education?

K.T. Twenty-five years ago, after substitute teaching and working as an aide in a self-contained learning-disabilities class, an administrator in my school district told me about two art-education openings. I was fortunate to secure one of those and I'm still in the same school. Twenty-four out of those 25 years I have been in the same art room, with the exception of a few times that I have had to be on a cart going door-to-door teaching art--just like my elementary art teacher. I currently teach elementary art--kindergarten through fifth grade--in the Park Hill School District in suburban Kansas City, Mo. Our district has full inclusion of all students, so they attend art class with their regular classroom.

H.G. Tell us a little about your professional involvement.

K.T. I am a member of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and I have presented numerous art workshops for other art teachers through the Missouri Art Education Association in many different subject areas, particularly "Art and Architecture." I also presented this workshop at the NAEA convention in Chicago. I was awarded the Educator of the Year award from the Kansas City branch of the AIA (American Institute of Architects) for my work in integrating art and architecture.

H.G. You are also a working artist as well as a teacher. Why is this important?

K.T. I feel so strongly about having a passionate pursuit for what I teach. I think it is important that I create my own art and stay current in the field. My students see my enthusiasm and love of the subject--it's infectious--it imbues them with great spirit. I paint with watercolors, mainly landscapes and architecture. I create and wear my own jewelry. I throw pottery just for fun (sometimes, that is the best way to center myself!). I enter and participate in art and craft shows, as well as exhibit my watercolors and photos from time to time.