Art teachers display passion through creations outside of the classroom
April 28, 2022
Walking through the atrium of Gordon Parks Arts Hall, the unmistakable sound of music
can be heard from the orchestra room. Inside, Rozalyn Torto stands on the conductor’s podium, directing her string orchestra class through a piece of difficult repertoire. As she cues in each instrument successively, Ms. Torto’s conducting is efficient and purposeful, revealing a knowledge of her craft and a comfort in teaching music to students gained through years of personal experience.
Lab arts faculty like Ms. Torto bring an unmatched passion and creativity for their craft into the classroom, which is largely inspired by their work in the professional sphere.
Ms. Torto is no stranger to performing music in group settings. From participating in chamber concerts in Hyde Park to currently playing viola in the University of Chicago’s symphony orchestra, Ms. Torto believes her background in both chamber and orchestral music allows her to understand what her students are experiencing.
“I think that I can really get inside of string playing because I’ve taken it as far as I can,” Ms. Torto said. “I can really get inside and relate to my students. So if you say you have an audition, I’m thinking of it from your perspective.”
Another art teacher with professional experience is Sunny Neater. After graduating from college, Ms. Neater worked as a freelance photographer for magazines and on commissions while maintaining a studio and darkroom.
However, Ms. Neater quickly realized her true passion was applying her skill in photography to help young students find joy in creating their own art.
“I was having so much fun teaching photography, taking photographs with kids, making art side by side, that I started teaching artists and kind of doing all sorts of teaching artist workshops for the next couple years,” Ms. Neater said. “When I was working with kids, and even going into schools, I was like, ‘This is the thing that really makes me happy.’”
Instead of spending long hours producing work solely for her studio, Ms. Neater’s career shifted to arts education. Now she brings her camera into the classroom, building connections with her students through portraits and smiles.
“I would spend a lot of time bringing my love of photography and mixed media photography into the classrooms wherever I was,” Ms. Neater said. “On the West Side, especially, it was kind of like early days of digital photography, and we had flip phones, and I had my big camera. Kids would come to my class on their birthday when they got a new outfit, or just to get their picture done.”
Art teacher Brian Wildeman’s similar inclination to share work with his students comes from creating and displaying his creations in institutions such as the Mexican Museum of Fine Art. He is excited to explore nontraditional forms of art in his classes, and this year, his focus is on ceramics.
“What I’ve been, in terms of expertise, bringing to the classroom lately, it’s all been ceramics. I’ve been making a lot of ceramics,” Mr. Wildeman said. “I make it during class as a demo but also just for myself. There are some of the pieces that I’ve made around here.”
Just as Mr. Wildeman’s abilities in ceramics reflect his versatility as an artist, Ms. Torto believes the hours she has committed to honing her musical craft have impacted her abilities as a teacher and have helped her become a more well-rounded artist.
“I feel like I am a student, a performer and a teacher. I have all the pieces that feed off each other, and I think it really helped me. I don’t have to decide. I’m so lucky,” Ms. Torto said. “Maybe I’m a little bit tired because we have orchestra rehearsal until 10:30 p.m, but I’m picking my viola up tomorrow at 8 in the morning for class with that inspiration.”
