ART with MEYERS: Nicole Mingle - Crafts Award Recipient

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Nicole Mingle - Crafts Award Recipient

Nicole Mingle is one of those kids who seems to be good at everything! But that is not to say she isn't one of the hardest workers I know. Nicole, who recently graduated, was an exceptional Crafts II student, and truly a genuinely friendly person. She picked up everything I taught quickly and applied her new knowledge in the forms of monoprints, ceramics projects, jewelry, dream catchers, and stained glass creations. In the spring, she headed up a team of stained glass artists who constructed large panels that they retrofitted to the school entrance sidelights, another permanent installation that makes me extremely proud. Nicole won recognition in many area exhibits this year, and she was the recipient of the Sussex County Arts & Heritage Fine Crafts Award.

Original Monoprint, 'Craziness' by Nicole Mingle

'Everlasting Gobstoppers'

Here she is working on one of the school entrance sidelight panels - still smiling after all that grinding!

The Power of Art Education

All children, not only those with specific artistic talent, benefit from an education in the arts. The arts are, in themselves, a vital part of a comprehensive education. Current research suggests that young people who participate in the arts acquire skills that help them in decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork. The arts also help motivate children to learn and achieve stronger results in core academic subjects. For some children, the arts even provide the impetus to stay in school and find their way to contribute to society. Creative thinking and art education challenge students to utilize the right-hemisphere of the brain more often, resulting in more holistic thinking and intuitive learning.