Storytelling through Art: American Stories

Engage in a step-by-step process with your students for developing novel and effective approaches to visual storytelling with a focus on the inspiring stories of Unsung Heroes from history. Educators learn the six key components to storytelling that lead from storyline development to a completed artwork. Various visual analyzing tools, classroom resources, and lesson plan provided.

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ARTEFFECT professional development sessions are free to attend and will be recorded. All registered attendees will receive a recording of the session and a lesson plan via email. A PD certificate will be available for download. Attendance at ARTEFFECT online events constitutes consent to its recording and distribution.

In this session, you will:

1. Practice careful looking and visual analysis of artworks.
2. Become familiar with 6 key elements to storytelling about the LMC Unsung Heroes: Character, Problem, Heroic Action(s), Sacrifice, Impact and Heroic Traits.
3. Investigate different approaches to storytelling by examining examples from contemporary art and ARTEFFECT award-winning artworks.
4. Learn how to support students in creating a series of thumbnails (rough drafts) to inform the composition of their final projects.
5. Strengthen connections between visual art, English language arts, and social studies.

Brad LeDuc 

Art Teacher, Washburn Rural High School, Topeka, KS

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Brad LeDuc has over 25 years of experience in the classroom as a K-12 art educator and is currently a high school art teacher at Washburn Rural School in Topeka, KS. As an innovative educator, Brad strives to promote an environment that both challenges and nourishes his students. In 2013, he was named the Milken Educator for the state of Kansas and was the 2013 Distinguished Kansan for Education. In 2014, he was a Fellow at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. In 2018, he was named 2018-2019 Outstanding Secondary Art Educator of the Year in the state of Kansas by the Kansas Art Education Association. Most recently, the Milken Family Foundation documentary film, Brad LeDuc: Portrait of an Artist, received a 2020 Heartland Emmy. In 2022, LeDuc was an Artist-In-Residence at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery in Topeka, KS. To learn more about Brad and his artwork, visit: http://www.bradleduc.com/.