TEACHING

"Extraordinary accomplishments cannot be achieved by following formulas and confining oneself to the rules designed for simple obedience. This philosophy is nowhere more evident than in the leadership of education. As educators, we are often overwhelmed with procedures and guidelines that create a tunnel vision-like path, limiting our cerebral ability to transcend the norm and perpetuate the archaic. To push through these barriers, one must be bold enough to demonstrate other ways of learning processes, our classrooms and studios serving as environments of instructional discovery. We must seek out access to tools and resources that allow us to take our quest for knowledge one-step higher. In my classroom, students are given the opportunity to "think out of the book," as self-discovery is more powerful in developing a strong individual citizen with vision rather than another mass consumer, or sheep as sport spectators." Mark Nelson 2007

The following images feature student artwork created under the direction of Mark Nelson. This section will remain under construction as image transfers are made available from the archives of Gringolandia Studio and new works continue to be produced by his current students.

In 1993 Nelson was hired to design, instruct, and operate a visual fine arts program for Stone Academy. Stone Academy is a Chicago Public Magnet School located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of the city. The school is dedicated to integrating the arts and standards as a radial balanced education that completes the students educational development. Mark Nelson's art program is based on the consistent support of three administrations, colleague and staff collaboration, frequent grant support of project based curriculum from the Oppenheimer Family Foundation, the Chicago Foundation for Education, Illinois Arts Council, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs-Office of Fine Arts. To see Stone Academy's architectural landscape,

CLICK IMAGE BELOW.