Bearden art teacher finds new way to pursue her love of art

We rarely consider the lives that teachers lead outside of school. They’re parents and volunteer workers and adventurists and socialites. They have things to do other than just teach.

One Bearden teacher is getting the chance to be on the other side of the classroom.

Mrs. Anna Boyd, Bearden’s AP Art and Advanced Art teacher, has just been accepted and enrolled as a student at SCAD, the Savannah School of Art in Design, where she will earn her second degree: Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA), which is the highest degree an artist can acquire in their field.

Mrs. Boyd got her bachelor degree from the University of Tennessee, as well as a master degree in Education.

However, going from learning and teaching in a classroom environment Mrs. Boyd must adjust to her first experience with online teaching. Being away from the studio and her professors might be a challenge at first, but she is ready to adjust.

“I wish I could pursue the degree full time,” Mrs. Boyd said. “I love teaching, don’t get me wrong, but it’s hard to keep up with it all.

“I’m spending a minimum of three hours every afternoon when I get home and that’s just sometimes bookwork alone; that’s not even counting the studio hours I have to put in to make the artwork, which is mostly done on weekends.”

Although she is not physically in the classes, she and her professors are still in close contact. Several phone calls have been made, and she is about to have her first virtual tour of the classroom with her professor.

She does hope that when this summer comes around, she will be able to visit her classes at SCAD.

“Any time you pursue a masters level course, with 500 level classes and above, it’s really more about creating work that you want to make and figuring out why you do what you do,” Mrs. Boyd said. “In undergrad, it was really more about you still working for your professors and learning technique on what concepts you’re interested in.

“You do have a little thesis show at the end, but it’s not by any means the level of work or effort you have to put into for your MFA.”

When asked what she was looking forward to the most about this whole experience, she was eager to talk about how she was ready to start focusing on her own creations and refining her knowledge of art theory and the history.

“I love that it forces me to make time for myself to make art,” Mrs. Boyd said. “I think I worked on my own creations to a degree without being in school, but this really forces me to make it a priority.”

As for teaching her classes, Mrs. Boyd has noticed how her learning along with the class has both connected her more with her students and has helped with strengthening students’ skills.

“The text is great to read about the theory and history of art,” Mrs. Boyd said. “What I am doing and learning about relates to what I teach to some of the students, which is helping me relate.”

For Mrs. Boyd, the best thing about the whole program is that she gets to connect with why she loves art and let her get back to creating her own pieces.

“Because of this I learned more about myself and why I make art in the first place,” Mrs. Boyd said.