MAI: Montana Art Interscholastic: Professional Conference I was able to attend and participate in the Montana Art Interscholastic

conference in Florence, Montana. I feel very privileged to have attended and teach many of the fine Montana high school art students. Many of these students came from around Montana to engage in the two day, over night, activities. This conference was an over night experience where the students and teachers spent the night in the Florence High School gymnasium. The students had the opportunity to attend different meetings in a two days span that enhanced their art abilities and critical thinking process. The different activities consisted of developing new art individually and in groups. Along with discussing and critiquing fellow students art work. Each day the students were put into groups and would then attend one of five activities. The activities ranged from creating a group grid tricolor painting of unique well-known individuals. During this group the students needed to work individually and together to complete the painting with success. The students were given the opportunity to decide the three colors together but then individually had to complete painting their own small four-by-four piece of square. Once they were done painting the forty-some square pieces all of the single square painting were then placed in grid that developed into a portrait. Another group activity that was lead by all the teachers was taking the students and their artwork and having a group critique. This activity really recognized the issues that students may have encountered. Critiquing art work not only lets the artist express their ideas and feelings freely but also gives that artist an insight on how others may reflect with their piece. In the discussion with talked about morals and issues that the students might be facing and how the art depicts the different struggles, accomplishments, ideas and

feelings. Along with the above curriculums that students attended they also had the opportunity to use Henna, create more discussion topics and walk freely to examine and appreciate the art works. This experience helped create professional development in my growth by incorporating my teaching skills in art and having discussions with the students, understanding that students thought processes and skills. High School students develop a deep understanding of their world and the world around them and how interactions impact different situations.