Due to the fact 2014, the Stanly County Arts Council has regarded a High-quality Arts Educator of the Year, affectionately recognised as the “Jim Kennedy” award in memory of extended-time arts advocate, trainer and mentor, James D. Kennedy.
The award acknowledges a high-quality arts teacher in the Stanly County general public university technique who has made a considerable good impression on the arts in education and has impressed learners to go after, enjoy, and respect the fine arts. Nominations are submitted by principals from the elementary, middle and significant educational facilities in Stanly County.
The 2022 recipient of the Wonderful Arts Educator award is Randall (Randy) Fike, visible arts trainer from West Stanly Higher College.
Fike gained his award at the April Board of Education and learning conference. Fike also acquired a $250 classroom scholarship to support him keep on his successful arts plan at West.
He will also be publicly regarded for this honor at the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra live performance at 3 p.m. Oct. 23.
“Mr. Fike is an advocate for all of the arts. He enjoys working with college students on all degrees,” West Stanly principal Anne McLendon wrote in her nomination. “Mr. Fike employs his AP pupils as leaders in the classroom as they will instruct and model unique artwork techniques. He shows college student artwork all around the college campus. He serves on the faculty management staff, chairs the weather committee and serves on Senior Advisory. His leadership in the arts is nicely recognised all through our school and the county.”
A 28-year resident of Stanly County, Fike arrived right here from Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Just after graduating with a master’s degree from Marshall University, Fike started training at Albemarle Large University.
Qualified in math, social reports and artwork, he taught math for 10 several years in advance of switching to social research in 2004. He spent 19 decades at Albemarle Large, staying named the school’s Trainer of the 12 months in 2010.
In 2013, he moved to North Stanly High School to instruct its State-of-the-art Placement Historical past lessons, staying named the school’s Co-Instructor of the 12 months in 2017.
Right after 4 years, he moved to West Stanly to get about the Visual Arts Software.
Fike explained his transfer as an exertion to achieve extra artistic chances in his career. Though instructing at Albemarle, he often attempted to use art as the basis of his complex math classes. His cartoon drawing was also an attempt to foster creative imagination in social research lessons at Albemarle and North Stanly. He added, “the opportunity to instruct artwork at West was a artistic challenge, that, in hindsight, I could have only dreamed of.”
The social part of an art class is not missing on Fike.
“Art class will get every single kind of pupil, from the well known to the social outcasts. They all have the same thing in widespread. They have a voice that wishes to be listened to. I feel it is my task to give them that option.”
Fike thinks that artwork finds a way to conquer variety.
“I have a couple of teams of students that I know would hardly ever have interacted … turn into buddies, if there was no art class.
“One of my favored college students, a incredibly talented senior, advised me that she would have dropped out of faculty had art not been there for her. That was my proudest second in 28 decades of educating.”
Due to the fact arriving at West, Fike has worked to showcase West’s pupil artists with numerous displays and reveals. West artwork has been revealed typically at the Locust Library in the City Middle in Locust. West Stanly Significant has also sponsored annually artwork demonstrates at the Falling Rivers Gallery and the Stanly Arts Guild & Gallery as properly as the Artwork Council’s Celebration of the Arts University student Artwork Exhibit. A long lasting selection of university student operate (donated by pupil artists for the duration of their senior year) is displayed in the foyer of West Stanly High, the first piece acquired immediately after Fike’s first yr in the place.
In addition, Fike has set up a “Gallery Hall” at West Stanly to frequently display screen current work.
An avid traveler, Fike has accompanied numerous teams of learners to Europe to find out and examine other cultures, the to start with time in 2000 and most just lately with a team from West in 2019.
He also finds time to go to a Cubs match or two for the duration of the summertime. Fike likes to sketch and draw and enjoys clay and ceramics, creating a workshop at his house in Albemarle.
Fike joins preceding fine arts educators of the 12 months awardees Lori Watson, tunes trainer at Stanfield and Locust elementary educational facilities Michelle Osborne, art teacher at Central Elementary Stacy Bottoms, art teacher at West Stanly Middle College Jessica Kiser, band/audio teacher at Albemarle Middle School Frank Poolos, band director at North Stanly High School Rebekah Crisco, art instructor at North Stanly Middle Faculty and Derek Smith, band director at West Stanly Superior.
For the yr 2021, the Arts Man or woman and Wonderful Arts Educator of the Year awards were being blended and honored all arts educators in the county for their devotion to inspiring youth to go after the arts for the duration of the pandemic.
The Stanly County Arts Council was established in 1974. It proceeds to encourage and assistance all artwork kinds in the local community. Its mission is to really encourage and market broad-primarily based cultural and educational actions in the arts during Stanly County.
The Stanly County Arts Council is supported by private donations and by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Office of Cultural Means, with funding from the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts.
For the most recent details on the arts in Stanly County, visit www.stanlycountyartscouncil.org. Get in touch with Renee VanHorn, government director, at [email protected].
