Welcome!

Welcome to the VATN website! This is a collaborative resource for visual arts teachers and a portal to share our work with the world!   You are encouraged to explore and contribute to other sections of this site, including RESOURCES (with links and downloadable resource documents) and a BLOG SPACE where you can pose questions and...

First days of School

The new school year is fast approaching. Let’s share our ideas so we all get off to a strong start. I’ll start: I’ve got a 2” thick folder of ideas, but I’m still nervous for the big day (as are the students). I teach High School Art, but many of these ideas can be used...

12/18 Ross Roadruck@West Lake MS

Sol DeWitt “Instructions” Beginning with a slide show of Sol DeWitt’s work and the IDEA of “Who is the Artist? Meet Conceptual Art” the project continued. Participants write a simple drawing  prompt and media on a small piece (4” x 4”) of paper. Fold or crumble and throw to another person. A participant can write...

VATN meeting 3/13/19 at Montera MS, with Derrick Bell

  Teachers Present: Angela Baker, Derrick Bell, Deborah Green, Vanessa Guerrero, Jenny Hart, Rachel Kantor, Rebecca Recco, Ross Roadruck Agenda: Opening Question: What activity from the BuyBack Day have you integrated into your teaching practice and how? Welcome to Derrick Bellś classroom: Besides BEST VATN snack ever (see top photo), Derreck showed impressive projects from...

VATN buy back day, January 25,2019 at the Oakland Museum of California

          The morning opened with a 3 hour presentation with Eleanor Ruckman on Socio-Emotional Learning using Art Therapy strategies in the Art Classroom. With a brief introduction to NeuroScience, we learned various strategies and projects to use with large groups of students. Strategies included grounding exercise using breath, movement and color...

VATN Fall Kick-Off 2018

Location: Ms. Green's classroom, Oakland Tech Notes: Jamie Treacy Mission:  Oakland Visual Art Teacher Network is a professional development collaborative for OUSD Visual Art Teachers, student teachers and our visual art and design community partners. Our time together is centered around project-based learning and hands-on art-making as a tool for growing our art teaching practice....

Skyline AP Studio Art with Mr. Treacy

Our second year of AP Studio Art at Skyline has come to an end, and the portfolio websites are now live! We had a small group this year, but they were some of the most devoted and serious artists I've worked with.  The AP Studio Art Portfolio requires students create 24 pieces of art in...

How to Set Up a Palette for Painting

Portraits and Masks from Oakland Tech

Oakland Tech Ms. Deborah Green Recent class projects:  Realistic portraits, African masks, Picasso Portraits, Created in that order as a "Portrait" Unit. ​ 

Paper Circuits at Chabot Elementary

Chabot Elementary, Oakland Mrs. Amber's 4th Grade Class 4th graders study electricity (circuits) in Science as a Standard. Students then extended their knowledge of circuits in the art room by planning a piece of artwork that lights up! Students used new materials such as copper tape, coin cell batteries and LED lights to complete their...

VATN at Urban Promise Academy: Crystal Barr’s Classroom:

May 9, 2018 Location: Urban Promise Academy, Crystal Barr’s classroom (Art and STEAM Maker- Space) Teachers Present: Donna Salonga (Skyline), Lauren Litwin (Skyline), Jamie Treacy (Skyline), Deborah Gordon (OUSD), Roxanne Padgett (MOCHA), Vanessa Guererro (Oakland High), Amber Theme: Open Studio with Critique Discussion Teaching artists all brought one of their own artworks to work on...