I. Presenters & Presentations

Charlie Girsch received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy and his graduate degree in Theology from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. Maria Girsch holds a BA in French from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois and is a certified French teacher. She also has a Master’s Degree in Human Development specializing in Creativity and Lifelong Learning from St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis.

For over 20 years the Girschs worked as toy inventors and licensed over 200 products worldwide, winning many industry awards, including Germany’s “Children’s Game of the Year Award”. Charlie ran the Institute of Creative Studies at the University of St. Thomas and taught Creativity in their Graduate School of Business Communications. After being constantly asked how they came up with their toy ideas and how they stayed creative, Charlie and Maria founded Creativity Central.

Their website is http://creativitycentral.com/.  They are coauthors of Fanning the Creative Spirit and of Creativity A La Card.

Creativity: 14-06 CO Teachers

Dr. Patrick Fahey has been an art educator for the past 35+ years. He is the primary art teacher/educator and art education scholar at CSU. In this capacity, he has been active at the state and national levels in the art education community. He is currently the Vice President (Pacific Region) and on the Executive Board for the National Art Education Association. He teaches his art education courses in K-12 schools and collaborates closely with in-service teachers. Within K-12 art education, he is particularly interested in curricula that support problem-solving and communication through project-based activities, interdisciplinary curricula, and electronic platforms. Presentations:

Making Art / Making Voice PowerPoint: Making Art Making Voice

Teaching for Voice PowerPoint: Teaching for Voice

Advocacy and Voice: Advocacy and Voice

Keziah Kelsey started her teaching career in Washington D.C. after working as a private behaviorist for several years. She quickly realized that DBAE wasn’t going to work for her and made the switch to T.A.B. (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) mid -ear. Now, in her 5th year as a classroom teacher, Keziah specializes in At Risk behavior management and Secondary engagement. She embraces the interests and cultures of her students and uses “what they know” as an entry point for their learning.

Low Brow Art, Cultural Competency & Shaking it Up!: Culture & LowBrow

“All-in-One” Rubric: KKelsey_All-in-One_Rubric

Sally White King is an painter who lives and works in Lyons, Colorado. She was born in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Miami University. Commenting on her flower series she explains, “I like to paint up close and personal with the flower-beings. It’s a mystical practice to get to know the plants more fully. And learning to think in color and form has blossomed new levels of insight for the scientific part of myself. I am always interested in how we humans can develop consciousness that is in tune with the earth and making art is an effective path.” Her website can be found at: http://www.sallywhiteking.com.

John King lives and makes art in Lyons, Colorado, on the banks of the North Saint Vrain River. His work is activated by the air and the flowing water. His main medium is powder coated steel but he also uses hanging round river stones in many of his works. John has been making kinetic art for 40 years.

“My work is characterized most strongly by its motion. It exhibits complex, organic, flowing movement. The sculptures are living things. They dance and perform within their territory. All who pass by are invited into a relationship with this dance.” His website can be found at: www.johnkingarts.com.