Art Bug's first blog!
My name is Marta Kozbur and this is my first blog!
I grew up on the West side of Chicago in what is now known as Ukrainian Village. It was a childhood filled with close family and friends, a very tight knit community and the freedom to roam and play without today’s worries. Church bells ringing signaled dinner time when all the neighborhood kids went running home to a delicious meal. Summer time evenings were often spent on the back porch with a transistor radio tuned in to the Cubs game, ice cold lemonade and all the neighbors doing the same thing!
Travel was something my family enjoyed doing very much. Short trips to Michigan and Canada during the year, and our annual trip to the Catskills in the summer. Of course, all trips were for visiting family. Being first generation born in the United States, the language spoken at home was always Ukrainian. With our family being scattered all over the US and Canada after emigrating from Europe following WWII, seeing each other as often as possible was a priority. Summers in the Catskills was a place we all gathered. The Catskills was where my grandmother, a painter, helped me make my first brush strokes. It was where I learned to love and respect nature, where I realized that art and teaching would always be a part of my life.
I met my husband of 35 years on a trip to what was then still the Soviet Union. After we married, we lived in LA for a number of years. Chicago never left my heart and so in 1990, with three small children, we moved back to the area. When my oldest started school, I became an art volunteer, or the “picture lady” as we were called. Before children, I was a graphic designer/Art Historian, now I was ready to become an Art Educator and I haven’t stopped since!
I am passionate about my work. I share my students joy in experiencing every step of every project we work on. I also love to share in the learning….they learn from me, and I learn from them.
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| Student work - City of Chicago |
Oh my goodness, Marta! My mom was a "picture lady" too! I had forgotten that term so thank you for the warm fuzzy. What a fascinating leap from art historian to art teacher! Do you think you will ever return to that job?
ReplyDeleteMy research was on ancient cave paintings in the state of Guerrero, Mexico and I still keep up with any new research on the subject matter. I enjoy traveling and always look for new ideas to bring back into my classroom. I make art history a part of my current job. I feel that art history, even at the elementary level, teaches students a great deal about the world around them. What came before is important for them to know, so that they can be better prepared for the future.
DeleteThis blog is a perfect forum for you to keep a "history" of your travels and research. What a great 1st person document for students and other art teachers!
DeleteYour story reminded me of growing up and riding bikes for hours. I also spent an inordinate amount of time on the merry go round on our playground.
ReplyDeleteI remember learning to ride a bike at my friends lake house in Delavan, WI. We would walk the bikes to the top of the hill and just let ourselves go straight down... No helmets.....reckless abandon....lots of bruises and scrapes. Kiddie Land was my merry go round....Ferris wheel too!
DeleteI remember learning to ride a bike at my friends lake house in Delavan, WI. We would walk the bikes to the top of the hill and just let ourselves go straight down... No helmets.....reckless abandon....lots of bruises and scrapes. Kiddie Land was my merry go round....Ferris wheel too!
DeleteYour story reminded me of growing up and riding bikes for hours. I also spent an inordinate amount of time on the merry go round on our playground.
ReplyDeleteMarta, fascinating! Although I will have an in depth conversation with you about leaving California...
ReplyDeleteOne more thought....don't forget to add labels to your blog posts!
ReplyDeleteWorking on it!
DeleteWorking on it!
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