Miami Valley School’s Design Foundations, Ceramics, and Sculpture teacher, Ms. Trick, had an interesting career before coming to our school. Originally from Dayton, she earned a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Dayton and her MFA from the University of Cincinnati. She then taught as an Instructor of Record at the University of Cincinnati before spending five years teaching high school in Kentucky. Eventually she moved back to Dayton for a teaching position at the University of Dayton, which later manifested into everything from Wright State, where she obtained her Masters of Education, to Stivers School for the Arts, Sinclair College, and even Central State University. Seeking a change of pace, she landed at MVS, which was such a good fit that she has stayed here for 12 years and counting, now currently the Art Department Chair.
She said that there are many reasons she has stayed here, such as MVS’s amazing dedication to the arts, how supportive they are of teachers, and our unique student culture. MVS also offers something unique for teachers too: Immersion. While primarily thought of as a student-benefit, Ms. Trick says that she thoroughly enjoys the change despite the extra work it entails. While high school is definitely not like college teaching, with much bigger studios and more art-focused schedules, MVS has its own pros such as Immersion and full-purpose art studios. Class sizes are much more manageable here, and if she had to pick one school to occupy all her time, MVS would be the best possible fit because of all the variety and unique things that we do here.
But what about her spare time? I managed to learn that she has many varied interests, from art of course, to swimming, and also baking. Her favorite food is dark chocolate, yet her favorite food to bake would be bread — lots and lots of bread. She loves to learn how things are made, all the way from scratch. Sculpture is her favorite art form, yet she’s tried almost everything. Immersion offers teachers a great way to explore new things, like when she experimented with Architecture, or even film photography (with a darkroom) in the immersion titled “Art History through the Studio Process.” She wants to eventually bring back her first class at MVS, “Armatures and Casting”, which currently is baked into “Sculpture.” Immersions allow her to “keep learning” every time, even when they are the same topic. For example, she has led four Ceramics Immersions, but each one has been unique and different. To conclude this month’s Teacher Spotlight, her favorite artists who inspire her include: Huma Bhabha, Auguste Rodin and finally Michelangelo, especially the contrast between his unfinished Slaves and David. She encourages everyone interested to go to see them in-person in Florence, Italy if they ever get the chance.
