MRS.BURGIE'S
ART ROOM
My Family
Husband, children, and grandchildren.
DONA BURGIE
Biography
MY LIFE
I was born in Salmon, Idaho and was raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I am the fourth child of nine. I was the first child in my family to graduate from high school, and the first to go to college.
I married right after I graduated from high school. It wasn’t long after that that my husband was sent to Viet Nam. I had our first child while he was gone. We now have 5 children, and 16 grandchildren.
I went to college 15 years out of high school, and yes, I had five children at the time, so life was not easy. I spent three years at Ricks College in the Art program, and graduated with an Associates Degree in Illustration and an Associates Degree in Graphic Design. I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Secondary Education at Idaho State University, with an Art Major and an English Minor. I continue to take classes to further my education.
At Ricks College, I studied art. I also worked as the Art Department secretary while I was in school, so I became good friends with the art professors. Because I was the secretary, I ended up doing all the type setting for Leon Parson’s Master’s thesis. That was quite a feat. Because I helped him, he gave me a copy of his Master’s Thesis (signed), as well as 4 or 5 signed art prints. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
In the Art Department, a whole new world opened up for me. I began seeing the world in a whole new light (literally). The art field has changed my life and my way of thinking. Leon Parson and Richard Bird have been a tremendous influence in my life. They taught me more about art and life’s possibilities than I could ever imagine.
I started teaching at Madison High School in the fall of 1989-90. I taught English and Art for 5 or 6 years until Mrs. Hamilton retired and then I took her position as a full time art teacher. This year, 2010, marks my 22nd year at the school. I teach watercolor and oil painting, art 1, graphic design, ceramics, portfolio building, AP art, and I am the yearbook advisor.
I had the opportunity to attend a College Board Forum with a few of my colleagues in New York City a few years ago, where we were able to attend a Broadway Play, “The Lion King.” As I watched the play, I was awe struck, not just by the presentation of the play, or the incredible detail of the costumes, but every artistic aspect of what went into the making of the play. Every part was amazing. Even the curtains were intricate and perfect in their part of the performance (And the curtains did perform). It made me realize that there is a greater depth of thought that goes into a performance than I had ever imagined. Because of that epiphany, I began to rethink my own process in my art classes. I want my students to be eager to learn, open to analysis, creative in their ideas, and excited to be part of a new and exciting process.
I also went to Chicago for a week, and took an AP Workshop for studio art. It was phenomenal. I spent hours learning, creating and exploring new ways of teaching the advanced placement curriculum. Before I arrived in Chicago, I was given an assignment to teach the class in Chicago, a project that I use in my own curriculum, and show some of my students’ art work. I am happy to say that when I gave my presentation, the instructor, who was also one of the administrators in charge of the Studio Art AP Testing Program, was impressed with the work my students were doing. When I presented the art work, she recognized some of the pieces that were in the recent AP Portfolio exam and said, “I know this student’s work! We pulled some of his projects to use for examples.” I was thrilled to know that one of the judges recognized work from one of my students.
MY PHILOSOPHY
My vocational decision to be an educator has continued to bless me throughout my adult life. It has been gratifying to share everything I know about art with those who step into my classroom. I believe that the more I give, the more I get back. I believe in kids. I know that each individual I teach has something to offer in this world and that it is my responsibility as a teacher to help students see what they are all about. I love watching students succeed. I believe that the art field teaches us about nature and the world around us. I have come to realize that the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know, so in reality I am always a student. I believe that my job is intricate in helping students become prominent citizens in the community. I believe that if students have the opportunity to explore new ideas and be creative in the process their eyes light up and they get hooked on learning.
burgied_mail.d321.k12.id.us
Some of the artwork posted, I created in college, on my own time, or in the classroom demonstrating for students. There are also photograghs that I took in different parts of the country such as New York City, Chicago, and here at home. There are also some artist trading cards that were created in Chicago. The motif on them are beads.
Ceramics
Art I
Oil Painting
And
Watercolor
AP Art and
Portfoli Building
Graphic Design
Student work in the graphic design class. Students were given one assignment to create a business of their own and then create a logo, a business card, and a letterhead. Another assignment was to create a poster for the drama departments school play. They also created pattern designs from a grapic design they created using a bird, an animal, an insect, or a fish. These designs were totally their own.
