In the Gallery this month!

North Montgomery School Corporation's Bratton Initiative & Art Teacher Exhibit Result in Scintillating Library Exhibit

In striving for excellence, the North Montgomery Community School Corporation has initiated fifteen bold, forward looking reform initiatives named for Montgomery County resident William E. Bratton, famed member of the Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark Discovery Expedition, and later first official superintendent of Montgomery County's Public Schools. These initiatives are meant to further enhance the well-rounded educational experience now in place in the North Montgomery Community School system. One of these fifteen initiatives involves hosting a district-wide art contest and exhibit, showcasing the artistic adventures of students and art teachers from the North Montgomery County Elementary Schools, Middle School and High School. Over two-hundred images, resulting from this positive collaborative experience, may be found in the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery during the entire month of May. Viewing this outstanding gathering of creativity, from grades K-12, is an absolute must for those yearning for a fresh, warm sunshiny spring experience. Do come often and stay long. You won't want to miss a thing!

As one of the promoters of this unique North Montgomery Student Display, Sugar Creek Elementary School Art Teacher, Kim Goebel, will be exhibiting her personal art work in Gallery Two of the display. As a youngster growing up, Kim never knew she had a talent for art until as a senior in high school she took the only art class offered in the Dickson, Tennessee School System. Earlier, Kim's older sister Teresa, had taken the class and became quite talented, so Kim figured if her sister could do it, so could she. That was the humble beginning of a lifetime career of challenging herself to learn more and more about any art medium that attracted her fancy. In 1980 Kim graduated with an Art Degree from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN, in spite of the fact that one of her first art teachers, looking at a piece of her work, told her she had no talent for art and should choose another career! At the time of her graduation, teaching positions were hard to find, so Kim took a job at Vanderbilt University Law Library. Her first teaching position, after moving to Indiana, was at Thorntown Elementary School. When an Art Teacher position opened at the North Montgomery School District, Kim jumped at the chance and applied. She has been teaching art in grades K-5 for twenty-one years and absolutely LOVES it, telling her students how lucky she feels to get paid for having so much fun! In her personal art, Kim enjoys using pastel, watercolor, colored pencil and acrylics on paper or fabric for her quilted wall-hangings. Her real passion is painting animals, most especially her own pets. Working primarily from photos, Kim continues to strive for striking realism in every piece of her work. As her artistic vision widens, Kim transfers her artistic skills to the art of quilting, joyfully working to create large pieces, at very little expense, which she is unable to do in any other medium. Her spectacular art quilt wall-hangings incorporate the plethora of light; bright colors necessary to convey the realism for which she strives. Horses are another of Kim's passions. Gratefully, by teaching horseback riding classes in the summer, Kim is able to not only indulge her own passion, but impart that passion to both adults and children in her beginning and intermediate horseback riding classes. This beautiful, eclectically talented woman graciously glows with the pleasure of having two jobs which bring her so much pleasure! Kim's work hangs in many private collections across the United States. Many of the pieces displayed in this exhibition have been borrowed from those collectors. Kim enjoys the challenge of doing commissioned art pieces and is always happy to work out a quote for anyone interested in owning a painting. She may be reached at 364-9527.