Health & Fitness
Dedicated Art Instructor Has Loyal Following
Instructor Nancy Korde has been teaching watercolor at the Art Center for almost 30 years and still enjoys going to class.
While many students come to the Art Center for our great facilities, they also return year after year to take classes with a beloved instructor. Nancy Korde, who has been teaching watercolor at the Art Center for almost 30 years now, is not only one of the longest-serving instructors on our staff but also one of the most popular. I decided to find out more about Nancy and her teaching style.
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1. How have things changed over the years since you’ve worked at the Art Center?
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When I first started coming to the Art Center, it was a smaller school, but it had a wonderful reputation. We now have a new, modern, beautiful building with lots of lighting and exhibition space. The Art Center has gotten more well-rounded and sophisticated over the years with larger shows.
2. What are your fondest classroom memories?
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Having Eric Bienstock, our class monitor, decide we should have year-end shows. For many years now he has arranged for both our classes to have a combined exhibition and critique session. He also has arranged our class exhibitions in the downstairs gallery. I have enjoyed the stimulation of students watching me demonstrate proper painting techniques during the first part of class. Many of my students have been with me for 15 years or more. We maintain a good class spirit.
3. What still makes teaching exciting for you?
Finding something wonderful in each person’s work and seeing improvement during each session.
4. Do you exhibit your own art?
Yes, but with this economy galleries don’t have the sales that they used to, and there aren’t as many galleries.
5. Why is art—especially watercolor –important for people to pursue?
It’s a wonderful, fun, challenging outlet where you can lose yourself for hours. The interaction between the paint and water is always so exciting to see as the color explodes in water.
6. What is the best advice you can offer a beginning artist?
Enjoy the fun of putting paint on paper and don’t put high demands on yourself. Let the painting process be enjoyable.
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Nancy clearly enjoys teaching, and her students certainly enjoy taking her classes year after year.
