Welcome to Resource Hub
Members enjoy exclusive access to our Resource Hub, offering a wealth of insightful blog posts, articles, lesson plans, and more on visual arts education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and cutting-edge research. Designed to inspire and support your work, the Hub complements our services with extra resources tailored for schools, companies, small businesses, and individual artists.
Updated monthly, our content keeps you informed, inspired, and at the forefront of both educational and professional development. Dive into fresh perspectives, innovative strategies, and practical tools to enhance your practice and drive success in your field.
DEI Blog Articles
Our blog articles features a diverse range of topics, from DEI and visual arts education to qualitative research practices. Updated monthly, our short articles provide fresh insights, practical tips, and thought-provoking perspectives to keep you informed and inspired.
Why your Company or School Needs An Equity Audit
An equity audit is essential for uncovering hidden disparities and biases within your policies, practices, and environment. It helps identify systemic inequities related to race, gender, accessibility, and other factors, guiding meaningful improvements and fostering a culture of inclusion. Tellie Collaborative offers tailored equity assessments to pinpoint issues and support your DEI goals, ensuring transparency and accountability. Investing in an equity audit is a strategic step toward creating a fair and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
The Urgency of DEI: Insights for School and Organizational Leaders
This article explores the fundamental principles of DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—and their importance in fostering a fair and inclusive environment. It highlights how integrating DEI into schools and workplaces not only addresses systemic inequities and enhances community cohesion but also drives organizational success and innovation. Through understanding and implementing DEI practices, organizations can build stronger, more inclusive communities and thrive in today's complex landscape.
This section is dedicated to offering specialized educational resources and tools for visual arts educators, schools, and companies focusing on exploring social issues, self and gender identity, and more. Here, you'll find a curated selection of materials designed to support and enhance visual arts instruction, inspire creative projects, and promote effective learning. Whether you're an individual educator seeking innovative teaching strategies or a company aiming to enrich your programming through arts integration, our resources are tailored to meet your needs and elevate your work.
Visual Arts
Presentation Resources and Short Articles
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Insect Interventions, By Ben Tellie, MA (PDF)
This article explores the "Insect Interventions" studio project, where middle school students design metaphorical insects to represent strategies for addressing bullying. Students engage in a creative process that deepens their understanding of bullying by creating insects with traits that symbolize being observant, proactive, and assertive. The project integrates art, discussion, and role-play to empower students, promote empathy, and encourage proactive responses to bullying in their school communities. This short article is an excellent lesson for middle school educators who want to address critical social issues in their curriculum.
Additional Resources:
Also see Tellie, B., & Dracup, J. (2015). Exploring bullying through artmaking. Art Education, 69(1), p. 8-15.
Tellie, B. (2013, October). Let’s talk: A studio approach to cyberbullying. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Self and Gender Identity
These projects are ideal for schools, companies, and small businesses looking to enhance their wellness programs. They can be implemented consecutively or spread out, and focus on exploring self and gender identity. These engaging activities integrate well into any wellness curriculum, fostering personal growth and self-awareness.
Project 1: Personal Network: Self-Identity Collage (PDF)
In this engaging lesson, students will create a collage representing their personal network—a collection of people and elements offering support and empowerment in their lives. This project invites the exploration of collage techniques such as juxtaposition, overlapping, and layering to visually express their personal identity and connections. Over three days, individuals will discuss and brainstorm what constitutes a personal network inspired by contemporary artists like Pepon Osorio and El Anatsui. They will then gather images and assemble their collages using materials such as magazines, hand-painted papers, and personal photos. The project concludes with peer interviews and artist statements where individuals can reflect on their creative process, the significance of their collage, and the challenges they encountered. This project fosters artistic skills and encourages self-reflection and personal growth, making it relevant for youth and adults.
Summer Art Projects for Teens
For Consultants, Parents, Art Students, and More
Summer Art Projects for Teens: A Creative Break from Technology
Looking for an engaging way to spend your summer break? Dive into our visual arts guide designed to keep teens creatively engaged from late June to August. Created exclusively by Tellie Collaborative, this guide offers a range of hands-on art projects aimed at disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with your creative self.
What's Inside?
Our guide provides weekly art projects that combine creativity with therapeutic benefits. These activities encourage teens to explore their emotions, develop their artistic skills, and enjoy a screen-free summer. Each project is designed to be completed at your own pace over the week, allowing flexibility and personal growth in art.
Project Highlights:
Nature’s Sketchbook: Kick off summer by sketching natural objects and textures you find outdoors. Reflect on your observations and integrate them into your artwork.
Exploring Landscapes: Connect with nature through reflective writing and landscape drawing, capturing the emotions and sensations experienced in your environment.
Expressing Music and Artistic Influence: Create mixed media art inspired by your favorite songs or artists, incorporating various materials and techniques.
Identity Stories: Craft a self-portrait that goes beyond the conventional, exploring your personal identity through different artistic styles and materials.
Making Art About a Loved One: Use mixed media to honor and celebrate someone special in your life through art.
Personal Network Collage: Design a collage representing your support network, capturing the essence of the people and places that empower you.
Artistic Interiors: Conclude the summer by drawing an intriguing interior space, focusing on observational and perspective drawing.
Tips and Supplies:
Each project includes suggested materials and tips to help you get started. We recommend basic art supplies like sketchbooks, drawing pencils, oil pastels, and watercolor paints, all of which are easy to find online or at local art stores.
For Parents:
Tellie Collaborative also offers remote art coaching for teens, helping them with projects, building portfolios, or developing specific art skills. For more details or to schedule a consultation, visit our booking page.
End-of-Summer Reflection:
As you wrap up your summer projects, take time to reflect on your artistic journey. Consider what you learned, what you enjoyed, and any challenges you faced. Document your artwork and share your feedback with us!
Want More?
For a detailed list of projects, tips, and supply recommendations, check out our free resource, "Visual Arts Projects for Teens on Summer Break," below exclusively crafted by Tellie Collaborative.
Unleash your creativity and make this summer a memorable one with art!
"Visual Arts Projects for Teens on Summer Break" (Google Doc)
Tellie, B. (2019, September 2). Commuting to school. National Art Education Association Monthly Mentor Publication.
Professional Conferences and International Art Education
Tellie, B. (2017, January). My trip to Budapest, Hungary. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Tellie, B. (2016, April). What can NAEA do for art educators?Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Research Practices in Art Education
Tellie, B. (2016, October). Writing as a way to reflect on classroom practice. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Tellie, B. (2015, October). Exploring research in the art classroom. Maryland Art Education AssociationGazette (Part I).
Tellie, B. (2015, December). Creating a research question in the studio classroom. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette (Part II).
Tellie, B. (2015, April). Exploring various approaches to your research question. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette (Part III).
Rao, S. & Tellie, B. (2014, April). MAEA Research Division. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Tellie, B. (2014, October). Teaching as design: Assessment and arts-based research. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Digital Technology in Art Education
Tellie, B. (2016, December). Google Cardboard: Experiences in virtual reality. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Tellie, B. (2012, October). The online dialogue: Exploring classroom blogging and website creation. Maryland Art Education Association Gazette.
Published Online Articles
For Scholars, Art Teachers, Consultants, Researchers, and more
Emotion and Aesthetics
Tellie, B. (2023). Essay book review, affect in artistic creativity: Painting to feel. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 38(1), 46–50.
Psychoanalytic Thinking in Art Education
Tellie, B. (2020). Incorporating psychoanalytic thinking into art education. Maryland Art Education Association Blog.
Spirituality in Art Education
Tellie, B. (2020, April 03). Zman Kodesh and the visual arts in the high school. Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School.
Philosophy and Aesthetics
Tellie, B. (2019, September 23). The truth of curriculum. National Art Education Association Monthly Mentor Publication.
Tellie, B. (2019, September 23). Artist-as-teacher balance: Finding the time to create. National Art Education Association Monthly Mentor Publication.
Artists and Venues
Tellie, B. (2019, September 18). VisAbility Art Lab, Rockville, MD. National Art Education Association Monthly Mentor Publication.
Tellie, B. (2019, September 16). Artist Justin Valenti. National Art Education Association Monthly Mentor Publication.
Mentorship and Classroom Strategies
Tellie, B. (2019, September 6). Teamwork and mentoring new colleagues. National Art Education Association Monthly Mentor Publication.
Tellie, B. (2019, September 4). Organizational strategies before teaching begins. National Art Education Association. Monthly Mentor Publication.