The Skirball Cultural Center Museum, Los Angeles, CA, enlists artist Mike Mahon of Santa Fe, NM, to demonstrate how to connect academic school subjects to the Arts and world culture.

Mike Mahon, a landscape and portrait artist from Santa Fe, NM, will present the first of four workshops in the Visual Art Strand of Teaching our World Through the Arts, sponsored by the Skirball Cultural Center Museum, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Mahon will conduct his workshop from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday, October 17, 2009.

Mahon's workshop is the first in the visual arts 4 part series of arts integration professional development workshops for teachers. The official title of the entire course is "Teaching Our World Through the Arts" which spans over 8 months and 16 classes, covering the 4 main arts disciplines (MUSIC, THEATRE, VISUAL AND DANCE). Participating school teachers receive UCLA extension credit. This is one of the only forms of teacher professional development programs like this in the country.

Mahon will discuss the unique attration of the human face in the visual arts and how children are particularly intriqued by it. By way of lecture, handouts, drawing texhniques, and an actual portrait demonstration from a live model, Mike will explain how drawing and universal art principles may have application in teaching other art forms as well as academic subjects like math, physics, chemistry, zoology, biology, etc.

The following are testimonials of attendees in answer to this question, “What were your impressions of the the speaker, Mike Mahon, at today’s presentation?

-presentation was very clear

-Fun and enjoyable.

-Excellent-prepared, well-spoken and master of his area

-The speaker is obviously very talented and he has obviously taught quite a few courses. He was able to teach me very well.

-Thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Mahon-he was entertaining, informative and patient-he should teach art to kids!

-He convinced me that art is an important life skill and that it defines us.

-Informative and easy to follow. I feel comfortable sketching an teaching it to my students.

-Articulate, knowledgeable, I love the connection to the art in nature especially the ex-ray with the Fibonacci sequence.

-Great watching Mr. Mahon. He is a good teacher and has a great presence.

-Excellent presenter. Very informative and helpful.

-Mike Mahon was very informative. His explanations about portraiture was very clear and I was able to follow his instructions and produce the results he was looking for. Emily presented her portion in an engaging way.

-The presenter had a great sense of humor and knowledge of the material presented.

-Mr. Mahon was obviously a well trained expert in graphic art and in portrait drawing. The demonstration and how Mr. Mahon set up the lighting and the seating was fascinating.

-Very knowledgeable and clear explanations; easy going speaker; allowed for practice

-Mr. Mahon-funny, intelligent, well-informed-cross curricular and clear

-Mr. Mahon was hilarious!

-Mr. Mahon was professional and personable. A “natural educator” delivered a clear, concise presentation in an environment of low affective filter, for a non-artists like me! Thanks! Inspiring!

-I value the progression from big, conceptual ideas, the “why” of art to the specific “how” of this particular art form.

-Expert! Talented teacher

-Mr. Mahon is a fantastic teacher! Very down to earth and patient. He is teaching a formidable task in an easy to follow and replicate way.

Very nice, informative guy. I liked him.

-He was very good. Interesting! The PowerPoint was very helpful with his lesson.

-Loved the speakers and loved the activities. Love the humor and inviting atmosphere created. Loved the “talk aloud” during portrait demonstration. I also love the pacing of the activities-if it is too densely compacted it’s hard to absorb the content while the activities were engaging, not sure how they would stand alone in a middle school or high school core-curriculum classroom. Could probably get away with the activity as a warm up or intro activity

-I liked how Mr. Mahon talked us through all his thought processes to help the artist wanna-be begin to train their thoughts on crafting a piece.