“Every child is an artist” – Pablo Picasso
Art at Barton Hills Elementary
Art education provides children with an outlet for creativity and self-expression, allowing students to explore their imagination and develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts. It also helps to promote critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, and improves fine motor skills.
Through exposure to various mediums such as paint, clay, collage, and pastels, students at Barton Hills will learn to express their thoughts and emotions through visual representation. This helps to build confidence and encourages children to think outside of the box, fostering creativity and innovation. It is my hope that every student finds art class a safe, supportive, and FUN environment where they are free to express themselves as a creative!
Jennie Gray
Art Teacher
jennifer.gray@austinisd.org | 512-414-2013
Ms. Gray is thrilled to be the new art teacher here at Barton Hills! She was born and raised in Boston, MA, and Austin, TX and has loved making art since she was an elementary student. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an EC-12 art teaching certification from Texas State University-San Marcos. In addition to her many years of teaching art, she is also a professional artist and loves connecting and showcasing students and their work outside the classroom and into the Austin arts community. She loves teaching art and providing an opportunity to be an “art coach” where she is able to nurture and encourage students to express themselves. It is a joy to watch students gain confidence by developing their skills and to witness their creative and personal growth through art!
Her students have exhibited and sold their work during the Austin Studio Tour and different galleries and arts and cultural centers, and she hopes to continue this tradition at BHE. Her teaching background includes a variety of settings including public schools, private schools, museum art schools, cultural arts centers, non-profits arts organizations, and at various community art events. She looks forward to showcasing the work of our Eagle Artists! She lives in Austin with her pet cat, George, and is also a certified yoga teacher, meditation teacher, and mindfulness coach. She enjoys incorporating SEL and mindfulness-based practices into the art room. Outside of school she is busy making art, being an activist, enjoying nature, reading, practicing/teaching yoga and meditation, and/or traveling.