Here at Concord High school, our art program is beyond more than just a class that students are required to take at least once. Art class with Mr. Couling provides the opportunity to express each individual student’s style of art into anything they wish to create. Students have the choice to take up to four years of art. 

Currently, the 3D art students are able to throw clay on the wheels, creating vases and more in many shapes and sizes. Last week the students were able to listen and watch a guest speaker and good friend of Mr. Couling.  She sculptured many vases on the wheel with proper demonstrations for about 2 ½ hours.  

Mr. Couling believes that we have the best art program in the county because “we have the most dedicated students, and I don’t allow them to do anything under their best abilities.” 

Mr. Couling has been teaching art for twenty-five years, had five years of training, and also took art classes for four years at Concord. Everyone can do art no matter how much experience they have or what their skill level is because they will only ever be graded on what they are able to do.  

Towards the end of the school year, students have the opportunity to have some of their best work put into the Jackson Art Show. Last year the judges liked the outstanding art our students created so much that they decided to give out more ribbons than usual. 

There are some future ideas that Mr. Couling is hoping to try out. Some of those ideas consist of: trying out new computers for the computer assistant class and building a gas fire outside for raku firing. According to Couling, the raku firing will help to create “messy, exciting, and beautiful copper tones on the student’s pottery.”

Mr. Couling is proud of all his students, but most specifically so far this school year seniors Patti Moore and Josef Bulko have created some fantastic work especially with portraits of people that were created with only basic art supplies like pencil, pen/ink, charcoal, and acrylic paint. 

Moore is appreciative of Mr. Couling and shares that he is “ a teacher that works very hard to make it so students have everything they need. ”  She isn’t the only student who feels that Couling’s support is necessary for success. 

Josef Bulko adds, ” Mr. Couling genuinely cares about his students, and he is driven by teaching art.”  When teachers build relationships with students and are encouraging, it does motivate students to do their very best. 

Why wouldn’t you want to join our art program if you could have as many opportunities that are available and have a teacher that genuinely cares about your artistic passion?