Local Artist Visits Taylor High School
May 2018 - The end of the school year was approaching, but the art students at Taylor High School were not near ready to put on the breaks. Exams had ended, so Teacher Allison Heisel took advantage of an opportunity to enrich her students. Linnea Head, a local Cincinnati artist, visited the Taylor AP Art students at Three Rivers Local School District.
Linnea Head is a Cincinnati based visual artist. She began painting with interest at four years old. Now, a Xavier Graduate, her adult artwork has been shown at the Malton Gallery and is featured on the cover of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Linnea’s goals, as an artist, are to utilize her work to aid in various conservation efforts both locally and globally. Linnea works out of her Brazee Street Studios in Oakley, Ohio (https://www.linneahead.com/).
When asked what her original draw was to Fiona, Linnea expressed that “She was born the youngest hippopotamus on record and she has had to be a fighter from the beginning of her life; Fiona is the underdog we have all been waiting for.”
The first question a majority of the Taylor High School students had was how Linnea knew art was the path she would consider. She replied, “I figured out I wanted to be an artist in retrospect. My aunt is also an artist and I was extremely intrigued at an early age.”
In a small group of fifteen, Linnea sat and talked about her entire life experiences and evolution into the artist she has become. “You don’t have to know what you want to do, you just have to know what you like to do and continue to follow that,” Linnea stressed to the class.
Linnea shared a few of her pieces with the group and explained a wide-variety of methods she uses to capture her intention for each. As the conversation evolved, Taylor High School students also shared their stories of their pieces, interests, and personal artistic methods. A senior at Taylor High School, Lucy Osborne, reflected on her experience by saying, "I feel so lucky to have met someone like Linnea. She is such a sweet and kind individual, and it is just incredible to see how successful she has become at such a young age! I took a lot away from her presentation and am grateful for all of the wonderful advice Linnea gave to other inspiring youth artists!"
“It was an exceptional experience for me to see my students so actively engaged in conversation with a local artist. Linnea openly shared opportunities as an emerging artist and they saw how this focus and drive can translate into any future career”, reflected Teacher, Allison Heisel.
The conversation between Linnea and the students only concluded because the final bell of the school day rang, but it was certainly an experience the Taylor High School AP Art students appreciated. As the time ran out, the class was left laughing and planning a trip to the zoo with Linnea.
