EAU CLAIRE - About 300 teachers of art from all levels of education are expected to attend the Wisconsin Art Education Association 1997 Spring Conference April 11 and 12 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

More than 28 workshops and seminars will be held, with the central theme of "Our Art Heritage-Cultures Within a Culture." The conference provides an opportunity for dialog in lectures, workshops and breakout sessions. Resources are shared with the goal of raising levels of awareness and increasing expertise. The Fine Arts Center will be the site of events, and Foster Gallery will hold three types of exhibits prepared by teachers, including: art history visuals, personal art works and artwork produced by students.

The lobby of the Fine Arts Center will show a display of materials, books and other instructional tools. On Friday, April 11, hands-on workshops will be offered, followed by a reception showcasing the work of Eau Claire area students. In the evening, a tour through the John Walter-Nelson Mansion, built in 1897, will be offered.

Dr. Mary Erickson, noted Arizona State University scholar, will address participants at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, in the Riverside Theater on the topic: "Using Themes and Inquiry for Active Art Learning." Following an awards luncheon in the Foster Gallery, Erickson will conduct a workshop demonstrating various instructional resources she has developed in art heritage, aesthetics and critical thinking skills.

The annual conference is held on public and private campuses throughout the state each year. Eau Claire last hosted the event in 1987. William Benson and Karen Horan, UW-Eau Claire art faculty, developed the conference with the assistance of UW-Extension and a 19-person planning team consisting of art teachers from the Eau Claire and surrounding school districts.

Registration fees are $35 for WAEA members, $40 for non-members, $20 for retired members, $7.50 for student WAEA members and $9 for student non-members. Participants registering after March 20 will be charged and additional $10.

Information about the conference can be obtained by contacting the UW-Eau Claire department of art at (715) 836-3277. To request registration and membership information and a brochure listing the session descriptions, call (715) 836-2913.
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SRS/JB

Updated: March 25, 1997