The School welcomed the new Middle and Upper School Visual Arts Teacher Elizabeth Davenport.

What brought you to Brimmer and May? 

I’ve been teaching art for some time, and I really wanted to find a community where students were highly engaged in the arts, and I think I found that here. I also really loved the spirit of collaboration; it seems like a lot of the teachers work together to develop a range of different activities that are really compelling and connect to student interests.

I also fell in love with the Art Barn. It’s such a cool building, and there’s so much possibility there. I’m excited to make it fun, fill it up with student work and all that good stuff. It’s first thing in the morning for me, so hopefully this works. 

You said you had been teaching art for a long time. How many years would you say? 

Oh, lots of years. I’ve taught high school and middle school, and I also taught at the college level for a couple of years. And then I’ve done other things, like camps and after-school programs. 

What kind of art is your favorite to teach students? 

Generally, I would say my area of expertise is 2D art, so painting focused. I really enjoy teaching about identity, and I like to encourage students to at least try working from observation, even though it’s not the easiest thing. I love teaching portraiture. I know drawing a self-portrait or a portrait of a friend can be really intimidating, but I really like to develop different techniques for making it accessible to everybody. 

How have you been adjusting to Brimmer and May? 

I think I’ve been adjusting well. There’s a lot of new faces, a lot of names to learn, so I’m slowly, slowly getting there. But everyone has been incredibly warm and welcoming. 

What classes do you teach at Brimmer? 

Right now, I am teaching sixth and seventh grade art, which meets once a week over in the Art Barn. I’m also teaching drawing to Upper School students, painting, and AP Studio. 

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of school and outside of art? 

I have quite a few. I try to go swimming a couple times a week over in Brookline–I really love that. When I was in high school, I was really into the swim team, so that’s a cool thing for me. I love to cook, and I have a pretty robust cookbook collection. I do that probably every Friday. I’ll make a big pot of something and have it for the weekend, so that’s really a time for me to decompress. 

Is there anything else you are excited for? 

I’m just super excited to get into a rhythm, to learn everybody’s names, to build a rapport with my students, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.