Our May Member Spotlight recognizes Susan Bivona, elementary art teacher at Mount Prospect School, Basking Ridge, NJ

Mrs. Bivona has been the art teacher at Mount Prospect School in Basking Ridge, NJ (Bernards Township School District) for the past 18 years.  Ten years ago, when the school was celebrating its 10th Anniversary – all the students contributed a self-portrait to a “Faces of the Future” Tile Wall.  Students created a self-portrait in Art Class. The drawings were then sent to Artsonia who printed the self-portrait drawings onto tiles. Then the school’s maintenance staff installed the tile wall.  

Well, its 2019, ten years later and Mrs. Bivona’s Principal, Ms. Hozeny, decided that another Legacy Tile Wall was in order.  Again, each student will draw a self-portrait in Art Class and those drawings will be printed onto tiles by Artsonia. For the first tile wall, a more realistic approach was taken to drawing the tiles. This time around, Mrs. Bivona is encouraging a more cartoon or illustrated look to the drawings.  Students create the drawings with pencil, trace over with Sharpie Marker and complete the drawing by adding color with watercolor marker.

Over five hundred students and over one hundred teachers, staff & aides will complete a self portrait, this Spring, to be included in the 20th Anniversary Legacy Tile Wall.  Mrs. Bivona is working with the teachers & staff during a faculty to complete their drawings. The tiles will be ordered this Spring, installed over the summer and ready for viewing by September 2019.

You can view the Mount Prospect online Artsonia Gallery at:  www.artsonia.com/prospect1