Sarah Hebdo - 2016 Ohio Art Educator of the Year

The following is an article written by Kevin Corvo for ThisWeek News on Tuesday, August 30th, 2016. (Photo credit - Joshua A. Bickel)

What began as an interest in architecture for Sarah Danner Hebdo while she was a student at Ohio University unfolded into a career of opening the eyes of students to the world of art.

Hebdo's commitment and passion for art is among the reasons the Rosemore Middle School teacher has been named the 2016 Ohio Art Educator of the Year by the Ohio Art Education Association.

Hebdo, an eight-year teacher at Rosemore, will accept the lifetime achievement award Nov. 3 during the association's annual conference in the Cincinnati area.

"I want to expose my students to as many art experiences as I can in the 18 weeks I have them," said Hebdo, who instructs art to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders each semester at Rosemore.

"I give them the resources to create subjects that interest them and give them freedom within those parameters to make their projects their own," Hebdo said.

Each class begins with a five-minute drawing session deigned to help students build their "visual vocabulary," she said.

As students learn about the kinds of art that flourished during a given time in history -- the Renaissance, for example -- Hebdo uses the period to encourage students to make original art in such styles, rather than copy a well-known piece of art.

Hebdo also encourages a group project during each semester.

Last year, one of her classes made 1,000 paper cranes that were displayed at various buildings in the district.

"I also strive to expose my students to as many mediums as possible: paint, sketching, clay, ceramics (and) mask-making," to name several, Hebdo said.

The Art Educator of the Year honor, considered to be a lifetime achievement award, is the result of her work in the classroom and on behalf of the association, Hebdo said.

Hebdo is a past president of the association and a former state conference coordinator.

A native of Gallipolis in southeastern Ohio, she earned a bachelor's degree in art education from Ohio University in 2003 and later a master's degree in art education from OU.

Hebdo, 36, taught six years at Federal Hocking Local Schools in Athens County before relocating to central Ohio with her husband, Joey, whom she met while teaching in Athens County.

"While at OU, I developed an interest in art history," said Hebdo.

That curiosity evolved into an interest in architecture, but at the time, the university offered no degree in architecture. Hebdo instead studied interior design until identifying her calling as an art educator.

"That's where I found my passion," she said.

Rosemore Principal Rochelle Rankin called Hebdo an "awesome educator."

"Sarah is the epitome of educating the whole child" in and out of the classroom, Rankin said.

In addition to teaching art in the classroom, Hebdo has worked to introduce art to students outside the classroom and serves as the school's student council adviser.

Last year, Hebdo established an all-day program called Art's Alive that entailed 60 selected students working on various projects that all Rosemore students had the opportunity to observe, Rankin said.

Hebdo, as student council adviser, guided student initiatives to ship supplies overseas to soldiers and collected donations of hair for cancer patients, Rankin said.

"Our students are honored to have (Hebdo) as their teacher," Rankin said.

kcorvo@thisweeknews

@ThisWeekCorvo