Ava Blakeslee-Carter
I am a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Art Education and Kinetic Imaging (video, animation, sound, and emerging media). I am a multi-discipline, mixed-media artist and art educator. I specialize in stop motion animation, motion graphics and can teach all k-12 grades! I am currently based in Richmond, Virginia. And I am the Editor-in-Chief (PWA-TEM) an anthology of literature and art.
Why Stop Motion?
As an animator, sometimes I am asked why I choose to pursue stop motion when there are faster and digital processes available. I answer - stop motion, unlike other animation methods, leaves the viewer truly awestruck. I still remember that feeling of awe and wonder the first time I watched a stop motion film, that feeling has never left me. Stop motion excites the imagination and pushes the boundaries of what storytelling can be. This is my passion. My love for this medium carries me through the extreme physicality and mental focus needed to execute stop motion animation.
Teaching Philosophy
Art is a lens that helps connect us and expand our knowledge and understanding of the world around us. Through Art Education, we can create opportunities to nurture students' critical thinking skills, mindfulness abilities and grow their self-expression, as well as, expand their awareness about critical issues happening around them. Art Education teaches interdisciplinary skills that allow students to become active learners in their education and cultivate a love for learning and experimentation.
My role as an educator is to create a safe environment for all students that facilitates growth and learning. As a teacher, I am committed to being an advocate and to creating a community that allows all voices to be heard and allows all students, no matter their needs, to explore, discuss and create. My goal as a teacher is to be a caring professional resource that helps challenge students to critically think as they build their own identities, communities, and understandings.
In my classroom, I teach multi-model and interdisciplinary lessons that are accessible to all students. In my curriculum, I focus on curating collaboration, big ideas, and innovation through lessons that are rooted in community, social issues, and studio practices. And I strive to create lessons that combine student’s interests and curiosities into relevant and socially responsive projects.