Graduate painting student Laura Victore uses day job to match M.A.T. students with local classrooms

Article By: Emily Green
Published: April 30, 2008

Answer this multiple-choice question. What title best describes graduate painting student Laura Victore?

A. Student
B. Teacher
C. Matchmaker
D. All of the above

The correct answer is D, all of the above. Victore is pursuing an M.F.A. in painting at SCAD while she continues to work as teacher specialist for visual arts for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. Her day job qualifies answer C, matchmaker, because Victore connects SCAD Master of Art in Teaching students to students within the SCCPS.

Victore moved to Savannah in February 2006 and started teaching art classes at East Broad Elementary School. That fall she enrolled at SCAD and simultaneously added teaching art at Hesse Elementary School to her palette. She took the teaching specialist job with the SCCPS in April 2007.

Her unique skill set plus her extensive teaching experience offer an impressive collection of qualifications — 17 years teaching experience with elementary through adult students, a master’s in studio art and visual merchandising industry experience. Victore knows art, knows students and knows teaching. 

Working for the SCCPS and taking classes at SCAD gave way to a natural collision of worlds for Victore, and quickly she observed that SCAD students could share their art and design knowledge with younger students and gain valuable teaching experience if matched with Savannah-Chatham students.

“I wanted to make certain that SCAD could connect with all of the students … the earlier students become aware of the importance of the arts the more likely they are to strive to deepen their awareness of their creative side,” Victore said.

Two of the first SCAD M.A.T. students to be placed through Victore’s connection as teacher specialist for visual arts are Kristina Barauskas and Stephanie Justice. Both graduate students were matched with students at Savannah Arts Academy for a portion of the 2007-08 academic year.

“I think SCAD offers SCCPS students awareness about the many careers in the creative arts that are available to students interested in design and technology,” said Victore. “The content area of art and design [at SCAD] is much broader than what other art schools are offering.” 

Victore envisions a long-term relationship between SCAD and the SCCPS, taking into consideration the far-reaching scope of art and design disciplines offered at SCAD, and the need for younger students to be introduced to such variety early on in their education.

“I hope that there will be SCAD students who feel the need to combine their design field experience and offer that to students K-12,” Victore said. “I am sure they will be quite surprised at the positive affect they will have on their students.”

Green is a publications editor.