More about me...
Hello! My name is Kara van Wyk and I am happy to be back teaching art at Webster! I've been an art teacher with Minneapolis Public Schools since 2009.
Schooling: I graduated from St. Olaf College with a BA in studio art and a license to teach K-12 visual art.
I have been certified in ENVoY and taken Responsive Classroom training as well.
Outside art: In addition to being an educator, I am a professional artist. My husband Malcom Potek and I have a glass studio, potekglass, in NE Minneapolis. We work with glass to create lighting, tiles, jewelry and art pieces. We also teach classes and build artist-in-residency programs for businesses and schools. When not working on glass, I am an illustrator working in watercolor, pen and ink, colored pencil and digital. You can see more of my work at karavanwyk.com.
Hobbies and interests: I spend part of my summer working on a "home project" to update or fix. I learn a lot from this! I also enjoy working with textiles-- I sew, felt, weave and dye fabric. When we get outside, my family and I love to hike, canoe, camp and cross-country ski.
Family: I have 2 kids, (24 years and 19years), 2 cats, (5 year old twins), and 11 fish, (ages unknown). I live in NE Minneapolis, about 1 mile away. I may see you in the neighborhood!
Favorite Children's Books: SO MANY!!! but when I was little, they were Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson; A Bargain for Frances, by Russell and Lillian Hoban; and The Big Tidy Up, by Norah Smaridge, illustrated by Les Gray.
I look forward to meeting everyone for the uocoming school year.
If you need to get ahold of me, email is best! [email protected]