Karri Clark, School of Art Coordinator
Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts Karri retired from Klein ISD in June 2019 after serving students and teachers for 34 years. She spent 22 years teaching visual art. Twelve of those years included coaching volleyball, basketball and track. Karri served as the Fine Arts Coordinator for the last 12 years of her tenure. Karri launched the elementary visual art program in 2007. She enjoyed the creative process of designing an art room, collaborating with architects, teachers and administrators while watching the concept evolve from its inception through the construction completion. Karri has served in a variety of art education leadership roles throughout Texas including the Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) State Event Director sponsored by the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA). She led the development and implementation of the VASE Online Scoring program. She was a TAEA Conference Chair and Supervision Division Chair. She also served on advisory committees for the Harris County Department of Education Regional Affiliate for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Houston Area Art Supervisors, Houston Arts Partners, and Klein Art Days and Special Needs Grant Program for the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts. Karri feels visual art development creates an opportunity for students to effectively connect with classmates, teachers and parents. Visual art teaches through personal experience, how to make decisions and problem-solve. Every student is unique, and needs a safe, caring and engaging learning atmosphere in which to learn and grow socially, emotionally and intellectually. Karri enjoys being part of an organization designed to nurture teaching skills and creativity as well as intellectual growth. Karri feels she has the unique opportunity to work alongside visual art educators who hold a variety of strong artistic and leadership qualities and ability to create a lasting love of art for students. MEET THE INSTRUCTORS!
We are incredibly proud of our instructors who have earned recognition both as artists and as teachers. With such a diverse and professional group, your experience in a Pearl School of Art class is sure to be successful.
Mel Basham
Mary Ellen (Mel) Basham currently serves the Texas Art Education Association as Past President, Region 6 VASE Juror Foreman, State VASE College/University Liaison, Certified VASE Juror, and Distinguished Fellow. Mel is also a member of the CEDFA Cadre and National Art Education Association member. After completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Sam Houston State University, Mel began her teaching career in Aldine Independent School District where she developed an Advanced Placement Art History and Studio Art Program at MacArthur High School. After 18 years of teaching, she retired from Shepherd Independent School District where she taught Art 1-4 and was National Art Honor Society sponsor. Mel has also worked with young children as daycare owner/director and dance instructor. As an art educator, she believes the teaching process is the most valuable lesson for students. Her philosophy is summarized in this quote by Claudia Betti: “In life as in art, the process is the point. If you take care of the process, the end product will take care of itself.” As a retired art educator, Mel loves to work with other educators providing art in-service incorporating language arts, science and math. As a practicing artist, Mel relates to Robert Henri’s quote: “I am not interested in art as a means of making a living, but I am interested in art as a means of living a life. It is the most important of all studies and all other studies are tributary to it.” 
Evelyn Bouley
Art educator Evelyn Bouley has had an interesting career teaching all ages in public schools as well as in the museum setting. In 2014, she retired from her position as the Education Specialist at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts where she designed the art curriculum and taught a variety of museum activities that included Teacher Staff Developments, Adult and Children Art Classes, Family Days, and school field trips. In the summers, she organized and taught several sessions of elementary and teen summer art camps for the museum. Prior to the six years in which she worked at the Pearl, Evelyn served as the Fine Arts Department Chair and Art Department Chair at Tomball High School. Her public school teaching career included both Jr. High and High School levels for a span of thirty-three years. Evelyn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma and continued with post graduate work at Sam Houston University. During her career in education, she has twice been the recipient of the Tomball Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Tomball Rotary Club awarded her the Educator’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. She enjoys sharing her teaching ideas at the teacher staff developments that she presents to the various school districts in the area. She likes to create new, innovative approaches to art projects that often incorporate new, or unexpected, art media. She feels that one of the most fulfilling aspects of her career has been to mentor the young art teachers of the next generation. In addition, Evelyn adjudicates for events such as VASE (Visual Art Scholastic Event) and IB (International Baccalaureate), as well as serving her community as a member of the Centrum Art League and a docent at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts. In her retirement, Evelyn hopes to spend additional time painting and continuing to grow as an artist. 
Arthur Deatly
Growing up in Houston in the 60s and 70s, Arthur gravitated to the arts at an early age. Arthur struggled in school with reading and was eventually diagnosed with Dyslexia. He seemed to be able to draw well. His mom would take him to the MFAH. Arthur fell in love with the museum by the time he was 13. Arthur would take the bus down Bissonnet St to the museum on his own. Arthur excelled in drawing and painting winning a scholarship to the Glassell School of Art in the 9th grade. Arthur received a small scholarship from the Watercolor Society to Kansas City Art Institute where he received a BFA in 1981. Arthur returned to Houston after taking a grand tour of Europe. His father died shortly after his return. He and his mother struggled to keep the family business together. After the business failed, Arthur worked various jobs in the painting department at the University of Houston Main Campus while taking courses to earn a post graduate degree. Arthur married and had two boys making it challenging to continue in the graduate program. After working a sales job for ten years, a former professor encouraged Arthur to start making art again. Arthur started substitute teaching for Houston ISD. Arthur taught for 20 years. He is a high school art teacher in Klein ISD and is about to retire from public education. In the Summer of 2005, Arthur and another Houston painter were finishing a painting job on Richard Stouts house when they all decided to Plein Air paint downtown at James Bute Park. By this time, Arthur started painting scenes from drawings and photos of his favorite parts of the city. After that day of painting with his close friends, Arthur realized he could have a good body of works to show in exhibitions by 2011 if they Plein Air painted every weekend. After unsuccessfully getting his artwork in galleries, Arthur heard about an art market in the Heights called First Saturday Art Market run by Mitch Cohen. As Arthur's paintings matured and his confidence grew, he expanded the depth and breadth of his subject matter. What started as mainly Urban Landscapes has grown into a more regional survey of the part of the world Arthur lives in and loves from Katy Silohs to the Smithpoint wetlands. Arthur also Plein Air painted in Galveston from the cemeteries to Allen’s Landing. Arthur feels there is something about the sublime understated often truncated assemblage of stuff, where industrial, commercial and residential all compete with nature in this never-ending dance for dominance that make for what Arthur calls the beautiful ugly. www.deatlyart.com http://voyagehouston.com/interview/meet-arthur-deatly/ 
Cat Loehr
Cat is a lifelong artist with a passion for teaching. After pursuing her education in Art, Psychology, and Art Ed she began her journey in public schools at the elementary level - first in CyFair ISD, now in Klein ISD. Today she teaches middle school art at Doerre Intermediate School, as well as several special programs with the Pearl Fincher MFA. Her art styles span from murals - both painted on walls and on the street at chalk art festivals every fall (Kerrville Chalk & Via Colori in downtown Houston), to portrait and pet portrait commissions, and any art that deals with bold colors and deep emotions. She is ready and excited to share art with you and your family this fall! 
Kay Munger
Kay Arnaud Munger was born in Louisiana and raised in Houston. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Kay taught in public school for 19 years. She was teaching art at Schindewolf Intermediate Klein ISD when she retired in 2016. Kay's students were very successful in various contests including the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo School Art program and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards contest. Kay's first love for 25 years has been watercolor painting. She also works in acrylic and oil paints. Kay enjoys working with pastels and loves photography and printmaking. Kay has a passion for fiber arts and is a member of the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston, and former member of Tall Pines Spinners and Weavers. Want to teach? Click HERE for more information. |
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