Scroll down to learn more about Mrs. Downs Doubrava!
Pictured above is my family. My husband, Michael, and my daughters, Matilda, and Gwendolyn. Michael is a photographer, you can peruse his artwork here.
Mrs. Downs-Doubrava. MFA, MVAE
Art Club Co-Sponsor
NHS Board Member
Other roles:
Director of the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation's Religious School
Co-founder of Dear Me,
CONTACT
rdowns@usd497.org (school email)
rachelcat81@gmail.com (alternate email)
blanknessisbrutal.com (class content website)
Instagram: blanknessisbrutal (class content)
Collaborative Project with Bailey Kivett: Dear Me,
dearmeyouareok.weebly.com
dearmeyouareok@gmail.com
Instagram: dear_me_you_are_ok
Hello All,
My name is Rachel M. Downs Doubrava. I teach drawing and painting at Free State High School. I have been a firebird for a little beyond a decade.
I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. When I was nine I drew all of my imaginary friends to scale...about four inches tall. There were at least five of these creatures. They all had famous dead artist names. Education runs thick in my family. My parents have encouraged and supported me throughout my entire learning process. My mother was a teacher for over 30 years and my father has also spent time in education. They have been crucial resources for me as a student. I believe in education. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in painting at Wichita State University. I then went on to graduate school at New Mexico State University where I earned a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing. During my graduate program I was a graduate assistant wherein I taught two painting classes a semester. After I graduated there I continued teaching at NMSU as an adjunct instructor. My family brought me back to Kansas a few years later and I ended up in Emporia teaching full time at Emporia State University. I decided quickly that I yearned to be in a traditional public school classroom, I missed high school. I attended the University of Kansas and studied education. In 2016 I received a Master of Education in the Visual Arts. Teaching + Art is my passion. I am honored to be a part of student processes. I appreciate voice and safety in the studio. I invite you to read my teaching philosophy below.
rdowns@usd497.org (school email)
rachelcat81@gmail.com (alternate email)
blanknessisbrutal.com (class content website)
Instagram: blanknessisbrutal (class content)
Collaborative Project with Bailey Kivett: Dear Me,
dearmeyouareok.weebly.com
dearmeyouareok@gmail.com
Instagram: dear_me_you_are_ok
Hello All,
My name is Rachel M. Downs Doubrava. I teach drawing and painting at Free State High School. I have been a firebird for a little beyond a decade.
I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. When I was nine I drew all of my imaginary friends to scale...about four inches tall. There were at least five of these creatures. They all had famous dead artist names. Education runs thick in my family. My parents have encouraged and supported me throughout my entire learning process. My mother was a teacher for over 30 years and my father has also spent time in education. They have been crucial resources for me as a student. I believe in education. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in painting at Wichita State University. I then went on to graduate school at New Mexico State University where I earned a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing. During my graduate program I was a graduate assistant wherein I taught two painting classes a semester. After I graduated there I continued teaching at NMSU as an adjunct instructor. My family brought me back to Kansas a few years later and I ended up in Emporia teaching full time at Emporia State University. I decided quickly that I yearned to be in a traditional public school classroom, I missed high school. I attended the University of Kansas and studied education. In 2016 I received a Master of Education in the Visual Arts. Teaching + Art is my passion. I am honored to be a part of student processes. I appreciate voice and safety in the studio. I invite you to read my teaching philosophy below.
Teaching Philosophy
A child’s exposure to art education is vital to their understanding of culture, history, and human nature. Art is everywhere. Throughout history it has been the inclination of humans to personally express themselves in reference to their particular context, culture, and systems. An avoidance of exposure to this expression narrows a child’s scope of understanding and their ability to see the world while appreciating their personal identity. It is imperative that a child knows that their perspective is distinctive from everyone else and that they can express these differences through finding meaning in art and art making. Art education encourages children to interpret their world and their culture through their understanding of themselves and their world. Art nurtures a personal awareness that other subjects deny. Art making also instills within a child the knowledge of material manipulation and emphasizes the use of fine motor skills.
A meaningful art education experience enables children to construct a personal identity. Concentrating on their interpretation of the world and context they are in, children will come to differentiate their personal identity from that of others. Through this process a child’s concept of their own personal history begins to form allowing them to reflect, comprehend, and make sense of their own existence. When a child observes, imagines, and creates, alongside their peers, they will gain an appreciation of the multiplicity of their peers’ perception as well.
Art nurtures a personal awareness that other subjects deny. Answers are often right or wrong in a math, science, or reading comprehension class. In art class using multiple strategies is encouraged. The acceptance of multiple viewpoints in answers permits children to understand the possibility of perspectives while troubleshooting. Art making projects also require a child to build patience through process, to understand steps and planning in art making. Children will learn how to envision an outcome and plan its necessary components. Seeing projects through its completion teaches children how to comprehend, plan, and complete their own constructed meaning.
By manipulating ideas, materials, and objects children will learn how to construct meaning through the use of particular materials. Being able to use those materials effectively is key; operating tools, managing paint and clay, hand-eye coordination, etc. are all examples of the fine motor skill required to manipulate materials and make meaning in art making. Emphasis on material awareness and manipulation is an integral part of art making and provides children the opportunity to appreciate value in things they find around them, to construct their own interpretations, and to absorb the world much more personally and with more potency.
A competent art education should focus on individual attention, rich content, and meaningful experiences. Curriculum should be designed to enhance and inspire the individual processes of students, instigate thought provoking inquiries, and redefine culture and history through an artistic lens. The art classroom should reflect a respectful, open-minded, and safe environment for students to create and express.
A meaningful art education experience enables children to construct a personal identity. Concentrating on their interpretation of the world and context they are in, children will come to differentiate their personal identity from that of others. Through this process a child’s concept of their own personal history begins to form allowing them to reflect, comprehend, and make sense of their own existence. When a child observes, imagines, and creates, alongside their peers, they will gain an appreciation of the multiplicity of their peers’ perception as well.
Art nurtures a personal awareness that other subjects deny. Answers are often right or wrong in a math, science, or reading comprehension class. In art class using multiple strategies is encouraged. The acceptance of multiple viewpoints in answers permits children to understand the possibility of perspectives while troubleshooting. Art making projects also require a child to build patience through process, to understand steps and planning in art making. Children will learn how to envision an outcome and plan its necessary components. Seeing projects through its completion teaches children how to comprehend, plan, and complete their own constructed meaning.
By manipulating ideas, materials, and objects children will learn how to construct meaning through the use of particular materials. Being able to use those materials effectively is key; operating tools, managing paint and clay, hand-eye coordination, etc. are all examples of the fine motor skill required to manipulate materials and make meaning in art making. Emphasis on material awareness and manipulation is an integral part of art making and provides children the opportunity to appreciate value in things they find around them, to construct their own interpretations, and to absorb the world much more personally and with more potency.
A competent art education should focus on individual attention, rich content, and meaningful experiences. Curriculum should be designed to enhance and inspire the individual processes of students, instigate thought provoking inquiries, and redefine culture and history through an artistic lens. The art classroom should reflect a respectful, open-minded, and safe environment for students to create and express.
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