The art department at Chamblee High School is vast, with over 10 different art classes to choose from, everywhere from Intro Art to AP Sculpture. To lead the department, there are three different art teachers: Lieu Nguyen, Mattie Bell, and Kim Landers. Yet, behind the colorful gallery walls and overflowing portfolios, there’s a hidden world of complex budgeting, long commutes, and a race against time.
For the teachers guiding these programs, the work day begins well before the first bell.
“My whole day is determined by how much time it takes me to get to school,” said Ms. Bell. “It can fluctuate from twenty minutes to sometimes forty minutes.”
Ms. Nguyen on the other hand leaves her house at 7:00 AM to make sure she’s at her desk by 8:00 AM.
Ms. Ngugen’s afternoon commute can last almost an hour and a half. Despite the distance, when the art teachers walk into school, they hit the ground running. Ms. Nguyen’s day starts with Visual Arts Comp 1, followed by Draw/Paint 1 and AP 3D Sculpture later in the day. Meanwhile, Ms. Bell teaches six classes on a regular day, often taking students into the darkroom to teach them the process of developing photo film from manual cameras.
With high-end materials like photo chemicals, sculpting clay, and professional spray paint, the art department has one of the most expensive budgets at CHS. However acquiring these materials for the arts classes isn’t as simple as a run to the store.
“Everything we order [has to] go through the school first,” said Ms. Nguyen. “It takes around three to five months [for the supplies to] actually arrive.”
To try and move past these delays, the art teachers have to be resourceful. They rely heavily on the art booster club for quick needs, and they usually spend their fifth period planning blocks brainstorming and reaching out to receive school funds and grants, as well as planning independent fundraisers.
“We plan out what’s going on that week and everything else that has to do with our department,” said Ms. Bell.
Even when the final bell rings at 3:10 PM, the work doesn’t stop. Both Ms. Bell and Ms. Nguyen stay late, often until 4:00 PM to grade and prep materials for students the next day.
“I try to keep my work life and home life separate,” said Ms. Bell. “I don’t want to get home and grade; I want to spend time with my kids.”
Through the long drives and supply delays, the goal for the teachers stays the same: providing a space where Chamblee students can express individuality through their art.
