Reprinted from the Wilsonville Spokesman
Story by: Josh Kulla
Date Published to Web: 10/29/2008
For Wilsonville High School fine arts instructor Christopher Shotola-Hardt, the awards keep piling up.
Shotola-Hardt was recently named the Oregon Art Educator of the Year for the entire state. And it’s just the latest accomplishment for the 21-year veteran of the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, and compliments a 2005 award he earned as the secondary school art educator of the year. The award was presented on Oct. 4 at the annual Oregon Art Education Association convention in Florence.
A favorite of students past and present, Shotola-Hardt was emotional when discussing his latest accomplishment.
“I cried,” he told The Spokesman. “It’s very humbling. I was told that several art teachers nominated me for the award, and to be honored by my colleagues feels incredible, because they know what is involved in doing this job.”
Currently in his 14th year at Wilsonville High School, Shotola-Hardt has been part of the school since its 1995 opening. He moved from Portland to Wilsonville last year with his wife Suzanne, a speech pathologist at Wood Middle School, and their three children.
Wilsonville Principal Andy Sommer was succinct when asked about Shotola-Hardt’s impact on the school.
“He IS the visual arts program,” Sommer said. “We’ve been very fortunate to have someone who is both a talented artist, and who is also so compassionate in working with his students.”
Other educators agree.
“Christopher is an extraordinary person and an extraordinary teacher,” said West Linn-Wilsonville School District assistant superintendent Jane Stickney. “He’s always been concerned about the highest possible quality of performance for each of these students.”
“You walk into Wilsonville High School,” said district superintendent Roger Woehl, “and there’s some great work on display there. He’s getting some nice recognition for his work, and justly so.”
Shotola-Hardt said his ongoing passion for art has allowed him to remain an unusually effective instructor, as well as a mentor.
“There has to be trust for a student to take the risks necessary for artistic breakthroughs,” he said. “When the breakthrough happens, it’s amazing, and I love being a part of another person’s self-discovery. You’ve heard the cliche ‘Art Saves Lives.’ I think every art teacher can vouch for that. So often, it’s the arts that keep a kid in school, that help that kid through tough situations.”
Wilsonville student Sean Geronimo backs this up.
“Christopher’s position as my teacher and as my friend has made a permanent impression on the way I approach art and life,” he said. “His mantra of ‘family, art, music’ and his conviction in maintaining these priorities is truly inspiring.”
“He’s a wonderful teacher, and the students at Wilsonville High School are so fortunate to have him as their teacher,” Wilsonville resident Theonie Gilmore said.
A retired art teacher, Gilmore remains active as a substitute at WHS and with local group Music and Arts Partners, which works with the school district to bolster its arts and music curriculum. She said she has heard many students sing Shotola-Hardt’s praises during her stints as a substitute.
“The kids all learn really fast what a great teacher he is,” Gilmore said. “The kids will say things like, ‘I feel so lucky to be in here,’ which is great. You don’t usually hear students say that about art class.”
Shotola-Hardt received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland in 1993. He went to work at Wilsonville High School two years later, but remained a student, earning a master of fine arts from Portland State University in 1997.
In addition to the 12 or more hours per week he typically spends in his own art studio, Shotola-Hardt also plays several instruments in his pop band Bug Toast, including the bouzouki, an Irish stringed instrument roughly the size of the mandolin.
Regardless of what he’s currently engaged in, however, he is always looking toward the next challenge, be it as an educator or an artist.
“I’m looking forward to when we can add a sculpture teacher who will build a 3-D program,” he said. “That will be exciting.”
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