Artist Biography
Sara E. Stranahan is a visual artist and educator born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts. She is currently completing a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Art Education and a minor in Creative Art Therapy at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. During her time at Endicott, the Art Education major exposed her to all areas of the visual arts, making her a strong interdisciplinary artist. As a future art educator, Stranahan focuses on creating lesson plans and units that utilize various media, art forms, and art styles. Additionally, therapeutic approaches are implemented to help students develop their creativity and mindfulness as future artists in a welcoming and safe environment.
Stranahan exhibited two collage pieces in the 2020 Substance Abuse Awareness Exhibit as well as two ceramic works featured in the 2021 Student Art Exhibit: Expressive Arts Therapy + Art Therapy at the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College. In early 2023, Stranahan’s work was displayed in the 2023 Student Art Exhibition, also at the Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College. In May of 2023, Stranahan will display her Senior Capstone and give her Senior Thesis Presentation as a culmination to her undergraduate college experience.
Stranahan has had five art education internships at both public and private schools from K-12 in various parts of Massachusetts, including Walpole, Franklin, Beverly, and Lynn. In the spring of 2022, Stranahan worked as a part-time art teacher at New Liberty Innovation School in Salem, MA. Later, in the fall of 2022, she completed her Senior Practicum at Beverly High School where she eventually took over full-time teaching in five art classes across grades 9-12, until the end of the semester. Stranahan is currently a substitute teacher in the Public Schools systems of Walpole, MA, Salem, MA, and Franklin, MA.
Artist Statement
I am an art educator and interdisciplinary artist currently working on several projects in a variety of media. For my Senior Capstone project, I have created a year of units with lesson plans and art projects that can be utilized in my future high school art classroom. During this research—as an art education major—my passions for both art making and teaching are able to come together as one. Since I was focused on creating a high school-level Foundations art course, I have intentionally explored many different media to create each lesson. To deliver the educational component in my Capstone, I formed nine units of lessons that each include an introduction, a pre-project activity, a culminating project, and a post-project reflection. Following the lesson plans, I created examples for each project. The lessons I have created have themes that are pertinent to adolescents, like self-expression, identity, and perseverance.
The main goal of this project was to create a classroom environment for my future students where they can feel included and welcome to explore and express themselves freely through artmaking. Studying and researching the depths of creative arts therapies inspires me to create a holistic and inclusive classroom for everyone. My own studio practice experiences add skills to develop unique art projects for my future students.
The main influences that shaped me and led me to pursue my career as an art educator are all of the art courses and art teachers I have had over the years. Witnessing my teachers’ passion and care for students inspired me the most, and this became a main drive for me to curate this comprehensive Capstone. Ultimately, I hope the art lessons and activities I develop will inspire other art educators to incorporate more therapeutic aspects into their own classrooms. As teachers, we can create classroom environments where any and all students can be free to express themselves and be true to who they really are.