“Art is a way to communicate” a Mr. Chambers spotlight
By Averie Grace-Hayes
Picture of Chambers’s student’s art taken by Averie Grace-Hayes
It’s hard to find a teacher who cares more about his students’ future than Mr. Chambers. An art teacher at Owasso High School, Chambers constantly gives feedback on his students’ artwork, provides assistance whenever needed and always wants his students to advance to the next level.
Chambers has been doing art since around middle school; it has always been an escape for him.
Chambers frankly states, “I would’ve dropped out of school if it wasn’t for my art teacher.”
In many ways, art and his passion for art has gotten Chambers where he is today. Chambers originally thought that college was a waste of time when he was young.
Chambers willfully says, “I wish I would’ve known then what I know now about college.”
Uninterested in college, Chambers pursued the Air Force and served for a while, not knowing he would eventually go to college when his perspective suddenly changed. However, after the Air Force, Chambers worked in the court system, still not feeling like he belonged. That was until he began college to become a teacher, where he graduated in three years in the top three percent of his class.
When Chambers graduated, he found a new passion for teaching art to the next generation.
“I do appreciate art, and I really do want to make my students feel like they’re special.”
Once Chambers graduated from college, he taught at Broken Arrow for nine years, then moved to Bartlesville and became the district art lead for Bartlesville. However, when Chambers received an offer to teach at Owasso, he decided that he “needed a change of pace.”
So, Chambers packed his bags and moved to Owasso, where he was pleasantly surprised by the strong support of the art program (something Chambers had not really experienced at other schools).
Chambers is in room 30 on the west campus and has transformed the once broken-down classroom to an extra colorful room with lights and sculptures everywhere.
Chambers simply states, “I wanted my students to be excited to come to my classroom.”
Chambers also co-teaches AP Art with Mrs. Collins on the east campus. It is enjoyable for students to work with two different art teachers and be provided with two differing points of view. This type of teaching will not only help strengthen the students’ love for art but also help strengthen the Owasso art program as a whole.
Everyone can see that Chambers has an innate passion for teaching art and passing on his knowledge to the younger people of Owasso. With his caring and helpful attitude, as well as his art skills, Chambers is definitely a wonderful asset to the Owasso art program.
Chambers passionately states, “Art is a way to be able to communicate and share something in common with people…and you can appreciate what the artist is doing.”