Tag Archives: Teacher Artists

St. Louis University’s “Billiken” man: Originally created by art teacher Florence Pretz

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Florence Pretz

Billiken man, mascot for St. Louis University. The original Billiken was created by art teacher and illustrator Florence Pretz.

Last night my husband and I stumbled across a televised basketball game between the St. Louis University Billikens and the University of Richmond Spiders.

Billikens? Whaaat? And then a camera shot of the mysterious and rather freaky-looking mascot. What followed then was a flurry of internet research.

Here is what we discovered: According to legend, the creature was the brainchild of Kansas City art teacher and illustrator Florence Pretz, who taught at Manual Training High School for many years. Evidently, she “got the inspiration for Billiken in 1896 while looking at a collection of grouchy looking gods belonging to Miss Floy Campbell of the art department at the school. They brought to Miss Pretz’s mind the idea of fashioning a god who would smile and bring to his worshippers cheer instead of gloom,” or at least so it was said in an article published in the Chicago Daily Tribune on February 14, 1912. Some say the little goblin came to Florence in a dream, and that later she chose to name her vision Billiken after a character in an 1896 poem entitled Mr. Moon: A Song Of The Little People by Canadian poet Bliss Carman.

Florence Pretz

High school art teacher Florence Pretz, creator of the Billiken.

In its original form, the Billiken was an elephant-like creature with tapered ears, short arms, an impish smile, and a tuft of hair growing on the top of his pointed head. He was depicted sitting with his legs outstretched in front of him and the soles of his oversized feet clearly visible. Over the decades, the Billiken has morphed into the fellow you see above.

Anyway, despite his original bizarre appearance, the Billiken was an instant hit, becoming a good-luck charm that enjoyed popularity worldwide. Eventually the creature became known as “The God of Things as They Ought to Be.” As a result of her success with Billiken, Florence gave up her teaching position, moved to Chicago, and became the illustrator of a number of short stories written about a group of Billikens. These stories were published in the Canadian periodical Canada West, where their lighthearted antics delighted the reading public.

Alas, after only a few years of popularity, the Billiken faded into obscurity. Unless, of course, you happen to have a connection with the University of St. Louis. Then you come across the mischievous little mascot all the time.

Former NFL player Aaron Maybin now a teacher, artist, and community activist

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Aaron Maybin

Former NFL player Aaron Maybin now works as an elementary school art teacher, artist, and community activist.

As a former NFL linebacker, Aaron Maybin is a tough guy. But he never faced obstacles on the field like the ones he’s facing as an elementary school teacher in Baltimore, Maryland. This January, he’s teaching his class in what has been described as “life-threatening” sub-zero temperatures, even though the heating system broke down in his school building.

Aaron teaches at Matthew A. Henson Elementary, one of several in Baltimore which continued to hold classes this month, despite the deep freeze. But Aaron has tackled the Baltimore winter weather like a true pro. Through a GoFundMe page, he’s helped raise over $80,000 to pay for space heaters for the city’s schools and to buy winter coats, hats, gloves, and other warm clothes for the students.

Aaron, an artist and poet, teaches visual arts as an independent contractor at Henson three days a week through a program called Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center.

The former pro-football player harbors a deep connection to Baltimore. He grew up in the city, where his father was a longtime official with the city fire department. Aaron attended Mt. Hebron High School in Ellicott City, a suburb of Baltimore, where he played football. Following his graduation, he played for Penn State University, where he earned All-American honors. In 2009, the teacher was named a first-round draft pick for the Buffalo Bills. He played four seasons with first the Bills, and then the New York Jets.

After Aaron’s career as a professional football player concluded in 2013, he launched his career as a professional artist. He also founded Project Mayhem, a nonprofit organization that provides art activities for the public and supports the artwork of students in the Baltimore area. Aaron has also authored a book entitled Art Activism, published in 2017. The volume presents his paintings, photography, poetry, and prose to convey both the pride and pain of Baltimore. The book can be found on amazon at this link: Art Activism.

Aaron Maybin: Our Chalkboard Hero!

Aaron Maybin

Former NFL player Aaron Maybin teaches art to Baltimore students through his Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center.

English teacher and Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Alan Diaz

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Alan Diaz

Former English teacher and Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Alan Diaz

I always enjoy sharing stories about teachers who have exhibited talents in addition to those they use in their classrooms. One teacher like this is Alan Diaz, a former English teacher who has also won a Pulitzer Prize for photography.

Alan was born and raised in New York City. He was the son of Cuban immigrants, who decided to return to their native island in 1964 when Alan was a teenager. When he grew to adulthood in Cuba, Alan became a school teacher, while at the same time studying photography.

In 1978, Alan returned to the United States, where he continued his career as an English teacher. He also pursued his passion for photography. In 1994, Alan worked as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press, and in 2000 he became one of their staff photographers.

Alan is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of armed federal agents seizing a terrified Cuban refugee child, six-year-old Elian Gonzalez. The little boy’s mother had drowned off the coast of Florida as the two struggled to reach American shores. In the months preceding the seizure, Elian’s Miami-based relatives had been fighting for asylum for the child and his right to remain in the United States, despite the fact that his father in Cuba wanted him returned home. It was a battle the relatives ultimately lost, so the little boy was taken at gunpoint and sent back to Cuba. The gut-wrenching picture Alan took on that day earned him a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.

After a career for the Associated Press that spanned 17 years, Alan decided to retire in 2017. The former teacher still lives in the Miami area.

You can view his award-winning photograph and read more about this amazing educator and photographer at the Washington Times.

The remarkable Nell Choate Jones: Kindergarten teacher and artist extraordinaire

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Nell Choate Jones

The remarkable Nell Choate Jones, kindergarten teacher and celebrated artist.

I enjoy telling stories about accomplished educators who, in addition to their classroom successes, earn recognition in fields outside of the classroom. One such story is that of Georgia native Nell Choate Jones, a kindergarten teacher who was also an artist extraordinaire.

Nell was born on May 27, 1879, in Hawkinsville, Pulaski County, Georgia. Her father served as a captain in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. When Nell was only four years old her father died, and her widowed mother moved the family to the fashionable Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York. There Nell was educated at Adelphi Academy. When she grew to womanhood, Nell taught kindergarten and elementary school in the New York public school system for many years.

When Nell was in her early 40’s, her husband, who was also an artist, encouraged her to study art formally. Her efforts were so appreciated that she won a scholarship to study at the Fontainebleau School for Fine Arts in France. She later studied in England as well.

In 1936 Nell returned to the United States to attend the funeral of her sister in Georgia. While there, she became inspired to paint scenes of the American South. Her paintings often captured the beautiful rural landscape of her native state. She also enjoyed depicting the leisure activities of African Americans in her work. Her artistic style is characterized by simple forms, rhythmic designs, and vibrant colors.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Nell’s work was exhibited all over North America, and also in France, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, and Japan. Today, her paintings can be found in many museums, including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC; the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia; and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, Nell has won many awards. She garnered an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York in 1972, and the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1979.

Sadly, the former kindergarten teacher and celebrated artist passed away in Brooklyn on April 15, 1981. She was 101 years old. After her death, her ashes were scattered in the Georgia clay of the Hawkinsville city cemetery. To learn more about this remarkable chalkboard champion, see her entry in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

Nell Choate Jones

Georgia Red Clay, perhaps the best-known work of artist Nell Choate Jones.

Elementary school teacher and celebrated folk artist Frances Curry Brown

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Frances Curry Brown

Elementary school teacher and celebrated folk artist Frances Curry Brown

Talented educators very frequently earn acclaim in fields outside of the classroom. Elementary school teacher and celebrated folk artist Frances Curry Brown exemplifies this.

Frances Louise Netherland was born in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, on October 19, 1925, the daughter of Harley and Lenore (Spencer) Netherland. As a child, Frances was raised on her father’s farm in Jennings County, Indiana.

After her high school graduation, Frances earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Ball State University located in Muncie, Indiana. She also earned a Doctoral degree at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. After her college graduation, Frances accepted a position as a third grade teacher in Liberty, Indiana.

When her son moved his family to Mississippi in the early 1970s, Frances began to create picture cards to send to her two-year-old granddaughter, Margaret. Over time, her art earned her a reputation as a gifted primitive artist. Known as Grandma Fran, the talented teacher typically painted scenes from her childhood in Indiana. Her pictures often depicted her life on the farm before electricity and plumbing.

Frances earned patronage from those in high places. In the late 1970s, former President Jimmy Carter indicated he was seeking artworks for his cabin. When he called for artists to submit their art pieces for a presentation, Grandma Fran’s art was chosen as one of the winners. In 1981, Luci Johnson Turpin, the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, was traveling through the Ozark Mountains when she came across Grandma Fran’s works in a gallery. Over time, the president’s daughter commissioned two paintings from Frances. Today, Grandma Fran’s paintings hang in numerous galleries around the world, including the Smithsonian and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, DC, and the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City.

In 2006, the former teacher was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Three years later, she was placed in a nursing home in Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas. She passed away at age 87 on December 4, 2012, and was interred in Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida.

To read more about this amazing teacher and artist, see Leaving a Legacy: Grandma Fran.

"Moving Day"

“Moving Day” by celebrated folk artist Francis Curry Brown