About
Victoria Sylvestre!
My parents were artists and college art professors at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA. They were both halves of the art department: my dad taught ceramics, photography, sculpture, jewelry and animation; my mother taught art history and weaving. Above picture is me at age 5 playing dress up.
Childhood
Above picture, this is (left to right) , my sister Karen, me at 10 years old, my nephew and my mom, all sitting in an apple tree in the apple orchard behind my house on the university campus. We lived right next to the university, you could see the art building from our kitchen window. Lots of trips to museums and galleries, lots of artists I met and played with as a child.
These are the Scottish Belted Galloway cows outside my house! I had never seen real live cows before we moved to NC. I fell in love with these guys.
Teenage Years
We moved to Chatham County, NC and I went my junior year to Northwood High School.
My first job was being a bus boy at the Fearrington House!
Here I am with a group I traveled to Mexico with, to work on building a church. While we were there, we lived with some of the local people. Here we are at the top of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. It was built in the year 200 AD and is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world. Can you find me?
BFA Ceramics & BFA Art Ed
When it came time to pick a college major, I had originally wanted to go into medicine, but my heart won out and I chose art. I went to East Carolina University School of Art and got a BFA in Ceramics. & BFA in Art Education. This is me and my parents when I graduated with my BFA Art Ceramics degree!
Can you find me in the picture above, during my BFA Ceramics years with our visiting artist Karen Doherty?
We are behind a collaborative clay piece.
And this was the day I received my BFA Art Ed degree.
MFA Ceramics
I went another 3 years to get my MFA in Ceramics. That's where I met my husband Marc who is also an artist.
Here are me and Marc out in the kiln yard, chilling while waiting for our ton of clay to mix in the old army dough mixer.
Marc and I got married about a year after we met in graduate school. It's now going on over 3 decades of being together!
Apprenticeship
My husband and I were awarded an apprenticeship at Moravian Pottery and Tileworks in Doylestown, PA the summer we graduated to learn about ceramic mosaic making and have an exhibition of our art.
This is still highly influential in our artwork.
This is the super cool building I got to work in every day!
Teaching
Afterwards, we moved to Charlotte, NC and worked at Spirit Square which is now part of the Blumenthal Performing Arts.
Truly an exceptional place to grow and learn and teach!
My second year teaching high school, with an extraordinary student winning the Superintendent's Choice Award for his drawing of Thurgood Marshall.
High School Art
I taught art at a community college and began my first public school art teaching job that same year at North Stanly High School in Stanly County, NC.
I went to Pfeiffer University and got my Academically Gifted certification.
I was awarded my National Board Certification in 2005 for Early Adolescent Art.
After 8 years there I wanted to move closer to my parents and I got a job teaching ceramics at Chapel Hill High School. After 8 more years, I was chosen as part of the Design Team for Carrboro High School. I designed the art department there and taught Ceramics, Drawing & Painting, Graphic Design, Creative Experiments and AP Art History!
Chapel Hill High School collaborative ceramic mosaic depiction of Any Warhol's classic. Pictured are the lunch bunch.
Collaboration Examples
While I was in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro City District, I collaborated a LOT with other schools.
This is a ceramic mosaic I created out of clay with a 2nd grade class at Seawell Elementary School in Chapel Hill. See more collaborations HERE.
At Chapel Hill High School, my collaborative take on Romare Bearden's art from The Odyssey, with permission from his estate.
I personally created the table in front.
Elementary Art
I am currently teaching elementary art in the Chatham County District, at the beautiful new Chatham Grove Elementary, home of the Gators!
Here I am dressed up as Kusama Yayoi outside my art room I've set up like a gallery.
My ceramic mosaic of our gators.
Always Visit the Museums & Architecture!
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Virginia Museum of Fine Art
Hirshorne in DC
Family Life
Me and my 3 boys in the Florida Keys, kissing dolphins!
This is when my middle son graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 2019!
Our newest baby, Oyster Sauce!
Me and my 3 boys in Madrid, Spain.
Here is me, Felix, Jasper and Maxwell!
This is 2020 when my youngest graduated from Chapel Hill High School during covid.
My oldest, Maxwell's graduation 2022 from NC State in the Poole School of Business!
Somerhill Gallery Opening for my mom, MaryLou Higgins
CGE Art Featured
Read the article on Chatham Grove Art HERE
National Board Certification NBCT
I was able to become Nationally Board Certified a SECOND time for Early and Middle Childhood Art in 2021! The first time was for Early and Young Adolescence Art in 2005. Here I am with my husband after the district board ceremony to celebrate the achievement. Thank you Dr. Savage for being so supportive!
This was one of the many projects I featured in my writing.
NC Art Education Association Conference 2022
Propaganda
and Agitprop Posters
and Agitprop Posters
I was selected to teach about how I teach Propaganda and Agitprop Posters. First I taught everyone how to use Google Drawing, several extensions, and then the history of propaganda posters. Then I showed them some of my students' examples! Of course I showed off the ones with Dr. Savage!
Masters of Educational Innovation, Technology & Entrepeneurship at UNC Chapel Hill
First day of the MEITE program with in person classes! So happy!
