Member Spotlight: Dr. Leigh Drake
Dr. Leigh Drake is a middle school visual arts educator at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, where she creates innovative, student-centered art experiences that invite young artists to take creative risks, build technical skills, and develop their individual voices. She currently serves as President of the Virginia Art Education Association and President-Elect of the NAEA DPTA Interest Group. Her professional interests include artistic talent development, gifted education, art education leadership, and expanding opportunities for students to explore meaningful creative experiences. She is also a contributing editor for SchoolArts Magazine and an active writer, researcher, and presenter in the field of art education.
Bringing the Print Studio to StudentsWith support from grants from the Virginia Beach Education Foundation and Lifetouch, Dr. Drake brought Richmond-based Studio Two Three and its mobile printmaking experience to middle school students. The partnership moved printmaking beyond a typical classroom lesson and gave students the opportunity to work directly with professional artists, equipment, and processes.
During the workshops, students explored both block printing and screen printing through hands-on experiences. They were able to see how professional printmakers prepare imagery, handle tools and materials, and move through the printing process from idea to finished impression. For many students, the experience offered a first look at contemporary printmaking as both an artistic practice and a creative industry.
The project also demonstrated what can happen when art educators connect classroom learning with community resources. By bringing practicing artists and specialized equipment directly to students, the experience expanded what was possible within the school day while keeping students at the center of the creative process.
Why It MattersExperiences like this give students more than exposure to a new technique. They help young artists understand that art exists beyond the classroom, that creative careers and communities are close at hand, and that their own ideas can move through authentic artistic processes. The workshop invited students to experiment, collaborate, problem-solve, and experience the excitement of pulling a print for themselves.
Learn MoreStudio Two Three is a Richmond nonprofit printmaking studio that offers screen printing, relief printing, letterpress, etching, risography, workshops, community events, and mobile print-truck experiences. Explore Studio Two Three
Photo permission: Submitted with confirmation that permission was granted to share the student work/images included with this spotlight.
Dr. Leigh Drake is a middle school visual arts educator at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, where she creates innovative, student-centered art experiences that invite young artists to take creative risks, build technical skills, and develop their individual voices. She currently serves as President of the Virginia Art Education Association and President-Elect of the NAEA DPTA Interest Group. Her professional interests include artistic talent development, gifted education, art education leadership, and expanding opportunities for students to explore meaningful creative experiences. She is also a contributing editor for SchoolArts Magazine and an active writer, researcher, and presenter in the field of art education.
Bringing the Print Studio to StudentsWith support from grants from the Virginia Beach Education Foundation and Lifetouch, Dr. Drake brought Richmond-based Studio Two Three and its mobile printmaking experience to middle school students. The partnership moved printmaking beyond a typical classroom lesson and gave students the opportunity to work directly with professional artists, equipment, and processes.
During the workshops, students explored both block printing and screen printing through hands-on experiences. They were able to see how professional printmakers prepare imagery, handle tools and materials, and move through the printing process from idea to finished impression. For many students, the experience offered a first look at contemporary printmaking as both an artistic practice and a creative industry.
The project also demonstrated what can happen when art educators connect classroom learning with community resources. By bringing practicing artists and specialized equipment directly to students, the experience expanded what was possible within the school day while keeping students at the center of the creative process.
Why It MattersExperiences like this give students more than exposure to a new technique. They help young artists understand that art exists beyond the classroom, that creative careers and communities are close at hand, and that their own ideas can move through authentic artistic processes. The workshop invited students to experiment, collaborate, problem-solve, and experience the excitement of pulling a print for themselves.
Learn MoreStudio Two Three is a Richmond nonprofit printmaking studio that offers screen printing, relief printing, letterpress, etching, risography, workshops, community events, and mobile print-truck experiences. Explore Studio Two Three
Photo permission: Submitted with confirmation that permission was granted to share the student work/images included with this spotlight.