From STEM to STEAM: Marjorie Guisao-Wallace’s Art Reveals the Beauty in Science
DGCAC’s Newport News Community Gallery from September 5 – October 29, 2017
August 15, 2017 – Newport News, VA
Coinciding with the start of the school year, the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center will be presenting one of its most educational and interactive gallery exhibits to date. My Love of Beetles and Bugs by Marjorie Anne Guisao-Wallace will be open from September 5th through October 29th in the Newport News Community Gallery, located on the second floor of the center. The exhibit will examine the importance of insects to our ecosystem through games, interactive puzzles, coloring activities, microscopic investigation, and more. Sequencing, metamorphosis, abiotic and biotic factors, and many other SOL-based scientific topics will be covered for children of all grade levels – from kindergarten to high school.
According to Marjorie, the idea behind the exhibit started with a trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley. While there, Marjorie picked up a book titled “The Ladybug and Other Insects”. This book sparked the love of beetles and bugs that inspires her artwork, giving her the nickname “The Ladybug Teacher”.
Guisao-Wallace has been an educator for over 18 years and is currently teaching seventh-grade biology at Huntington Middle School. She is a role model and advocate for the initiative for women and minorities to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Recently, there has been a motion to include the arts in the career set, turning “STEM” into “STEAM”. Guisao-Wallace is definitely in full support of this inclusion. She has managed to merge her passion for education and science with her love for art by integrating creative, hands-on learning opportunities into her curriculum. To quote her, “They just go together.”
On Saturday, September 16th, an artist reception will be held in the gallery from 2:00pm until 5:00pm. Marjorie Guisao-Wallace will be present to welcome everyone, to discuss all of the components of the exhibit, and to answer any questions. For gallery hours and more information, call the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center at 757-247-8950 or visit the website, www.downinggross.org.