Manchester Memorial High School art teacher Lori Sweeney attended a National Art Education Association leadership conference in New Mexico and secured a grant from the internationally recognized education foundation, The Da Vinci Initiative, which works with art teachers from around the world to bring skill-based art education methods into K-12 classrooms.

Lori Sweeney
Jane Tentas

With support from principal Arthur Adamakos, two other Memorial High School art teachers — Jane Tentas and Marcia Fanaras Zito — joined Sweeny to help orchestrate a two-day professional development workshop led by the well-known Boston School-style artist, Paul Ingbretson. He taught 20 art teachers from New Hampshire and Maine realism skills they could take back to their students.

Marcia Fanaras Zito

The retreat was held at Maine College of Art which also provided instrumental support for this program.