Rebecca Lee is an exuberant young teacher with a delightful personality, an infectious smile, and a deep-seated passion for art and her students. The 22-year-old former Bucks County resident who now resides in Philadelphia admits to loving the excitement of living in an urban environment. It only stands to reason that she’d find her niche for teaching in Camden. “I’ve always taught in urban communities and enjoy the challenges of doing so,” said Lee.
Lee’s education journey was local. She attended Central Bucks West High School, and graduated from Temple University in December 2021 and immediately launched into her teaching career. Accepting a position at KIPP Lanning Square Primary School Norcross Academy in Camden, New Jersey, Lee immediately sprang into action, sharing her joy of teaching and her passion for art with her students…all 628 of them.
Lee spent the year introducing her students to artists who take what others think of as trash and how abandoned spaces and discarded clothing can all be art. “Even clothing is wearable art,” states Lee. Her end-of-the-year project for her students is a matte frame with a photograph of each student’s face in an individual frame. Each student will decorate their own frame. Lee says, “The messaging here is that each individual student is art…unique and wonderfully made.” The ultimate goal is to create a mural in the school. Lee’s vision for her students year end project was inspired by Lorraine O’Grady’s performance titled “Art is…” during Harlem’s African-American Day Parade. In this performance, Lorraine and the performers held up golden frames to parade-goers and parts of the city to show that “WE ARE ART, ART IS US, and BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL.” For more information on Lorraine O’Grady: https://lorraineogrady.com/art/art-is/.
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