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2016 EDUCATION MAGAZINE
LINCOLN DAILY
NEWS.COMMarch 1, 2016 Page 9
“This is a couple years old now. The students
who worked on this are sophomores now. They
used the art of Chuck Close to study grey scale
values,” said Hoffert.
“Close is pretty inspirational. He was learning
disabled as a child, and art was a way that
helped him get through school. When he was
older he had an artery explode in his neck and
he found a way to keep painting even though he
was paralyzed.” Hoffert uses the artist’s life as
a story of overcoming obstacles in the class as
well. Close’s contemporary work is an amazing
demonstration of skill and color and his story
continues to inspire many.
CEL administrator, Laura Irwin, lavished praise
on Hoffert and the school’s art program with,
“Mr. Hoffert is an outstanding teacher. My kids
attended CEL, and I still have their artwork
displayed throughout my house. Due to the
enthusiasm and love of art he brings to the
classroom, the students really buy-in to what he
is teaching and create amazing projects/works of
art.”
Irwin also added, “I am so grateful to be a part
of a district that values their art program and
continues to make a strong investment in it.”
Paul Ostergard, a former president at Citicorp
and Junior Achievement International is widely
quoted as having said, “A broad education in the
arts helps give children a better understanding of
their world…We need students who are culturally
literate as well as math and science literate.”
It is clear that CEL students are getting great
opportunities to engage their culture through the
arts and explore their own creativity as they do it.
Students created this nearly
seven foot image of Mr. Hof-
fert using two inch squares
of paper in varying shades of
gray paper.