“I think it’s good for students to see you can make a living at art,” Janssen said. “I think it’s really good for them to see a variety of what an artist does and that it’s not just one thing, there is a wide variety.”

The variety of artists coming to speak at the lecture series include ceramicists, mural painters, outsider artists, and more. Some of these artists will speak via Skype, and some of them will be in person.

In the past, art speakers have come to speak strictly to the Portfolio Development Class, but this year the lectures are open to all students, especially those interested in art. Janssen teaches Art I, Portfolio Development, and Art in Action and Jewelry and Drawing later in the year. She said she encourages students to attend the lectures.

“The art lecture series is fun and very rarely do you get a chance to see professional artists come in to talk to high school kids. I think that it is important that if they are interested in art that they be here,” Janssen said.

Maize art student Maddie Mullen has been doing art her entire life. She said she has recently started to consider art as a career, so the lecture series will be beneficial to her. “I’m excited to attend the lecture series because I want to see first hand how people make a living creating art,” Mullen said. “There’s so much talent out there and so many kids who love art that can really develop their art skills at Maize.”

Another art student at Maize, Maddie Hardesty, said she has had a passion for art for seventeen years. “I think it will be inspiring and encouraging to hear people talk about their careers in art,” Hardesty said. She plans on pursuing a career in graphic design.

The following dates are scheduled for the lecture series:

August 25, Michael Downs of Downsart will be talking about becoming an artist when you are from Wichita and taking advantage of opportunities.  This talk will be the same one he did for Art Chatter at Wichita Art Museum.

September 1, WSU photography student and former Maize High Grad, Tasha Wentling, will be talking about going to school for art and how to create a portfolio.

September 8, via Skype-Allegra Poschmann, former MHS grad, Art Director, owner of Booth

Dates are to be determined for speakers in the future, but speakers planning on visiting include-Joseph Ricones, a ceramicist, and Rebeka Lewis accompanied by Josh Tripoli. The two have been creating murals around Wichita for the last year.