Q&A With New Art Teacher Luke Kelly

New Faculty Member Luke Kelly works on a clay piece (Via Browning Instagram). Mr. Kelly teaches 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students.

Written by Oliver B. ‘27 and Dawood S. ‘27

From his first exploration of pottery as a postgraduate student at a boarding school in New England to teaching six grades of students here at Browning, new art teacher Luke Kelly has been able to apply his passions for both the arts and education to help foster creativity in his pupils. The Grytte had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Kelly, the newest addition to the art department, to discuss who he is and examine his artistic influences, teaching methods, and vision for inspiring young artists at Browning.

Q: Can you give us a brief background on who you are, where you grew up, and your education?
A: I grew up in Holliston, Massachusetts, a small town a little over an hour southwest of Boston. I did four years of high school there, and then I did a postgrad year at Holderness School, where I took a pottery class for the first time and fell in love with the medium. My father coached soccer at Boston College, so going to college there was always on my mind. When I enrolled there I was able to do the two things I really loved to do - soccer and pottery. I had 24-7 access to the studio and might as well have lived there. Being in the studio so much, my skills developed quickly. Other students would see me working and just ask for help- How did you do this? How do you do that? - and I started helping people naturally, eventually realizing that I really enjoyed helping them and sharing my love for pottery in that setting. That lit the spark for me to go to graduate school and pursue a career in teaching. Once I finished grad school I actually got offered a job coaching collegiately. Even though I got my degree in teaching art, I jumped into coaching for the better part of a decade, moving to New York in 2012 as an assistant coach for the soccer team at Columbia University. 

Q: How has it been adjusting to a new school environment?

A: I really feel at home here already. It was helpful to get a taste of Browning last year as a substitute teacher for the last six weeks of the semester. It made the transition a lot easier, but there was still a lot to learn with the onboarding process as a new staff member. I’ve definitely gotten into a better rhythm of things with my routine and getting to know all the students, staff, and schedule. I am just really grateful for the opportunity to teach here and be a part of this community.

Q: What grades do you teach here at Browning? What has your experience with them been like so far? 

A: 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12. It’s been a lot, and in a good way. I only have two pottery classes today (Friday) and sixth grade advisory, but yesterday was a full schedule and my hardest day of the week. Going from a fifth grade class to a very quiet senior drawing class and then to a sixth grade class… I really have to take the time to prepare for all the classes beforehand, mentally adjust to the work that we are getting into, the skill level the students are at, and even what to expect their energy levels to be like depending on the time of day. It was a little bit more than I expected at first, but it is a lot easier for me to transition from class to class now when it is a really busy day. It’s very interesting to see how different age groups respond to different things. For example, my seventh grade class is huge and cleanup was a disaster at first. Imagine - 20 kids all at the sink trying to clean up tools... I saw that it wasn’t going to work, and created a whole buddy clean up system that rotates every two weeks so students will learn different tasks. I found that they really responded well to giving them more responsibility and they hold each other accountable in a healthy way.  Just getting organized with things like that and seeing what’s motivating these kids has helped me become a better teacher. 

Q: What artists or art movements have influenced your own work and teaching methods? 

A: First and foremost, my mom, Ann Kelly, who has always been so supportive of me. She is an extremely talented and self taught painter. One of my earliest memories was of her teaching me how to draw horse portraits with vine charcoal. My first pottery teacher at Holderness, John Swift, who was more of an old school potter, taught the basic techniques so well which really developed a great foundation for me as a potter, he also never let us get attached to a piece and was very good at giving constructive criticism once pieces came out of the kiln. He had a special hammer we would use to “say goodbye” to a piece when it wasn’t up to the standards we set for ourselves. My favorite potter is the late Brother Thomas Bezanson. He has been a constant inspiration to me as his forms and glaze techniques are especially stunning.

Q: How would you describe your teaching style? How do you try to help young artists at Browning? 

A: For me, I think it’s really important to connect with each student, trying to figure out what they like, what motivates them, and incorporating that into their work. I believe I have a unique influence as an art educator in general, because I am able to engage students in a way that they don’t experience in any other classroom. Each lesson I will present the students with some inspiration by other artists and clearly demonstrate the techniques they will be using. It always helps to practice and try to become more familiar with these before they go to work on their project. I’m generally a very laid back individual, but I also am pretty strict when it comes to respect. Respecting one another, other’s work, the room, the materials. It’s important to find that balance in my classroom of having fun and learning. I try to create a safe space for student’s to express themselves and be creative which I think is one of the most important things as an art educator.

Q: What is one project, new or old, that you are excited about incorporating into your student’s curriculum this year?

A: Since working on the potter’s wheel is my specialty, it has been really important for me to get the studio organized efficiently so that the students can excel in that area. I am really looking forward to seeing their progress throughout the year as they start to command the clay and understand the fundamentals of working on the wheel. The most exciting project so far has been the 6th grade mask project where we have each kid make their own mask using plaster strips over their own face. It’s engaging and meaningful to them. They are getting so creative with it and can’t wait to see all of the final pieces once they are done decorating them.

Q: Finally, what do you hope to add to the art department this year and beyond?

A: I am very focused on the pottery program and getting the studio what it needs to be performing at its best. My goal is to do what my first teacher did for me, in terms of inspiring me in an art form I had never tried before. I really want to inspire people. I’m also offering staff pottery lessons during some of my free periods to give back to the Browning community and share what I really love to do.