News Detail
The Visual Arts Department Brings Creativity and Fun to MHS
The creative and artistic faculty of the Visual Arts Department love working together and inspiring our students to develop their talents. Together they make Maranatha a more colorful place!
We are continuing our weekly series to introduce one of our hardworking and dedicated faculty and staff departments. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talented people God has brought to our school, and to give readers a little insight into each department, its members, and the calling the Lord has placed on their lives. We hope this article gives you an even greater appreciation for our staff and the ways they enrich our students’ lives and help make Maranatha High School a Christ-centered and welcoming community.
This week’s introduction: THE VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT
Diane Barnhart, Department Chair
“Understanding that creativity comes from God, the Creator, we in the Visual Arts Department desire to help our students rediscover the wonder of the creativity within them. We, as Christians, should celebrate this gift - this act of worship - because we were designed by God to create. Christians should be the best artists because they understand the Source of their skills and abilities. Our goal, as Christian art educators, is to offer our students an environment in which they can gain confidence in their skills by giving them the instruction and tools necessary to succeed, and encouraging them to grow in ability, appreciation, and understanding of visual art forms,” says Diane, who recently started her 26th year at Maranatha High School.
“I love working with our students! We have some truly remarkable artists (as well as budding artists) and all-around wonderful kids. I feel privileged and blessed to be involved in at least a small part of their lives. The Visual Arts Department staff consists of extremely qualified, creative professionals, and it is great fun to share ideas and bounce ideas off each other. We’re a strong team and I enjoy working with everyone in the department.”
Quirky Fact: “I think my students could answer this better, but they would probably say that I can be pretty funny. I also have little things that I repeat constantly, like ‘Pick it and Stick it’ or ‘Light until Right.’ I tend to say words and phrases in German, and I also like to make up words, such as ‘Tunesday’ which is a day my students get to listen to their own music.”
Kay Rouse
Kay has been a part of the Maranatha community for over 30 years as both a part-time and full-time teacher. “Bill McKinley, who was Maranatha’s then Principal, called me the first year they hired John [Rouse] to coach and teach, and asked me to teach a couple art classes and start an art program, as they were ending the sewing classes they had before. I left MHS a couple times for a couple years when my sons were born, but MHS asked me to come back soon. I’ve been hired by three Maranatha principals!”
Over the years she has been at Maranatha, Kay definitely sees all of the changes. “I have a terrific classroom that’s set up just for art and full of supplies. In the past, we used shoe boxes to hold supplies and sometimes I would push a cart up and down the hallways between classrooms that I shared with others.” Kay really enjoys working with her other Visual Arts Department teachers, especially when they all get together to talk about art or about the art they have created themselves. “They are a wonderful group with a variety of special skills, and I have learned a lot from working with them over the years.”
Quirky Fact: “When I was a little girl, I won the ‘Treasure Trove’ on the Captain Delta Show.”
Chaim Diesto '00
Chaim, a Class of 2000 graduate of Maranatha, has been working at MHS for over a year now. “The things I enjoy the most about Maranatha are the students and the relationships I am able to start and cultivate with such talented and kindhearted individuals. I am back teaching at MHS because I felt I was called to reinvest the talents and knowledge I’ve gained over the years, right back into the place that gave me my start in Graphic Design,” says Chaim.
“The Visual Arts Department faculty are very well accomplished and talented in our fields. I enjoy not only the support and Christ-like posture of service they have shown me, but also the knowledge and expertise they bring to each class and demand of their students.”
Quirky Fact: “I love bulldogs, collecting and building Legos, and driving aimlessly for hours.”
Nicole Bernardini
Brand new to the Maranatha community is Nicole Bernardini, who started this school year. “This is my first year as part of the MHS family and I’m thrilled to play a tiny part in what God is doing through this community,” says Nicole. “I stepped away from student ministry in order to further pursue my career. Since then, I’ve been praying that God would open another door for me to serve students, and this summer, He answered my prayer through a mutual friend and the yearbook position here at Maranatha. I feel tremendously blessed.”
Nicole believes that the Maranatha Visual Arts Department is the best department. “As an artist, I am thrilled on behalf of the students whose teachers are gifting them with opportunities and experiences that I was only able to have in college. My fellow teachers are passionate and artistic leaders, and I am honored to work alongside them.”
Quirky Fact: “I am a theatre nerd. I hope to get a chance to volunteer with the Performing Arts Department this year.”
Brenda Schlenker
Brenda has worked for Maranatha for 14 years, and the thing she loves most is the energy and enthusiasm of the students learning creative practices. “There are both a satisfaction and hints of eternal things that come with seeing young people discover their creative gifts, and then become passionate about the making process. And my fellow Visual Arts Department teachers... we have a great time. We are an imaginative department that is very supportive of each other,” says Brenda.
Quirky Fact: “I love exploring cities for food and photographic subject matter, and have frequently met up with current and former students to discover new things around Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland over the years.”
This week’s introduction: THE VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT
Diane Barnhart, Department Chair
“Understanding that creativity comes from God, the Creator, we in the Visual Arts Department desire to help our students rediscover the wonder of the creativity within them. We, as Christians, should celebrate this gift - this act of worship - because we were designed by God to create. Christians should be the best artists because they understand the Source of their skills and abilities. Our goal, as Christian art educators, is to offer our students an environment in which they can gain confidence in their skills by giving them the instruction and tools necessary to succeed, and encouraging them to grow in ability, appreciation, and understanding of visual art forms,” says Diane, who recently started her 26th year at Maranatha High School.
“I love working with our students! We have some truly remarkable artists (as well as budding artists) and all-around wonderful kids. I feel privileged and blessed to be involved in at least a small part of their lives. The Visual Arts Department staff consists of extremely qualified, creative professionals, and it is great fun to share ideas and bounce ideas off each other. We’re a strong team and I enjoy working with everyone in the department.”
Quirky Fact: “I think my students could answer this better, but they would probably say that I can be pretty funny. I also have little things that I repeat constantly, like ‘Pick it and Stick it’ or ‘Light until Right.’ I tend to say words and phrases in German, and I also like to make up words, such as ‘Tunesday’ which is a day my students get to listen to their own music.”
Kay Rouse
Kay has been a part of the Maranatha community for over 30 years as both a part-time and full-time teacher. “Bill McKinley, who was Maranatha’s then Principal, called me the first year they hired John [Rouse] to coach and teach, and asked me to teach a couple art classes and start an art program, as they were ending the sewing classes they had before. I left MHS a couple times for a couple years when my sons were born, but MHS asked me to come back soon. I’ve been hired by three Maranatha principals!”
Over the years she has been at Maranatha, Kay definitely sees all of the changes. “I have a terrific classroom that’s set up just for art and full of supplies. In the past, we used shoe boxes to hold supplies and sometimes I would push a cart up and down the hallways between classrooms that I shared with others.” Kay really enjoys working with her other Visual Arts Department teachers, especially when they all get together to talk about art or about the art they have created themselves. “They are a wonderful group with a variety of special skills, and I have learned a lot from working with them over the years.”
Quirky Fact: “When I was a little girl, I won the ‘Treasure Trove’ on the Captain Delta Show.”
Chaim Diesto '00
Chaim, a Class of 2000 graduate of Maranatha, has been working at MHS for over a year now. “The things I enjoy the most about Maranatha are the students and the relationships I am able to start and cultivate with such talented and kindhearted individuals. I am back teaching at MHS because I felt I was called to reinvest the talents and knowledge I’ve gained over the years, right back into the place that gave me my start in Graphic Design,” says Chaim.
“The Visual Arts Department faculty are very well accomplished and talented in our fields. I enjoy not only the support and Christ-like posture of service they have shown me, but also the knowledge and expertise they bring to each class and demand of their students.”
Quirky Fact: “I love bulldogs, collecting and building Legos, and driving aimlessly for hours.”
Nicole Bernardini
Brand new to the Maranatha community is Nicole Bernardini, who started this school year. “This is my first year as part of the MHS family and I’m thrilled to play a tiny part in what God is doing through this community,” says Nicole. “I stepped away from student ministry in order to further pursue my career. Since then, I’ve been praying that God would open another door for me to serve students, and this summer, He answered my prayer through a mutual friend and the yearbook position here at Maranatha. I feel tremendously blessed.”
Nicole believes that the Maranatha Visual Arts Department is the best department. “As an artist, I am thrilled on behalf of the students whose teachers are gifting them with opportunities and experiences that I was only able to have in college. My fellow teachers are passionate and artistic leaders, and I am honored to work alongside them.”
Quirky Fact: “I am a theatre nerd. I hope to get a chance to volunteer with the Performing Arts Department this year.”
Brenda Schlenker
Brenda has worked for Maranatha for 14 years, and the thing she loves most is the energy and enthusiasm of the students learning creative practices. “There are both a satisfaction and hints of eternal things that come with seeing young people discover their creative gifts, and then become passionate about the making process. And my fellow Visual Arts Department teachers... we have a great time. We are an imaginative department that is very supportive of each other,” says Brenda.
Quirky Fact: “I love exploring cities for food and photographic subject matter, and have frequently met up with current and former students to discover new things around Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland over the years.”
