Not even the pandemic can thwart the forward momentum of life. We are constantly on the go and our shoes lead us along our personal journey.

The shoes we wear can be considered a self-portrait, whether they’re designer heels or work boots worn thin with age. They are items of utility and a means for self-expression. They can also be art as Leon High School students recently learned. 

Art teacher Victoria Munsell presented her 75 ceramics students with a design challenge. “I wanted them to pretend they had been hired by Nike or Converse to come up with something original. I asked them to think about certain personality traits or a current issue in the world that they wanted to stand up for and put those elements into this shoe,” she said. 

Munsell received an Arts Education Grant from the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) to implement this lesson. This year, the grant was made possible through philanthropic support from the Duke Energy Foundation’s Powerful Communities program. The funding was used to purchase clay, sculpting tools, glazes and paints for the project. 

Many of Munsell’s students are new to clay including 12th grader Ansley Nix, who chose to highlight her love for the environment while addressing a personal pet peeve.

Read the rest of the story by visiting the Tallahassee Democrat

or read more by downloading the article here.