Mike Stewart Writes

What I recall

I remember the heavy four-legged wooden easels, colorfully painted and situated in little rows around the room. Large sheets of paper were clipped to the tops and buckets of paint (probably poster paint) sat in a little tray on the bottom of each frame. I don’t recall any of the masterpieces or messes I made, but this is still one of my earliest memories. I recall nothing else from nursery school, but I remember looking forward to going there on days with art class.

In kindergarten, of the few remaining tiny fragments still somewhere in my head, I recall being sent into the corner because I’d not waited for the teacher’s instructions and went wild with crayons on some sort of paper Christmas stockings we were supposed to make. I made a hot mess of mine but just couldn’t control my need to release those colors into the world.

In elementary school, same building as kindergarten, art class was always the highlight of my week (along with pizza day every Thursday). The teacher would wheel her cart full of arts and crafts supplies from room to room and it felt like the ice-cream man had arrived when I saw it round the corner.

In middle school things got serious. Becoming an artist had solidified as a life goal, and I recall spending a lot of time working on long drawing projects. Along with all the monsters and aliens, the one piece that stands out is a portrait of an old man I copied from a National Geographic magazine. This is the first time I can remember working on something so intensively. I wanted to get every wrinkle and shadow in the man’s face and clothing just right. My middle school art teachers, including Mr. Pendell, were wonderful, and I feel truly privileged to have had such great guides on my journey through artmaking.

And then there was high school. Again, when you’re coming up on 50, it seems like a lot of the details start to fade (or is that just me?) but the art department is crystal clear in my mind. I believe there were three rooms, two large classrooms for painting and drawing, and a smaller class with a darkroom attached for photography.

While I spent most of my time working on illustrations and paintings, it was in photo class that I first met Ms. Jankura. I can still hear her voice. I can still remember her silliness. I can still remember her way of letting every student feel seen and heard. Students would find their way to her room when they had free time and it was a common sight to see seniors simply coming in to hang out with their favorite teacher, who never kicked them out. Ms. J and her classes were like an escape from the realities of high school life. I never did take a foreign language class like all those counsellors said we needed to. No, I opted for extra classes in the art department instead. I joined an after-school portfolio preparation group and Ms. J played a major part in pushing me to take my art school applications seriously.

In 2005 Ms. Jankura retired after teaching art for over three decades. She then passed away in 2011. The following year I opened Jankura Artspace in her honor here South Korea where I’ve been living for the last 23 years. So many passed through the doorway into that studio and asked what the name meant. I never grew tired of telling them about Ms. J.

I know I’m not the only one who was impacted by the light she put out into the world.  To the countless students she inspired, to the friends in the community she shared her stories with, we all have a little piece of Ms. Jankura that will continue to shine through us.

A lot of memories fade over time, but some are bright enough to endure.

Finally, I’ve been invited to participate as an honorary alumni ambassador this year for the Cheryl A. Jankura Memorial Food Drive, which I have made donations to in previous years in the name of Jankura Artspace. It’s a wonderful cause, which I’ll share more about below, but each year they collect food and donations to support the nonprofit Southington Bread For Life in its efforts to provide a summer lunch program to children in need during the months when there is no longer a free school lunch available each day.

It’s an honor to be asked to take part in this worthwhile cause and it is especially nice doing so in memory of our wonderful Ms. Jankura. Give what you can or at least spread the word to let others know how they can help those in need.

Mike Stewart

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

SOUTHINGTON – The annual food drive in honor of a late Southington teacher will help stock the shelves for a popular outreach program run by Bread for Life.

The 7th Annual Cheryl A. Jankura Memorial Food Drive will run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sat., June 13, at Bread for Life, 31 Vermont Ave., in Southington.

The items collected will help supplement the meals provided through the nonprofit’s Summer Lunch Program.

“Simply having lunch can be a challenge for children who receive free meals at school. When summer comes and school is out, there is a food gap and Bread for Life steps in to fill it,” said Missy Cipriano, executive director. “Last summer we prepared and served thousands of lunches for Southington children in need. Through the lunch program we were able to help many families that may be challenged by feeding their children during the summer.”

The wish list for the Summer Lunch Program includes water bottles, juice boxes, granola and breakfast bars, fruit cups, fruit snacks, chips, cookies, pudding and other individually-packaged items.

To help cover the cost of perishable food items, grocery store gift cards are welcomed, as are monetary donations that can be made by check or online.

The collection each year honors Jankura, a celebrated visual arts teacher for 36 years in Southington who spent the majority of her career at the high school. She retired in 2005 and died in 2011 at age 63.

The food drive will additionally celebrate the annual “Southington Legacy” honorees. This year, four retired longtime Southington school district standouts who have died in the last year will be recognized – Deputy Superintendent of Schools Dr. Angelo Coppola; elementary and middle school nurse Eileen Tompkins; high school football coach Jude Kelly and music teacher Conrad Gozzo.   

Honorary alumni ambassadors for the food drive are Michael Stewart, (Class of 1995), a former student of Jankura’s who named his art school in Seoul, South Korea for her; and Karyn Fortier (Class of 1997), educator and longtime coach and mentor.  

For more information, visit www.BreadforLife.us or call Cipriano at 860-276-8389.