Dayton Colie of R.B. Stall High School Honored
Charleston, SC – On Monday, May 4, the Gibbes Museum of Art announced the winner of the 2009 Mary Whyte Art Educator Award at the museum’s Annual Meeting Celebration. Dayton Colie, who teaches art to students in grades 9-12 at R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston was the winner of this year’s award and $1,000 cash prize. The 2008 Award was presented by artist Mary Whyte to educator Dona Dowling from St. Johns High School on Johns Island.
K – 12 teachers in the Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester school districts learned about the award on the Gibbes website (
www.gibbesmuseum.org) and submitted lesson plans and examples of work to be considered for the Award. The two other finalists that were selected along with Colie were Robin Boston from Stratford High School and Amy Coleman from Memminger Elementary School.
Dayton Colie’s plan Two True Views enabled students to create relevant art by combining technology with technical skill and emotional expression. Students photographed themselves and then used Photoshop to create self portraits combining their frontal and profile views to form a face. Images were transferred to canvas and students applied paint to add emotional elements to their work.
"The public and private art teachers in the Charleston area are especially dedicated and gifted, and should be recognized for the tremendous education and inspiration that they provide to our students. Dayton Colie, this year's award recipient, is extremely talented and selfless in his desire to encourage students and provide the very best art education possible,” noted artist Mary Whyte.
“We are so pleased that Mary Whyte came to us to help administer the Award. I cannot think of a more appropriate way to acknowledge the great work that art teachers in all three counties do to motivate and inspire the students in their care,” said Gibbes Executive Director Angela Mack.
