by Sahara Lyon-Mundy
The Winter Festival Youth Art Exhibition, also known as Winter Fest, has a long history of exhibiting amazing student artwork in City Hall for the community to see. This history has also engaged talented and dedicated arts teachers, who, without their work, there would be no Winter Fest.
Marjorie Grussing, an art teacher for over 35 years, is one of them. Grussing sat down with the Council on Culture & Arts to share more about her educational background, her experience participating in Winter Fest, and why she believes arts education is so important.
Grussing has entered her 36th year teaching in Leon County and has been participating in Winter Fest for almost as long as it’s been an exhibition in City Hall. She taught at Astoria Park Elementary School for 22 years and at Sabal Palm Elementary School before that.
Having moved to Tallahassee from New York State in eighth grade, Grussing comes from a family of educators and art practitioners. Her father, Ralph Davis, is an artist specializing in a variety of mediums, including painting, woodturning, and furniture design. His work greatly influenced Grussing’s own artistic journey, eventually landing her in the visual arts.
Still, prior to getting her degree in Arts Education at Florida State University, Grussing thought she’d enter the field of music education. “I’ve loved art and music since I was little, and I went to FSU thinking I wanted to be a music teacher,” Grussing said.
“When we moved, I got more into the choral program, and that carried me through high school.” Grussing credits her path as an educator partially to her father’s support, who encouraged her to do something she loved. After looking separately at both the art and music education departments, she realized the Art Education Department at FSU felt like the perfect fit. The rest is history.
In her personal practice and classroom, Grussing loves all things sculpture. Whether wood, clay, or mixed materials, she enjoys making sculptures and teaching her students about sculpture, saying they’re “so motivated” when working with clay.
With her kindergarteners, Grussing does a clay medallion project which the students turn into necklaces. “You would think they’re wearing gold chains; they are so proud,” Grussing said.
She often submits work with elements of sculpture to Winter Fest, diversifying the types of work featured in City Hall. When discussing arts education and the ability of her students to display their work, Grussing said, “Winter Fest is the best example of a student art exhibit because it is so well done. It’s another way to spotlight the importance of having arts education in the schools.”
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