Kim Dufford - Art
What is your background?
I have an BFA from the University of Colorado in fine art. I am an art teacher and have been teaching for 40 years. I taught elementary art for many years in the Aurora Public School system. When I retired from that I immediately began teaching for Mrs. Loiselle at St. James in Denver and followed to Ave Maria Catholic School. I am a Colorado State Licensed teacher.
Tell us about your family?
I grew up in Denver but attended college in Connecticut and then did graduate work in Rhode Island and in New York. I also lived in San Francisco. I returned to Denver and married and we raised our two children here. They went to St. Vincent de Paul and to the Denver School of the Arts and Regis Jesuit. Both our children are adults and our daughter lives in Austin and our son lives in Santa Monica.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love doing all kinds of outdoor activities, we are avid hikers, campers, bikers, runners, cross country skiers, swimmers, and I adore sledding. I love making art, I love to read, to garden , to travel, and to entertain. I also am quite in love with all kinds of birds.
What do you love about teaching art?
I love teaching art to all of the grade levels. I suppose that one of my favorite parts of the day is when I get to see what each student has created. Honestly, there is not a BAD part of my school day. I truly feel like I have a dream job.
What do you love about teaching your students?
I love teaching art to young people because they are so creative. Art comes naturally to children and that is a lovely part of my job. It is as though I get to witness magic each and every day. My main job is to set the wheels in motion, supply the tools, and then step back and cheer the young artists on. I truly believe that every child is an artist and my job is to help them remember and refine that natural inclination.
What are you passionate about?
I remember learning in an art therapy class that whatever early memory each of us has about an art experience as a child will determine whether or not we are still creative. If the remembered experience is a positive one, art will be a part of our adult life in some way, and conversely, if it is a negative memory, we will not be involved in any artistic pursuit. That was a powerful idea for me. What tremendous influence art teachers (all teachers really) have on students.
Why do you choose to teach at Ave Maria?
I love teaching at Ave Maria because we can freely talk about our faith, and how that faith influences every corner of our lives. I loved public school for many reasons, however, my spiritual life is the center of my world and to be able to bring that into my work life makes me feel more authentic and more deeply known by my students and colleagues.
What is your favorite memory of Ave Maria?
I cannot pick out just one memory, nor can I pick out one best feature of my job. I love my co-teacher, I love our administrator, I love our students deeply, I love our light -filled art room and I love seeing wildlife out our windows. I love the parents and the staff at Ave Maria.
I have an BFA from the University of Colorado in fine art. I am an art teacher and have been teaching for 40 years. I taught elementary art for many years in the Aurora Public School system. When I retired from that I immediately began teaching for Mrs. Loiselle at St. James in Denver and followed to Ave Maria Catholic School. I am a Colorado State Licensed teacher.
Tell us about your family?
I grew up in Denver but attended college in Connecticut and then did graduate work in Rhode Island and in New York. I also lived in San Francisco. I returned to Denver and married and we raised our two children here. They went to St. Vincent de Paul and to the Denver School of the Arts and Regis Jesuit. Both our children are adults and our daughter lives in Austin and our son lives in Santa Monica.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love doing all kinds of outdoor activities, we are avid hikers, campers, bikers, runners, cross country skiers, swimmers, and I adore sledding. I love making art, I love to read, to garden , to travel, and to entertain. I also am quite in love with all kinds of birds.
What do you love about teaching art?
I love teaching art to all of the grade levels. I suppose that one of my favorite parts of the day is when I get to see what each student has created. Honestly, there is not a BAD part of my school day. I truly feel like I have a dream job.
What do you love about teaching your students?
I love teaching art to young people because they are so creative. Art comes naturally to children and that is a lovely part of my job. It is as though I get to witness magic each and every day. My main job is to set the wheels in motion, supply the tools, and then step back and cheer the young artists on. I truly believe that every child is an artist and my job is to help them remember and refine that natural inclination.
What are you passionate about?
I remember learning in an art therapy class that whatever early memory each of us has about an art experience as a child will determine whether or not we are still creative. If the remembered experience is a positive one, art will be a part of our adult life in some way, and conversely, if it is a negative memory, we will not be involved in any artistic pursuit. That was a powerful idea for me. What tremendous influence art teachers (all teachers really) have on students.
Why do you choose to teach at Ave Maria?
I love teaching at Ave Maria because we can freely talk about our faith, and how that faith influences every corner of our lives. I loved public school for many reasons, however, my spiritual life is the center of my world and to be able to bring that into my work life makes me feel more authentic and more deeply known by my students and colleagues.
What is your favorite memory of Ave Maria?
I cannot pick out just one memory, nor can I pick out one best feature of my job. I love my co-teacher, I love our administrator, I love our students deeply, I love our light -filled art room and I love seeing wildlife out our windows. I love the parents and the staff at Ave Maria.
