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Artists in the Schools Spotlight: Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School (2026)

March 9, 2026

Zoe Liu, SFCA Artistic Teaching Partner: “During this Artist in the School residency at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School, students developed foundational skills in acrylic and watercolor techniques while engaging in identity-based self-portraiture. The residency integrated visual art instruction with language development by
encouraging ESOL students to incorporate home languages, idiomatic expressions, and original poetry into their compositions. Through structured demonstrations, guided practice, and a culminating student-led exhibition, participants strengthened both artistic proficiency and English communication skills. The program fostered cultural pride, creative confidence, and leadership development within the school community.”

Photo Gallery

Click on the thumbnail image to get a larger photo.

Students applying acrylic color mixing techniques while developing culturally informed self-portrait paintings during the Artist in the School residency at Stevenson Middle School. Image Description: A middle school student works independently at a classroom table, carefully applying mixed acrylic paint to her self-portrait. A color wheel reference sheet and paint palette are visible, indicating structured instruction in color theory. The artwork depicts the student wearing culturally significant attire, reflecting the integration of technical skill-building with personal and cultural identity exploration.
Zoe Liu providing a live watercolor demonstration to 6th–8th grade ESOL students during the Artist in the School residency at Stevenson Middle School. Image Description: Zoe stands at the center of a small group of students, demonstrating watercolor mixing and brush techniques. Students observe closely as she explains the process. Watercolor palettes and brushes are arranged on the table, illustrating a hands-on instructional approach that emphasizes technique, material understanding, and guided practice.
Students incorporating words and idiomatic expressions from their home cultures into self-portrait drawings as part of an identity-based art exploration. Image Description: Two students sit at a classroom table, using permanent markers to inscribe meaningful words and phrases across their portrait drawings. The process blends visual composition with written language, allowing students to represent cultural identity, personal history, and linguistic background within their artwork.
Completed self-portrait artworks integrating cultural symbolism, home language, and original poetry created during the Artist in the School residency. Image Description: Two finished student artworks are displayed side by side. Each portrait incorporates culturally specific imagery, handwritten words in students’ home languages, and original poetic text written along the borders. The final works demonstrate technical growth in painting and composition alongside reflective identity-based storytelling.
ESOL student leaders presenting their artwork and demonstrating learned typography art techniques to peers and faculty during the residency exhibition at Stevenson Middle School. Image Description: Students facilitate a hands-on art activity for visiting peers and teachers during the culminating exhibition. Completed artworks are displayed on the walls, showcasing the outcomes of the residency. Through guided explanation and demonstration, ESOL students practice English communication skills while reinforcing artistic techniques and leadership development.

About Artists in the School

SFCA Artists in the Schools (AITS) arts residency grants provide engaging, creative, and fun learning experiences based on the Fine Arts standards for all grade levels, through residencies with qualified, trained teaching artists from the Artistic Teaching Partners (ATP) Roster. Many of these teaching artists integrate their art form with other core curriculum areas, such as language arts, math, social studies, and science, meeting both Fine Arts and other core standards.

Connecting to core curriculum through the arts can significantly increase student engagement, comprehension, and retention of information. Teaching Artists and classroom educators frequently report that students look forward to the sessions.

School applications for the 2026-2027 school year are open until April 10, 2026. State of Hawaiʻi public and public charter schools interested in applying can learn more in an online information session on March 25, 2026. Register for the information session on Zoom: March 25, 2026 Artists in the Schools information session.

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