Girls Division art teacher, Miss Dimmer, is a practicing artist herself who thrives on enriching the growth of her students by communicating her passion for art in addition to her dedication to her job. Yesterday, Miss Dimmer took a few brief minutes to clue our community in on why she loves what she does and how she got here.

RJ media: First of all, why art? When did you discover your abilities and passion for it for the first time?
Miss Dimmer: I started working with art when I was really young, elementary school probably. A teacher I had, sort of like a homeroom teacher, recognized that I was putting a lot into it when we would do drawings for different things. She even helped me get a scholarship with the Art Students League of Denver, a school where you can take a variety of master classes like ceramics, painting, and those kinds of things. This is actually where I met Mrs. Delzell (took painting classes from her).

RJ media: Why did you decide to teach art when there are many career paths you could take with it?
Miss Dimmer: I’ve actually always had other jobs doing art. I was a jeweler for a year and a half in Boulder making fine jewelry, an equipment manager for a glassblowing company when I was in North Carolina, and even a blacksmith for two and a half years…I’ve always really enjoyed teaching though because, if you do it right, you get to see that moment in somebody else that reminds you why you like it. It’s reconnecting with why it was important to you in the first place.

RJ media: Do you have art projects at home or in a studio or even projects you’re working on for anyone else?
Miss Dimmer: Now that I’m back in Colorado [following several years in North Carolina], I just bought a house and started use the garage as my studio. I also just got into the American Made Show, which I have to produce one hundred pieces of jewelry for and very soon! In short, I’ve been making jewelry all along and even have a kick wheel at home. Primarily what I’ve been working on are these large, stretched canvases that have glass embedded into them. Ultimately though, jewelry is a release area because it’s less concept-driven and more relaxing because it’s all about design,

RJ media: If you had to have any other job, what would it be?
Miss Dimmer: I’ve actually thought about having a craft school and running one. I’ve always felt like Colorado doesn’t have access to glass or an understanding of the three-dimensional arts, and that’s something I wish I had when I was younger because it’s took me a while to know where I was going (artistically). I feel like if I had had that, then I would’ve developed differently in both skill and direction. There are so many steps involved, so I think it’s something I’ll save for later in life.

RJ media: What is your favorite way to spend time outside of Regis or even outside of art?
Miss Dimmer: For me, I do spend a lot of time on my work outside of school, and I have to because I have a studio practice. Outside of school, I love four wheeling in the mountains, but usually it’s rock climbing and taking the dogs up to Woodland Park!