Marie Wright: Art Teacher and Art Student

New Anderson Artists Guild (AAG) member Marie Wright has always been a maker. Her role model was her dad, who not only built the family’s house but also its furniture. Earlier, he had bought his first car—a wreck that didn’t run—for three dollars.

An Alabama native, Wright attended Auburn University, where she majored in elementary education and then taught for a few years before retiring to raise and home school her children.

Now that her kids are older, she’s teaching K-12 art at New Covenant School in Anderson. “I get to be the fun teacher, the favorite class,” she said. One of her recent initiatives was an Art Day in which the whole school was transformed into art stations. Teachers dressed up as artists and led students through such activities as making little helicopters à la Leonardo DaVinci. The day ended with a black light dance party.

One of Wright’s greatest passions is music. She plays trumpet and guitar and for years was part of a folk duo called Padenrich Station that played at wineries and breweries on weekends. She has also written a children’s chapter book, One Quarter Ninja.

Artistically, she has long done screen printing. When she first moved to the area nearly three decades ago, she took watercolor classes at Tri-County Tech with Ruth Hopkins, and lately she has been taking part in open-studio sessions at the Anderson Arts Center with AAG President Chet Lawson.

“I’m excited to learn more,” said Wright.