Jennifer Melendez
One of my earliest memories of artmaking include winning an elementary art award for my chalk pastel drawing of two tree frogs. I remember spending many hours on it, and feeling so accomplished when I finished. It was then I realized how much I loved artmaking, and the joy it brought me to explore and create. I have fond memories of all my art teachers throughout the years, and thank them for instilling this passion in me. It is because of them that I had my heart set on being an art teacher ever since I was a child, and ended up graduating from DePaul University’s Art Education bachelor’s program, where I solidified my love for art and teaching.
I started teaching at Batavia High School in 2009. It has been such a rewarding experience being a teacher here. I absolutely love working with my students and helping everyone realize their artistic potential. It’s my goal for each student to grow as an artist and to feed their soul through art!
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Professional Contributions
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I specialize in teaching Art Fundamentals, Interior Design, Fashion Design, and our newer Adaptive Art class for our students in the VTP program. In addition to teaching, I enjoy dabbling in ceramics and fiber arts, along with designing interior spaces.
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Makeup designer for Batavia High School's “Cats the Musical” in 2017, and “Spongebob the Musical” in 2023
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Makeup artist for Rock the Runway's "Nostalgia" in 2019, and "Bloom" in 2020
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Personal artwork featured in various local art shows like “Relic”, the “IHSAE Teacher Exhibition”, and “Waubansee Teacher Exhibition”
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Creating commissioned artwork for clients​
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(click on image to enlarge)