fayettevillearts.org

Publication:Northwest Arkansas Times;

Date:Wednesday, January 03, 2007 ;

Section:News;

Page:6

Local man publishes book about teaching art BY ANNETTE BEARD Benton County Daily Record

GARFIELD — His first passion was art, but Martin Greer dutifully became a candy maker as well, because his father, also a candy maker, encouraged him to have a skill at which he could make a living. So, Greer learned to make candy and has been making it for 52 years.

He also pursued his love of art, earned his doctorate and spent 39 years teaching and in administration.

Now, he’s written a book to teach others how to teach art.

A native of Texas, Greer has lived in Benton County for six years. His candy shop is on U.S. Highway 62 east of Garfield.

“My dad was a candy maker. He started out in 1924 in Texarkana and he was a commercial candy maker for 54 years. He said, ‘Son, you may not make a living at art, you’ve got to have a trade. Since I’m a candy maker, you’ll be a candy maker.’ “I made all the candy at Silver Dollar City the first six years they were open. It paid for my college,” Greer said.

Greer earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, his master’s from Northeastern State University in Tallequah, Okla., and his doctorate from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

“I’ve had two passions, I suppose. I enjoy candy-making. What I wanted to do was to teach. I started out as an elementary teacher.

“I’ve taught in five states — Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina. I was a principal twice and a superintendent once.” Of the book, Greer said, “What I wanted to do here was to share what I had learned in about 39 years of teaching art.

“My main focus on this was to produce something for teachers — elementary art teachers, principals and administrators — who really need more of a background in art than what they have. Many of the elementary teachers in the state teach art because there is no art teacher in the school.

“The main thrust as for the content is creativity. That is the most important thing in art — being able to be creative.” The book also includes a lot of the basic fundamentals for both the middle- and high-school levels. There is also college-level work that can probably be done by high-school seniors, Greer said.

“I did a number of things in my art classes that are probably not regular. There was a lot of cartooning; we made animated cartoon movies. We also made puppets and puppet plays,” he said.

The book took Greer about two years to write. It is self-published and has 10 pages of color, which he said essential for the content of the book.

Greer said that a former student will occasionally stop by the candy shop, and he enjoys knowing what his students are doing now.

The book can be purchased as the candy store for $15 plus tax. The shop is three miles east of Gateway on U.S. Highway 62.

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