Jeff Bell
Art Specialist - Specialty Week
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During his college years, Jeff discovered his love of teaching in the summer of 1979 at a camp for girls in Western Maine. After earning his B.F.A. in Fine Arts, from the University of Southern Maine, with a concentration in Drawing and Sculpture, he spent 3 years working towards his M.F.A. in sculpture from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1984. In 1986, while completing his B.S. in Art Education, Jeff started what has become a 22 year career as a high school art teacher. Jeff is beloved and admired by his students and colleagues and known as the teacher who makes a difference. To this day, students from his early years up to his most recent, search him out to let him know how they are doing, ask him for advice, or to just thank him. In 1996, Portland's prestigious Maine College of Art voted him as their Art Educator of the Year. He specializes in Drawing, Sculpture and Pottery, known for using an ancient Japanese firing technique called Raku, which has become an annual event every spring at Windham High School.
Jeff has continued to teach summer programs, most notably at the Portland Museum of Art in a program called Artrek that he developed with his wife and the Museum's education staff. Most summers you can also find him teaching a popular course at U.S.M. that studies the human figure in two and three dimensional design. When not teaching, Jeff also works both as both a sculptor and conservator where his commissions have given him incredible opportunities. He has restored a Civil War Monument as well as a badly damaged outdoor sculpture of a Rhinoceros by the famous Maine artist, Bernard Langlais. One of his commissions hangs at the main entrance of the football stadium of Dartmouth College as a commemorative portrait plaque of a well known alumni and benefactor.
Jeff lives in Hollis, Maine with his wife Mary, an artist and art teacher as well, and his 17 year old daughter Madeline, who counts as her siblings their Sheltie, Daisy and two cats, Nala and Emma. Jeff is excited to return to Maine Arts Camp for Specialty Week, and looks forward to once again sharing his love of art with the campers.
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