Babette Grunwald is more than just an art teacher. In her seven years at West, she has taught several art classes and seen students come and go of all types. 

           During her time teaching, her favorite classes have been her advanced art courses. 

          “My favorite class to teach has to be my AP Art course. I think it’s because my students have the freedom to work on what they are interested in, and I find it very important. I can really help them find their voice as an artist.” 

       Her other classes that allow students to advance to more difficult artwork, like students in Pottery 4 or Jewelry 2, are also her favorites to teach. 

      Grunwald enjoys being able to teach her students new techniques or mediums, especially in her pottery and textiles classes. 

      “I often have people start with something they have no prior knowledge about, but then after the semester they have gotten quite good at it [the specific medium]. In the textile class, they learn how to sew by hand, with a sewing machine, and even might learn how to knit or crochet.” 

      Her favorite moments in teaching often come from interacting with her students. “I think my good memories always come from the relationships I build with my students and how close we can get.” 

     In her own personal time, Grunwald has polished her skills in various mediums of art, including but not limited to: textiles, pottery, painting, working with pigmented beeswax, and drawing. 

     “I came into art through textile arts. I have two very large quilts that I’m proud of that were made with scraps of fabric,” Grunwald said. 

     Her art can be inspired by many different things, one being her travels. “After I lived in Mexico for 4 years and left, I was really nostalgic… I did my two quilts to honor my time there,” Grunwald said. 

      During her time as a teacher and an artist, she has found one specific thing to be true. 

     “The beauty of art is that everybody is trying to illustrate the world that they’re living through, and the challenges that they [artists] have.”