INSPIRE, the Lisle Junior High School literary magazine, launched the first of its new workshop series celebrating art and creativity on January 24, 2024. Building on the magazine's mission of being a place for poets, writers, artists, and musicians to display their talents and inspire others, this series of workshops leverages the talents of those in our community to lead our students in creating something new.

The first workshop focused on mixed-media collage design, led by our very own LJHS parent Mrs. Vanessa Berry. Mrs. Berry shared her expertise and process for creating this media. With a background in digital collage and photography, her experience highlighted the creativity and possibilities in using various media to create something new. 

When asked about her experience in leading the workshop Mrs. Berry said, "Students don’t always have an art class in their schedule, so it’s wonderful that they’re given these opportunities to express their creativity in their day. It was so much fun getting to share my love of collage art with them, and seeing all the creative pieces they made!" 

Student Samantha W. shared, "I loved how free you were in what you made. I like how there were only a few guidelines and that we had a chance to be creative."

Lisle Junior High School and the INSPIRE staff would like to send a warm thank you to Mrs. Berry for volunteering her time to show us her craft!

Do you have a hobby or profession in the arts that you'd like to share with our students?

The INSPIRE staff would like to host more workshops in the future and is looking for presenters! Whether it's watercolor, poetry, drawing, etc., we would love our students to learn from you! Please click here to fill out the volunteer form.