Mark Largo didn’t always love art. In 1993, a friend invited him to Europe, and visiting art galleries was a mandatory part of the trip. He remembers visiting the Louvre in Paris and being so bored he thought, “How can I get out of here?” He felt the same when visiting New York art museums. But he DID love to travel. No matter where he went, art was a part of it. Somewhere along the way, it began to get under his skin. Now, he’s a great lover of art who shares its lessons with students at Clinton Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Formerly a teacher, Lago now serves as school interventionist, a role previously known as guidance counselor. His job is to improve student behavior, as well as improving academic achievement. He said his knowledge and understanding of art has proven a great tool to help students understand the strength they have within themselves to solve problems.
For example, Lago said, a painting by impressionist artist Gustave Caillebotte called “Floor Scraper” can help teach students about hard work. The workers in the piece are being honored through the painting, even though their job could be seen as menial. When the painting was first shown, in the late 1800s, it was unheard of to focus on the average worker as an artistic subject.
Lago uses Caillebotte’s painting in student discussions to emphasize that workers can be productive and proud of their work, even when they are doing something they don’t really want to do. “We can discipline ourselves to do what’s needed, when needed, regardless of our feelings,” he explained. The original painting now hangs at Paris’ Musee D’Orsay.
Lago said his change of heart about art happened partly as a result of Clinton school’s receipt of $200,000 from Annenberg Ghetti for a five-year art-related project. His interest in the arts exploded, and he began looking for more art-related travel experiences. Reutersnewsagency.com published a list of the world’s 10 best art museums, and he has since been to all. But he hasn’t stopped with that list. He plans to continue traveling to the world’s artistic masterpieces and bringing back lessons to eager young minds in Nebraska.
Kindra Foster is an award-winning senior writer/editor who has worked many years with a broad array of businesses. She’s also an "every-person's" travel writer, usually traversing the U.S. and Canada solo, camping in the back of a Jeep, collecting memories of America's beautiful and interesting places, and introducing readers to the hardworking people of this land.
From Nebraska
Bringing an Unlikely Love of Art to School Counseling