Ms. Taiz Carnewal is the new art teacher at Glendale High School. She has worked at a variety of different locations, until she finally chose GHS, which is the one that is closest to her house. Ms.Carnewal was born in Hollywood, and her hobbies include boogie-boarding, tennis and swimming. Ms. Carnewal also loves to paint on skateboards.
How was your first day at Glendale High School?
My first day was very welcoming, [and I am] super excited to be here. Also, [this school] is close to home and I love the color red.
Where did you work before coming to Glendale High School?
I have worked at Clark Magnet before. I have also worked at a couple different charter schools in South Central.
Why did you choose to come to Glendale High School?
I have a lot of friends that came here, starting from when I was age 13, and obviously Glendale is the community that I live in, so I wanted to serve [my] community…I know some kids from Glendale, outside of school, that are friends with my children. I’ve always seen the school from the freeway and it felt like this is where I needed to be.
How and why did you first become interested in art, and how did you choose to pursue that interest?
I’ve been drawing since I was 5, but I formally was trained at Cal State LA. I have a bachelor’s [degree] in Design and a Master’s in Education.
What is your day like as someone who’s an art teacher?
It’s amazing! Every day I wake up excited to go to work, excited to show and explain new concepts to people that are coming into art that may have no background [in art since] kindergarten.
I love seeing the things that they produce, because I always encourage students to have their own voice. I never want to have 160 bowls of fruit…that are all the same. I always encourage each student to put something into their art that represents them.
What are you most looking forward to at GHS?
Our next art show, so that the students can be proud of their work and show to [the]school what they’ve accomplished in a short time period. I would recommend people travel more, because travel allows you to experience different cultures. And it opens your mind, and then you get inspired for new projects.
Ms. Carnewal is also an accomplished artist, and has her own following on social media. She also was one of the first LA artists to be granted permission to paint an electrical box in Silverlake. Her design was chosen out of dozens of other applicants.
Ms. Carnewal advises students to be the best version of themselves every day and go to the beach as often as possible. Please help us in welcoming her to GHS!
