Student Success
Advising, coaching, critique, reflection, learner ownership, and postsecondary pathways.
Public Selection / Volume 02
Creative practice.
Lasting impact.
Artist · Art Educator · Curriculum Designer
Higher Education Mentor
Boston, Massachusetts
PreK–12 Visual Art
About Cathy Drakes, M.Ed.
Cultivating creative excellence, community impact, and academic pathways.
Higher education mentor, curriculum designer, practicing artist, and Massachusetts-licensed Visual Art Educator guiding diverse learners, supervising teacher candidates, developing programs, and connecting students to postsecondary opportunities.
- M.Ed.
- Cambridge College
- BFA, Film/Media
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Doctoral Studies
- Endicott College
Teaching philosophy
Students thrive when they are empowered to think and create like artists.
Clear structure and targeted instruction meet meaningful choice, reflection, and authentic audiences—building technical skill, confidence, and artistic independence.
Higher education contribution
Curriculum & Assessment
Standards-led design, transparent criteria, feedback, and reflection that make creative growth visible.
Creative Technology
Animation, digital design, publishing, and ethical AI literacy.
Community Impact
Exhibitions, murals, partnerships, grants, and creative pathways.
Student work
Original solutions.
Not identical products.
Across grade levels and media, students apply shared concepts while making individual artistic decisions. Color, composition, form, structure, texture, and visual layering become tools for personal expression.
Teaching through inquiry
One concept.
Many visual answers.
01
Teach
Analyze ideas in art, culture, and the natural world.
02
Demonstrate
Model technique, craftsmanship, and visual decision-making.
03
Create
Move from guided practice toward artistic independence.
04
Reflect
Use critique and self-assessment to refine intent.
05
Exhibit
Share original work with authentic audiences.
Community engagement & public art
Civic participation through art.
Public art transforms learning into visible civic participation through murals, partnerships, family outreach, and accessible community experiences.
10Community murals directed
$25K+Grant funding secured
1stK–8 annual arts showcase
100K+Visitors to classroom website and blog
Selected public record
Art in public.
Stories in print.
A concise record of student work moving beyond the classroom through murals, exhibitions, and the civic life of Boston.
The Boston Sunday Globe / “Getting Their Bearings”
The first mural project
A new direction.
The Globe documented a community-directed mural created with COMPASS students. Presented beside the finished work, the story records process, public recognition, and the final visual statement.
Exhibitions / Boston Public Schools
Building a stage for student work.
Student work presented in a large public exhibition—extending learning beyond the classroom and bringing students, families, educators, and original artwork together.
Interdisciplinary production
From studio practice to a shared stage.
Designed by Cathy Drakes, Into the Forest brought costume, set design, movement, and storytelling together. The original program preserves the creative team and the story behind its making.
Material investigations
Form, story, pattern, play.
Educational leadership & higher education mentorship
Building programs.
Developing people.
Created the school’s first annual K–8 visual arts showcase; led digital media curricula, interdisciplinary initiatives, grant-funded programs, and professional learning in educational technology and AI literacy.
Mentored and supervised 10+ undergraduate and graduate student teachers, conducting 300+ practicum hours per candidate while coaching instruction, classroom management, portfolios, and licensure documentation.
Professional recognition
Selected administrator, executive & parent endorsements
“Possesses a mastery of student-driven methodologies, empowering students to exercise authentic choices.”BPS School Administrator
“Creative, caring, collaborative, and dedicated to the whole school community.”COMPASS Executive Leadership
“An excellent teacher who positively affected the lives of many children and brought tremendous positive energy.”BPS School Principal
“Developed and launched a multidisciplinary arts program that enriched student learning and creative engagement.”COMPASS Principal
“She consistently expands the horizons of her students by exposing them to a wide variety of experiences.”Assistant Principal, Boston Public Schools
“Our son’s constant smile when discussing art was proof positive that good techniques elicit good responses.”Parent letter
Let’s connect
Creating meaningful
opportunities.
Cathy Drakes, M.Ed.
Boston, MA
617-913-6116
Additional teaching documentation, curriculum samples, and references are available upon request.
winterstreetstudio@icloud.com
winterstreetstudio.blogspot.com
linkedin.com/in/cathydrakes