Mrs. Bettini is one of the art teachers here at MCHS, and she has been teaching here since January.
When asked about why she wanted to teach art, she said there were two things that she was passionate about: “art and kids.” She took journalism for a little while, and then said she wanted to come back to teach art. She actually taught current Middle Creek teacher Mr. Williams when he was in middle school.“He loved art and took art very seriously, which some middle schoolers don’t do,” Mrs. Bettini said.
Her favorite artists are Gustav Klimt, Georgia O’Keeffe, and “anything by Matisse.”
When asked what she liked about her job, she said “the relationships I build with students,” and watching them become artists through “their abilities and knowledge.” She thinks the staff at Middle Creek are supportive, and the students are very “interested in art and work hard and want to become better artists.” So far, Mrs. Bettini loves it here at Middle Creek.
She went to Meredith College in Raleigh, and graduated with a major in English and a minor in graphic art. She then went back to college and got a minor in art as well. Mrs. Bettini wishes that she would have “studied Spanish more in college.” She studied abroad in college in Switzerland and lived in London, and she traveled to Germany, Scotland, France, and Italy.
Mrs. Bettini grew up in Clinton, NC. Her mother lives in Fuquay-Varina, and her father is “in heaven.” She has an older brother “who is also a high school teacher at the Longleaf School of the Arts in Raleigh.” The important people in her life are her children because she enjoys “learning from them and watching them become people.” She says the same things about her students, who are “not just here to learn from me; they’re here to learn from themselves.”
After school and on the weekends, Mrs. Bettini says she likes to spend time with her family and “work in the yard,” go camping and hiking, watch movies, and do anything with art. When she goes on vacation, she likes to go to the beach.
Her art class is a very fun class because you get to use watercolors, paints, pastels, and all the basic instruments of art. Her students also learn how to use different shades of color and one-point perspective, and learn about various famous artists.
If you’re taking art class next semester and you have Mrs. Bettini, don’t be shy! She’s really nice and can help you with anything. You can talk to her about anything, even if it’s not art!