RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube Instagram Flickr
The Hub
  • Home
  • News
  • Headlines
  • Inside Dallas ISD
  • News Briefs
  • Nota Escolar
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • News
  • Headlines
  • Inside Dallas ISD
  • News Briefs
  • Nota Escolar
  • Contact Us
You are at:Home»News»Inside Dallas ISD»Celebrating Women’s History Month through art
Celebrating Women’s History Month through art

Celebrating Women’s History Month through art

0
By Jirah Fleming on March 26, 2025 Inside Dallas ISD

Rachel Rogerson, art teacher at W.W. Samuell High School, is impacting both her school and the global art community as she takes students through women’s art history, teaching them cultural art traditions.

In her leadership role as an art curator, Rogerson engages the community in historical narratives, celebrating customs and traditions that can be preserved through art.

Previously, as the executive director at McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas, she led the gallery in advocating for creative freedom and presenting visual art in all forms.

Rogerson studied fine and studio art at the University of North Texas where she earned a bachelor of fine arts. Before becoming an educator, she worked in various historical exhibits as an art curator, and in 2013, received a master of letters in museum and heritage studies from the University of St. Andrews after discovering a desire to be a leader within these spaces.

Her journey to education came well after her career as a curator. Following her participation in the district’s alternative certification program, Rogerson became a long-term substitute at W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy during the onset of the pandemic.

“This experience brought back why art is so important to me. It was great seeing students engage in art and beingable to express themselves,” Rogerson said.

Rogerson has been at Samuell since 2021 when she became a full-time art teacher leading art classes and the school’s art club.

Rogerson is inspired by African American and Nigerian women artists, Lois Mailou Jones and Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye, often conducting research on West African textiles and quilting traditions of the American south. 

She uses this knowledge for her curriculum, centering student projects on these historical art techniques. This year, her students are honoring women artists by using a West African fabric dyeing tradition called Adire.

Rogerson guides them through learning how to sew, studying the science of using indigo dye and studying traditional quilt patterns.

She believes that it is important for her students to know the history behind the clothing items we wear regularly, and to understand how women have created techniques that we have used for centuries.

“I want to teach students about the historical knowledge that connects to the contributions of women, specifically black women,” Rogerson said. “I hope they can see the past as something that is a part of their daily lives. I hope that they’re starting to see there is more under the surface—that there’s something deeper.”

Recently, her impact has reached global audiences, as well.

In 2022, Rogerson served as art curator for an exhibit with Dallas artist Lucas Martell, alongside the international German art fair, Documenta. After an open call that year, Rogerson submitted the concept to the lottery drawing system and was picked to be an exhibitor.

As she continues to support women artists, Rogerson’s passion for lifelong learning inspires her work both in the classroom and in the Dallas art community.

Featured
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Jirah Fleming

Related Posts

Three schools advance to the UIL Academic State Championship

Solar Prep student’s artwork selected for display at Texas State Capitol

Leaving a Legacy: CI East student paves the way in cybersecurity

Archives
  • Recent
May 9, 2025

Nearly 100 seniors to graduate with Big Tex Scholarships

May 9, 2025

Three schools advance to the UIL Academic State Championship

May 8, 2025

Legados estudiantiles: estudiantes de Instituto de Profesiones del Este se abre camino en la ciberseguridad

Enrollment is Now Open
About
About

Connecting you to the personalities, places and perspectives of Dallas ISD



The Dallas Independent School District
9400 North Central Expressway Dallas, TX 75231
© 2025  Dallas Independent School District

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.