(June 11, 2010) — Whether rushing from one class to the next or simply walking with friends, students frequently pause to look at the artwork completed by design teacher Alison Kuehn’s students. For years, the hallways of Clark Magnet have taken on a welcoming and pleasant appearance due to the art projects on display from Kuehn’s classes. Now that Kuehn’s final year before retirement is coming to a close, however, students wonder whether Clark Magnet will ever be the same again. “Clark is going to be sad without the creativity of Mrs. Kuehn’s assignments. The walls are going to look so empty,” said senior Rosie Geozalian. Although Geozalian only became acquainted with Kuehn this year, she considers her to be one of the best and most unique teachers she has ever had. “She just has complete balance.” Geozalian said. “Anytime she assigns a project, she’ll include standards she expects everyone to follow, but she always leaves room for everyone’s creativity to show.” The “far-from-ordinary” projects from Kuehn’s students, as Geozalian calls them, were likely a result of the atmosphere of Kuehn’s room. “There’s always a warm and positive vibe, but it’s also disciplined, which reminds you to be respectful,” Geozalian said. Before she began teaching at Clark, Kuehn was already heavily involved in art, teaching and volunteering. She was a teacher at both Roosevelt and Wilson middle schools, where she taught ceramics, art, design, sewing and foods. In addition, she taught classes at Kidspace in Pasadena and the Los Angeles County Art Museum. Kuehn also volunteered as an art teacher at her children’s school. “I did that forever, as I always enjoyed being creative and helping other people see their talent,” she said. For several students, that is exactly what Kuehn did when she began teaching at Clark ten years ago when it first opened. “I was with a small group of teachers, and students made it so special,” she said. Along with her new job came new challenges. Kuehn started out teaching art and Tech. Literacy, and since no school had ever taught Tech. Literacy before, Kuehn and the other Tech. Literacy teachers had to figure out what to teach and how to teach it. “It was just like inventing, so it was really fun,” Kuehn said. Kuehn has especially good memories from her first year at Clark. “We felt privileged to be chosen to be here,” she said. “And the kids were all so excited.” Though the founding teachers faced obstacles, like not having supplies (because the school had just opened), they managed. “Everyone seemed happy,” she said. During her second year, she wrote the curriculum for design and had it approved by the University of California. When the demand for art grew, sculpture was added as a class for third-year art students. As for her plans for the future, Kuehn will be spending more time with her children, her grandchildren and her mother, who is 90 years old. She will also have more time to visit art museums and create her own art. As for what she will miss most at Clark, she immediately exclaims, “The kids! All the ideas I get from them and their amazing creativity. I’m always seeing things I’ve never seen before, and that’s pretty exciting.” Though the halls of next year will not be filled with the artwork of her students, the lessons Kuehn taught to her students will forever be a part of their lives.