Art is something you see everyday and everywhere you go, but do you really appreciate it? Art teacher Limor Dekel has been at Watkins Mill for five years but has been teaching art for 15.  

Dekel came to the United States from Israel in 1984 to live with her fiance, who was a US citizen and whom she met while he was traveling. Dekel has loved the arts since elementary school and she attended an art magnet program in high school.

Before leaving Israel, Dekel served two years of mandatory military service.  Once arriving in the US, she decided to major in ceramic design in college while also studying interior design at the University of Maryland.

“Before becoming a teacher, I had my own business as a ceramic artist for a few years,” Dekel said. She sold her art at regional arts and crafts shows, while also selling art at stores, galleries, and to designers. On top of that, she worked as an interior designer at the well-known hotel chain Marriott and as a graphic designer on a government contract.

She came to Watkins Mill High School in 2012; the same year she and a group of talented artists painted the big mural in the E hallway on the ground floor, which is still there. “I enjoy the opportunity to work with some talented and motivated students after school,” Dekel added.

Last year and again this year, a group of talented students, under Dekel’s supervision, volunteered to create the canvases that are installed at the health and rehabilitation facilities in Maryland. “I also enjoy the diversity of the student body as different cultures bringing in new perspectives,” Dekel said.

“What I like about Watkins Mill is the MYP/IB program, [it] enriches the students thinking and encourages them to open their eyes to the greater world,” Dekel added. At Watkins Mill she has taught photography, foundations of art, studio arts, and AP and IB visual arts. 

In Dekel’s free time she enjoys traveling, sailing, skiing, and of course arts and crafts of all kinds. She likes challenging herself to see new places and trying new things. She has two children and a dog. Her son is a freshman at the University of Maryland in College Park. Her daughter graduates in May and is going to serve in the Peace Corps in Cambodia for two years.