Working 1-on-1 with a first-grade student on the initial steps of a new project.
WELCOME! //
// I am an Artist and Educator based in Washington, DC.
I believe art is a vehicle for creating safe learning spaces. While I can’t remember the first time I did or thought about a lot of things in life, I do remember the first time I felt safe expressing myself. In 6th grade, I had my first taste of formal art education and I was hooked. My instructor took my class through the lesson and suddenly, I was a creator of something all my own. My confidence soared to new heights, and no mountain seemed too high to scale. It’s difficult to wholly articulate the reaction that myself, and now my students, have to the act of creating. However, there is something that draws us back to this space where we can express ourselves fully – this singular space in the world where we can be our full selves freely. As an artist and educator, I get to design safe learning spaces for youth, as I had when I was younger.
My artistic practice is inseparable from my pedagogical practice. I am an art educator because I am an artist. Learning is dependent on the opening of the mind; as an educator, I facilitate the connection between the student and new information. Through my research, I have determined there are two critical steps in being an effective connector. First, I must know the information intimately, and see it as being an effective tool in the lives of others. Second, I must have the ability to authentically connect with the individuals that need this information. This authenticity, and the empathy that accompanies it, are what I believe to be the keys to an environment that is supportive, structured, and naturally inclusive to all learners.
Please feel free to check me out on LinkedIn !