Intemporal Time:
Imagined Cities

2022

Independently run
4 hours
Adults

This workshop focused on a discussion of the intemporal nature of time, and how perhaps we may allow ourselves to be comforted by it. I invited participants to participate in a collaborative city-building activity using paper & pen. We each added drawings and symbols to an invisible, imaginary city - a city that can only exist throughout nonlinear time and space and life. Participants added representations of “places they can’t go back to” - college dorms, co-op houses and old apartments, the haunts of former relationships, community centers in towns they’ve since moved away from, and “places they’ve yet to go” - ideas for places that don’t exist yet or which they might venture to in the future. We explored the ways that we together build or construct an imagined place or city in our heads and hearts.

Art of Identity & Gender Expression

2019

Appalacian Institute for Creative Learning
1 week (every day)
Highschool

Students in this class learned about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC artists both throughout art history and in present day. Each day, students were provided with time to make work inspired by something we’d seen or discussed. We covered artists like Jenny Holzer, Felix Gonzales-Torres, Frida Khalo, Julie Mehretu, Patrick Martinez, Ashley Teamer, Heather Cassils, Wu Tsang, Rhys Ernst, and Amos Mac, among many others.

Stress & Mindfulness

2023

Manchester-Essex Regional Middle & High School
6 weeks (once weekly)
Middle School

I worked with a group of middle schoolers on understanding stress and mindfulness techniques and strategies. We discussed coping tools to use in the event of an immediate stressor, and self-care & mindfulness strategies to be practiced throughout all parts of life. I guided meditations, breathing exercises, and grounding visualizations. We held socratic discussion and check-ins on the topics of stress and mindfulness. We completed an “In My Control vs Not in my Control” collaborative poster, and the students each made a zine comprising their personal top eight coping skills and de-stress strategies.

Mindfulness: Help!
I'm Human and I Have Emotions

2020

Parts and Crafts
10 weeks (once weekly)
Ages 7-13

Throughout the workshop, students were able to experience a range of activities, including mindful eating, emotion-word wheel creation, therapeutic expressive arts strategies, comic-book making, and open discussion. These activities were designed to help students broaden their emotion-word vocabularies, develop a greater awareness of their emotions, and learn how to regulate and express their feelings in positive ways. With a focus on mindfulness and emotional intelligence, this workshop was designed to help students develop important life skills that will benefit them both now and in the future.

Perspective: It's Very Funny to Be A Frog

2020

Parts and Crafts
10 weeks (once weekly)
Ages 7-13

This workshop asked the kids to consider their perspectives as human beings - What do you see, How big are other things, How do you feel, What are you scared of, How do you move around, What is close and what is far for you, What is dangerous, What is available to you? What do you need? What do you care about? What can you see, what can you not see? — Each session explored another creature’s perspective as it relates back to a Design or Science-themed lesson & activity plan. The perspective of a bird: map-making & urban planning. The perspective of a worm: composting & soil health. The perspective of a whale: what is it like to be able to experience more dimensions of movement? (from zero gravity to learning about the fourth dimension & flatland). This class ran on Zoom.

Design: Art that Shapes Our Lives

2020

Parts and Crafts
10 weeks (once weekly)
Ages 7-13

Design answers questions. Design solves problems. Design shapes our experiences. Every object we interact with was designed by someone. In this workshop, we explored an introduction to the world of “Design.” We examined ‘boring’ household objects to redesign them in fun ways. We designed toys, houses & treehouses, cities, and playgrounds. We learned about the history of design and various elements and considerations of each category. This class ran on Zoom.

Defining Our
Core Values

2019

Independently run
4 hours
Adults

In this engaging workshop, participants were encouraged to explore their personal core values and assess how well they were living by them. Through a series of writing prompts and a powerful video arts montage, attendees were galvanized to take action towards creating a near-future reality where their habits and livelihoods were more aligned with their hopes for a better society. The video montage featured intimate, daily moments of life, accompanied by inspiring speeches from famous figures like JFK and Allen Ginsberg, as well as music that promoted positive change. The main writing prompt encouraged participants to consider their imperative obligation to live cooperatively with all beings and ecosystems, and to make a self-made promise to live according to a chosen value. This workshop was an energizing and empowering experience that left attendees feeling motivated to make a difference in the world.

Creating &
Designing Zines

2014 - Present

P&C, AICL, & Independently run
Variable
All Ages

As I am an experienced illustrator & comics creator, in workshops like these I offered participants the opportunity to create their own zine from start to finish, including brainstorming ideas, drawing, writing, and designing their layout. With a focus on different genres of comics, including auto-bio, magical realism, world-building, abstract, super hero, activist/political message, and informational, participants were encouraged to experiment with different drawing techniques to bring their stories to life. The workshops provided a fun and creative outlet for participants to express themselves and learn a new skill. Participants always came away with a completed zine that they could take home and share with their friends and family.

Making Art Without Materials: Art as Philosophy

2017

MIT - ESP SPLASH!
1.5 hr (3 times)
Middle School

In this workshop, participants explored different ways of conceptualizing and thinking about "Art" beyond traditional methods of drawing and painting. Through open discussion and philosophical exploration, we examined how art can be used to start conversations and express complex ideas. The workshop also introduced participants to the world of Performance Art, Audience Participation, and Relational Aesthetics, where interacting with others can be considered a form of art. Participants were encouraged to try out these concepts and explore their own creativity through various exercises and activities. Participants were challenged to stretch their minds and embrace new ideas and perspectives, making this workshop an engaging and thought-provoking experience for all who attended.

Abstract Art & Compositional Games

2017

MIT - ESP SPLASH!
1.5 hr (3 times)
Middle School

Participants in this workshop learned about the history and importance of Abstract Expressionism and discovered why it's such an exciting and engaging art form. Through a variety of hands-on activities, participants were able to create their own abstract art pieces, either on their own or through collaboration with other students. During the workshop, participants honed their intuitive compositional skills by playing abstract art compositional games and exploring various techniques and approaches to creating dynamic and expressive abstract art. Through this process, participants learned how to use color, form, and composition to evoke emotions and create vibrant, active works of art.