Teaching Artist Podcast

#100: Embracing Community

26 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode has been a long time coming! I envisioned this as a celebration of 100 episodes and a way to kick off the summer of 2022. Well, here we a...

#99: Brenda Presil: Pushing Forward

17 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brenda was inspired to become an art teacher from a young age, but was told not to pursue teaching by one of her art teachers whom she respected. She ...

#98: Kayla Louviere: Coming to Voice

07 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kayla Louviere talked about the juggle of parenting and making art while teaching. She shared how she approaches and structures her art practice and h...

#97: Cbabi Bayoc: Trusting Yourself

10 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cbabi talked about his journey as an artist and how he continues to grow both his practice and his business. He shared his creative process and the wa...

#96: Emily McMullan: Practices in Art

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Emily talked about her path as an artist from a young age, but also discovering her love for teaching and working especially in special education. She...

#95: Meera Ramanathan: Grounded in Collage

05 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Meera talked about coming back to art after a long hiatus while teaching and moving from one country to another. She shared beautiful advice for artis...

#94: The Grundlers: The Creativity Department

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was such a pleasure talking with Laura & Matt Grundler, who host the #K12artchat on Twitter and The Creativity Department podcast. We talked ab...

#93: Suzanne Joyal: Something From Nothing

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Suzanne Joyal had great advice about working with students with disabilities, which really applies to working with all students. I loved hearing about...

#92: Aimee Sones: Mountain Movers

17 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Aimee talked about supporting her students through this pandemic and beyond in part through shifting mindsets and reframing negative thinking. I loved...

#91: Amir Whitaker: Free The Youth!

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Amir Whitaker Esq. weaves together his experience and knowledge as an educator, musician, and human rights lawyer and spoke about how those things...

#90: mikewindy: Gratitude & Inspirations

03 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike talked about his winding path to art education and the myth of the art professor with abundant studio time. He shared how he fits in studio time ...

#89: Lionel Cruet: Rhetorics of an Uncertain Future

27 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lionel Cruet spoke about his teaching practice as well as his exhibit, Rhetorics of an Uncertain Future, which is in its third iteration at Play + Ins...

#88: Eric Anthony Berdis: Imagining A Queer Space

13 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eric Anthony Berdis shared his story of finding refuge and courage in art. He talked about imagining a queer space and how he creates that imagined sp...

#87: Abhishek Panchal: Centering Students

27 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was so great to reconnect with Abishek and hear more about his art and teaching practices. He participated in one of our Artist Talk sessions throu...

#86: Marianna Jimenez Edwards: Re-Emerging

06 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marianna talked about the support she felt from teachers and her parents as an artist, but also the challenge of learning to draw. She shared a method...

#85: Valentine Svihalek: Embracing Your Creativity

30 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valentine Svihalek talked about embracing her creativity and shifting in her career as she moved physically and emotionally through life. I love how s...

#84: Ana Guzmán: Reframing ELL

22 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ana Guzmán talked about her experience as an English Language Learner and reframing that term to Emergent Bilingual as she now works to help students...

#83: Amanda Gorman: Finding Your Village

16 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda is a childbirth educator who uses the Birthing From Within methodologies. She talked about incorporating art-making as part of the preparation ...

#82: Melissa Parke: Black Teaching Artist Lab

09 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa Parke shared her journey in bringing an idea to life through Black Teaching Artist Lab where she conducts research, offers workshops and profe...

#81: Stories from the Field

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Stories from the Field: A curated selection of conversations around equity in the art classroom. This episode is a special one and will be the last on...

#80: Isadora Stowe: Wearing All The Hats

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Isadora Stowe shared her winding journey teaching in several settings before landing in community college where she embraces the student centered appr...

#79: Cynthia Hauk: Mindfulness & Art

24 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cynthia Hauk shared her experience teaching mindful art workshops, including trainings for teachers and parents around bringing these practices into o...

#78: Mary Beth Flynn: Artfully Aging

17 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Beth Flynn shared her experience growing both her house portrait business and her art education business. She talked about being a lifelong artis...

#77: Lizz Denneau: Guided By Ancestors

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lizz Denneau is making incredible artwork while teaching with a focus on contemporary art in a rural Arizona high school. I loved getting to learn mor...

#76: Lorna Ritz: Drawing & Redrawing Mountains

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lorna Ritz talked about her process and the meditative work of creating space with paint. It was inspiring hearing her dedication to her work and how ...

#75: Lauren Scott Corwin: Uncovering Histories

19 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I love how Lauren’s work talks about the history of the land through the history of her paintings. Her process of layering, covering up what’s und...

#74: Judy DeSimone: Abstraction Breakout

12 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Judy DeSimone shared her experience of over 30 years teaching and had some great tips for teachers. She also talked about her ceramic work and inspira...

#73: Nicole McAfoose: Big Ideas & Choice-Based Art

05 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nicole McAfoose shared fantastic and really practical tips for teachers interested in moving towards choice-based teaching or TAB. She talked about th...

#72: Andy Harris: Super Powers, Scissors, & Glue

29 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andy Harris talked about teaching with a focus on bringing out the super powers within his students. He shared some amazing projects that use art to c...

#71: Erin McCluskey Wheeler: It's Just Paper!

22 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I loved how Erin talked about being an art cheerleader for her students! Her mantra of “It’s just paper” and encouragement to play and explore w...

#70: Kate Moynihan: Tenacity & Resilience

15 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kate was so uplifting and encouraging of artists. She shared her experience as an artist, writer, gallery owner, as well as a nurse and teaching artis...

#69: Tim Needles: STEAM Power

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tim spoke about infusing new technologies into his artwork as well as his teaching. He talked about how he’s always worked in a variety of media and...

#68: Jess Rogawski: Portals

01 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Speaking with Jess was so inspiring and educational for me! I learned from her and tried to soak up her way of being with her students, with her body,...

#67: Carly Terreson: The Body in Community

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing about Carly's process of creation with her whole body in consideration of her community was inspiring. She spoke about growing up with an arti...

#66: Peter Atsu Adaletey: What If?

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Atsu shared how he went from creating shadow theatre in his home for the children and families he grew up with to working on international theat...

#65: Ondrea Levey: Symbols & Self Love

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ondrea talked about the “wild juggling game” of teaching and making art and staying active in her communities. She shared some wonderful books and...

#64: Abby Birhanu: Stepping Stones

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was such a pleasure to talk with Abby Birhanu and hear more about her teaching and art-making! Her passion and compassion comes through in all that...

#63: Jeannie Siegler: Generosity of Spirit

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeannie Siegler was my high school art teacher!! We reconnected a few years ago and she’s shown the same generosity she always embodied. She was one...

#62: Kathryn Rodrigues: Reflections, Refractions, and Shadows

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kathryn Rodrigues talked about being a 3rd culture kid, growing up in many countries and returning to the U.S. as a teenager, but not feeling at home....

#61: Nisa Floyd: Come Back As A Flower

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nisa Floyd talked about honoring her feelings through her internal and personal art practice and how that also allows her to honor her students’ fee...

#60: Sarah Pimenta: Conducting Creativity

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah talked about her participatory work with a wide variety of groups, from children in schools to community groups to corporate groups. She thinks ...

#59: Jill Forie: Sink or Swim

23 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jill Forie talked about how she started and runs her custom sneaker business, Sink or Swim Kicks, alongside teaching. She shared tips and encouragemen...

#58: Beth Welch: So What? You Can Draw...

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Beth Welch talked about finding her voice and discovering what she wanted to say with her artwork. She shared so many valuable tips for artists about ...

#57: Kelly Marshall: Invisible Labor

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kelly Marshall shared such helpful tips drawing on her experience as a special education teacher. She also offered advice about starting her own busin...

#56: Tracy Brown: Being Seen

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy shared so vulnerably about body image and the importance of being seen and valued for who you are. She talked about struggling in school, but fe...

#55: Judy Richardson: Transformation

18 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Judy Richardson is a sculptor living and working in the high desert mountains of Magdalena, New Mexico, recently transplanted from Brooklyn, NY. Her w...

#54: Pat Cruz: Teaching Teaching Artists

11 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Cruz speaks about her art form being teaching Teaching Artists and translating between artists and teachers. She has worked in arts integration fo...

#53: Justin Bursk: Making Time for Looking

04 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Bursk talked about embracing imperfections and wrestling with the work. He shared how his time has shifted over the years from pushing through ...

#52: Jeremy Blair: Education is Rhizomatic

28 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Blair had such helpful advice and encouragement from his perspective as an art education professor, educating future teachers. We kept coming b...

#51: Mallory Muya: Rooting In Place

21 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mallory Muya has such a thoughtful way of being and made some beautiful connections as we talked about land and place, engaging students and families,...

#50: Gregory Quick: Creative Problem Solving

14 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I loved how Greg talked about art being all about solving problems and how that was what excited him about being an artist. He shared how he sets para...

#49: Kieren Dutcher: Breaking Through Barriers

07 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kieren Dutcher had such great advice to share about seasons in your career and writing children’s books and shifting to teaching online. I loved how...

#48: Mandi Antonucci: Following Curiosity

28 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mandi Antonucci creates beautifully detailed and painterly drawings using colored pencils, ball point pens, and sometimes other materials. She shared ...

#47: Don Masse: Shine Brite: Illuminating the World

21 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I have been inspired by Don Masse’s blog for years and loved getting to talk with him and pick his brain! He shared some great tips and inspiration ...

#46: Candido Crespo: Origin Story

14 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I have loved connecting with Candido Crespo on social media and it was such a pleasure to chat with him! He spoke about the importance of taking the t...

#45: Jessica Kitzman: Putting the Pieces Together

07 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jessica Kitzman and I connected through the Stay Home Gallery where we are both represented for 2021!! It has been such a joy to get to know her and h...

#44: Flavia Zuñiga-West & Sydney Snyder: Adding Voices

31 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adding Voices began as a free virtual conference for art educators of color and allies, founded by Flavia Zuñiga-West. Soon after the first conferenc...

#43: Kate Frazer Rego: The Studio Feels Alive

24 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Frazer Rego is an artist and educator living in the South Coast in Massachusetts. She attended the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth College ...

#42: Katie Bradford Osborne: Leap and You'll Find Wings

17 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Katie Bradford Osborne is an artist, mother, creative brand consultant, teacher, curator, gallerist, and, more than anything, a woman on a mission to ...

#41: Mahoganëë Amigér: Home is Where the Magic Is

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mahoganëë talked about how she and her husband started Responsible Artistry with a studio in their closet where they helped teens produce music. The...

#40: Reflecting & Recapping 2020

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This 40th episode will be the last one of 2020 and I’ll be sharing some of my favorite moments from the episodes released this year. As I reflect on...

#39: Hannah Zimmerman: Your Voice is Valid

20 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I loved hearing about the ideas behind Hannah Zimmerman's beautiful work. Lush greenery, the ephemera of an artist's life, and the occasional cat star...

#38: Lauren Merceron: Art Feeds Your Soul

13 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren Merceron shared her struggles with dyslexia and how she’s learned to embrace her unique challenges and value her unique strengths. I loved ho...

#37: Corbrae Smith: Forged Through Fire

06 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Corbrae Smith is a middle school art teacher by day, dope afrofuturist illustrator by night. Based in Oakland, CA, he is active in the local art scene...

#36: Emma Freeman: Endless Possibilities

29 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Freeman spoke about studying philosophy and art and how the two continue to mesh in her work. I loved the metaphor she shared about breaking down...

#35: Priyanka Parmanand: Painting At Night

22 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Priyanka Parmanand shifted from seeing art as a hobby to creating both a teaching studio and her own professional art practice. I loved hearing about ...

#34: Alisha Mernick: Critical Multiculturalism

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I’m so impressed with Alisha Mernick's ability to so concisely and eloquently share knowledge about anti-racist pedagogy and critical multiculturali...

#33: Natasha Rivett-Carnac: Words & Pictures

08 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Natasha Rivett-Carnac is a curator and writer with a focus on arts & culture, and education. She runs a blog that supports writers and other creat...

#32: Megan Driving Hawk: Creating Ceremony

25 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was so wonderful connecting with Megan Driving Hawk. We spoke about teaching and art-making, being white mothers of Indigenous and Latinx kids, and...

#31: Adrienne Brown-David: Do What Works for You!

18 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Adrienne Brown-David creates gorgeous paintings, drawings, and paper dolls! It was so helpful for me to hear that she doesn’t actually have it all t...

#30: Eileen Powers: Can You Make Hair For Me?

11 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eileen Powers talks about looking at an issue from all sides and how artists are problem solvers. I love how she applies this both physically to the e...

#29: Michael Millam: Finding Your Voice

04 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I enjoyed hearing how Michael Millam took a leap to pursue adventure in China and has built these dual careers of artist and teacher alongside and int...

#28: Victoria Fry: Bringing Contemporary Art Into the Classroom

27 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I connected with an incredible artist and educator who is working to promote artists and share resources for art educators. Victoria ...

#27: Matt MacFarland: The Power of a Story

20 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Macfarland shared so many amazing books and artists! We teach for the same organization, P.S. Arts, and had met a few times at PD, but it was nic...

#26: Melanie Anderson: Painting Happiness

13 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Melanie Anderson has been teaching for 18 years, but had a 15 year career in advertising before going into teaching. She talks about the difficult dec...

Mini Episode #2: Moments of Time

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blog post with images and links I’ve been thinking a lot about how to share the incredible work of more teaching artists and also share some of the ...

#25: Reuben King: Letting Go Of Control

06 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was so great to reconnect with Reuben King! I worked with him 10 years ago when I managed art education programs at the Bronx River Art Center. He ...

Mini Episode #1: What's In A Name?

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blog Post These mini-episodes are a way to share more art by amazing teaching artists as well as some resources and tips, challenges, shout outs, and ...

#24: Blade Wynne: Teaching As Improv

30 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blade shared how he teaches with a focus on process over product and bringing his ways of looking and making into his classrooms. He shifted from teac...

#23: Karina Esperanza Yánez: Representation Matters

23 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I loved hearing Karina Esperanza Yánez share some of her story. She offers insight to the challenges facing our Black and Brown students as well as w...

#22: Yvonne Kunz: Affirmations

16 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I had such a great conversation with Yvonne Kunz! We covered so many topics from using art to teach English as a second language to what’s working w...

#21: Anti-Racist Art Teachers: A Panel Discussion: Anti-Racist Teaching During A Pandemic

08 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I had the pleasure of talking with 5 of the 7 amazing women who make up the Anti-Racist Art Teachers. A few months ago, Paula Liz, an art teacher base...

#20: Danielle Nilsen: Offering Hope

02 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was so nice talking with Danielle Nilsen! We’ve been instagram friends since we were matched up in the Artist/Parent/Academic peer support groups...

#19: David T Miller: In Dialogue With The Work

26 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I was excited to talk with David T Miller, whose work is so full of color and texture. He talked about having a dialogue with his work and encouraging...

#18: Adjoa Burrowes: Telling Your Own Story

19 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Adjoa Burrowes has had several successful careers and it was such an honor to talk with her about her art practice, teaching, and children’s books. ...

#17: Jennifer Love Gironda: Everything is Everything

12 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer Love Gironda is such an accomplished art teacher and artist. She shared really helpful tips on grant writing, teaching, and getting your art ...

Exhibit! "See Where It Takes You" opens July 10

05 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

So, I said I wasn’t going to release an episode this week…and I’m not really. This is a mini-episode to share more about our upcoming exhibit. I...

#16: Mark Rode: Advocating for Arts Education

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was so much fun talking with Mark Rode! Our chat brought me down memory lane a bit as my path was similar in many ways to his. Living in New York i...

#15: Chris Brandt: Letting the Process Lead

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was so great talking with Chris Brandt about her winding path to teaching, her art-making, and TAB. I’ve mentioned before how I started attemptin...

#14: Liz Brent: Making Art Accessible

14 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Speaking with Liz Brent was so refreshing! Her passion for art and for her students came through so strongly. I loved hearing how she balances it all ...

#13: Aaron Bos-Wahl: Awe at the World

07 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I weighed skipping some time between episodes as we stand together for justice, freedom from oppression, and an end to police brutality. While I won't...

#12: Cassie Stephens: Being Fully Yourself

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In March, I spoke with Cassie Stephens! Yes, THE Cassie Stephens, art teacher extraordinaire. If you don’t know her, just google her name. I have to...

#11: Chloe Alexander: Presence & Persistence

24 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Speaking with Chloe Alexander was such a joy. She brings such positivity while keeping things very real and honest. She shared great advice for contin...

#10: Rachel Petrucelli: Making Time for the Artist in You

17 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Petrucelli had some great wisdom to share around technology and fundraising. We recorded this episode in February, before we were even aware of...

#9: Austin Fabinski: Pursuing A Dream

09 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was fun getting to know Austin Fabinski! He was so honest and open about the challenges he’s faced as an art teacher and an artist - never enough...

#8: Nikki Brugnoli: Daily Ritual as Art Practice

03 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I loved talking with Nikki! We discussed how and why she made the shift from teaching at the university level to teaching high school and the value al...

#7: Christy L Culp: Dedication to a Studio Practice

26 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I laughed so much talking with Christy Culp! It was a joy to hear her insights on teaching while building an art career. She talked about becoming a m...

#6: Deborah Reilly: Encouraging the Artist Within

19 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Deborah Reilly’s home is full of her beautiful artwork, but also beautifully decorated with calming colors, textures, and light. It was so nice to t...

#5: Stephanie Barenz: Re-Imagining Home

12 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stephanie Barenz teaches early childhood art at an international school in Shanghai. She shifted from teaching at the university level a few years ago...

#4: Pamella Allen: Creating Space

05 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I loved re-connecting with Pamella Allen! She has always been an artist. Her love for teaching came when she was managing a bush camp in Malawi and de...