Meet the Teaching Artist - Laura Evonne Steinman
Posted Sunday January 07 2018 at 5:06 pm.
Used tags: artist, cool, teacher
Hello, I'm Laura Evonne Steinman, Community Artist/Educator/Activist. I have been making a creative mess since I was a little kid building forts. I didn't like the color pink until I was almost 40 years old, go figure.
I believe that our lives are nurtured and transformed by creating art together! I create Art in and with community members. I love working on collaborative projects that are for rituals, social justice rallies, environmental actions, and just because we need more creative outlets in our lives! My main mediums of creating are with materials that have been discarded or passed along -- already used. From textiles to containers to stuff on the clearance rack. I'm a big trash picker and thrift store shopper. You probably would not find me collecting materials at a traditional art store, but instead at a yard sale!
My artistic experiences come from a web of many places and people. From growing up and traveling, to hanging out with my Aunt Brenda volunteering on a community farm, to always moving furniture around to create sacred spaces. The suitcase that I travel with comes from me having a learning disability when I was growing up in the early 80’s -- when folks didn't know what to do with me. I didn't like school and found my joys in creating art and exploring in nature. I got through the K-12 education system with a bunch of support and thrived in art school. In undergrad I studied Sculpture at Rhode Island School of Design and then went on to receive my Master of Art in Art Education with a concentration in Community Art at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
I am so grateful to my growing experiences in mud and theory in cities and the countryside. I weave together a combo of being involved in creative spaces in both urban and rural settings. I have a love for animals and the chipmunk Squeak, Finn the sheep, and Winsten the red-tailed squirrel travel with me.
I'm currently teaching for the entire school year at Samuel Adams School in East Boston. I'm creating visual art with kids in preschool - 5th grade. We have already planted over 150 flower bulbs in the community garden and have worked on a community art projects for World AIDS Day, Day with(out) Art. We will be exploring and working with a variety of materials during this residency with a focus on reusing materials and being aware of where our materials come from.
In January I will be starting a three month residency in Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital with teens and be collaborating with the teachers there to bring more art into the teen's daily lessons. I'm wicked excited about that!
My Hopes:
No comments