thirdspacearts

My academic teaching is currently centered on undergraduate and graduate students who are learning and training to work with people in therapeutic, educational, medical, and community contexts, and artists who are exploring socially-engaged art practice.  As an educator, I approach teaching from a place of both knowing and not-knowing—engaging in a reciprocal process of learning with my students, grounded in experience and humility. My ongoing journey of navigating power, privilege, and equity continually shapes my work in the classroom, studio, and community. I strive to recognize how students’ lives are shaped by dynamics of race, class, ability, and gender, and I see my role as guiding and supporting them in exploring their own social contexts. In this process, I encourage them to reflect on how their experiences inform their relationships, creativity, and collaborative work with others.

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I approach art education, therapy, and community practice as deeply interconnected fields, shaped by beliefs, practices, and social structures that often reproduce power and inequality. In my teaching, I invite students to reflect on their own histories and experiences, to examine personal biases, and to consider what it truly means to engage ethically with people and communities. I emphasize how art can foster social connection and relationships, while also highlighting the responsibility to ensure that such engagement does not cause harm.

My goal is to support students as they move between theory and practice—absorbing, questioning, and applying what they learn. I encourage them to develop the capacity to critique the systems they will encounter after graduation, while also navigating their practical realities. Ultimately, I strive to help students remain grounded in their values, apply their learning in meaningful ways, and use their practice as a force for positive change.