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Emmanuel Galvez Machuca | Teaching Artist of April 2019

Hometown: Mexico City

Major: Fine Arts and Minor in Arts Education  

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as a teaching artist?

A:  I started skateboarding in middle school and came to understand that to learn how to do a trick, I had to keep trying. That if I fell on the ground, I had to get up and try again. Eventually, I was able to land a trick. And, if I continued to work, I could perfect my style. When I began to draw cartoons, I naturally fell back on the lessons learned while skateboarding. My first drawings were clumsy, but eventually, through sheer determination and work, I became rather good at drawing cartoons. So, I learned that working on a skill, despite a failure, could lead to expertise.

I used this same process in art making. When I first start an art project I may not be successful, but if I spend time working, it improves. And the more I work, the better it gets. Generating new concepts also comes after much soul searching and mining memories. From 2010 to 2015 I have been involved in creating a series of paintings on the concept of “Pan Dulce.” The concept came to me as I thought of the days when I lived in Mexico City as a child and I walked with my Mom to the bakery where I could smell the fresh aromas of bread and see a beautiful spread of pan dulce. Those memories touched me so personally that I decided to set up a still life of these breads. As a result of these works, I now have gallery representation and have had two solo shows. Searching through my past experiences solidified what I wanted to do: to connect more closely with my childhood memories.

My success pushes me to work harder and make better art. I plan to become the first person in my family to receive a college degree. My motivation and hunger for knowledge inspires me to explore who I am as an artist, a teacher, and a student. I remember my mother’s words, “Echale ganas, mijo!” which means to [work hard, son!]. Her words allow me to push forward, to keep going, to perfect my greatest talent: art.

Q: Describe what the student artists in your VAPAE Afterschool or Arts Enrichment Program are working on and the process they’re using.

A:   Before I transferred to UCLA, I was working with two nonprofits. One of them was Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to K-12 underrepresented students interested in sports, music, and the arts. As the artist in residence at HOLA, I assisted in teaching art classes from teaching drawing, mix-medium and mentoring individual students. In 2010, Dan McCleary started Art Division, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and supporting underserved artistically inclined youth in the Rampart district where I have been an active participant since its inception. HOLA and Art Division have given me the tools and practice to give back to the community.

Because of my experience working with these nonprofits, I was offered the opportunity to work with one of the VAPAE Afterschool programs where I worked with another nonprofit. Latino Producers Action Network (LPAN) is a program that provides art workshops by Fabian Debora that brings youth from various communities together with their parents to collaborate in art projects. It was my pleasure working with the East Los Angeles community. In this VAPAE Program, I worked as a teaching artist assistant with Fabian Debora and I was able to learn several skills how to work with this is specific community intergenerational families. While in my participation at the program, I had the chance to assist every person and see them grow in their process and skills. I was really impressed with the mothers and daughters and how well they work with each other. I thought that the daughters would end up helping the mothers more but both of them created an equal balance.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A:  If I had not had Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) program when I was younger and Art Division as a young adult, I probably would not have followed my dream as an artist. Today, as a result of these opportunities, I have confidence in my art skills and in my capacity as a student of the arts.

Since I participated similar programs, I understand the value and the impact that it can provide to a student's lives. I think students can gain so much knowledge, critical thinking, and work collaboratively. Understanding these basic elements can help students discover the different possibilities of creating art pieces. Therefore, applying similar process outside of the arts into different environment allows students to navigate their own personal experiences. At a very personal level, art has always been there for me. The role of art can definitely play a huge role in students’ lives.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: In middle school, I found my voice by drawing cartoons. I would often lose myself in my drawings, especially during English classes. “You’re going to be good, but without reading and writing you’re never going to be successful,” my English teacher would say. I knew I should have listened, but I chose not to. Instead, I continued with the pattern of doodling and daydreaming and kept wishing of one day being an artist. The possibility of becoming an artist became more real when at 14 years old I found Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA). HOLA had tutors, classes, and other support systems to help usher us to college. Through college prep programming I discovered the possibility of the arts as a potential career with social benefits.   

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A:  Even though I already have some experience teaching, I don't have words to describe the amount of knowledge that I gained from completing the Arts Education Teaching Sequence in VAPAE. It has reinforced my teaching philosophy and enriched my practice as artist. Personally, I have gained more structure of how to create lesson plans. And also I had the opportunity to work with a public school. When I came to this country I went to public school. Having this opportunity to teach at a public school, it was very rich experience. Many of the students whom I taught were their first time having art lessons. Another reason why I want to continue to teaching because I understand that not every community has access to the arts. Therefore, I do see myself working with marginalized communities. The VAPAE minor would reinforce my practice as an educator and artist. I hope my discipline in the arts and my educational pursuits serve as a model and that we can all continue to make our community a better place.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: Even though I already have some experience teaching, I don't have words to describe the amount of knowledge that I gained from working with Fabian Debora through the VAPAE Program. I know for sure that everything that I learned will be reinforced and enrich my practice as both an educator and artist. When I started teaching I never took a formal class about art education. Through my previous history of volunteering for the arts as a teacher assistant, I was able to learn a lot of knowledge from both the classroom and the teacher. When I was offered a position of teaching art, of course, I said yes. Even though I did not have the proper training I still wanted to do it. It was not easy from the beginning. The more I communicated with other teachers and also with my supervisor, I was able to understand and get little more training about art education.

Once I transferred to UCLA, I was interested in taking classes in art education, and also became interested in completing the Visual and Performing Arts Education program. When I came to this country, I was part of the after school program, HOLA. I learned a lot from their academic education, especially when taking their art classes. Art has its own language, and not having been able to speak English, the arts allowed me to express and share my ideas with my classmates without language interfering. From my personal experience I want to complete the VAPAE program because I do see myself teaching art to kids and adults while still being able to continue with practice in the studio.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist at an Afterschool or Arts Enrichment Programs that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: Since I already have some experience working with nonprofits, I was able to adopt Fabian's style of teaching. Basically, he would give me instructions of what would the class be working before the class would start. For the most part, a lot of his lessons are very straightforward. Having my own artistic practice definitely helps me to follow him with his approach of having a responsive style of teaching that feels really community-based instead of a student vs. teacher approach. Within the two classes that I have taken at UCLA through art education, the way we approach art is so different than Fabian’s style of teaching. It was really interesting to see both styles of teaching. But as a teaching assistant, I have to recognize that one is working with the community and the other one it focuses on the education system. And also with various philosophies of teaching. As educators, we have to recognize the circumstances of this community such as understanding and learning how we help these communities. During my sessions, I was just starting to understand the difference between these teaching styles working both with Fabian and the community.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: One of my short-term goal is completing the Visual and Performing Art Education program. I would love to continue teaching with VAPAE after school programs. Another long-term goal is getting ready to apply graduate school. My dream would to one day go back to Mexico City and teach arts in communities that do not have access to the arts.

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Sage LaCroix | Teaching Artist of March 2019

Hometown: Berkeley, California

Major: Dance B.A. Psychology B.A. (Minors in VAPAE and Applied Developmental Psychology)

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as a teaching artist?

A:  I began creative movement classes at age 3 and figured out relatively quickly that dance was something I wanted to keep in my life forever. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, I trained in many styles of dance, constantly inspired by the teachers and mentors I had along the way. As I entered college, I knew that I wanted to continue my studies in dance but that I also wanted to be that mentor for other young students. As a kid, I was fortunate enough to attend schools with great arts programs but as I was introduced to LAUSD, I realized how dire the need is for arts in public schools. It was then that I realized how much I wanted to bring the arts to students who wouldn’t otherwise get the opportunity.

Q: Describe what the student artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts or arts enrichment program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: I just finished teaching at the Classroom in Residence at the Hammer Museum. There, I taught two different groups of fifth graders and we focused on themes that were similar to those represented in the museum galleries.  These themes included self-portraits, everyday objects being repurposed, and community. With both groups I used different ways of generating choreographing that were student centered. Then I facilitated putting it all together so they had a full dance by the end of the week. We also touched on dance concepts such as musicality and rhythm, shape and tableau, and appropriate audience and stage conduct.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: An opportunity like this one was visibly impactful for the students. They came into the experience both eager and slightly anxious about trying something that was new for them. However by engaging with their community and with their classmates in new ways, they were able to flex the creativity parts of their brain and open up to each other and to the staff in a more vulnerable way. Throughout the week, I saw students become more comfortable with their body and taking up space in the class. They became more eager to share when I asked questions and contribute movements to the group choreography. Each student was also able to be accountable and show up for their classmates in a community sense.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I had lots of opportunities for the arts when I was younger that allowed me to see the connection between human emotion and art. This helped me fall in love with the arts because I saw how it was a way I could express everything I felt in a safe way. At the same time, I never experienced a program like CRH that connected visual and performing arts. I think a program like this would have given someone like me who’s more of a performer, a better sense of how I can use my creativity in the visual arts world as well.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A:  As a teaching artist, I’m constantly inspired by the students’ willingness to go out of their comfort zones in order to express ideas and contribute to the group artmaking process. This leap of faith makes me want to take those same leaps in my own work and in life in general. I also get the opportunity to see the students collaborate in a way that is so supportive and and kind, and they remind me to bring those ideals to every group situation I’m in. By being a teaching  artist, I also get the constant joy of seeing my students discover parts of themselves that they had all along but maybe didn’t know how to express.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: The VAPAE program was one of the reasons I chose to come to UCLA. It’s unlike anything I could find at any other school and participating in it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made at UCLA. Through VAPAE I’ve had hands on teaching experience in over 5 different locations and been able to take classes from countless renowned teaching artists. This experience gives me great benefit not only because it has strengthened my leaderships skills, and knowledge of my own arts practice, but because I would feel completely prepared to go into a teaching job after graduating from UCLA. I have confidence in myself but also in the support system that VAPAE has built and knowing that they would be there to help and support me as I transition out of undergraduate study and into a career.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist at an Arts Enrichment or Afterschool Arts Programs that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: At the Classroom in Residence at the Hammer, I had one student who was resistant to participating throughout the entire week, despite encouragement from myself and the other staff members. He decided to be an audience member for the final performance, instead of dancing on stage with the rest of the class. I was worried that this student wasn’t getting anything out of the class and wasn’t growing in the same way as the other students. However after the performance, I asked the students to reflect on the week and he shared that he was proud of his fellow students for having the courage to perform on stage and that it looked like a lot of fun. When him and I had a one-on-one conversation later, I asked if next time he might want to participate, he said yes. Though it was small, I felt him slowly open up to the possibility of being vulnerable and stepping out of his comfort zone in the future.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: At some point in my life I would love to perform in a modern dance company because performing and traveling are two things that make me the happiest. I would also love to become a Dance/Movement Therapist or somehow incorporate social emotional aspects into being a teaching artist. I’m also very interested in student affairs and working with undergraduate arts students to help them achieve their long-term goals. A long- term goal for myself would be to increase the use of dance and movement as a form of therapy and healing among a multitude of groups.

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Brian Pea | Teaching Artist of February 2019

Hometown: San Jose/San Diego, CA

Major: Design Media Arts

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as a teaching artist?

A: I think I have always enjoyed art and took part in it, I believe as early as when I was three when I loved to watch the show Art Attack with my grandparents. I pursued art more seriously starting middle school, and following it professionally felt like a natural step to take once I began applying to colleges and considering a career. I've also always had a connection to children's engagement, as I enjoy working with kids, and entering into arts education felt like an inevitable union of these two interests. I had my start in arts education through a series of summer jobs as tutors or instructors while in high school, where the arts slowly integrated themselves into how I led those classes.

Q: Describe what the student artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts or arts enrichment program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: I am currently a teaching artist at the VAPAE Studio Sessions program at Emerson Community Charter, and we just completed a shadow box lesson I planned. I wanted the project to introduce a couple of different art techniques, so the project included drawing, painting, and fabrication in cardboard to complete a frame that suspended two illustrations. A self-portrait was done on tracing paper and a painting on acetate, so that when backlit the painted acetate would cast a shadow onto the tracing paper drawing to reveal a hidden background. The goal of the lesson was for the students to make a physical representation of what they want their futures to look like through their shadow boxes.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: I think that this form of engagement is important because it provides an avenue for students to consider their world and form their perspectives on it. There is definite value in looking at the world in a creative lens, and to provide those tools to kids is something that I see as a valuable trait to have when entering life. Thinking creatively when it comes to problem-solving or social collaboration, for instance, is often very useful, and is also sometimes underemphasized in children's development from an educational standpoint.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I had opportunities close to, but never really exactly like these, when I was younger. I think if I had more opportunities like this earlier, I could have seen how the arts can be a tool I could use to approach my problems with sooner, rather than just an aesthetic expression of my feelings. I have used art making as a form of therapy or personal enrichment before, for instance, but I never made a connection between the two until I entered the VAPAE program and learned about how I could provide that in arts programming.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: I think as a children's arts facilitator I am able to observe how a child's mind develops, which gives me insight into how I was when I was younger and how I was influenced by the arts. Currently, in my time at Studio Sessions @ Emerson, I have found the most fulfillment simply working with the students and seeing who they are as individuals, and I think that is because I am interested in seeing how they individually approach the arts classroom as a social space.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: My biggest gratitude towards UCLA's VAPAE program would be for connecting my interest in children's engagement with my interest in the arts, through insight into avenues like being a teaching artist, arts therapy, or arts-integrated learning. Before, I had a sense of myself as an artist, and that was separate from my passion for working with children, but after my time in the VAPAE minor and further as a teaching artist, I realized that there are ways for me to be both an artist and an educator and for my art practice to be about directly engaging children. And for that reason, I am thankful I found the VAPAE program, by chance at that too!

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist at an Arts Enrichment or Afterschool Arts Programs that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: I'm always so excited to see each student enjoy themselves and make artwork they are proud of, so it is hard to come up with one pivotal experience from the time I've taught through VAPAE. The first graders I taught as part of the minor were the sweetest kids, and all the middle schoolers I am currently working with at Studio Sessions @ Emerson are really intelligent and funny! But I would say the most personal growth I have witnessed was when I had the chance to assist an 8th grader with a self-portrait, as part of a public art project for their school led by muralist Judy Baca. The student and I became really good friends throughout the process, and I was able to see first-hand how an opportunity like that shaped how they saw their goals and future as a possible reality.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: As a fourth-year, I've definitely been thinking a lot about my impending career goals! In the near future, I hope to take a chance to focus in on what I learned throughout my time at UCLA and apply that towards work that integrates children's engagement with new media. Beyond that, I see myself eventually pursuing higher education in the direction of children's media or education, so that I can gain more insight into how I can become a more conscious artist and arts educator.

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Ago Visconti | Teaching Artist of January 2019

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Major: Fine Arts, minor in Arts Education

"Embracing strangeness when it's talking is where fear dies and inspiration begins". I live by this and it's something that drives my art practice and pedagogy. 

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as a teaching artist?

A: Both of my parents are Argentinian Tango dancers/teachers/performers. Most of my youth was  predominantly spent traveling with them to classes and workshops. I was exhausted of dance studios and my parents could tell. They sent me to any extracurricular that popped to my mind at a very young age so I could develop my own passions. I had no idea I would be a visual artist until a middle school art teacher saw my paintings  and called my parents in for a serious career possibility. The belief she instilled in me gave me the support I needed to move forward with art making. However,  my parents were my main inspiration to being a teaching artist because I have personally seen the joy and balance that it brings to people’s lives.

Q: Describe what the student artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts or arts enrichment program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: Our first quarter at Ad Astra was focused on technique and skill sets; knowing how the tools work before applying them to concepts. This consisted a lot of working with our hands to produce very basic ideas such self portraiture through objects and making clay sculptures of memories. This winter quarter we are taking a different approach. I think being an artist is so much more than making things. Yes artists are known for making works of art like paintings and sculptures but this time around we wanted to push critical thinking into play now that they have technical skills to build off of. Artists such as Marcel Duchamp is a great example of this conceptual approach we are digging for - how can we push the boundaries of a single idea, such as Space, to make art work. Students have been engaged by using their entire body to apply mark making and exploring shared spaces that include interceptions by our peers in the class.  

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: I believe students who engage in critical thinking and problem solving through a creative lens have more of an opportunity to create their on efficient directions of question making and problem solving instead of following formulas given to them. This kind of thinking can inspire individuals to challenge the norms and move forward with problem solving from angles that may have never even been thought or before.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I went to the UCLA Lab School for elementary school, at the time it was called UES. It is a research school where experimentally they had us engage in many art infused practices. I wouldn’t say it shaped my love of art but it exposed me to a new kind of critical thinking that I wasn’t aware of until much later. It helped a lot more in my other academic studies than my own personal art making. Suddenly I was using artistic approaches such as formal dissection, examining patterns, and creating my own relationships between an “A” and “B” for math and sciences. Art making and the scientific method share analysis approaches.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A:  I’ve been in college for almost 6 years and my vocabulary and language has reached points where not everyone understands what I’m talking about. I have gained a lot of knowledge of how to verbally communicate complicated concepts in simple approaches. I have learned the importance of seed planting because although a young student may not completely “get it” at first, they are familiarized with concepts of critical thinking and conceptual art making.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: For me as a student the VAPAE program has given me opportunities I could only dream of at this stage in my academia. I am so happy I made the push to add the minor in my studies outside of my art. The program is very social justice driven and I didn’t know there was a social justice warrior inside of my waiting to share passions for the arts with communities in Los Angeles. The enriching opportunities that the VAPAE program offers for communities but also students at UCLA is so great because they provide the experience and guidance to being a genuinely inspiring  and progressive arts teacher.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist at an Arts Enrichment or Afterschool Arts Programs that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: Actually this last session I held with my co-teachers at Ad Astra was extremely transformational for the students and for me. We had done an activity where we collectively put rolls of butcher paper on the ground and each student, one by one, interpreted their life’s journey and trajectory through line. Students were asked to explore the space they have taken up in their lives and how would they want their lives to change through line. At one point every student in the room was on the floor weaving themselves between each other and building off of each other’s line. It was extremely beautiful to see them collaborate together. Before, the students would barely speak to each other. It gave me hope that we would be able to share space and grow together.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: My short term goals are to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts and a minor in Arts Education in June. I want to begin my own research practice outside of academia and continue to build my skills as a sculptor. I hope to continue to work with young students and also work with organizations that hold creative act sessions in Juvenile Detention Centers. Long term I would love to continue my studies for a Masters in Fine Arts. I want to be an Art Theory professor at a university one day. It would be a dream to travel the world making art and inserting creative acts sessions wherever I can.

[uclavapae]

Matthew Broking | Teaching Artist of December 2018

Hometown: Eagle Rock/Los Angeles

Major: Design | Media Arts

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as a teaching artist?

A: Drawing was always a hobby of mine since I was quite young. My mom was an elementary school teacher and always encouraged me to paint and draw. She took me to the local art center at a very young age and had me take a few courses there when I was around 6 or 7 years-old. Although, to be completely honest, I started to practice drawing more and more because I was jealous of my brother and his drawing abilities. My interests in Design and media started when I was even younger. Around 4 or 5 years old my dad sat me down on his lap and taught me how to use MS-DOS to load and run video games like, Wolfenstein 3D, Fisher Price Bowling, and DOOM. It was pretty much done at that point and I knew I wanted to make video games. On the other hand, my teaching career started when I volunteered at Annandale elementary school, where my mom taught for over 30 years. After graduating High school I eventually got a Teacher’s assistant position in the kindergarten classes, and then by my third year there I moved up to the 5th grade classes. After leaving Annandale I was a tutor and teacher’s assistant in both the Arts and Design Technology departments at Pasadena City College. When transferring to UCLA I could not resist signing up for VAPAE courses.

Q: Describe what the student artists in your VAPAE after school arts or arts enrichment program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: In the after school program, MASA @ TORRES, the students had the opportunity to explore many mediums. The class started by making Zines using collage techniques and then moved onto Dia de Los Muertos accordion booklets. Students printed images of passed loved ones to adorn their booklets in dedication to them and also decorated the booklets with other materials. For the next project students stepped away from paper and booklets and moved onto clay. We provided terra-cotta clay and gave limited instruction, only showing some techniques on how to handle the clay. We did not want to limit their creative processes by giving a detailed instructions of what the final result should look like. Students were free to sculpt and design whatever they liked. It was an amazing sight to see when they were finished. The pieces ranged from small functional pottery to mini tacos, dinosaurs, and ice cream cones. After all the clay projects dried students had the opportunity to paint their projects which really brought a the pieces to life.

 Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: First of all, enrichment opportunities like this are not common. They do not exist in every community as they should. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have those experiences with making art in the local art center. I hold those experiences so close to my heart that I don't know if I would have enjoyed art as much as I do now without them. These enrichment opportunities offer an experience with one’s creative mind. It offers a free, safe, creative space in which participants can be inspired by others and vice versa. Opportunities like this allow participants to roam free in their creativity and, personally, I don't think making art alone at home can ever be the same as making art in a group settings like VAPAE’s programs offer. The materials that are offered are given free of charge so there is no worry about how art materials can be a financial burden and therefore there's never that tiny voice in the back of your head telling you to use less materials to save money. Though these factors may seem insignificant to some they can be a limiting factor in one’s creative processes whether they are aware of it or not. Opportunities to be creative are very important and it’s importance is not limited to only the art world.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: As mentioned before, I had an opportunity similar to this. I was enrolled in a few art classes at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts when I was very young. I have vivid memories of working with clay, paints, and one where I filled in Black and white images with colored pencil. These experiences are the cornerstone of my creative mind. I do not recall earlier memories of art making prior to the ones in this program and I don't know how interested I would be in art without them.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A:   I love to help people learn and I think that is what’s the most addictive about arts education. Teaching arts and seeing an entire classroom of students create such beautiful work, with only a few lines of instructions and guidance, is truly inspirational for me and my artwork as well. Teaching also helps me continue to learn. I always have to step back and remember the process of how to do something and in doing so I find gaps in my own knowledge that I need to be filled.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: The VAPAE program was a great choice in terms of my education as a student and it’s teachings have only benefited me as a graduate. As a LAUSD alum I had only one view of how education worked and VAPAE turned everything around. I always knew that everyone learned in different ways but it was VAPAE that helped me to understand the specifics of why that is. The VAPAE program opened my eyes to the way education needs to be, not just Arts education but education as a whole. I can now be an agent of the much needed change of our educational system.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist at an Arts Enrichment or After school Arts Programs that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: When I was an art student, which wasn’t that long ago, I never liked the restrictions in our assignment. I realized afterwards, when I was an artist with no assigned prompts, that it was difficult for me to come up with ideas of what to make. I always wanted the freedom to do anything I pleased but it was then that I realized I actually needed to set more rules for myself in order to create. When planning a lesson that I led this past semester I made sure to set parameters of how the final result of the project would look like. The lesson didn't go as I had expected and the students didn't seem to enjoy the process as much as thought they would either. It then remembered that I never wanted restrictions, all I wanted was an assigned medium to work with and to go from there. So I did just that for the next project. I got 50 lbs of terra-cotta clay and let the students do and make whatever they pleased. Allowing the students to fully explore their creative freedom and seeing what the students created was an incredible moment for me.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: Short term I want to get a job in game design in a studio somewhere in Los Angeles while working part time as an arts educator. Long term I want to develop my own game production studio and work part time as a professor in a design school.

[uclavapae]

Rob Tom | Teaching Artist of November 2018

Hometown: Santa Monica

Major: Design Media Arts

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as a teaching artist?

A: I’ve always been a storyteller, since I was a child, I would craft elaborate stories and fantastical worlds I would lose myself in, and wanted to share with my friends. Eventually, when they started becoming too complex to explain in words, I had to find a new way to share my vision. Ultimately this lead me to working in 3D space. As my ability to create richer and more dynamic stories grew, so did my curiosity about the visions those around me saw. I grew so fascinated by what those around me saw all I wanted to do was bring those visions to life too. While I am very fortunate I’ve been able to make this into a profession it was never the goal. All I wanted to do was show those around me the worlds I saw. Though in more recent years I’ve dedicate my time to teaching. To me being able to show my ideas is what got me through the hardships I’ve experienced. Thus I want to pass on my these practices I’ve gained to others, so they too can get past the hardships they may deal with in life.

Q: Describe what the student artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts or arts enrichment program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: Currently my students [at Creativity Sessions @ Ad Astra] are working with various mediums such as bookbinding, video editing, and more traditional mediums. The process I have them primarily focus on is personal interpretation and how that can be expressed in various forms. 

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: My teaching philosophy is to teach students how to question art, as well as the world around them. I want my students to go further than taking something for face value. Regardless if these students want to become professional artist or not, these skills I focus on in my art classes can be applied to any field.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I did not have many opportunities to participate in programs similar to those in VAPAE. I feel if I had the opportunity to participate in one of these programs I would have been able to develop my artistic skills with much more ease then I did on my own. I would spend weeks trying to learn how to master one technique that I feel in a VAPAE class I would have been able to learn in one class session.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A:  They say the best way to learn something is to teach it, not only do I get to refine my own skills by teaching students, I can see their perspective which sometimes makes me rethink how I am looking at something. Plus walking away knowing I’ve been able to give them knowledge or a skill they can use to help them in life always puts a smile on my face.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: The biggest benefit I’ve found is the community of VAPAE. Even after graduation I still feel that I always have a family to go to if I am ever in need of assistance. Everyone cares for one another and is there when you need them. Whether it’s advice for teaching, feedback on a lesson plan, or someone to grab coffee with on a stressful day, someone's always there.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist at an Arts Enrichment or Afterschool Arts Programs that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: On my first day of teaching [at Ad Astra] I had just started to give instructions for the project we were going to be working on. All of a sudden a student raised their hand to ask a question, I assumed it was to clarify something but she asked if we could start working on the project. I paused and was at a loss for words. The other students then jumped up and tried to start working even before I had fully finished explaining everything to them. All these students wanted to do was get to work and create art, when I was expecting to have to really work with them to get started. This moment is very special to me because it reminds me just how much students when given the opportunity, want to make art.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: Currently my short-term goals are to work in fields unrelated to 3D design, all knowledge is useful knowledge to me. I want to take the time and to focus on new things that I can eventually bring back into my practice and incorporate into my designs.

B: My long term goal would be to bring all the practices I’ve worked on over the years and start my own design studio, that can put out the art I so desperately hope to make someday, while also serving as a place for people to learn from.

[uclavapae]

Isabella Granados | Teaching Artist of October 2018

Hometown: East LA

Major: Art

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: Since I was young, I have always been intrigued by how calm I feel when creating art. I was an anxious child and while growing up I didn’t realize how incredibly transformative and healing creative expression can be. The more I practiced painting throughout high school, the more I realized I needed it as an outlet for my own emotions and feelings I have been taught to suppress. Becoming an arts educator felt so necessary to me. I felt like I had to share this beautiful thing with as many people as I could since it helped me in more ways than I can explain.

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: At Las Fotos Project (LFP), the young women there are focusing on inspirational migrant women in their lives that they would like to highlight via photography. The class is titled, “Esta Soy Yo” and the 3 main focuses of the class is mentorship, photography skills, and self-confidence. MASA at UCLA Community School just began a few days ago so our first class was focused on introductions and warming up to painting. Myself and a fellow teaching artist named Maria taught the class 7 different watercolor techniques they can use in their own artmaking. Everyone made name tags to keep for the rest of the semester so we can get to know each other’s names and begin building our community. 

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: The young women at LFP are able to use photography as a way of depicting themselves or others in a new light which can be a very empowering experience for them. Along with becoming stronger photographers, they have the agency to write their own compelling narratives and an engaged audience to share them with. I can say that just by teaching one class, I am already able to witness how much the parents and students genuinely value the arts programming they are receiving. I think all of us, the students, parents, and the teachers will be able to grow as individuals and collectively as artists.  

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A:  In high school I took every free art opportunity I could get my hands on. I attended Ryman Arts, after school art classes offered by CalArts, Saturday High at Art Center, CAPSA (Community Arts Partnership Summer of Art) which was summer school for art also taught by CalArts students and professors, art classes at East LA College  and Inner-City Arts where I currently volunteer. This was all on top of the classes I took while enrolled in the visual academy at Ramon C. Cortines High School of VAPA. Looking back, it really prepared me for college in terms of juggling a bunch of different things at once. I was obsessed with becoming a better artist and being taught by a variety of different teachers who all had different approaches to art. It showed me that there was no one way of making art or teaching it.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A:  Seeing a student’s face light up when you show them a new way of making art reminds me of how excited I was when I first started out drawing. Also, seeing how proud a student is of something they made really makes me want to make art. Witnessing the different approaches to the creative process is very informative to my own artistic practice.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: There is a long list of ways the VAPAE program has benefited me but the one that stands out the most is the sense of community the program fosters. Doing all of the ice-breakers, games, and community building exercises in class truly does work. I can honestly say that I have been vulnerable in every VAPAE class I have taken because I felt comfortable doing so. I definitely cannot say the same for other classes I took as an undergrad.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your time as a VAPAE Teaching Artist - at an Afterschool Arts/Enrichment Program - that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: At Horace Mann Middle School I taught a photography class during the summer with Amanda Sutton. It was tough. A majority of the students had a lot of trouble focusing and being respectful during class. For the last assignment we had the students pick their favorite photo they had taken during the course to be displayed on the last day in our classroom as a gallery. One student named Tyrus was particularly disruptive during every class. He refused to pick a photo to be in the gallery because he didn’t think any were “good enough.” Amanda and I picked one for him, a beautiful portrait of him and his parents. When Tyrus came in and saw it on the wall he yelled (which was very normal for students to do as soon as they entered the class) and attempted to take it down. Amanda and I stopped him of course. Later on in the class I saw him admiring his photo with a smile on his face. That was all I needed to know that he enjoyed at least one thing he had done because of our class. I told him how great his photo was and he smiled and rolled his eyes. That was one of the most positive experiences I had with Tyrus and I was so proud that he was proud even though he wouldn’t admit it. I know this isn’t much but to me it was everything.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: After doing travel study in Brazil for August and a bit of September, I have been looking for mostly part-time arts education and public programming jobs in LA. I hope to save up enough money to travel and live in a different country for a year or so. I am interested in arts therapy and socially engaged arts. I hope to go to graduate school someday to study either of those two things or in a related field. I can’t say what I would like to do for the rest of my life because I don’t know! And I am ok with that for now.

[uclavapae]

Ria Julian | Teaching Artist of May 2018

Hometown: Born in Japan, but grew up in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

Major: Dance, Minor: VAPAE

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: I discovered the arts, specifically dance, when I was a 2nd grader attending Hobart Elementary School located in Koreatown, Los Angeles. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Disney cartoon - Kim Possible. I was so obsessed, I would always use my recess and lunch breaks to try and execute her cartwheels and splits on the playground! On one particular day, two teachers approached me in the playground and asked if I would like to join their after school Drill Team. Without knowing what I would be getting myself into, I said yes!

I wasn’t sure what I was doing at the time, but I knew that I loved doing it. I couldn’t define “it” until I was in 5th grade when my 5th grade teacher asked me “So, do you like to dance?” I didn’t realize it before, but on that day it finally confirmed that I loved dance. From that day on, I followed dance wherever I went, because I knew it made me the happiest. I decided to pursue dance as my career after I attended a summer dance intensive hosted by Contra-Tiempo. During that summer,  I was exposed to the kind of impact dance can have on the general public and the dancers themselves. Not only does dance entertain, it can also educate and create communities. From that moment on I knew that dance was my way of creating a better world by communicating my ideas and aspirations through movement.

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: I am currently teaching at Bancroft Middle School for 8 sessions through the VAPAE Arts Education Teaching Sequence. Since this is the last course of the sequence, I am teaching the unit plan that I created in class during winter quarter. In my unit plan, I am using Hip Hop dance as a means for students to create their own narratives. There are a few lessons where I integrate writing with choreography. For example, I ask students to free-write for 5 minutes without stopping (and without talking) to let them freely express what is on their mind without outside judgement. After writing, I ask the students to choose 5 words to use as the placeholder for 5 different movement vocabularies. With these lessons, students will be exposed to a way of creating work that will reflect their personal narratives.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: I believe students in K-12 need time to explore their interests, passions, and themselves in general. Without these programs, students won’t have the time outside of the typical school day to sit down and process their experiences and emotions through art-making. Since public schools are undergoing budget cuts, the arts are being taken away from the students who benefit from these programs the most- students who come from low-income communities. Once students have the opportunity to participate in an arts-education program, they will experience a journey of self-understanding and self-growth that some may find difficult in a typical classroom environment.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A:  To take from my past experiences, I would not have been exposed to dance if it were not for the dance after school program at my elementary school. If it were not for the Contra-Tiempo Summer Intensive, I would not have been exposed to the more meaningful arts-activism side of dance. I am grateful for those programs, because it allowed me to surround myself with others who loved dance just as much as I did. Being in those programs encouraged me to continue with my passion as I was exposed to adults who were successful in their dance careers.

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A:  This experience as a teaching artist has taught me that my improvisational skills are very useful in the classroom. I am someone who tends to be very spontaneous, so if something does not go according to plan, it is very easy for me to adjust. I also learned that I have so much energy! I have a peppy and goofy personality that I use to present myself as an approachable teacher. Finally, I learned (actually reconfirmed) that I really, really, really love dance. If I am able to pursue dance through teaching, then I shall do it for the rest of my life if life allows.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: As a teaching artist, I gain a newfound respect for all educators, especially arts educators all around the world. Teachers are constantly being underappreciated, but it is teachers that shape and influence the leaders of the future. I also have a new love for students in the middle school age range. They used to be intimidating to me, but after a few sessions I can see that all they want is for someone fun who isn’t that far in age but can set a good example.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: The VAPAE program has been amazing to me as I felt supported through every step of the way on my road to becoming a teaching artist. I am the most grateful for the Arts Education Teaching Sequence course, because I feel that it has really prepared me for a career in arts education. I now know how to create lessons, a unit plan, and a teaching philosophy.  My professor in the course, Jessica Bianchi, has answered every one of my questions about teaching while always reminding me that the stresses I feel about teaching are completely normal. She encourages me to continue teaching, because I could impact a student in a meaningful way through my dance lessons.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a break‐through with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: I personally haven’t heard any statements from the students themselves, but I heard positive statements from my guiding teacher, Ms. Lofton. During one of my lessons, I asked the students to close their eyes and listen to the music. I asked them to really feel the music and to incorporate that feeling into their bodies as they dance our newly-learned phrase. After the end of the session, Ms. Lofton came up to me and told me that I’m “... really opening up these kids”. She observed that some students who took the listening activity seriously, looked like they were experiencing bliss. I didn’t think I would be able to get students to be vulnerable during one of my lessons! Although it was just one positive comment, I feel like I am moving down the right path with arts education.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: After I graduate from UCLA, I hope to explore my options as a performer. Performing dance is my favorite thing to do, so I want to see how I can gain opportunities as a dancing teaching artist. It would be amazing if I could find a non-profit dance organization such as Contra Tiempo, Versa-Style, or CultureShock, where I can easily apply all of my experiences as a Dance major with a VAPAE minor. In joining a company like those, I can teach, perform, and continue to grow as an artist.

[uclavapae]

Alyssa Faith R. Scott | Teaching Artist of April 2018

Hometown: San Francisco

Major: World Arts and Cultures

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: I quickly fell in love with movement as a kid, and started taking dance classes when I was four years old. I practiced ballet and modern throughout high school, and taught at a dance camp for a few summers. Even though I had these experiences and was passionate about sharing dance with others, it took me a long time to realize that being a teaching artist was a profession that I could pursue and receive a degree in from a university. The first time I fully understood teaching artistry as a career was after a friend referred me to VAPAE and I started the first quarter of the teaching sequence.

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: Since January we have been implementing a series of weekly “Creativity Sessions” at SpaceX, which give our students the opportunity to learn and practice diverse arts techniques. Each class is dedicated to a different medium that is taught alongside culturally and socially specific lessons. Our students think critically about the world around them and use their artmaking as a way to explore their questions and visions for the future.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: Arts Education is an essential component of any curriculum and I firmly believe that every student should have access to the quality of teaching VAPAE’s programs provide. There is so much to be said about the influence artmaking has on brain development, not only in engaging critical thinking skills, but also in shaping interpersonal and emotional intelligence. More specifically to the school I’m currently working in, arts classes give each student the opportunity to explore their individual creativity and find confidence in their artistic voice. Our students work on their computers for the majority of the day, so they also appreciate moments for messiness!

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: Absolutely! Growing up in the Bay Area, I was very lucky to have art classes in my K-8 school and have the opportunity to be a part of incredible arts organizations in high school; however, the classes I took growing up lacked emphasis on the cultural and historical context of certain mediums and works of art. I think VAPAE is so important and unique because it takes a more comprehensive approach to arts education.

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A: Teaching in VAPAE has given me a new sense of confidence, and through my students I have learned the importance of patience and self-forgiveness. It’s easy to look towards tangible academic achievements for external validation, but feeling like you actually have something important enough to share as a teacher is much different. Tackling this mental obstacle has permeated through many aspects of my life, and has allowed me to find stronger conviction in my voice.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: Through my studies at UCLA I have become passionate about education and public engagement in arts institutions, such as museums and performing arts presenting houses. VAPAE is a crucial point of entry to the general field of arts education, and has given me the on-the-ground knowledge and skills to pursue many related careers. Regardless of the direction I follow in the future, the experiences I’ve had in VAPAE will always inform my work and drive my passion.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a break‐through with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: The students I’m currently working with are very passionate about specific things in their life, such as sharks, flowers, food, etc. As part of our Creativity Sessions series, our goal is to situate these objects into categories that are related to current events. We had been having some difficulty with this endeavor until recently, when we used a teaching technique called scaffolding to encourage our students to reach the idea on their own. Through this exercise, we were able to help the students understand the relationship between a personal interest like sharks, and a broader issue at play like landfill pollution in oceans. Giving the students the opportunity to find their own connection gave them agency, and we could see the idea lights going off in their heads making them even more dedicated to their new cause.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: After graduating this spring I hope to work at a museum, performing arts institution, or non-profit in arts education, public programming, or arts policy. In the next few years I also plan to attend graduate school and work towards a PhD in a related field. Long-term, I would love to be an education director at a museum or an artistic director at a performing arts organization, and ultimately use those experiences to become a professor at a research university, such as UCLA!

[uclavapae]

Aya Fathallah | Teaching Artist of March 2018

• Hometown: Davis, CA / Beirut, Lebanon

• Major: B.A. Art Department

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: I feel that there has never been a time when I was not interested in the arts. I have always been drawn to it. I found myself tirelessly working on art pieces throughout my experience as a student - that is not something I wanted to give up when I reached higher education. Being a teaching artist has truly given me a sense of purpose as a creative.

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: The young artists in the VAPAE afterschool arts program are middle schoolers who have a passion for creating. They all are extremely unique and conscientious. Over the past few months I’ve seen them expand their artmaking practices in terms of technique, but also in dealing with pressing issues that affect our communities through the arts. They have been making art with gouache, sculpting using different materials such as wire, and creating their own personal fiber art pieces. I see each student’s character come out through each piece. Most of the works deal with their idea of utopia, as well as address issues pertinent to their immediate or global community.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: An opportunity like this is vital to the lives of students. Not only does art help students express their thoughts and emotions, it develops their sense of self. They are able to become better communicators through artmaking, and can engage in genuine self-reflexivity. Such a program has so many benefits for the students in their personal and academic lives.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A:  My school did not offer art programming as inclusive as this one, so I generally sought out outside technical training through private lessons. Sadly, we are all aware of how such programs are not available enough to young people. I’m so thankful to be part of a program that can enrich student’s lives. It makes you appreciate and value the arts in your life. For me, art was always a way to realize my full self. It expanded so many of the traits I have today. It made me more emotionally aware of myself as well as much more diligent, committed, and compassionate.

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A:  It has taught me a great deal about how to be there for others in a way that makes a lasting effect. It has taught me how to communicate, facilitate, and organize in a way that is orderly but enjoyable for all involved. I learned that I am much better at dealing with unexpected challenges than I thought. Through this experience I have realized my capabilities to listen to others, to be adaptable, and to be innovative in the way I approach arts and arts education.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: The most rewarding aspect of this experience is learning from the students. These young artists have brilliant ideas and new approaches that we can benefit from as we all come from different perspectives and worldviews. I feel so glad that I can be part of such a positive growth experience that helps both myself and the young artists.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: This program is highly beneficial because it makes students aware of the reality of arts education in school systems. It makes you believe so firmly in the benefits of the arts for all people. This program was a wonderful choice for me. I have met some of the most inspiring, driven, and creative people through VAPAE.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a break‐through with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: I think something that will always stay with me is the progression from not knowing the students at all to feeling their character come through their art pieces. I could feel us all collectively getting to know ourselves better. One moment that stands out to me is when we conducted an exercise about the most pressing issues in our community. This led us to discover each student’s personal struggles or definitions of their identity. Seeing them working at being confident in who they are and what they believe in at that age was really heartwarming.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: My short term goals are to develop my art practice at UCLA, and go on in the future to explore more fields and avenues in the art world that I can merge with what I already do. I hope to get to know more about all the professions available to someone who is passionate about the arts, whether that be in arts education, museum settings, a studio practice, or architecture. I do know that long term I want to make accessible and transformative arts education a big part of my career.

[uclavapae]

VAPAE takes a close look at PhotoVoice Afterschool Arts Program at Venice High School

[uclavapae]

Rachel Tu | Teaching Artist of February 2018

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Major: B.A. Design | Media Arts 

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: I’ve been creating constantly since childhood—I sculpted play-doh, drew and painted furiously, wrote and illustrated stories. What began as recreational play turned into a more serious passion as I continued to gravitate away from math and science and towards the arts. High school was a pivotal time for my creative journey. I held leadership positions in yearbook and fashion club, which grew my experience in and excitement for graphic design, photography, fashion design, and mixed media. More importantly, though, I had the privilege of working with the most supportive, kind, and creative public high school studio art teacher that this world may know. He challenged me to think analytically and creatively, helped me push my projects further than I could initially conceive, and cared for all of his students with deep compassion. I was blessed to be accepted to UCLA Design | Media Arts under his guidance, so I entered college convinced and content that I’d be a graphic designer for the rest of my life. I loved (and still love) graphic design and all of the arts, and the door for graphic design is still open. But I burnt out quickly because I spent freshman year buried in classwork and two graphic design internships. Thankfully, my class schedule allowed me to pick up a minor, and I stumbled upon the Visual and Performing Arts Education minor. Without putting much thought into it, I went through the capstone sequence and found myself teaching in a classroom within a few months.From there, I understood that my technical skills, eye for design, desire to build relationships, appreciation for my high school art teacher created a foundation for me to love the high school art classroom. 

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: It is a joy to collaborate alongside these high school creators during the PhotoVoice afterschool program. We have the privilege of working with a wide range of students with vastly different interests. They have high aspirations and work hard towards those goals in journalism, visual art, video, engineering, biology, and of course, photography. They want to photograph everything: nature, portraits, cars, events, animals, and environments. 

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: This opportunity is crucial to high school students. They teeter between childhood and adulthood. They take joy in the little things and engage in petty drama, but they also face real-world struggles and heartache and suffering. They are in a volatile, vulnerable, and formative time of their lives. They are trying to discover what they want, what their values are, and where their passions lie. They desire belonging and community; their identities are influenceable. They long for a safe space and creative outlet where they can begin to understand themselves by exploring, making mistakes, learning, and growing.This space is PhotoVoice. This space should be every high school classroom. Here, students need to gain a stronger sense of their identities and establish a foundation for their futures. 

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: Thankfully, I did have the opportunity to create, fail, and grow under the guidance of my high school art teacher. I still marvel at his ability to push me to establish my projects on strong and meaningful concepts, help countless students build portfolios that got us admitted to the most prestigious schools, balance a classroom of 30+ rebellious high school students, and still engage with every one of us in deeper, purposeful conversations. He showed me that art is so much more than making a pretty thing. It is a creative, rigorous, and relational process. I believe that every student needs to work through the creative process alongside a mentor that genuinely cares for his or her soul. 

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A: Practically, I am learning to manage time, be clear with directions, plan lessons, and demand respect. But moreover, I am learning to atune to, care for, and serve students. I am learning to empathize and sympathize with students who come from diverse backgrounds and carry burdens or issues with them which I could never imagine. I am learning the importance of passion and compassion. I am learning to push the students out of their comfort zones so that they can grow, and I continually ask the question, “Why?” I’ve failed and will fail so many times in the classroom, but through these mistakes I’ve come to realize that teaching is actually a huge learning process. Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: As stated before, I have gained empathy and a purpose-driven mindset. I want to teach because I hope to give back to the community that poured so much into me. Every time I go into the classroom, I hope and desire to give as much as possible to the students. However, I often find that I gain more lessons, epiphanies, and relationships than I have to offer. It’s such a blessing to be a facilitator of a collaborative environment like the classroom!

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: Goodness, if you told me that I’d come to UCLA and have the opportunities to... -teach an eight-lesson curriculum to 37 high schoolers as part of a class that I was enrolled in, -teach dance lessons to kindergarten, middle school, and high school classes after quitting dance five years ago, -teach a ten-week afterschool photography program to dedicated high schoolers AND get paid for it, -come back every week and have the full support and constructive feedback from passionate and experienced educators, ...I would’ve laughed and said, “no way.” Minoring in VAPAE has been one of the best choices that I made in college. I have access to so many resources, a wealth of knowledge and experience in the faculty, and priceless relationships with my cohorts and teachers.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a break‐through with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: Students continually surprise me in the best ways possible. The arts are truly therapeutic and can showcase a beautiful rawness that the students don’t want to describe or talk about with their peers. I love being able to see my quiet students break out of their shells in the last few lessons and talk proudly about their work. The students who speak out or misbehave, thinking that they’re “too cool” for the class dive right into creating work that is an expression of their personalities under their cool facade.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: Short-term: continue teaching; continue designing; continue hand-lettering (one of my side-hobbies!), and continue to invest in the people around me. Long-term: graduate from UCLA and get some sort of job. I leave this vague because I believe that teaching can manifest itself in many, many forms. I would love to teach in the classroom, but I’ve considered teaching in art therapy, private art lessons, hand-lettering workshops, or even yoga and dance. Teaching may not even be in an art form; I would also love to teach and be involved with children in church ministry or as a mom. If not in the formal role of teaching, I may end up in an ad agency, tech company, design studio, start-up—the list goes on! Being a teacher is a lifestyle of sharing, giving, serving, caring, loving, receiving, failing, and learning.

[uclavapae]

Amanda Sutton | Teaching Artist of January 2018

Hometown: Petaluma, CA

Major: B.A. Art

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: I’ve made art for as long as I can remember, but it never seemed like something I could pursue professionally. After retiring from my ballet career, I floated from job to job until landing in something that seemed the most sensible - accounting. A few years in, I realized that I couldn’t let the sensible thing be the ruling force in my future when the drive to make art and participate in an artistic community was ever-present.

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: My students are investigating and creating work in response to ideas of utopia. This quarter we will be working with collage, drawing with wire, molding sculptural wall pieces in foam and fabric, rotary printing and marbling fabric, bookbinding, making miniature dioramas of our utopias, and collecting community problems and solutions for our first socially-engaged art piece.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: I hope they gain new ideas of what their future could look like, and gain confidence in the realm of art making and viewing. Each week we teach them about artists who make work that is related to that week’s project, so I hope they draw inspiration from those artists and explore them at a greater depth. They also get a fun place to be every Tuesday with snacks and music and community.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I didn’t have anything like this when I was a kid. I always made things on my own, but was one of those kids who believed that people were born with some special artistic talent or gift, and that since I didn’t know how to draw, I wasn’t one of those people. It wasn’t until a community college drawing professor equated the hard work and practice I put into ballet with the way rendering skills are developed that I understood that I, too, was allowed to make things and call them art. 

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A: I can actually see myself not only enjoying but becoming comfortable with this role. 

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: I came to the program worried that teaching would distract me from my art practice, and that if I wanted to be a full-time artist I couldn’t let teaching get in the way of making new work. After several jobs as a teaching artist I’m beginning to see this role as a part of my art practice, as another way of working with a community. I’ve started bringing the themes I explore in my own work to the classroom and have found new and interesting pathways to travel. Young people are fascinating. 

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: I came to the program worried that teaching would distract me from my art practice, and that if I wanted to be a full-time artist I couldn’t let teaching get in the way of making new work. After several jobs as a teaching artist I’m beginning to see this role as a part of my art practice, as another way of working with a community. I’ve started bringing the themes I explore in my own work to the classroom and have found new and interesting pathways to travel. Young people are fascinating. 

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a break‐through with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: It sounds cheesy, but I’m constantly surprised and impressed by the level of insight and quality of work my students produce. I’ve come to realize that we live in a society that constantly undervalues the experiences of young people, and this program has reminded me of just how creative and intelligent young people can be.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: After graduation I hope to develop and maintain a full-time studio practice, propose and create artworks in the public sphere, lead workshops at various arts organizations and institutions, attend residencies and continue dialogue with the faculty and fellow emerging artists I have connected with here at UCLA. I am planning to pursue my MFA within a few years of graduating and then find art-related jobs while still maintaining a strong studio practice. Eventually I’d like to be a “successful” fine artist, which I would define as being able to make work and pay my bills without having to take an unrelated or unfulfilling full-time job. 

[uclavapae]

VAPAE takes a closer look at the Multigenerational Afterschool Arts Program (MASA) at the UCLA Community School

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Jessi Pontillas | Teaching Artist of November 2017

Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA

Major: B.A. Dance, minor in VAPAE

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: As a child, it was really hard for me to sit down and stay still; all I wanted to do was twirl down the grocery store aisles and mimic the home videos of my mom and her sisters dancing. I grew up in a very arts-influenced environment; my lola (grandma) has the most beautiful singing voice, both of my parents danced when they were younger, and you couldn’t eat at family parties until you performed a sample of your artistic abilities. Pilipinx culture place strong values on music and dance, and that was definitely evident in my family. Dance for me became a method of creative expression that connected me with my Pilipinx heritage and my life in America at the same time. From a young age, I always knew dance was something I wanted to have for the rest of my life. I didn’t care how or what exactly I was going to do, but I knew that I needed dance to be woven throughout my life.

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: Currently, I co-teach with Ria Julian in kickstarting the Dance at Emerson Middle School program, and right now we’re working towards our final performance and project for the session. While learning about Hip Hop dance history and its cultural significance, they’ve also began developing freestyle and choreographic skills in dance. We’ve created a dance routine that will be documented through both video/film and a physical showcase, allowing them to apply the skills they’ve acquired through the program.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: This opportunity is so important because it gives them another way to free their own personal voice. Some students just express themselves better through physical movement than in writing or speaking, so it allows them to comfortably communicate their thoughts. For those who are less comfortable with dancing, it challenges them to take risks and make decisions. The dance studio is a safe space, a close-knit family, a center for healing. It provides them with a safe environment that is there for them every Tuesday after school, giving them a constant art-making place amidst whatever they have going on.

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I was fortunate enough to begin my dance training in a private dance studio, but an opportunity similar to Dance @ Emerson would have been my high school. I attended the Orange County High School of the Arts, where I auditioned to have dance apart of my everyday school schedule after my academic classes were done. The environment gave me a constant place to express myself, and if I needed somewhere to let out whatever was bothering me, I knew that I could do so in one of the dance studios or during one of my dance classes.

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A:  I’ve learned a lot about the teacher side of me. What works, what doesn’t, what I can improve on in the classroom. I’ve also learned how much I enjoy co-teaching! Dance @ Emerson is the first time I’ve been given the chance to co-teach, and I’m enjoying to collaborative process to build the program. However, this experience has primarily taught me what kind of role model I am and want to be for my students. I crave personal connections with my students, and the past months I’ve been able to build bridges with my students to the point where they feel comfortable coming to me about anything. To be trusted with whatever they choose to tell me is truly an honor.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: Growth. Connections with students, colleagues, people. Passing down knowledge to the next generation of artists. A sense of pride in the quality of my students’ work.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: I recently graduated this past June from the VAPAE program, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. While I have experience of teaching dance in a studio setting from high school, VAPAE provided me with so many more tools and techniques to adapt my teaching methods to the school classroom. I absolutely loved the fact that we didn’t simply just learn about how to teach, but were also able to apply what we learned in our Teaching Sequences. Hands-on learning and experiences are the best way for me to learn, so it was so great to put my skills to the test.

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a break‐through with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: For me, my favorite anecdote from Dance at Emerson was seeing the way our students grew comfortable with us. Connections with my students is important to me, so being able to forge these relationships with our students in such a short time was inspiring and rewarding. At the end of each class, Ria and I try to spend a few minutes facilitating a freestyle dance circle, or a cypher, with our students. One of my students had expressed that she was extremely shy about dancing in front of others and that she was worried about what they would say. However as the session continued, I saw her grow and break more out of her shell. This same student was the first student to step into the cypher, and it was amazing to see her flourish and enjoy herself when just a month ago, she never wanted to freestyle in front of her peers.

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: Short term, I’m focusing on teaching and dancing professionally in Los Angeles. I want to set a foundation for myself and become the best teacher I can be for my students at each of the schools I teach at. Long term, I’ll be returning to graduate school (sometime in the next 5 years, hopefully!) to complete coursework in dance/arts therapy. Once I earn my Masters and licensing, I want to open my own arts therapy practice in Southern California with my siblings.

[uclavapae]

Studies show that students participating in afterschool arts programs have better attendance and graduation rates, and feel more deeply connected to their school community, in addition to other social-emotional benefits.

VAPAE continues to extend its UCLA students’ experiences in arts education beyond the classroom by placing VAPAE minors and alums in several local school and community sites.

This is VAPAE’s third year offering afterschool visual arts programming at Emerson Community Charter Middle School. This year VAPAE is excited to add a dance program at Emerson as well!

With a commitment to using the arts as a tool for personal and social transformation and community engagement, VAPAE looks forward to sharing more about the afterschool and arts enrichment programs we are offering this year in dance, visual arts, photography, theater arts, and design. More to come!

[uclavapae]

Sara Simon | Teaching Artist of October 2017

Hometown: North Hollywood, CA

Major: B.A. Architectural Studies, M.Ed

Q: How did you discover your interest in the arts and how did you know that it was something that you wanted to pursue professionally, as an artist or as an artist teacher?

A: Like the majority of the VAPAE teaching artists,  I’ve been involved/interested/obsessed with art making ever since...forever. I have stacks of elementary-aged Sara drawings and vivid memories of putting on my special painting beret before I started my own “studio sessions.” It was very systematic and very involved. As I progressed through middle school and high school, however, I was discouraged by some from pursuing art much further. I needed to separate my “career goals” from my “hobbies,” I needed to think about my future, and I needed to pursue something more “realistic.”  Constantly hearing things like that, coupled with my own ideas of “not being good enough”  really made me doubt whether art was an avenue I could explore. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I started to revisit the visual arts more seriously. I enrolled in an art class and my teacher supported me tirelessly. She wrote me letters of recommendations, helped me to put together a portfolio for my college applications, but most importantly restored my self confidence. I couldn’t be more grateful to her. After being integrated into the UCLA community, the VAPAE program solidified the fact that I wanted to -- and actually COULD-- pursue the arts and art teaching professionally.  

Q: Describe what the young artists in your VAPAE afterschool arts program are working on and the process they’re using.

A: We’re exploring concepts of self, community, and utopia in our studio sessions. We’ve started on metaphorical self portraits using collage techniques, and more recently we’ve worked on mosaics and print making. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll be exploring costume design, model building, and sculpture.

Q: Why is an enrichment opportunity like this important for those participating? What do they gain?

A: A majority of the students who are in studio sessions this year are returning students from last year, which I think says a lot about the program. Students use this as an opportunity to make connections with their peers and express themselves both visually and verbally. We’re exploring a lot of ideas of community and self that aren’t introduced in the classroom. We’re using art to be introspective, to identify our place in our world, and to brainstorm ideas for a “utopian” future. I think this is a really valuable resource for young artists because, not only are they increasing and practicing their art skills, but they’re also delving deeper into themselves and exploring their own personal interests.  

Q: Did you have an opportunity like this when you were a younger artist? If yes, how did it help shape your love of art? If no, in what ways could a program like this have helped you?

A: I remember taking one cartooning class when I was younger, but it wasn’t anything like what we’re doing in the VAPAE program. We didn’t make art that we wanted to explore or that was related to us in any way. Here in studio sessions, we’re exploring different themes and overall have much more creative freedom. One of the biggest things I’ve noticed during studio sessions is that these young artists are so much more confident in their work than I was at the same age.  Being exposed to multi-media art classes, everyone is exploring, practicing their art skills and finding what works best for them. Two of the major ideas we like to emphasize in the classroom are that there is no “right” or “wrong” art, and that art doesn’t have to be “pretty,” which is something really valuable that I wasn’t taught as a young artist.

Q: What has this experience as a teaching artist or arts facilitator taught you about yourself?

A: This experience has taught me that I’m basically a college-graduated middle schooler.  We’ll talk about things like cartoons, Star Wars, and Pokemon cards in depth. I also get just as excited as our young artists about art making and the outcomes. We’re all exploring different ideas/techniques together and we never stop learning and growing.

Q: What do you personally gain as a teaching artist, arts facilitator?

A: I personally enjoy coming to class every week and seeing these young artists create things that are way out of my league. I’m also just really honored to be a part of these young artists lives and hope that I’m making a positive contribution to their learning.

Q: What are the benefits to you as a student/graduate in the UCLA VAPAE program? Was this program a good choice for you? If so, why?

A: Of course, absolutely, yes, for sure, definitely, 100%, the VAPAE program was a good choice for me. I am so grateful for this program and all the wonderful experiences that came from it. I worked in an elementary classroom developing and teaching my own art unit, traveled to Northern California and worked alongside art therapists and educators to implement a community program, fabricated a set designed entirely out of cardboard and duct tape for a professional show, and I’m currently working with middle schoolers to create some really amazing art pieces. I wouldn’t have had any of these experiences had it not been for the VAPAE program.     

Q: Are there any anecdotes from your VAPAE Studio Sessions (or Arts Education Teaching Sequence) that stand out to you? Perhaps you had a breakthrough with a student or saw some particularly noticeable growth in that student through this program, collaboration etc. Maybe something surprised you or made you think about art or teaching in a new way.

A: I have this general fear that students won’t be super into the lessons we come up with, especially middle and high school students. I just kind of assume that they’re “too cool” for whatever I have to offer, so I’m always trying to gauge where everyone is. My very first day of studio sessions, before class even started, I heard a knock on our closed classroom door. I opened it with a plan to let students know we’d get started in just a few minutes. I opened the door and before I could say anything an eager artist asked, “is this art class? I just want to make sure I’m in the right place. It’s my first year here at this school and I really want to be in this class because I feel like I’m an art person.” My heart was just so happy. Any and all fears I had about disinterested students faded away.  I just wanted to make sure that I make this experience super memorable and worthwhile for this student (who, by the way, is definitely an art person.)

Q: What are your short-term and long‐term career goals?

A: Right now I’m working on completing my graduate program, which will hopefully set me up to become a professional educator. My long term career goals are always changing but always art related. I’ve thought about/ explored set design, fabrication, art therapy, informal and formal arts education, etc. I’m constantly finding out about art-related positions that I never knew existed, which always gives me new possibilities to explore!