Reginald C. Adams is a public artist, arts educator, and community developer. He is best known for his award-winning public art projects, which are strategically located in some of Houston’s most historic and under-served neighborhoods. His creativity and approach to his artwork are inspired by his travels to more than 40 countries around the globe. Adams fundamentally believes that everyone deserves access and exposure to the arts and strives to engage the general public in the design and production of his public art projects.

Native Houstonian, dental hygienist, artist, and author, Rhonda Radford Adams considers herself a self-taught healing artist. Creating art has given her first-hand life experience of the positive effects that color has on our physical, mental, and emotional health. Acquainted with expressing her creativity through a variety of materials from paper to glass, Rhonda’s mixed media collage techniques combine the use of bold colors, fun textures, and fluid movements to create her signature style of abstract art. Having visited more than 15 countries around the world, much of Rhonda’s creativity is also inspired by her interactions through her travels. Rhonda is available to teach after school and on weekends and works with children of all ages.

Mack Bishop is a visual artist who is not afraid to create or venture out of his comfort zone. Mack has an eccentric, vibrant, and mosaic style, using items we take for granted such as fallen tree branches, shattered glass and broken doors to create his work. In the Mack Bishop art program, the students engage and express themselves in a wide range of art mediums which consist of paper, paint, plastic, wood and acrylic glass. This expressionism is introduced with abstract concept, portrait realism, three dimensions, and bold colors that is inspired by the sacred, scientific, and spiritual methods.

With over thirty years’ experience, he works to provide art services in the areas of art for education, art for your home art for community outreach. Joseph is both a visual artist and performing musician and teaches workshops, residencies, and professional development during the day, after school and on weekends. Joseph is a credentialed teaching artist through Young Audiences and also teaches through YAH’s Discovery Arts Initiative, where he works closely with students with learning differences.

Gigi Fiori is a multidisciplinary Latinx artist based out of Houston with roots in Los Angeles. She graduated from the University of Houston with a dual major: a BS in Psychology and BA in Religious Studies. She has a psychology background being a Registered Behavioral Therapist, Therapeutic Mentor, Case Manager, and working at a therapeutic art center. She is working towards becoming an internationally accredited Expressive Arts Therapist and plans on opening a healing arts center of her own in the future. Gigi believes in the healing powers gifted by every form of self-expression, and it is her mission to have these tools accessible to all.

Junrui is a bilingual (English & Mandarin visual artist who specializes in digital art, calligraphy, sand art, drawing, and painting. Visual Art is designed to facilitate participants to experience the use of watercolor, and acrylic, explore the process of a piece of artwork and collaborate to complete a group project. Calligraphy participants explore why and how some cultures value handwriting and calligraphy, how they can turn daily writing into visual art, and the significance of handwriting in this digital age. Participants will work with brushes and inks on rice paper. Sand Art explores how to create art while playing with sand, how an image is transferred to another; and how the art of comics and video editing is integrated into sand art to create a live drawing. Digital Art participants experience how digital art is created, integrate one’s own art talent into digital art, and the significance, the ways, and the media of sharing one’s digital art. Junrui is available for summer, after-school, and weekend workshops and residencies and works with children of all ages.

Sarah Gish is an igniter, intuitive guide, artist, enrichment expert, teacher, speaker, writer, marketer, and business leader. Sarah loves to help participants increase their personal peace through meditation and group labyrinth walks. Labyrinths are an ancient design that kids or adults will get to explore as a tool for meditation, creativity, and calming down. Artist and certified labyrinth facilitator Sarah Gish will lead participants as they either walk a 20’ x 20’ portable labyrinth or use individual finger labyrinths.

Vickie McMillan-Hayes is a nationally acclaimed artist born in Dallas and raised in Austin. Her breathtaking wildlife, landscape, and nature paintings advance global conservation causes and are inspired by the abstract shapes, textures and color combinations seen in nature. Her work and process are TEKS-aligned, great for STEAM units, and focus on large-scale, community-led mural making, adapted for schools, healthcare facilities, in community centers, and more.*TCA subsidies available, call for details

Paige is a current Teaching Artist with Young Audiences of Houston, new to the roster in 2022, and engages her students in dynamic art workshops while also showing them that art can be more than what meets the eye. Paige engages participants socially and emotionally, using art as a vessel for release and to help restore oneself by exploring the emotion behind colors and meditative movement of a paint brush.

David Maldonado is a Mexican - American visual artist and creative based out of Houston, Tx. His inspiration is drawn from the elements and the storytelling of folk art, street culture, and the Mexican muralist movement. The touchstone of his work is based on his experiences growing up and finding an identity in art where a common place could be shared with others. He has developed a well-recognized style tying together patterns, textiles, graphic and organic elements. Collaborative Mural Making involved participants in the process from design concept to execution. David also leads hands-on personal mural sessions where participants learn more about the art of mural making and create their own individual murals to take home. 

Currently a sculpture student at University of Houston, Katherine is a mixed-media visual teaching artist who likes to create inclusive spaces for people of all cultures and ages. The main focus is to bring mindfulness practices integrated with the arts. Katherine loves to create safe spaces for expression and healing and her favorite mediums are ceramics, painting, and weaving mandalas. Pottery provides a new rich language to give voice to youth’s inner self through sculptural form allowing them to experiment with the physical touch of clay and discover new avenues of communication to connect with their creative spirit. Participants will learn the history of clay and learn hand-building techniques like pinch, coil, and slabs and how to use this medium to create a pot that tells a story. Weaving participants explore the origin of Native American Lakota people and Native tribes from Mexico while creating a weaving piece and Dreamcatcher.

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Marsha is a certified enrichment instructor with HISD and has reunited with Young Audiences of Houston through successful school residencies in Harris County and beyond. Exploring world cultures through the uniqueness of their crafts, they explore the form, function and spiritual significance of their tools and honorable adornments. Her fun and encyclopedic survey of world art are both aligned with TEKS and flexible to support multiple disciplines.

Soulliaa Rae is a mobile Healing Artist rooted in the belief that healing is a necessity; wholeness is for now and creative expression is the vehicle to get there. Her mission as a healing artist is to support individuals and communities, especially brown & black ones, on their journeys to wholeness through restorative offerings based on Expressive Arts, Positive Body Movement, Grounding practice, SE & Recovery Education. Soulliaa uses visual arts like photography, handmade craftings, personal styling, and film to support students’ mental wellness and resiliency. Her Socially & Emotionally (SE) focused artistic workshop and residency give participants and opportunity to explore their internal needs through the world of visual arts. These sessions are designed to promote SE development, critical thinking and analysis skills, advancement towards self-actualization and support the reduction of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Danny is a visual artist specializing in both hands-on visual art projects and environmental art projects and gardens. Danny Russo is a native of Houston, Texas where he makes his career as a visual artist. Educated in Houston schools, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art from the University of Houston. Danny expresses his art in drawing, painting and crafts. He teaches art to children and adults. Danny enjoys bringing others into the experience of art creation.

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Diana is a bilingual certified art therapist. Diana Sanchez loves facilitating and nurturing the creative spirit in those whom she encounters in her work. She works as an art facilitator/art teacher for art groups in our community. She grew as an artist and mastered art skills at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Knowing she wanted to pursue art therapy, she received her Bachelor of Science in psychology and minor in art at Abilene Christian University. Diana went on to New York and attained her Master of Science in art therapy from the College of New Rochelle. Her mediums include customizable and themed classroom projects that include hands-on participation and integrate literacy and social and emotional learning concepts. Diana has limited availability and works with students in grades K-12.

Liz Conces Spencer draws from abstracted human, natural and cityscape forms, speaking to the realization that all life is interconnected and mutually interdependent. Gesture with Ink & Wash participants learn to sketch using gesture drawing and ink wash, a technique employed by artists from Leonardo da Vinci’s time to ours. Drawing Outdoors teaches participants how to apply both light and shadow to give drawings depth, form, and movement.

Judy is an urban artist who grew up in the oilfields of East Texas instilled with the patterns, smells, sounds, and sights of rural living. She describes her work as folk art with an appreciation of naïve art using organic materials and resourceful artistic styles to combine art and nature. Judy guides participants to create a one-of-a-kind project, tailored to incorporate classroom or community content. Preschool age children can learn shape and color through mosaics, more advanced participants can study the colonization of America through depictions of historical timelines, high school participants can create a lasting mural for their community and school to enjoy. Along with creating the mural, participants learn conflict resolution, develop fine motor skills, and utilize creative writing skills.

Virtual Option Available

Cindy Ventura is a bilingual visual artist, yoga instructor, and holistic therapist with an educational background in psychology, psychodiagnosis, public health management, yoga, and ancestral fabrics. Cindy has the ability to customize programs targeted to the client's goals and skill level and leads visual arts (mandalas) workshops and meditation with students of all ages through Young Audiences of Houston. Weaving and creating Mandalas is a creative and beautiful journey. In the world of mandalas with Cindy, participants explore different weaving techniques to create them and benefit from this psycho-emotional process. Creating mandalas allows participants to express emotions through colors, shapes, and the combinations they employ. This process opens the channels of intuition, perception and active meditation.

Mr. Washington is a visionary environmental artist whose wide range of techniques and materials defy a single definition. His work on canvas is bold and fluid, with subjects including African pastoral, American jazz, and free-form designs. A master of mixed media, Mr. Washington also creates spectacular functional and wearable art. In this class, participants will learn to create art using found objects in their classroom and community. They will learn about different mediums to work with such as drawing, painting, and sculpture. Participants will gain an appreciation for art around them, and be able to think critically and create art from everyday objects. Workshops and residencies are available during and after the school day and on weekends for grades 4-12.