Michelle Minnick–wearing a red and black layered, loose fitting dress and stockings–stands on one leg as if frozen in an exaggerated march with one arm stretched high. She is on a school stage with a hula hoop criss-crossing her torso.

Teaching Artist Profile: Michele Minnick

Arts-integrated learning is incredibly moving for students. In theatre artist Michele Minnick’s programs, we mean that literally! As an Arts for Learning teaching artist for more than six years, Michele provides arts-integrated experiences in a variety of subjects through a…

A drummer on stage in a white jacket and dress shirt is smiling, microphone in hand, sitting behind his drum set. A brick wall backs the stage.

Teaching Artist Profile: Vinton Jones

We’ve heard it many times: to understand the world today, we must understand what came before. For students of Arts for Learning teaching artist Vinton “The Music Man” Jones, that means using what they learn about the history of music…

Mr. Word wears a patterned scarf wrapped around his hair and a chest-length, beaded necklace. He is speaking closely into a microphone onstage under red lights.

Teaching Artist Profile: Mr. Word

Exploring a wide range of ideas and experiences is the essence of life. And for Rashaan “Mr. Word” Eldridge, an Arts for Learning Maryland teaching artist and musician, actor, writer, rapper, poet, and performer, it’s the essence of his creativity!…

Dino O'Dell wears a white lab coat and gazes up towards model planets floating in space around him. He and the planets are against a yellow ochre background.

Teaching Artist Profile: Dino O’Dell

Music moves us. Its rhythm, melody, harmony, and lyricism catches our ears, inspires us, stirs our imaginations, and sticks in our heads. If you ask us, that sounds a lot like great teaching! Dino O’Dell uses the power of music…

Schroeder Cherry, dressed in all black and wearing a blaseball hat, stands behind a large folded cardboard scene with one of his handmade puppets. In the scene, a preacher in a blue suit, arms outstretched above the word, "colored," faces rows of seated individuals in a full church above the words, "whites only."

Teaching Artist Profile: Schroeder Cherry

Image of Schroeder Cherry courtesy of Charm City Fringe Arts for Learning Maryland’s teaching artists are incredible—in and out of the classroom! In this new blog series, we’ll be highlighting our artists and exploring their work, perspectives, and approaches for…

A woman stands mid-dance in front of a seated crowd. She's dressed in a gold and navy full-length leotard, draped in orange and gold printed fabric, and wearing a tall, gold collar necklace.

Four Resident Teaching Artists Join Arts for Learning Maryland

Photo: Resident Teaching Artist Tracie Jiggetts performing in an Arts for Learning 2023 Juneteenth performance at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. At Arts for Learning Maryland, we love a win-win—especially when it supports artists and enhances our work with students…

White man with short gray hair with a bright smile standing in front of a school bulletin board and holding a manilla folder.

Talbot County fourth and fifth graders-turned-screen-painters thrive with teaching artist John Iampieri

Maryland flags…Black-eyed Susans… blue herons… University of Maryland Terrapin basketballs, and more! In late March at White Marsh Elementary in Talbot County, dozens of students set off on a creative journey with screen painter and Arts for Learning Maryland teaching…

A graphic with a quote from a teaching artist and her picture in a classroom seated with children. The quote reads, "Something about being a teaching artist really pulled me in–I think it was how different it was from performing with Milkshake, which doesn’t provide the intimacy that working as a teaching artist does. I am there in a circle with maybe 10 - 20 little ones, exploring books and ideas in arts-related ways. I make up songs and create strategies that fit what we are talking about. We play. We learn. And everyone gets something from our time together–the teacher, the children, and me."

Meet a few Early Learning Teaching Artists!

Dance… puppetry… music… theater… no matter the art form, our early learning teaching artists are absolutely incredible–bringing their creativity to the education and development of our youngest learners! In the process, they’re finding inspiration to support their own work and…

smARTbeats

smARTbeats is back with Khaleshia Thorpe-Price!

smARTbeats returns to WTMD on Saturday, June 14 during the weekly children’s program Young At Heart! On this month’s segment, host Lisa Mathews talks with the multi-talented Khaleshia Thorpe-Price. Khaleshia is a musician, actor, and Young Audiences teaching artist with a contagious and explosive energy for the arts that fills students…

Andrew Greene Shares the Art of Ragtime on smARTbeats!

smARTbeats returns to WTMD on Saturday, June 9 during the weekly children’s program Young At Heart! On this month’s segment, host Lisa Mathews sits down for a chat with pianist, conductor, musicologist, and founder of the Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra, Andrew Greene. A new addition to the Young Audiences…

Steve Cyphers Talks the Physics of Sound on smARTbeats!

smARTbeats returns to WTMD this Saturday, May 5 during the weekly children’s program Young At Heart! On this month’s segment, host Lisa Mathews sits down for a chat with professional frontman and percussionist, Young Audiences teaching artist Steve Cyphers. Tune in and you’ll hear why Maryland…

Donor Spotlight: PNC Bank

Young Audiences of Maryland (YA) believes that every student – even the smallest ones – should have the opportunity to imagine, create, and realize their full potential through the arts. That is why YA serves as the Maryland affiliate of…