Laura Santiago is a teaching artist with a Bachelor Degree in Graphic Design from PUC-Rio de Janeiro (Brazil, 2010) and a Certificate in Painting from The Art Students League (NY, 2018). She was the recipient of the Fantasy Fund Grant for a one month residency at Paris American Academy, in France. Well versed in a diverse range of fine arts techniques including 2-D, 3-D and digital medias. Her work as an artist explores the notions of atmosphere, memory and space through painting and are characterized by the lived in quality of spaces, achieved through a careful use of color and expressive brushstrokes. As an educator, her teaching style is warm and inviting. She encourages dialogue, inquiry, freedom of expression and prioritizes an engagement to the art making process rather than a focus on pre-defined results.
TAP Work:
“During this pandemic I have been working at a learning POD, not only as an art teacher but also as a kindergarten tutor for the first time. I joined TAP looking for teaching artist training focused on social justice and a community to share and discuss ideas with. My expectations have been exceeded. It is still hard to say where exactly I want to be in the future, because the future at this point is a big blur for everyone, but I can say I TAP has helped me to have more clarity of who I am both as a teacher and as an artist, and I feel very hopeful for that. I have gained confidence facilitating the learning space where I work and I feel proud of the response Im getting from students who are engaged, curious and creative.”
Most Memorable TAP Moment:
“One of the most memorable moments at TAP for me was our first Salon. We were all waiting for the presidential election results, hopeful and nervous, sharing our minds and artistries. There was an open mic and I hadn’t plan to share my artwork that day but got so inspired by what everyone was sharing that I ended up showing one of my paintings last minute. My microphone on zoom wasn’t working which was a blessing. Without explaining it I got to hear so many wonderful interpretations of the work and it made me look at it in a different light. There was an incredible sense of community that day and it was a very special experience.”
Find out more about Laura here:
