“The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Sarah Nassif, born in Anchorage, Alaska, raised in the Pacific Northwest, and an upper midwesterner for 20 years, earned a degree in botany as an undergrad and is a self-taught visual artist. Sarah explores the natural world as a model and inspiration to help us connect to the creativity present in each of us. Employing simple acts of walking and breathing and art forms such as printmaking, writing, drawing and fiber arts, Sarah’s uses social practice art to build community and personal resiliency. She believes we are here to teach and learn from each other, and that we all have something new to notice and be amazed by in everyday life.
TAP Work:
“TAP has connected me with a broad community of fellow artists and resources that have deeply inspired my teaching artistry. Experiencing this growth during a global pandemic has reinforced my belief that access to art and connecting to community are the foundation of personal and community resilience.
Through TAP, I’ve learned how to build community in the virtual learning environment and engage all students from whatever their starting point is. The workshop on social emotional learning and multiple intelligences helped me understand how to reach all kinds of learners through multiple art forms.
My most recent class “Seeing the Forest and the Trees” (link: https://www.sarahnassif.com/learn/2020/9/15/seeing-the-forest-and-the-trees) was 9-week online residency for older adults exploring urban trees to examine personal and shared histories. I was thrilled to practice the skill I’ve learned through TAP with this community of learners who learned to name draw the trees growing nearby and connect them to their personal life stories.”
Most Memorable TAP Moment:
“As an educator, it’s a gift to become a student again and experience challenge and growth in a supported learning environment. My most memorable TAP moment has been learning alongside the wide range of teaching artists from all across the country assembled in my TAP cohort. I’m profoundly changed by the experience of focusing on my teaching artistry through the lens of social justice and learning from the community of artists, presenters and staff TAP brought together.”
Find out more about Sarah here:
