May 31st marked the end of my first year where I led in-school comics residencies full-time. I’ve been a teaching artist since 2007, but it’s never been more than a part-time gig until the 2023-24 school year. It’s been a rich, meaningful challenge, but this introvert is ready to spend some time in the studio quietly making art for a bit.
On my last visits, some of the students gave me art as a thank you/farewell present, and I feel seen:
You don’t have to spend a year with me to find out how much I love Orko. The fact that a teenager, the natural enemy of all things sweet and sincere, spent the time to make this for me was touching.
And another student celebrated my odd convergence of interests by drawing the Bleacher Creature, a Gill-man plushie I take to every Columbus Clippers baseball game:
My thanks to all of the teachers and schools who invited me into their spaces to work with their students, and to the Ohio Arts Council, whose TeachArtsOhio grants make my residencies possible.