PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence for March /April 2017 was Linda Smith, an artist and art educator who started a non-profit while living in Kigali, Rwanda, called the “TEOH Project”, which provides cameras and art classes to children in Rwanda, Ghana and Bronx NY. She has been commissioned by the UN to provide photographic classes to survivors and former perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. She earned her BA from Syracuse University an MA in Communications at Goldsmith College at the University of London and an MFA from the University of Connecticut. Her work has been exhibited in the United Nations, embassies, and universities.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
PPLD's Makers in Residence for January and February 2017 were Ron Cousar and Dr. Wanda Tisby-Cousar.
Ron Cousar has played R&B, blues, and jazz for many years. In addition to studio work with Savoy Records, he has played with bands in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Baltimore, and now Colorado Springs. He has dedicated his talents to playing blues, R&B, funk and jazz. His influences include Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, and a host of other artists.
Dr. Wanda Tisby-Cousar storytelling and dance to coach innovation and artistic ability. Sande Leadership, a model Dr. Wanda developed, is based on ancestral lineage to the Mende of Sierra Leone, West Africa. Tisby-Cousar has studied tap and interpretive dance since the age of four with Sydney King School of Dancea nd performed with Afi West African Dance Ensemble.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for November 2016 was Jo Hart.
Yearning for a change from her Midwest living Jo moved to Colorado less than 18 months ago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications. She has worked in the art and design fields throughout her career in the corporate, private, ad agency and not-for-profit sectors. Jo primarily works in clay making sculptural objects with a focus on feminine concerns. Recently she has been making utilitarian pieces and mixing multiple surface decoration techniques to create a balance between discord and harmony. Jo likes to make everyday and if she can’t she is sad.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.