#64: Abby Birhanu: Stepping Stones
06/27/21 • 94 min
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It was such a pleasure to talk with Abby Birhanu and hear more about her teaching and art-making! Her passion and compassion comes through in all that she does. I loved her advice about antiracist teaching within communities that aren’t ready to embrace it. She talked about being a wordsmith, sharing artists’ words and encouraging students to question institutions, and showing students love. The way she spoke about helping students grow as compassionate humans was so inspiring. Abby scaffolds these discussions the same way teachers scaffold all learning - she creates stepping stones to help students move away from singular stories about people and cultures unlike their own.
Abigail (Abby) Birhanu is an artist and high school art teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she moved to the United States at the age of nine. She has always believed in the power of art to shape and transform the learning outcomes, experiences, and identity of the next generation. She practices Choice Based Art to encourage creativity and confidence in her students as well as to help them take ownership of their artistic journey.
Abby participated in the Fulbright Teachers Exchange Program as an exchange teacher to the United Kingdom. The experience was transformative and further solidified her commitment to cross-cultural learning and teaching. Abby loves traveling (21 countries and counting) and especially partaking in educational and cultural exchange opportunities with her students. As an educator, she is committed to anti-racist, anti-bias, and culturally responsive teaching that cultivates global citizens that understand and value the interconnected world community.
Blog post with images and links: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/episode-64-abby-birhanu/
- abbybirhanu.wixsite.com/artistwebsite
- www.antiracistartteachers.org
- @ms_b_art_escapades
- @antiracistartteachers
- Facebook Group: Art Teachers for Anti Racist Curriculum
- Facebook Group: ABAR Education Action Group
. . .
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Support this podcast. Subscribe, leave a review, or see more ways to support here (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/support/).
We also offer opportunities for artists! (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/opportunities/)
It was such a pleasure to talk with Abby Birhanu and hear more about her teaching and art-making! Her passion and compassion comes through in all that she does. I loved her advice about antiracist teaching within communities that aren’t ready to embrace it. She talked about being a wordsmith, sharing artists’ words and encouraging students to question institutions, and showing students love. The way she spoke about helping students grow as compassionate humans was so inspiring. Abby scaffolds these discussions the same way teachers scaffold all learning - she creates stepping stones to help students move away from singular stories about people and cultures unlike their own.
Abigail (Abby) Birhanu is an artist and high school art teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she moved to the United States at the age of nine. She has always believed in the power of art to shape and transform the learning outcomes, experiences, and identity of the next generation. She practices Choice Based Art to encourage creativity and confidence in her students as well as to help them take ownership of their artistic journey.
Abby participated in the Fulbright Teachers Exchange Program as an exchange teacher to the United Kingdom. The experience was transformative and further solidified her commitment to cross-cultural learning and teaching. Abby loves traveling (21 countries and counting) and especially partaking in educational and cultural exchange opportunities with her students. As an educator, she is committed to anti-racist, anti-bias, and culturally responsive teaching that cultivates global citizens that understand and value the interconnected world community.
Blog post with images and links: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/episode-64-abby-birhanu/
- abbybirhanu.wixsite.com/artistwebsite
- www.antiracistartteachers.org
- @ms_b_art_escapades
- @antiracistartteachers
- Facebook Group: Art Teachers for Anti Racist Curriculum
- Facebook Group: ABAR Education Action Group
. . .
Follow: @teachingartistpodcast
Check out the featured artists: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/featured-artists/
Artist Talks sign up form: https://forms.gle/Tk3VDUCo9cdCGHCW7
Apply to do an IG Takeover @teachingartistpodcast: https://forms.gle/TqurTB9wvykPDbKZ6
Support this podcast. Subscribe, leave a review, or see more ways to support here (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/support/).
We also offer opportunities for artists! (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/opportunities/)
Previous Episode
#63: Jeannie Siegler: Generosity of Spirit
Jeannie Siegler was my high school art teacher!! We reconnected a few years ago and she’s shown the same generosity she always embodied. She was one of those teachers that made me want to teach and now remains a mentor full of encouragement. I loved getting to know more about her background in this episode! Jeannie began her teaching career through the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, then taught in Washington D.C. public schools including Western High School, which later became Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She spent time teaching on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota before settling outside Missoula, Montana where we first met as teacher and student.
She spoke about her experience on the School Support Team for the state of Montana and how seeing the inner workings of many schools and districts along with the political mechanics surrounding them helped her understand the complexity of the issues in education. Jeannie offered advice for teachers and shared her challenges.
We talked about setting up darkrooms in our basements, connections between science and art, and finding time for art-making. I loved getting to chat with Jeannie and share her wisdom and spirit with you!
Blog post with images and links: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/episode-63-jeannie-siegler/
. . .
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Check out the featured artists: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/featured-artists/
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Support this podcast. Subscribe, leave a review, or see more ways to support here (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/support/).
We also offer opportunities for artists! (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/opportunities/)
Next Episode
#65: Ondrea Levey: Symbols & Self Love
Ondrea talked about the “wild juggling game” of teaching and making art and staying active in her communities. She shared some wonderful books and resources, especially around a topic she’s been focusing on lately: self love. We talked about assessment in the art classroom and questioned how to encourage students rather than add pressure to their lives. I loved hearing how the pandemic has helped her shift more away from medium-specific work both in her own work and in teaching. She talked about helping students translate their thoughts in whatever form makes sense to them. We also talked about struggling to facilitate courageous conversations about social justice and she shared some framing and tips that have helped her create dialogue among students.
Ondrea “Bell” Levey is a visual artist living between Tucson, Arizona and Portland, Oregon. She received her BFA in Art Education at the University of Arizona. Tenderness and storytelling inform her work. Ondrea teaches high school in Tucson, as well as adult workshops, with emphasis on identity, play, and practice development. Currently, she is pursuing her MFA in Visual Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Her work has been featured at Tiny Town Gallery, Jewish History Museum, Subspace, and Chick Magnet.To follow her most current work, subscribe to her Patreon and receive handwritten love letters, playlists, stickers, and workshops.
Blog post with images and links: https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/episode-65-ondrea-levey/
. . .
Follow: @teachingartistpodcast
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Climate Change Agents Institute registration: https://www.teach-arts.org/en/listings/1092124-climatechangeagents-project?mc_cid=d44235a2f7&mc_eid=5597e75675
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Project Space Proposals: https://playinspiregallery.com/project-space-proposal/
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Support this podcast. Subscribe, leave a review, or see more ways to support here (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/support/).
We also offer opportunities for artists! (https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/opportunities/)
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