For two enriching weeks, I had the privilege of serving as the Friends of Malheur NWR 2024 Artist in Residence, teaching the eager children of Harney County how to create art that celebrated birds. Student artwork will be displayed in town during the annual Bird Festival.
I am an artist and art teacher living in Vancouver, Washington. My teaching career spans grades K-12 in art. I have taught art at international schools for over 10 years and in public schools in Alaska for 11 years.
The Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge proudly sponsor the annual Youth Artist in Residence program which delivers ART and SCIENCE education to every elementary school classroom in Harney County.
The youth art contest encourages students from kindergarten through high school to observe, understand, and ultimately share what they have learned about migratory birds. By creating a unique art entry for the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival, the students are provided an opportunity to artistically express their knowledge of the diversity, interdependence, and beauty of wildlife.
Over the course of a couple weeks, Carey, Karen, and I rolled into K-8 classrooms with carefully packed tubs loaded with art supplies, educational charts, and George, a Great Horned Owl, who since meeting his demise lives on as an ambassador of refuge educational programs, flying into the heart of every Harney County student he meets.
Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was formed in 1999 and is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
Tax ID #: 93-1261322
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Donations are used across the Refuge for a variety of projects and programs that support our mission.
