Visiting Voices series 2023

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is pleased to announce its spring 2023 Visiting Voices series event, “Supporting LGBTQ+ Artist-Educators and Learners”, hosted by the Hurwitz Center. This panel—which consists of five LGBTQ+ identifying artist-educators and is facilitated by Florence Gaskins Harper Endowed Chair in Art Education, Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton—explores LGBTQ+ issues in arts education through the lens of the practice and experiences of LGBTQ+ artist-educators working with educators and learners in K-16 institutions, communities, and museums. Issues, support strategies, and resources are discussed in an interactive conversation.

Panelists for this program are:
Dr. Kim Cosier (she/her) is a professor of art education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and member of the activist art collective the Art Build Workers. With her wife, Josie Osborne, she founded ArtsECO, a program that develops teachers as change-makers. 

Dani Gonzalez (they/them) is a first-generation, queer, Hispanic elementary arts educator living and working in Philadelphia, PA. They are passionate about play, exploration, deconstruction, and community building as essential components to learning in and through the arts. 

Harris (they/them) is a non-binary design educator who teaches at the Baltimore Design School in Baltimore City, and Girls Garage in Berkeley, CA. They work to create open and accepting spaces in each of the places where they teach. 

Unique Robinson (she/he/they), Director of the MFA in Community Arts program at the Maryland Institute College of Art is a queer poet, performer, professor and proud Baltimore City native. Unique is an award-winning Poetry Teaching Artist in Maryland with K-12 students and community members.

Ray Yang (they/them) lives in Seattle, WA and is a non-binary Asian-American artist, educator, and advocate for the arts and social justice. They have taught art in K-12 classrooms, colleges, museums, community centers and led diversity and equity workshops. They currently co-chair the Arts Education Partnerships Equity Working Group.

Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton (she/her), panel facilitator, is the Florence Gaskins Harper Endowed Chair in Art Education and thought leader for the Hurwitz Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Register here for this online event.

About MICA
Acknowledged nationally as a premier leader in art and design education, the Maryland Institute College of Art is deliberately cultivating a new generation of artist—one that is capable of seamlessly integrating innovation, entrepreneurship and creative citizenship with contemporary approaches to art, design and media.

MICA is redefining the role of the artists and designers as creative, solutions-oriented makers and thinkers who will drive social, cultural, and economic advancement for our future.

As the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art and design in the nation, MICA is located in Baltimore, deeply connected to the community. It is a leading contributor to the creative economy regionally and a top producer of nationally and internationally recognized professional artists and designers.