I've been teaching free and pay-what-you-can art classes for a little over two years now. The first round of classroom supplies I purchased was provided through a grant from the Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center. After leading dozens of classes, it is time to re-up on supplies and provide necessary upgrades now that I have experience and know which tools and materials work best.

I believe art should be accessible to all willing learners, no matter their background, age, race, income, etc. I have taught folks as young as 8 years and 75 or better! I work with libraries, museums, community hubs, and non-profits with similar missions of providing access to arts programs.

My focus is primarily printmaking, specifically linocut block printing, though I have also offered classes in political cartoons, collage, screenprint, and risograph. Linocut block printing is affordable, accessible to a wide range of artistic experiences, and forgiving as a medium. My learners often share that while they don't always imagine themselves as artists, or maybe have struggled in the past with other mediums, they find much fulfillment and satisfaction in block printing.

Securing grants to pay for supplies allows me to offer the classes for free or at a reduced cost. When I organize the classes myself (without financial support from an institution to cover my labor costs), I keep the cost at a suggested amount of $33 per student, and do not turn students away for lack of funds. Some students can pay more to cover those who pay less, or cannot pay at all. I've been able to teach over a dozen low-income learners this way.