In support of our current exhibition Border Cantos | Sonic Border, Western North Carolina K–12  teachers are invited to participate in a casual and collaborative professional-development workshop at the Museum. La Tierra: A Sound Vessel is a professional development workshop for educators working directly with immigrant and Spanish-speaking students in our community from 6th -12th grades. Taking inspiration from the Museum’s current exhibition Border Cantos | Sonic Border, participants will engage in meaningful conversation related to topics such as immigration, identity, and belonging. Educators will use the material of clay as a bridge to facilitate dialogue and healing among immigrant students. Participants will be asked to bring an everyday item from their home to use as inspiration. Evening for Educators is an opportunity to network with other art educators, share and learn as both teacher and student, and connect with your own creative process. Funding is generously provided through Art Bridges.

Byron Tenesaca, Program Manager for Border Cantos | Sonic Border and Bilingual Visual Arts Educator for BCS, will lead this interactive, hands-on, and reflective professional development workshop for educators who work with immigrant youth in the community. Participants will be provided with the necessary materials to conduct the lesson and facilitate conversation in their learning spaces. Visual arts teachers and coordinators are invited to register to participate in this special program at the ticket link above. CEU credits are available, and the lesson plan will be included.

Instructor: Byron Tenesaca is a Visual Artist & Bilingual Educator residing in Western North Carolina. Born to a family of basket weavers and agriculturalists in an ancestral community located in the Andes mountain region of Ecuador, Byron’s early years were spent learning the reciprocity system that exists between humans and the mountains. At the age of 11 he was brought to the southeastern part of the US to meet and live with his biological mother. After graduating from Western Carolina University (WCU) in 2015, he was selected as the recipient of an Artist’s Residency at The Bascom in Highlands, NC. His continued passion for art and education has also led him to take on the roles of Spanish Interpreter, Kindergarten Teacher Aide, High School Spanish Teacher, Camp Counselor, and most recently, HiSET instructor. A certified K-12 Art instructor, Byron recently received a M.A.T in Comprehensive Education from WCU.

Please note:

• Professional development takes place indoors in the Museum’s John & Robyn Horn Education Center.
• Event registration is sold out. To be put on a waiting list, please email Susan Hendley, School and Teacher Programs Manager at shendley@ashevilleart.org or call 828.253.3227 x133