Episode 16: Feminist Art Education & Mental Health during COVID

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Posted Date: February 11, 2021

Episode Description:

LAC member Camila Gutiérrez interviews working artist, teacher, and researcher Melissa Leaym-Fernandez. Leaym-Fernandez has worked in a variety of creative learning spaces that include rural towns, urban cities, and sites with environmental toxins, including with the lead-poisoned in Flint, Michigan, and many other students who are intimidated to develop creative skills but need them in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her professional practice includes using artmaking to teach people how to express their personal voice, share feelings, and support their community through artistic skills in a non-threatening but challenging manner.

Guest Biography

Melissa Leaym-Fernandez

Doctoral Candidate in Art Education, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Penn State University

John O’Connor Graduate Fellowship Awardee 2019

2018 Judy Chicago Art Education Awardee

As a working artist, teacher, and researcher Melissa Leaym-Fernandez has worked in a variety of creative learning spaces that include rural towns, urban cities, and sites with environmental toxins. She has worked with the leprosy-effected in India, lead-poisoned in Flint-Michigan, and many students who are intimidated to develop creative skills but need them in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her professional practice includes using artmaking to teach people how to express their personal voice, share feelings, and support their community through artistic skills in a non-threatening but challenging manner. Melissa holds two bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees, and now she’s working on her doctoral degree in Art Education and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State.

Speaker Abstract:

Today, more than ever before folks need to understand that being creative, or artistic, can help us be healthy in so many ways. Locked in your apartment or house? Stressed about political upheaval? Don’t know how to fill your time but want to give voice to your heartache, mental challenges, find a place for your words—even if you want to scream really loud? My talk will give encouragement, hope, share some realities and let you connect for fifteen minutes to your inner forgotten artistic (and unjudged) self. Sounding a little good to be true? Maybe making things being creative strengthens the brain—what a better time than now to learn how with stuff from about the house?

Discussing the differences between Artist(s), artistic, and all the spaces in between, I will define artists with a mini-a, (artistic, learning skills), little-a (acts of creativity with daily items, scrapbooking or home décor), Big-A (professional artist), Pro-A, (using the arts to be an advocate, social changer and to change how others thing). Are you afraid of the word artist? Vehemently defend the truth “I am not an artist!”? Think being creative is not manly enough? I can add some light to your understanding and remind you of the tools you already have to be creative and reduce stress. Being and working within marginalized communities for years, I can share stories about my work and how my work can help other keep grounded during these stress times through creative practices and thinking.

Artwork: