My work focuses on the systemic failures within public education that are the result of cultural racism mixed with policy. I call attention to deeply flawed but often accepted perceptions while simultaneously working to empower future artists through collaborative community projects.
I have worked in public education at some level since 2013, nearly all of it in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Creating work using accessible materials is the process I employ in my own practice, as well as for the projects I create for students. This methodology was born out of necessity when the lockdowns related to COVID-19 brought my high school photography program to an end.
To be considered accessible, materials have to meet one of two requirements: my students would have to have access to them were we to go into another lockdown, or they could be purchased on a public school teacher’s salary. The only time I seek materials beyond these standards is when they are paid for through grants, thus making them accessible. Grant funding is something I am transparent about with students and often emphasize the importance of writing abilities.
School objects are often present in my work to continue calling attention to the manufactured opportunity gaps that exist, among other things. Furthermore, many districts have an abundance of out-of-use materials, from books to furniture to technology, making them accessible and an important part of the statement.
I believe that equitable, inclusive, and accessible facilitation means meeting every student where they are, hearing them, and generating a space or spaces where learning, collaborating, and creating are possible.
