Bio

Jenna identifies as a white, non-disabled, cis-woman from the ancestral land of the Akimel O’Odham, Hohokam, and O’Odham Jewed, colonized today as Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to these intersecting identities, Jenna is a contemplative artist + scholar, art museum educator + arts in health researcher. Currently she is a PhD student in Art & Visual Culture Education at the University of Arizona and an Education Graduate Assistant at the Center for Creative Photography. In her research Jenna centers trauma-aware art museum education and the care work of museums, contemplative and embodied pedagogies, medical humanities, and arts in health.

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Artist Statement

This piece extends from a project Green began during the winter of 2024 that centered on the care and relationship between herself, her partner and their morning coffee routine; expanding ritual into an artistic form.

Bio

Paul Kretchmer is an artist, educator, and advocate whose work explores the intersections of creativity, spirituality, and inclusivity. With over two decades of experience in art education, Paul champions art as a tool for self-realization and social connection. His practice emphasizes mindful and contemplative approaches, inspiring others to embrace creativity as a means of personal and collective transformation. A passionate activist for equity and diversity, Paul strives to create inclusive spaces where art becomes a catalyst for healing, dialogue, and growth.

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Artist Statement

My art practice is a meditative exploration of the spirit, using intuitive processes to uncover connections between the visible and the unseen. This theme resonates with me as it reflects my belief in art’s power to access deeper truths, foster self-awareness, and navigate life’s mysteries. Through mindful mark-making and contemplative creation, I seek to honor the spiritual as an essential part of human experience, creating works that invite reflection, healing, and connection.

Bio

Dr. Paige Medlock holds a practice-based PhD in Visual Culture from the University of Stirling, Scotland, MLitt in Visual Culture from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, MA in Intercultural Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a BA in Art Education K-12 with an emphasis in stained glass from Asbury University. She previously taught art PreK-12 and has experience in community arts administration as program coordinator and gallery director. She is a practicing artist with large-scale commissioned stained glass installations in three countries. Her research and artwork focus on visual art as a place where an inner shift can occur that enables us to see things differently and transform the way we act & interact. She teaches Art Education and art classes as well as supervises student teachers at MTSU. She serves on the board of Tennessee Art Education Association as president-elect.  She is a Kentucky native, daughter of an art professor, and she has a son, Luke, who plays fiddle and loves to explore the world. 

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Artist Statement

My work has always sought to establish a place where viewers can see things differently, to see in reflection, in context, and beyond what is before us. I primarily work in stained glass because I learned it at an early age and I have come to realize, through practice and research, that the material and process facilitates the potential we have to allow inner shifts in ourselves whereby we receive, perceive, offer, and awe. Most of my work has been accomplished in collaboration with my father in large scale commissioned installations. In the past three years I have worked solo in a small scale, intimate, and therefore also exhibitable, portable, and habitable scale, and the themes have been about transformation through trauma, healing, and love.

Bio

Dr. Andrea McDonough is a passionate leader in art education with proven experience in facilitating transformative professional development for PK-16 educators. Regularly presenting content at the local, state, and national levels, she currently sits on the Leadership Council of the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA) and serves as the secondary representative for the NAEA Caucus on the Spiritual in Art Education (CSAE). McDonough is a successful grant writer with a passion for public art and the promotion of social and emotional learning through mindfulness and creativity in diverse education systems. Lovingly referred to as a "fearless leader" by K-12 artist educator colleagues, she approaches challenges and opportunities through a pragmatic and compassionate lens.

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Artist Statement

McDonough’s current visual art practice is a continued exploration of art as mediation and resistance to telic tendencies. Each piece or series of works embraces intuitive creation and experimentation with varied media. This process-based approach yields unexpected results and nurtures the habit of mindful art-making. 

Bio

Raine is an intuitive Spiritual teacher and creative arts director who pulls from her Native American lineage to facilitate a space for all to connect with their higher selves. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Tribe of Chippewa in North Dakota and is rooted in her tribe’s traditional spiritual practices. Raine has been teaching middle school art for 17 years, facilitates workshops and presentations at the state and national level. Raine currently serves on the board of NAEA Caucus on the Spiritual in Art Education as past chair. 

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Artist Statement

Art is Prayer, a sacred and vital discovery of one’s own special presence in the world.  Through creation, a person illuminates and illustrates their inner being, while creating something which also stands separate. Through exploration and experimentation each of us can shine light on our inner world, allowing us to utilize expression as a means of awakening our Divine I Am.