INVEST
IGATION
NOW
WHO WE ARE
OUR STAFF
CONTACT US:
Jolie
Lead Teacher
OR WRITE TO:
I'm a second year graduate student in the Art Education Department, and I am excited to be working with Investigation NOW. I believe art is a tool to have constructive conversations about each person's unique lived experience.
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Art can and should be made accessible to all people, and I feel that everyone has the capacity for artistic expression. My studio practice and teaching practice inform each other, and I am inspired by the insight and creativity of those I work with. When I am not working on school work, I work as an instructor and studio monitor at the Visual Art Center, working primarily in printmaking. I also enjoy riding bikes, and watching cartoons.
Patrick
Assistant Teacher
Patrick is an artist and educator currently pursuing his MAE in Art Education plus teaching licensure at VCU.
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Patrick received his BFA in Craft and Material Studies with a concentration in fibers from VCU in 2015. After graduating, he worked for several local textile artists and started teaching at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, where he discovered his love of teaching and sharing his craft with others. As an educator, Patrick is passionate about making meaningful connections with art, and creating inclusive, student-centered learning environments.
Hannah
Assistant Teacher
Hannah Neifert is a second year graduate student in the Department of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. She received a BA in Art History/Museum Studies from Randolph College in 2014.
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Hannah loves museums and learning about how museums can better serve their communities through interpretation, outreach, and engagement. She works part-time as an Educator with the Valentine museum, and part-time as an Evaluation Research Assistant with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She also serves as a member of the Student Engagement Committee with the Institute for Contemporary Art. This is Hannah’s first year assisting with Investigation NOW.
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Carlisle
Assistant Teacher
I am a first year graduate student in the Department of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. My anticipated graduation date is December of 2020.
I am originally from Knoxville, TN and received a BA in art history from the University of Georgia in 2016. I then moved to Nashville for two years where I worked for Belmont University for a scholarship program and college access initiative for students from Nashville public schools. There, I realized I wanted to work as an educator, but I missed working directly with the arts. I am excited to be here at VCU and begin prioritizing the field of art education as my chosen career path.
Kelly
Assistant Teacher
My name is Kelly Fergus. I am originally from Herndon, VA. I graduated with a BA in Art Education from Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA in 2017. I am currently in my second year of VCU’s Art Education Masters program where I have begun my thesis research. I have worked the past three summers at the Sheridan School in Washington DC as a Creative Arts and Summer Adventure (CASA) art instructor in which I taught art to kids from rising kindergarten to 7th grade age.
I am a very hands-on and visual learner and artist. My favorite art to create would be 3-D forms, especially ceramics and found object sculptures. However, I also love collages, drawing, painting, and printmaking. I am currently enrolled in a textiles art class and loving every minute of it. My hobbies include reading, visual journaling, running, playing and watching sports (I am a huge Washington Capitals fan! I love hockey!), watching TV or movies, and getting involved in any community service. I am very passionate about art and helping others.
Amanda
Assistant Teacher
I am in my final year of the Art Education major at VCU, getting ready to graduate in May of 2019. I fell into teaching, falling in love with the creativity, ingenuity, and breakthroughs the art classroom nurtures.
After teaching over the summer at the Science Museum of Virginia, I have become especially passionate about finding ways to integrate art and science, since both fields explore the wonders of the world around us. In my own art practice I explore the use of narrative, and how to refocus on stories not usually told.