As an artist and educator, my vision, stemming from my background in art therapy, is to encourage individuals to grow toward greater self-awareness, confidence, and ultimately wholeness through creative expression within a safe, supportive, and nurturing space. Through a hands-on, project-based approach, my goal is to help students increase their knowledge of various subject matter, connect these ideas in a meaningful way to their life’s experience within cultural and historical contexts, and build on their artistic skill set through experimentation and the creative process. I encourage discussion and assessment with open-ended inquiry-based questions to foster critical thinking, problem solving, and self-discovery. Creating an enthusiastic classroom environment and space, I provide clear organization, expectations, and communication that allows the student to feel safe to explore and express themselves without fear of judgement. My hope is to guide students right to the edge of their comfort zone, to spend time in that magical time and space, where the balance between natural insecurity and unimagined self-growth lives. I believe art, in any and every form, is a universal language that has the potential to bring peace and understanding to all walks of life, especially when on the surface, perspectives may seem different. Through this process, they can gain awareness, acceptance, and confidence to embrace their own creative abilities, to bring increased abundance and understanding of themselves and their experience, within the context of their community, culture, world and as a part of the wholeness of creation.
Kayti Lathrop is an art educator, visual artist, and mother of 5 working for the part 25 years in a variety of settings including public, private, and homeschools. Kayti received a BS in Art and Psychology and a Masters in Art Therapy. She works for the DOE as an art PTT and long term substitute and serves as the art director for the drama program, tasked in creating set and costume design. Kayti participated as one of the local artists chosen for the first annual Nirmanafest mural festival on Kauai and has led several interactive murals for many community events. She incorporates her love of travel, sustainability, dance/movement, different learning styles, collaboration, inclusivity, and exploring different cultures in the experience. Kayti provides an opportunity for students to explore their ideas, thoughts, and feelings through both individual and collaborative projects in a safe and supportive environment with the goal of helping create creative, conscious, self-confident future community-minded citizens.
The Artistic Teaching Partners (ATP) Roster is an adjudicated directory of Hawai‘i professional teaching artists qualified to conduct in-depth residencies in educational settings. Each artist or arts organization has a page in the directory with contact information, a short bio, and an artist statement. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts draws from this roster for arts education programs including Art Bento at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum and Artists in the Schools.
