A lifelong, practicing artist and educator, Meleanna provides classroom instruction for students and professional development for teachers, artists, schools and organizations, and will assist in brainstorming any creative ideas groups have for bringing arts education to their communities. As an arts consultant and curriculum designer, she works with the DOE, Charter Schools and private organizations to integrate visual arts across the curriculum with culture as a focus.
“As a lifelong learner myself, I know and live the power of the arts every day. Teaching about the visual arts and making art is my life’s passion. I believe that the arts are the single most important educational area to develop today as our children so desperately need what arts education can teach – creativity, problem solving, brainstorming, critical thinking, discipline and joy. I am witness to life changing attitudes and revelations when youngsters make genuine connections with the arts through culturally relevant experiences that make them proud about who they are.”
Meleanna Meyer is a professional artist who shows regularly in both juried and non-juried exhibitions throughout Hawaiʻi. Her work can be found in numerous collections in the State and beyond. Her formal training at Stanford University gave her a strong foundation, but teaching for over twenty years in a broad range of environments has given her the working knowledge necessary to succeed with all groups of learners.
“A category or genre would be hard to pin me to since the most important thing I look for is that it has something to say – often about Hawaiian issues that must come to light for further constructive debate and conversation. I love to play with color and light, love what the arts do for my soul and love the power of the arts to make a real difference in how I interact in the world.”
She is a published author and filmmaker with 2 films to her credit. Social justice issues with a focus on Identity and voice are valued pathways to create artwork in communities that can offer others deeper insights about themselves and their place in the world.
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.