As an artist, I am motivated to investigate the natural world around me, to create a dialog between what I experience, and to share this with others. I like to bring a sense of wonder to my students, setting back the barrier of perfection, to find their unique voice. My K-12th grade art lessons are tactile, utilizing a mix of sculpture, print, and textile design. They are empowered to hone their ‘artist eye’ for critical observation, utilizing the Elements of Art.
I strive to bring a global perspective into my teaching practice, drawing inspiration from rich traditional techniques. Students will benefit from exposure to a range of cultural artforms. They will gain incites from the stories and motifs, to build parallels within their own identity.
My visual art classes integrate well with other core educational subjects. Touching on aspects of history, language, science, and math. As a Teaching Artist, I feel proud to be part of a practice that produces free thinkers, and cultivates a deeper understanding of the visual world.
Monica Garrett is a second-generation printmaker and artist living on Oahu. Her belief is that art should be accessible to all and that it is imperative to promote this with youths in order to build a creative and bright future. She works to do this as an artist and through organizations around the island, such as the Honolulu Museum of Art, the Honolulu Printmakers, and the State Foundation of Culture and the Arts through the AITS Program. She has been featured in shows both across the United States as well as locally. In her artistic practice Monica is informed by the world around her, with a focus on the natural world, one of color and texture that is reinterpreted through her organic prints and designs.
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.
