Simply put, our teaching artists are the best. Without them, the program wouldn’t exist. Not only do they have some incredible accomplishments under their collective belts—designing jewelry for the movie industry and book covers for Time Life, creating outdoor sculptures for Airlie Gardens and indoor sculptures for North Carolina’s aquariums, performing around the globe with the Chuck Davis African Dance Ensemble, teaching at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, crafting ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree at the White House, building a nine-foot-tall palapa made of recycled bicycle inner tubes, to name a few—they are compassionate, dedicated role models as well. Classes combine top-notch artistic education with youth development-focused values like teamwork, positive conflict resolution, strong communication, leadership and peer mentoring. Both at the Center and at outreach sites, our teaching artists are truly committed to helping our students find their creative voices and empowering them to experience artistic and personal success.