Mission

Kinship Teaching Artists (Kinship TA) is a collective that elevates the voices of diverse teaching artists in the Portland Metro area who focus on sharing empowered arts learning engagements with youth and the larger community. Our name, “Kinship Teaching Artists,” is rooted in the “For Us, By Us” principal and envisions a supportive community that fosters solidarity among us. 

Kinship TA was born on June 15th 2025 after conversations and collective dreaming. Our current group consists of highly skilled professional teaching artists in the Portland region who deliver impactful arts and culture education to thousands of students in Oregon. Along with our partners, we are eager to expand this collective to build a network that collaborates and advocates for a sustainable future for teaching artists.

Vision

After three months of listening and community gatherings in the summer of 2025, Kinship TA began its outward facing engagements. We have built a Teaching Artist Directory and different avenues designed to support our teaching artist community and address the most requested needs and skills that were heard and identified. 

Impact Statements

“I believe that my work in schools, like the work of my teaching artist colleagues, is essential to children’s development as creative thinkers, courageous self-expressers, and passionate activists in their communities. Our work empowers teachers to integrate the arts into their day-to-day teaching practices, allowing them to reach all kinds of learners. Our culminating performances are community-building events in schools, unifying diverse groups of families in celebration of creativity and neighborhood pride. Personally, my work as a teaching artist nourishes my creative spirit and inspires me to keep growing as an artist and educator.” – Andy Furgeson (AKA “Red Yarn”)

“Learning art from Luciana has opened the possibilities in life for me to be confident. She teaches people how to realize their potential, how to play on their strengths, how to solve any problem that comes with life.” – A student reflection about teaching artist Luciana Proano

“There’s great beauty in watching a reserved child find their voice, or in a student moved to tears remembering a loved one through story. I love seeing a teacher surprised by new engagement in their classroom, inspired to integrate the arts. When children create from a place of meaning and share it with others, art ripples into the community—spreading empathy, joy, and imagination.” – Nikki Flinn, Teaching Artist