The Exchange: Teaching Artist Professional Development Summit

Creating Culture and Successful Systems: Classroom Management for Teaching Artists

Teaching artistry thrives where creativity and structure meet. In this interactive professional development session, participants will learn how to design classroom systems that support creativity, collaboration, and calm. Explore how to co-create classroom norms with students, establish consistent routines, and respond to challenges with confidence and care.

Presented by – Nafeesah Symonette

Nafeesah Symonette is a visual artist, educator, and passionate advocate for youth engagement in the arts—ensuring exposure while honoring cultural heritage. A former K-12 certified arts educator, Symonette dedicated 13 years to teaching high school visual arts in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. She holds a Master of Arts in Arts Administration & Management from Eastern Michigan University and serves as an ambassador for the programs. As an Adjunct Professor and University Supervisor at Oakland University, she prepared the next generation of arts educators through the lens of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy.

In 2021, Symonette co-founded Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA) with Rick Sperling, in collaboration with The Children’s Foundation and Connect Detroit. As DEYA’s Executive Director, she leads systemic change efforts to create equitable, high-impact arts experiences for Detroit youth.

Beyond the Classroom: Teaching Artists as Entrepreneurs

Explore the wide variety of entrepreneurial opportunities for Teaching Artists with Mikel Bresee, Founding Director of College for Creative Studies’ Community Arts Partnerships program. His nearly 40-year career in the arts has included galleries, cultural institutions, park districts, industry, and community-based programs. Success with existing opportunities or in creating our own is best advanced through written proposal formats that we will investigate together and apply to our own program or project ideas.

Presented by – Mikel Bresee

Mikel Bresee was the Founding Director of the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) program for Detroit’s College for Creative Studies from Jan. 2001 to June 2024. A major focus of this work was the recruiting, training, and placement of community-based Teaching Artists. Mikel has worked in partnerships with The Detroit Public Schools; city and county government; the Detroit Institute of Art and other cultural institutions; Kresge, Skillman, and other foundations.

Radical Inclusion: Teaching to the Artist in Every Student

Regardless of the context in which we work, Teaching Artists are tasked with the unique challenge of supporting a wide range of student abilities, interests and attitudes. Together we will explore radically inclusive approaches to facilitate art experiences that engage every students’ authentic expression.

Presented by – Stephanie Mae Howells

Stephanie Mae has worked as Teaching Artist in a variety of classroom and community settings including libraries, hospitals and youth detention centers for over 13 years. With a degree in Psychology and Art from Wayne State University, her pedagogy incorporates therapeutic practices with technical skill building, prioritizing process-centered exploration with skill mastery as a means to build self-confidence. She supports students in navigating the creative process in a way that cultivates emotional resilience while bolstering their unique artistic style/voice.

The Business of Being An Artist

This session will provide an overview of the legal and entrepreneurial essentials every working artist should know. Attendees will receive practical guidance on business structures, contracts, and intellectual property to help artists protect their work and thrive professionally.

Presented by – Kate Hude

Kate Hude has a BFA in Theatre Design & Production from the University of Michigan, a MS in Arts Administration from Boston University, and a JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She is an Association Manager at Kelley Cawthorne, a multi-client lobbying firm in Lansing, Michigan, where she provides association management, lobbying, legal services, and nonprofit consulting. Kate is an adjunct professor at Michigan State University in the Arts, Cultural Management, and Museum Studies graduate program. She is also active in the community, currently serving as the Kiwanis Club of East Lansing President and on the Board of Directors for the East Lansing Kiwanis Club Foundation.