Bio |
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I am a Visual Art for Well-Being Instructor who has lead workshops for educators, medical and mental health professionals, cancer survivors, and victims of trauma for the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, the Kemper Art Museum, the Cancer Support Community, Washington University, St. Louis University, Webster University, Siteman Cancer Center and other cultural, mental health, medical, and educational institutions both regionally and nationally. I have taught art to individuals with developmental delays, hearing impairments, significant medical conditions, dementia and learning disabilities, as well as typically developing and gifted students. I am a co-founder of Arts, Writing, and Expression Collaborative (AWE). AWE aims to help men transitioning out of the criminal justice system tell their story through visual art, creative writing and public performance. In January 2021, in collaboration with Prison Performing Arts, we will launch a pilot program that brings writing, visual arts and acting to residents at the Transition Center of St. Louis. I have been a faculty member at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) since 2007. I teach visual arts primarily to adults enrolled in the Stress Management Program at PALM Health, an integrative medicine wellness center. In the fall of 2020, I unexpectedly stepped in to teach six visual art high school classes at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School for one of the founders who needed to take medical leave. It's been my distinct pleasure to be a part of a family that is lead by a principal who asks her teachers to do "heart work." I received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis, studied in Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy, and completed 270 class room hours of Anthropedia Well-Being Coach training. This is the life of an artist who gigs. I never know what tomorrow will bring. As numerous projects, classes, and plans were cancelled starting March 2020, I used my creativity, art for well-being, and teaching experience to navigate the uncertainties of a global pandemic. I hope you join me in exercising your creativity. For more information, contact me at magentadoorartstudio@gmail.com. |
Maria Ojascastro encourages you to exercise your creativity!
Artist Statement |
My artwork layers prints, paint, text, and found objects as a meditation on resilience, salvaged from the relics of interrupted journeys. The objects represented symbolizes the choice to move forward. The colors and textures are inspired by my journey of life – a combination of struggle, joy, and hope.
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