Kia'Rae Hanron - Artist, Educator, CREATIVE THINKER
About Kia'Rae
Kia’Rae Hanron (kee-YUH ray HAN-rin) is an artist and educational professional based in Chittenden County, Vermont. Her explorative, creative, and compassionate nature was encouraged and nurtured from a young age, and creative expression and art making continue to play a large role in her life today. She uses her training, skills, and passion for the arts and education to help youth, educators, and community members use art to practice empathy and gain strength, confidence, and resilience through creative expression.
After graduating from Montpelier High School in 2014, Kia’Rae studied Studio Art and Psychology at the University of Vermont for a year and a half, before shifting into Art Education. She is a proud 2020 graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Arts Education.
In 2019 Kia’Rae began working with Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. (CFF), a Vermont 501c3 Non-profit arts and culture organization, as a Collaborating Teaching Artist. She then spent the next 6 years co-leading the development and expansion of their Windows To A Multicultural World K-12 arts-integrated African-American and African Diaspora history and culture program. (Learn more about this exciting curriculum: https://www.clemmonsfamilyfarm.org/windows-to-a-multicultural-world.html) Kia'Rae served as the program's lead content developer, researching and curating resources, developing curriculum for grades K-12, and co-designing teaching artist engagements that are rich in African diaspora history and culture. She has led professional development trainings for educators spanning pre K-12, as well as co-creation activities with youth and community members.
Kia'Rae is a member of the Vermont African-American/African Diaspora Artist Network (VAAADAN), a statewide network supported by Clemmons Family Farm and comprised of more than 300 artists and culture bearers of African descent.
In 2021 Kia'Rae was featured in Seven Days' Vermont Visionaries for her work in arts and education. She is also one of six arts professionals in New England selected to receive a 2022-2023 National Leaders of Color Fellowship, a program for BIPOC leaders who are committed to the advancement of cultural equity in the arts and offered through a coalition of the six U.S. regional arts organizations.
As a prolific practicing artist and a proud mental health advocate, she loves any kind of artistic medium and expression that support her well-being. Some of her favorite means of expression include drawing, painting, collage, assemblage, digital art, creative writing, embroidery, and poetry.
You can view Kia'Rae's Creative Ground Artist Profile here: https://www.creativeground.org/profile/kiarae-hanron
Kia'Rae specializes in:
- building empathy, understanding, resilience, and connection through the arts;
- developing and facilitating arts programs based on age-appropriate goals and objectives;
- tailoring curriculum to fit within the IRIS framework and VT Education Quality Standards;
- integrating the arts and cultural education with various education domains, including but not limited to social studies, science, math, and language arts;
- finding and creating connections;
- creative problem solving through artistic thinking;
- and, of course, art making!!!
Kia'Rae aspires to use her passion and skills as an artist and educator to help make the world a more kind, expressive, and empathetic place.
Photos 1 & 3 curtesy of Cat Cutillo.