Trina Parrish
Trina is an interdisciplinary Visual Art Educator skilled in program development, standards-based curriculum writing, cross-curricular exploration, sustainability, intersections of the arts and the natural world, community engagement, technological interfaces, and developing authentic spaces where all people present feel safe, welcomed, and celebrated.
After graduating from Oberlin College with a double degree in Studio Art and Theater, Trina earned a Master of Art in Sustainable Business and Communities from Goddard College. During her time at Goddard, Trina studied social justice, global theories of education, traditional agriculture, natural dyes, aesthetics, ecological systems, biomimicry, and sustainable design, all which led her to pursue a teaching certification in Visual Arts. She worked for nearly a decade as a visual art teacher in Cuyahoga County, then transitioned to becoming an instructional coach for teaching artists. Trina is an experienced educator from toddlers through adults, and she enjoys working with a large variety of materials in both traditional and atypical art spaces and learners.
Trina has served on the Ohio Department of Education’s Fine Arts Standards Advisory Board, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Education Advisory Board, and has served in diverse roles on the Ohio Art Education Association’s State Leadership Board since 2017. She has presented professional development workshops and seminars at the state level since 2015, and her writing on art and education has reached global audiences. In 2020, Trina was voted Northeast Ohio Outstanding Art Teacher, and she is a National Geographic Certified Educator.
To learn more about Trina, visit: www.chasingcuriosity.net
Find a PROGRAM taught by TRINA
From Gee’s Bend quilts to Hmong story cloths to countless other cultures around the world, weaving and quilt making share and protect our stories and emotions. Likewise, in this SEL-driven lesson, learners will create drawings that encapsulate memories and emotions, then cut them apart to be reconfigured into a weaving.
In addition to Visual Art Standards, this program addresses Speaking and Listening in OH ELA Standards, as well as Social Emotional Standards.
Program Artist:
Many hands and minds can make one mural. In this collaborative unit, learners work in small groups to create sections of a quilt-like mural to be stitched together by the resident artist. Fabric, paper, zippers, photographs, and trim are all fair game in this atypical mural project.
In addition to adddressing Visual Art Standards in all four areas (Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting), this cross-curricular unit also addresses Ohio ELA standards in Speaking and Listening, Ohio Social Studies standards in Civic Participation and Skills, as well as SEL Standards.
This unit is best suited to Middle and High school, but could be adapted to Upper Elementary.
Program Artist:
In this social emotional learning lesson, learners consider their big feelings (anxiety, worry, grief, loneliness, anger, etc.), choose a big emotion to focus on, then give it a face and form so they can create a safe space for it as they consider the people, places, and/or things that help tame their big emotions.
In addition to addressing Visual Art standards in Creating and Connecting, this lesson also addresses Ohio Social Studies Standards in Historical Thinking and Skills, ELA standards in Speaking and Listening, and SEL standards in Self-Awareness and Self-Management.
Program Artist:
What can you say? Using Google Sheets and conditional formatting, learners will plan and stitch a small cross stitch design that makes a statement - about themselves, to encourage changed behavior, and/or to better their community - while considering how the context and culture of a statement can affect how a message is received.
In addition to addressing Ohio Visual Art Standards in all 4 areas (Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting), this unit also complements Ohio Math standards in graphing and functions, as well as SEL standards in Self Awareness, Self-Management, and Social Awareness.
Geared towards high school learners, this unit can also be completed by upper middle school with some adaptations.
Program Artist:
In this fiber arts unit, learners will develop hand sewing skills as they create self portraits from line drawings using thread on paper.
In addition to addressing Visual Art Standards in all 4 areas (Creating, Performing, Reflecting, and Connecting), this lesson also addresses Mathematics standards in Geometry, as well as SEL standards in Self-Awareness and Responsible Decision-Making.
This unit is ideal for Upper Elementary through High School.
Program Artist:
This multi-part unit engages learners in a wide variety of skills and concepts as they develop skills in art analysis while viewing the work of Black visual artists, research visual artists, synthesize information, develop, enact, and adapt proposals to create portraits of their assigned artists that emulate the artists’ style.
This unit can be completed as a whole, or as lessons, although adaptations may be necessary, as each lesson builds upon the previous.
Note: while the unit plan is written as 10 lessons, many of the lessons can - and likely should - be completed over the course of 2 or more sessions, resulting in 20+ lesson days.
In addition to addressing Visual Art standards in all 4 areas (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting), this unit addresses Ohio Social Studies Standards as well as all five areas of the Ohio Social Emotional Learning standards.
While some aspects of the unit may be adaptable for younger learners, this residency is best suited to Upper Middle School and High School.
Program Artist:
What is around you? Who or what do you carry inside of you? In this two-part, single-session lesson, learners will explore their surrounding environments and use clay to capture textures to print. Next, they will use their clay to consider and contain the people, places, and things that make them whole.
In addition to Visual Art standards, this lesson addresses Social Studies standards as well as SEL standards in Self-Awareness and Relationship Skills.
Program Artist:
In this single lesson, learners will explore ratio and proportion in a science-centered activity that explores the natural state of polymer strands. They will create designs while considering scale as their designs shrink when heat is applied. Finally, learners will experience unpredictable results due to the nature of the materials.
In addition to art, math, and science standards, this lesson also addresses SEL skills in Social Awareness and Responsible Decision Making.
This lesson is best suited to Upper Elementary (3-5) to High School.
Program Artist:
Through close looking and observational drawing, learners will explore their world and the organisms in it. They will engage up to four of their senses to record data, build confidence in drawing, and discover how scientists and artists have quite a lot in common.
In addition to visual art standards, this program addresses science standards in Earth and Space standards, Life Sciences, as well as Social Emotional Learning standards in Self Management and Responsible Decision Making.
Program Artist:
Spring takes on more than one meaning in this kinetic sculpture project! Learners will create colorful, anthropomorphic flowers with springy stems to mimic the movement of flowers in the wild while they discuss the different emotions that people can feel about the same situations.
In addition to visual arts standards, this program addresses Ohio Science Standards in Forces, Motion, Energy Changes to Matter, as well as SEL standards in Self-Awareness and Social Awareness.
This program is best suited to elementary ages.
Taking inspiration from both Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru’s C-Stunners and traditional masks, this mini-unit invites learners to see discarded objects as potential art materials. From planning to sculpting to revisions to modeling their creations, learners will engage in a complete design process.
In addition to Visual Art Standards, this project addresses Ohio Social Studies standards in Civic Participation and Skills, as well as SEL standards in Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, and Responsible Decision-Making.
This mini-unit is best suited to Upper Elementary to High School.
Program Artist:
Trina Parrish