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Neisja Yenawine

Neisja teaches art to Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarteners  at St. Francis School. Her love of art started at a tender age under the direction of her great grandmother Josette Tinsley, who was both an interior designer and a fiercely independent thinker. On each visit to her house, Neisja was introduced to a world of pattern, texture and color in the fabric bins her grandmother kept. It was then that she learned to sew and her future as a textile artist was conceived.

             When she graduated, she pursued her passion at the Louisville School of Art where she earned a BFA, and later Syracuse University, where she earned a MFA. From this textile design foundation, Neisja has done everything from designing silk scarves for New York boutiques to constructing 30 foot wall quilts, but intermixed was always a teaching job of some kind. Whether teaching undergrads at the Corcoran School of Art or directing an art program at a community center, Neisja has always parlayed the same passion she has as a parent into her teaching. It’s this ambition that led her to become part of the St. Francis family 6 years ago. 

            Outside of the art room and enrichment space, Neisja can usually be found in her own sacred space, “The Studio.” Her studio is great for a few reasons, the top two having to be, 1) a place for making great art 2) for listening to “This American Life,” “A Prairie Home Companion” and a constant stream of great classical music. These days, Neisja also enjoys taking walks in Cherokee Park with her dog  Omar,  getting turned on to new music by her kids (they keep me hip), shows on HBO, and visitin’ on the front porch. She’s happy to be a part of the St. Francis team.

Curriculum Highlights

Kindergarten

Neisja Yenawine

 

 

 

First Trimester: two-dimensional media

Self Portrait / home

Shape: organic/geometric

Color, texture, pattern, line

Georgia O’Keefe

Landscape: garden/horse fields

 

Second Trimester: three-dimensional media

Printing/fabric

Sewing, quilting

Faith Ringgold

Clay

Puppets

 

Third Trimester: mixed media

Fairy house

Papermaking

Ocean collage

Landscape/garden

 

Red Stick 2005	detail
Ginko sticks 2005	detail

Fine Arts Department
St. Francis School
11000 US Highway 42
Goshen, Kentucky 40026

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