We are excited to introduce, Jaqueline (Jackie) Jauregui, who is a P.S. ARTS Teaching Artist for LAUSD schools. We asked Jackie a few questions about her work and what inspires her as an artist and teacher.
My name is Jaqueline Jauregui and I was born and raised in the South Bay area, primarily by the Port of Los Angeles. My art discipline is in the Visual Arts, mostly drawing and painting, but I will also dabble in printmaking if given the chance. I currently teach K-2 so it’s been very rewarding to share my past art experiences with young budding artists.
Share a “magic moment” you experienced teaching in the last year (an inspirational experience as a teacher or with a student).
I once had a placement in a YMCA, only two minutes away from my house, and had a really great week of interactions with the students there. They were all Spanish speakers and many had recently migrated, so I spent a majority of the time teaching in Spanish which is something I had never done before. They were so open to the lessons and I believe it helped that we could communicate easily.
Who is an artist you are currently inspired by?
I’ve been following a Mexico-based artist named Aswer Garcia, they do a mix of Mesoamerican imagery/icons and place them with words or phrases. Sometimes they are affirming, other times a bit sad, but they’re all feelings or concepts I can relate to phrases I’ve heard my parents say. Some examples are “Que el alma baile y el corazón cante” and “Si la riegas, creces.”
How has teaching for P.S. ARTS shaped your practice as a Teaching Artist?
Being at P.S. ARTS has really pushed me to explore teaching visual arts to different kinds of grade levels and ages. I started as a secondary teacher so pushing myself to learn about how younger students process and work through art concepts and mediums has really made me evaluate how I teach them. It has helped me remember that they’re learning so many things for the first time. I’ve had a much more student-centered practice where I try to incorporate new concepts and self-reflection.
