Create Space KC Teachers
Create Space KC teachers are creative and unique artists bringing their diverse experiences and endless passions to our corner of Waldo. Every class is brought to you 100% by each individual teacher's vision and love, so there's always something new at Create Space KC.
Monica Kane: Watercolor + Art + Spanish
Monica Kane is a Venezuelan-American designer, illustrator, teacher, and mom. She graduated from Temple University Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia with a BFA in Interactive Design. After working as a designer at Hallmark for nearly a decade, she started her own design studio:
https://www.monicakanedesign.com
She is passionate about watercolors, gouache, collage, paper, hand drawing, lettering, digital illustration, and color. She loves making products and patterns for fabric, wallpaper, etc. Crafting has been her thing since she can remember. She loves up-cycling and re-imagining used materials to create something beautiful.
She has taught watercolor, plush toy making, and Spanish, both one-on-one and for small groups. She loves working with children, teens, and adults.
Monica is inspired by nature, has an organic style, and always encourages her students to use art as a way to explore, play, and bring joy into our lives.
website: https://www.monicakanedesign.com
Anca Geana: Belly Dance
A’isha is a multi-award-winning Oriental-style belly dance performer, instructor, and show producer. Notably among other awards, she won first place at the 2020 Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition (American Cabaret category) in Los Angeles, CA, and second place in 2021 (Goddess category).
Her love for belly dance started in 2005 and made this art her life passion ever since. A’isha has trained with the top belly dance teachers in the world and started instructing her own students in 2014. She is recognized for her particular teaching method which is student-centric and aimed at discovering and building on one’s strengths so students can reach their full potential at a pace that is appropriate for them.
A’isha performs regularly in local, national, and international belly dance shows, fundraisers, art shows, and private events, and participates in belly dance competitions. She and her students performed in numerous local art events, festivals, shows, and workshops.
Please see her bio and accomplishments by visiting: www.aishadancer.com
Instagram: @aisha_dancer
Barbara Jurgensmeier: Music + Songwriting
Barbara Jurgensmeier is a board-certified music therapist, currently teaching preschool music classes. She has had experience working with a wide range of populations, including children with varying developmental disabilities and at-risk youth and adolescents.
Barbara loves using the engaging and motivating qualities of music to not only promote musical concepts, but to enhance skills like attention, focus, impulse control, communication, social interaction, and autonomy as well.
Your child will love moving, exploring, playing, and learning with music. Drop in for a class or contact Barbara with registration information and/or any questions you may have.
Virginia May: Paper Flowers
Virginia May is an illustrator, paper florist, and mother of one and a half children.
Meghan Throckmorton: Art + Yoga
Meghan tried a lot of things from teaching English to designing products before she found her true love teaching at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She started Create Space KC to further her love of sharing the arts with her community.
When she's not teaching, Meghan is making things and bringing people together. She is a fiber artist, gardener, natural dyer, and curious soul who wishes people were known more for their loves than their labor.
Meghan is also a certified yoga teacher, and all her classes aim to nurture creativity and calm through movement, art experiences, and stories. She loves listening, looking on the bright side, and making joyful messes.
Autumn Fraser: Anime + Painting
Hello, My name is Autumn Fraser. I'm a local artist from Kansas city. I've been creating all my life; recently I've started hosting personal art lessons and paint & sips. I've hosted children's art lessons and teen creative lock-ins at Kansas city public library for a few years. I love teaching all the art tips I've learned over the years, I'm super excited to create with you.
Photo credit: Brandi Lynchard Photography
Barbara Anderson: Yoga
Barbara Anderson is a movement specialist currently teaching classes in yoga (beginning through advanced levels)and the Feldenkrais Method of Functional Integration and Awareness Through Movement. Teaching people to move better has been her passion and profession for 35 years. Whether it is big active movement that builds fitness and strength or slow, small gentle movement that leads to increased body awareness and deep release, she loves it all. She is partial to the profound effects that slow, small and gentle movement can have in relieving pain and improving performance.
De Grable: Making + Stitching
De has been an educator for over 25 years, teaching everything from pre-k to college. She is passionate about people finding their creativity, and she believes everyone has a creative spark that she wants to help others find.
I love creating beauty and fun things from what others think is trash!
I am a grandma to five and been married 46 years,
I love to garden, stitch, and MAKE MAKE MAKE!
Melinda Hedgecorth: Flamenco Dance
Melinda has lived the last 14 years in one of the capital cities of flamenco and sister city to KC, Sevilla, Spain. She spent her time performing in order to gain experience with local guitarists and singers practicing the codes and signals which make up the language of flamenco. She developed her skills in flamenco clubs, cultural centers, museums and theatres, learning more onstage with her able musicians than she had ever learned in a studio setting.
Melinda is once again a Kansas City resident and is inspired to pass on the precious information shared with her during those years. She teaches across Kansas and Missouri as part of her school 45° which is also the name of her new LLC which will help promote two performance groups Siento y Vivo Flamenco with guitarist Beau Bledsoe and Flamenkcmo with husband and singer/guitarist Antonio Rojas Flor. As a reaction to Covid-19 they have been staging Pop Up performances in local neighborhoods as well as providing Step of the Week classes online and Flamenco Film Happy Hour Chats in order to share and learn from others. Melinda is currently developing ideas for original choreographies to be presented at Spring performances with the Topeka and Springfield Symphonies performed with Ensemble Iberica.
Alexa Lainez: Ballet Folklorico
Alexa Laínez began her folklórico journey at the young age of four. Throughout the years, she continued dancing and fell in love with the vibrant dresses, challenging footwork, and lively music across the many regions of Mexico. In the Summer of 2020, she began her studies of the pedagogy of Mexican folklore at Escuela Ballet Folklórico de Mexico de Amalia Hernández. Since earning her diploma, she has joined workshops from teachers all over Mexico to build her repertoire and gain a deeper understanding of the culture in specific regions and states. Alexa has officially launched her own group, Grupo Folklorico Alma Tapatía, offering classes at Create Space KC.
Alice Hampton: Painting + Bookbinding
My name is Alice Hampton, I have a BFA from Emporia State University. I have always loved abstract art but found it elusive until a college drawing class and I want to show others the magic of the process!
Maria McNeal: Meditation + Mindfulness
Maria is a certified meditation and mindfulness teacher passionate about helping others to live a more balanced, joyful, and mindful life. She has ten years of experience teaching elementary students in the public school system, and absolutely loves anything to do with kids, self-improvement, mental health and wellness, psychology, and inspiration. She also loves to read, write, practice yoga, garden, and explore trails and parks around the KC area.
She's amomma to Nora, and wife to Brendan. Maria was born and raised in Kansas City and feels lucky to have her parents and siblings close by as well.