Effingham Public Library is pleased to welcome local artist, Leah Hanfland.
Quick bio stuff: I was born and raised in Effingham. I went to Sacred Heart Grade School. Graduated from Effingham High School in 2021. Graduated from the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University, Indianapolis in 2025 with a Bachelor’s in Art Education and a
minor in Spanish. This fall will be my first year as an art teacher at Southport High School on the south side of Indianapolis where I will be teaching Photography, Drawing, Intro to 2D Art, and Painting.
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Art has always been an integral part of my life. Growing up, my brother and I spent a lot of time making things out of cardboard scraps, hot glue, and crayons. Through experimentation and play, we learned how to bring ideas to life. During high school, I thrived in art class and
ultimately decided art was not something I wanted to let go of. I decided to pursue a Bachelor’s in Art Education after graduating from EHS.
It was not until I entered the classroom for the first time as a teacher rather than a student that I realized I also love the art of
education. My first job in college was as a tutor in Indianapolis Public Schools on the west side. I was placed in two elementary schools where I worked on literacy with small groups, and as an interpreter for students whose first language was Spanish.
This past May, I finished 16 weeks of student teaching in Perry Township on the south side of Indianapolis, where I spent 8 weeks full-time in an elementary school and 8 weeks full-time in a high school. Two lovely mentor teachers allowed me to come into their classroom and learn from them until I was ready to teach on my own. I expected the majority of my learning to come from my mentors in the form of binders full of lesson plans and long conversations about how I could make my instruction more
effective. In reality, I learned the most from my students. My first-graders taught me to take myself a little less seriously.
My fifth-graders reminded me how important it is to express myself. My high schoolers showed me what the world looks like through their eyes.
My identity as an artist is completely intertwined with my identity as a teacher. My work is an exploration in communication and is in constant conversation and collaboration with the world around me. Though trained most formally as an oil painter, as a teacher I have to be proficient across many media in order to best serve my students. This means myself and my work are
constantly learning and changing, yet my subjects remain the people, places, and feelings closest to me. This body of work is a walk through the beginning of my career as an artist and educator.
Among units in drawing, painting, lesson planning, and classroom management, my art education program also taught me how to advocate for my field. Art education is capable of so much more than teaching a child to draw; it’s about empowering students to think critically,
express themselves freely, and question the world around them. Art transcends language and invokes emotion, and my field is responsible for making it accessible to students everywhere. Yet, it continues to be underfunded and undervalued. Believe me when I say that the art room is a magical place. I’ve taught little hands to hold scissors and teenagers to be compassionate. We tell stories through paint and paper and share with each other through conversation and collaboration. We ask students to
evaluate what is important to them and open their minds to new ideas and ways to express themselves. I can assure you that the days of carbon copied color wheel drawings are behind us, rather, the next generation of educators encourage students to shape their own narrative with unique creativity and problem-solving. In a world where we are being fed information from every
direction, art teachers ask students to bring their own perspectives and come to their own conclusions, at a time when that is more important than ever.
The art exhibit is free and a library card is not required to view the exhibit.
Contact Liz L’hommedieu, Art Gallery/UX Coordinator at 217-342-2464 or liz@effinghamlibrary.org for more information.
Leah’s work will be showcased until August 29th.
