Pamela Conyers Hinson
Tessellation Project
I create art that speaks to cultural diversity, gender and social issues. The ideas for the artwork I create originates from my experiences in my cultural community and the different cultural communities that I encounter on this journey.
Pamela’s current body of work captures ancestral facial features by making plaster molds of fifty members of the African American cultural community. During the mold making process, my model and I establish bonds by sharing stories. This bond creates a level of comfort which gives the models the opportunity to address fears and share stories. A slip cast is made of each mold which is hand painted using African designs.
Over the years her artwork has gone through a transformation. I’ve found myself exploring the creation of art using discarded and forgotten materials such as sawdust. “I’ve taught art to at-risk and potentially at-risk teens in Omaha, NE and surroundings areas. I’ve traveled across Nebraska accompanying statewide exhibits from the Sheldon Museum of Art to teach art in rural communities. I took advantage of the opportunity to travel a state prison to discuss art with death row inmates. I’ve worked as a community artist in after school programs at local middle schools teaching service learning and community engagement. I served as a teaching artist at Joslyn Art Museum introducing sculpting techniques to teachers from elementary to high school. I hold a Bachelors’ Degree in Studio Art from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, a Masters’ Degree in Organizational Leadership from College of Saint Mary, and a Masters’ in Teaching from College of Saint Mary. I’m an 8th grade Language Arts and Honors Language Arts teacher at an inner city middle school in Omaha, Nebraska.”