“You are an artist, no matter how often you make art or how much you make from it.”
Los Angeles-based Artist and Educator Emeka Simmons has been honing his teaching skills since 2012. Originally an athlete turned dancer, Simmons takes the disciplines and skills he has developed into the classes and workshops he facilitates. Although he has taught a variety of art disciplines, from dance and drumming to painting and woodworking, his current focus is on repurposed, recycled and upcycled assemblage arts and engineering. “Transforming the mundane and ordinary scraps of life into extraordinary moments and art for the benefit of all involved” is how he sums up his intentions for teaching or creating art. Simmons’ energy is infectious and he finds tremendous inspiration in working with kids and teaching them to translate their hearts into their hands. Simmons has taught with the LA Department of Cultural Affairs, Heartbeat House, Mama Earth at Crenshaw High School, and UCLA Arts & Healing, where he received Facilitator Certification. He is an active member of Le Ballet Kouman Kele, LA’s oldest African dance company.
