Wisconsin Teacher and Artist Showcase
April 17, 2026 | 6:00 pm-8:00pm | FREE to attend
Arts + Literature Laboratory |111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, WI
Welcome to the CCC Showcase.
Experience important local artforms and learn what happened when educators included guest artists in their classrooms this school year.
Find out what students learned and enjoy artists’ sharing.
Meet the Artists
Jorge Alva-Huerto – I was born in Lima, Peru, on March 8th, 1970, and immigrated to the United States in 2002. Currently, I live in Madison with my partner and our 12-year-old son, they are from Oaxaca, Mexico. I learned to play Son Jarocho in 2009, and in 2012, I made my first trip to Veracruz. Since then, I try to go there 2 times a year. Son Jarocho is a traditional string music that originated in the rural areas of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. It is a fusion of Spanish, indigenous, and African cultures. I usually get together with friends to play music; we don’t do performances unless we get invited by schools or community organizations.
Derek Brabender is a craftsperson and educator that has been creating domestic woodenware from freshly felled local wood sourced from arborists or storm-fallen trees (green wood). This work relies on hand tools, skill, and the living knowledge of pre-industrial woodturning and wood carving traditions. Derek is committed not only to preserving these techniques but also to helping others find wellbeing and a sense of creative agency through creating with their hands and simple tools. Derek’s current focus is exploring historical woodturning traditions and bringing their stories and methods into contemporary craft conversations. This pursuit was recently supported by an Artist Fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study with Jarrod Dahl, an internationally recognized expert in pole lathe turning. Through Jarrod’s mentorship in advanced techniques and pedagogy, Derek has become a torchbearer carrying forward and contributing to the living knowledge of pole lathe turning.
Shane Funmaker is a University of Wisconsin, Madison student and a Ho-Chunk regalia artist.
Julia Weaver – I have been making art ever since I remember. I have had the opportunity to explore many mediums. My favorite is fiber work, specifically weaving. I chose the name Weaver to reflect my love of and manner of working with fiber. I later discovered that I have Weber’s (German for weaver) on both the maternal and paternal sides of my family. My paternal grandfather was an accomplished industrial weaver in Germany and as a young woman my maternal grandmother worked in a weaving mill. My past weaves into my present and informs my future.
Kimberly Cloud is a Ho-Chunk Black Ash Basket Weaver
Lighting the Earth New Rider is a Ho-Chunk Nation Bear Clan member motivated to care for his community through Ho-Chunk traditional foods. Lightning is the Garden Coordinator for Wild Bearies in Wisconsin Dells and the Little Eagle Art Foundation L.E.A.F. consultant at Mąą Wakącąk. Lightning attended college at Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he obtained a degree in Horticulture with greenhouse management, germinating and propagating healthy plants and shrubs, and exterior landscaping. While enjoying designing landscapes, Lightning’s interest grew to include Ho-Chunk lifeways in caring for the earth with traditional garden management. In learning from his family and community, Lightning is sought after for his garden management and expertise in growing Ho-Chunk foods.
Djam Vivie learned wood working skills as a boy in Ghana. His grandfathers on his mother’s and father’s side were both craftsmen who built traditional furniture and drums for the village. He learned from watching them and then developed his own style. Besides carving sculptures, Djam also makes and carves furniture and djembes.
Thank you for Attending the Culture, Community, and the Classroom showcase! This program happens because of the support of many important funders and individuals like yourself. Please consider donating to support these programs.
About the project
Eleven teachers in school districts around the region participated in a summer workshop with nationally recognized faculty from Local Learning: The National Network for Folk Arts in Education. Seven of these educators were selected to host artists in their schools. Learn from these local teachers and traditional artists who participated in this national initiative to incorporate diverse cultural arts and knowledge into classrooms in a lively showcase. Learn more about the summer workshop here.
Thank you to The Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures (CSUMC) for making it possible to offer this as a free professional development opportunity for teachers and artists. We also want to thank the Center for Design and Material Culture, the Arts and Literature Lab, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison for hosting and supporting this work.
We are grateful to our local colleagues Anna Rue and Marcus Cederström for their help in planning this professional development series.
