Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The work of local artist Leah Hanfland will be on display in the art gallery at the Suzette Brumleve Memorial Effingham Public Library through Aug. 29.
A 2021 graduate of Effingham High School, Hanfland earned a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University, Indianapolis, in 2025. She will begin teaching art this fall at Southport High School on the south side of Indianapolis.
Hanfland said that “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.”
It was while she was in high school that Hanfland decided to pursue a degree in art education, but it wasn’t until she entered the classroom as a teacher for the first time rather than as a student that she realized how much she loved 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.”
Hanfland says that her identity as an artist is completely intertwined with her 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.”
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.
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