I provide paintings, art prints, and photography services directly to clients. My work is featured in a number of private collections within (and beyond) Western New York. In 2016, I founded Avery & Harlow to grow my art business. I have individual and commercial clients, including Meet & Eat Charcuterie, Magic Bear Beer Cellar, Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, Trocaire College, Canisius University, and TEAM VIA (New York City Real Estate Advisors). I've donated art to Lollypop Farm Humane Society of Greater Rochester, Massachusetts Avenue Project, Rochester Contemporary Art Center (as part of the 2023 and 2024 6x6 fundraiser exhibition) and the WNY Women's Foundation. In addition, I'm a former instructor (specializing in business and marketing) for the Arts Management Program at University at Buffalo. I'm also a Teaching Artist and marketing consultant for GWFA Gallery in Hamburg, New York.

Award-winning author of The Memory of Things will share why she wrote a young adult novel set in NYC during 9/11, the research she did to create authentic characters and story, and how reading and writing historical fiction builds empathy, often far better than non-fiction. Can be paired with writing workshops and other interactive presentations. Author can do similar presentations on any of her seven award-winning novels, both middle grade and young adult.

We are among America’s most sought-after school assembly speakers. The Omegaman & Friends presentation is a 45-60-minute interactive assembly with a SUPERHERO theme. It's filled with powerful visual illustrations, designed to promote good behavior by one of our SUPERHERO presenters. It’s hard for a speaker wearing a suit & tie to get most students’ attention nowadays. When a student sees one of our team members snap a baseball bat, rip a 400-page book in half, and bend steel in his teeth it grabs the student’s attention. The feats of strength are used as a tool to captivate and maintain the attention of the students, ensuring that the message is not lost. Each illustration is connected to an object lesson that will inspire your students to make the right choices when it comes to bullying, peer pressure and personal achievement. Research suggests that the best way to deal with issues that students are now facing is through comprehensive programs that focus on changing the climate of a school. Our presentation does exactly that! Our Mission: To promote positive Choices and move the student’s hearts and minds to contemplate positive change and new direction for their lives! Contact us TODAY for availability and a FREE quote.

This Visiting Author Presentation focuses on disability acceptance & inclusion while connecting to the presenter's various children's books. By attending this program, students learn about different disabilities and the process of writing realistic fiction while becoming inspired to make a positive difference in their schools and communities. Great presentation for Autism Awareness Month (April) and Disability Awareness Month (October). Contact Author directly through her website for free Reading Guide. Amy also offers parent workshops related to raising a child with disabilities and understanding the unique needs of siblings.

The Syracuse Orchestra offers educational performances and services designed to support educators and students at all levels, from Pre-K through high school and beyond. In many cases, educational performances can be tailored to the specific needs of teachers, and all performances include activity guides. Options include full-orchestra and ensemble concerts at your school, full-orchestra concerts as field trip destinations, and coaching and masterclasses for your music students. Ask how your students can perform at Crouse-Hinds Theater. And remember, kids 18 and under are FREE for all regular-season performances!

A standard visit consists of three presentations of up to an hour each. With younger children I focus the talk around my first picture book, The Foolish Giant. For grades three and up I generally use my novel The Monster's Ring. Each session begins with some high energy storytelling and includes a fair amount of humor. Along the way I address where ideas come from, issues of editing and rewriting, and demonstrate how a story is put together. The sessions are designed to include practical tips on writing that teachers can immediately put to use in the classroom.

In-School Residencies with Peter, Paul and George: Our dance workshops are well-suited addendums for elementary school students and high-school language students interested in learning more about their chosen culture. Homespun Occasions’ workshops encompass dances from more than 60 countries and regions around the world including the US, Latin America, Africa, Quebec, Scandinavia, Ireland, France, Turkey, China, Polynesia and Russia. These dance and music workshops can also be integrated with history and geography units. Peter Davis, Paul Rosenberg and George Wilson have been leading elementary and high school daytime workshops and residencies in traditional community dance and music, and playing for family and community dance evenings since 1994. Their repertoire consists primarily of contra, square and international folk dances accompanied by lively reels, jigs, polkas and waltzes. Their music and dances transform even the most adamant, grimacing youngsters declaring “I will never dance” into smiling dance-lovers asking, “When is the next dance?” Although they have worked as a trio since 1994, Peter and George have each been arts educators since the mid-1970s. All three are multi-instrumentalists. Instrumentation includes fiddle, banjo, clarinet, pennywhistle, recorder, piano, guitar and mandolin. Together they have performed and taught in over 700 schools around the Northeastern United States Family Dance Evening: One of our most popular offerings, the Family Dance, is a school-wide community celebration that involves everyone. Students, parents, siblings, teachers and administrators spend an evening dancing in time-honored traditions from around the world. If the evening is presented as the culminating activity after a school residency, students will be able to help teach their parents the dances they learned during the day. Parents are encouraged to get up and participate, and the high-spirited, toe-tapping music by Peter Davis and George Wilson make it impossible to sit on the sidelines! All dances are taught by “dancing master” Paul Rosenberg. Middle & High School Programs: TRADITIONAL DANCE AND MUSIC OF QUEBEC AND FRANCE FOR FRENCH LANGUAGE STUDENTS TRADITIONAL DANCE OF LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE STUDENTS TRADITIONAL DANCE OF GERMANY, ITALY, RUSSIA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD FOR OTHER LANGUAGE STUDENTS Square dancing originated in France! When settlers from France and western Europe came to the new world, they brought their quadrilles (square dance formation), their fiddles and their dances. The cultural heritage of Francophone America is brought to life in this dynamic participatory workshop. Accompanied by the energetic Quebecois fiddling of George Wilson and the pulsating rhythmic piano and guitar of Peter Davis, Paul Rosenberg leads high school French students through a series of lively dances as he points out the origin of such phrases as “do-si-do” (which was originally “dos à dos” – back-to-back). Dances are in square, circle, and contra formations. This multidisciplinary workshop encompasses language, history, geography, physical education and, of course, music! In Latin America, some dances were brought over by Spanish colonists, and others are ancient dances of native peoples who were influenced by Spanish culture. Many of these dances tend to be very energetic and lots of fun! Fiddle for Orchestra: Students Master fiddler George Wilson has developed a program for working with musicians in school orchestra programs. Students will be introduced to and instructed in the nuances of traditional fiddle styles. George has an extensive background playing tunes from Quebec (as well as Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton/Nova Scotia, Appalachia, Scandinavia and the Shetland Islands). These traditional tunes include reels, jigs, hornpipes, schottisches, marches, polkas and waltzes. During instruction, George will focus on the rhythms and accents that give this traditional music its distinct feel. Sheet music for melody and harmony/accompaniment will be provided; George will also employ the more traditional method of teaching tunes by ear. Students will learn melody, harmony and accompaniment for each tune. The details of bowing, ornamentation, rhythm, and accents idiomatic to a style or tune will then be added. These workshops, rehearsals and sessions can be integrated with history and geography units as well as being aligned with the New York State Learning Standards in the areas of multicultural and traditional music, improvisation and playing solo or in an ensemble.

Award-winning, internationally renowned musical storytelling duo Barry Marshall and Jeri Burns PhD, aka, The Storycrafters, present performance, workshop and residency programs integrating storytelling with numerous areas of curriculum. Storytelling has been documented in multiple studies as a support and building block of literacy. Schools that participate in storytelling programs see marked improvement in student language, reading and creating writing abilities. Storycrafters programs work to enhance student literacy through the storytelling art form. Storytelling also acts as an active support to many areas of curriculum, including character education, history, multicultural and international studies, and more. The Storycrafters have been working in schools and other venues since 1991, building a vast repertoire of stories and workshops to introduce storytelling and use it to enhance many areas of student learning. In addition, The Storycrafters present workshops for parents and teachers introducing the many ways storytelling can enhance student development in the home and classroom. With 30+ years of experience in the storytelling art form and its many use in the classroom and school environment, The Storycrafters are a valuable resource for any school community looking to enhance literacy while supporting many areas of curriculum.

A comprehensive year-long classroom program designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to learn music composition, create original compositions, form music groups, bands, or ensembles, and to promote their work on local and national stage. Through a combination of instrumental training, music theory, composition techniques, and industry tools, students will embark on a journey from individual musicians to collaborative creators, culminating in the production of their original work and how to bring their efforts to market.

Join my nature adventures from childhood family trips to hiking with my own children, exploring Israel. We'll read the story A FEATHER, A PEBBLE, A SHELL (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2024) and discover some behind-the-scenes secrets from the work process on the story and illustrations. We'll find out what makes the tiny country of Israel one of the most diverse places in the world with mountains, rivers, forests, beaches, dry deserts, tropical reefs and more! I'm traveling to the USA for a book tour during the month of November and would love to visit your school in person. I live in Israel, so on any other month, I would be happy to visit your school virtually. During my visit in November, I also offer art workshop, in which we will create Israel's national bird, the hoopoe, using cut colored papers and oil pastels, demonstrating how this beautiful bird can open and close its feathered crown! I can be reached by email: miri@mirileshem.com or phone: +972-152-871-5525

We are a professional baseball team located in the Capital District of New York, more specifically, Troy. Each year we offer multiple Education Day games which are special matinee games aimed to incorporate learning with the game of baseball. We create a unique curriculum that covers things from spending money at the concession stand, geography and location of our opponents, baseball terminology and more. For these games we reach out to all of our local schools and invite them to attend this game which is typically $12 per person and includes admission as well as a lunch. We kick off the game with an Anti-Bullying peace pledge, and the concourse features tables from our sponsors with STEM centric activities. Many schools attend each of these games and look for assistance to ensure they can be a part of it.

Mars pottery offers raku workshops all day workshops where students create and fire their work in the Japanese art of raku. We also offer sculpture classes and children’s classes. @ginamarspottery