Wabash, Ind. – Honeywell Arts & Entertainment honored Manchester students during a reception celebrating the Honeywell CommUNITY Arts Program on March 24. Student participants showcased their work to the public through performances and displays of their original Mexican folk art known as alebrijes. English Language Learners in grades K – 6 were featured performers, sharing tissue paper flowers they created as they sang the song “Flowers” in multiple languages.
CommUNITY Arts is a multi-week collaboration between Honeywell Arts In Education and Manchester Community Schools. The program began in early March as teaching artists Ana Velazquez, Emily Guerrero, and Brian Kruschwitz joined the English Language Learner and Spanish 4 classrooms each week, inspiring students to give voice to their individual stories through visual art, storytelling, and music. Guerrero states, “The CommUNITY Arts program is a critical building block to help students and their families see they are appreciated, included, applauded, and valued.”
Robert Weber, EL/Spanish Teacher at Manchester Junior-Senior High School, adds, “Honeywell CommUNITY Arts Artist Residencies have allowed for transformational student growth. Students who were typically shy and reserved, gained newfound confidence to share their voices and experiences in a unique, artistic way that they would not have otherwise had the opportunity to do in a regular classroom setting.”
Teaching Artists
Ana Velazquez
Ana Velazquez is a Mexican American director and teaching artist in her native city, Chicago. Her directing experience is deeply tied to new play development and is often in collaboration with playwrights exploring underrepresented stories. She is a Playmakers Laboratory company member. Her teaching artist experience includes Disney Musicals in Schools and Playbuild Youth Intensive Program with Goodman Theatre, Timeline South Living History Program with Timeline Theatre, and Young Playwrights Festival with Pegasus Theatre.
Emily Guerrero
Emily J. Guerrero embodies her Mexican ancestral traditions as she encourages audiences to expand their knowledge of diverse cultures in their midst. Her performances, installation arts, and workshops for various age audiences offer insights into the diverse montage of the multicultural communities. She is a dedicated and passionate advocate of cultural arts. Throughout her career, Emily has served as an advocate in leadership roles for the development of culturally inclusive programs.
Brian Kruschwitz
Brian Kruschwitz lives in North Manchester and has presented educational programming for Honeywell Arts In Education for many years. Brian is a musician, storyteller, and collector of world instruments. He also works with his partner LuAnne Harley as Yurtfolk, presenting programs of music, stories, and dance from countries all over the world.
2023 Student Participants
Kindergarten
Sofia Ambrosio Asim Bilal Soydan Valerie Davila Jaxon Diaz Carlos Eduardo Tiul Cux
Ashley Fuentes Evelyn Gallegos Mendoza
Gael Melendez Amber Nicolle Zelaya
Kassandra Saucedo
First Grade
Danna Cely Carrillo
Clarissa Garcia Diaz
Melissa Garcia Diaz
Emily Mata-Reyes
Mia Porras Leon
Deniz Velazquez
Second Grade
Sebastian Gomez-Ramirez
Oscar Matamoros
Emmanuel (Manny) Quiroz Alvarez
Angel Verduzco-Ramos
Third Grade
Genesis Acosta Ojeda
Jorge Alfredo Velazquez
Christian Alvarez Guerrero
Brayan Ambrosio-Jimenez
Jayson Dolores-Toledo
Fernando Francisco Hernandez Micheal Garrido Mateo Hernandez Campos
Annabella Matamoros
Leonardo Mucu Kindy
Fourth Grade
Jennifer Diaz Juan Diego Velazquez
Bryana Escudero
Astrid Fuentes Zelaya
Joanna Garcia-Rosas
Lydia Ortiz Junior Quiroz Alvarez
Fifth Grade
Samantha Cardenas Cerda
Aaron Garrido Juan Pablo Reyes Acosta
Liam Porras
Rhayzel (Abbie) Robles Presisto
Romeo Tlahuetl
Sixth Grade
Rosemary Garcia-Rosas
Nathali Jimenez-Saucedo
Arianna Lopez Max Martinez Garcia
Camila Mata-Reyes
Leilany Ortiz Guerrero
Marlene Tlahuetl Alondra Verduzco-Ramos
Seventh Grade
Santiago Gomez-Ramirez
Yuleisy Perez
Eighth Grade
Estefani Ambrosio-Jimenez
Mareli Ambrosio-Jimenez
Bella Diaz Owen Diaz
Adriana Escudero
Elizabeth Mata-Reyes
Marian Melendez
Michael Ortiz Lesli Saucedo
Ninth Grade
Kathy Garcia Rosas
Dasia Montero Maggie Onderko-White
Tenth Grade
Diego Gomez-Ramirez
Eleventh Grade
Lilli Meyer Nora Seres Badia
Twelfth Grade
Paula Ciriero Ruiz Diana Diaz DeLeon Alvarez
Eric Diaz-Deleon Luis Gonzalez Steven Guerrero Jose Hernandez Aliala Lorainn Atienza
Abby Love Jonatan Manuel Mo’Mucu
Caden Marcum Skye McCullough Olivia Neal Sarah Nulf Adriana Ortiz Guerrero
Jessica Perez Valeria Reyes Kaydence Stevens
The Honeywell CommUNITY Arts Program is made possible by the Flagstar Foundation with additional support in part from the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
An offering of Honeywell Arts & Entertainment, Honeywell Arts In Education is a collection of programs created for educators to reap developmental benefits in the classroom. The program provides 49,000 opportunities for students in 83 schools in 14 counties annually and is offered at little or no cost to the schools. These programs are made possible by generous supporters of Honeywell Arts & Entertainment, a nonprofit charity dedicated to providing arts, education, and entertainment for all.
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About Honeywell Arts & Entertainment
Honeywell Arts & Entertainment encompasses the full range of arts opportunities and venues of The Honeywell Foundation, a nonprofit public charity based in Wabash, Indiana. The organization is dedicated to providing arts, education, and entertainment for all through live entertainment, movies, arts education, cultural events, culinary experiences, Honeywell Arts Academy, and more. Offerings take place at seven venues including the Honeywell Center, Honeywell House, Eagles Theatre, Charley Creek Gardens, Dr. James Ford Historic Home, Clarkson House, and 13-24 Drive In. Honeywell Arts & Entertainment partners with a network of venues throughout the region to further the reach of live entertainment programming. Honeywell Arts & Entertainment programs and activities are made possible by generous donors and in part by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about Honeywell Arts & Entertainment, please visit HoneywellArts.org.
Media Contact: Jessica Bott | pr@honeywellarts.org | (260) 274-1429
