This spring, film professor Kelly Gallagher (left) and local artist Cayetano Valenzuela (right) will each offer four workshops for youth at La Casita with a focus on visual storytelling.
Gallagher will teach film animation on Tuesdays from February 13 – March 5, and Valenzuela will lead comic book illustration workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays from March 26 – April 4. All workshops will be from 4:00pm-6:00pm, and interested participants must also attend weekly Storytime workshops throughout the spring semester. This program of workshops aims to improve literacy skills by engaging young participants in artmaking and experimentation with new mediums.
Kelly Gallagher is an Associate Professor of Film in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. She is an award-winning experimental filmmaker and an enthusiastic teacher who designs inclusive film workshops using easily accessible materials. Her workshops are hands-on, and the videos produced are as unique as the budding filmmakers themselves! Professor Gallagher is always encouraging participants to explore their creativity while learning about foundational animation techniques and producing their very own animations.
Cayetano Valenzuela is a Syracuse-based artist and storyteller whose paintings and illustrations evoke wonder, magic, and fable. Valenzuela owns and operates the Black Rabbit Studio, and his work can be seen throughout the city of Syracuse. Valenzuela was also a teaching artist in La Casita’s summer 2023 youth program, where children produced art that reflects on the intersection of Latino culture, technology, and imagination. The artwork produced in these workshops is now displayed alongside original work by Cayetano and Zeke Pena in La Casita’s 2023-24 exhibit, Futurismo Latino: Cultural Memory and Imagined Worlds.
Participants in both the animation and comic book illustration workshops will learn to use their imaginations to see an idea come to life as an art piece. Participants will also read comics featuring Latino stories and be exposed to various animation and illustration techniques.
For more details, please contact La Casita today at 315.443.2151 or lacasita@syr.edu.