Faculty

Deirdre Chalaire-Humphrey

October 2021
“ART is the scavenger hunt of the soul” (Nicholas Wilton)
Working with children is my passion....Art and Literacy are what I
facilitate and share....Creativity, individuality, independence, con-
fidence, and self-esteem are what I cultivate.
Mucking about with ART materials should be explorative, adven-
turesome, free, and FUN!
Although I am open to all types of ART, the spirit and freedom of
creating Abstract Art, utilizing varied mediums which incorporate
texture, color, differing experimental palettes, and draws you in
without your quite even knowing why it touches your inner soul, is
what I am most drawn to.
Among what feeds my soul these days one finds ...the sea, na-
ture, music, teaching, my family (especially my 3-year-old grand-
daughter) kayaking and so much more.
I have been teaching primary and secondary school, both interna-
tionally as well as in the States, for 40+years. In addition to hav-
ing taught in the North Shore Schools, in Nassau County, for 30
years, facilitating children’s ART at The Parrish Art Museum for
several years, facilitating after school integrated Art/Literature
courses, as well as the Homeschool Art Program at East End Arts,
fall and spring terms, I have also taught Dominican and Haitian
students at The Las Terrenas International School in the DR for
two years and this will be my sixth year facilitating ART and LIT-
ERACY, for 4 months each year, at a small high school on a tiny is-
land off the coast of Belize.
My collaboration with East End Arts occurred quite serendipitously
way back when Steve Watson was the Director of East End Arts.
He was planning a special whole day Community Art and Music
program and lunch for the Mestizo population in the Riverhead
area and he had asked a co-worker of mine (at both the Parrish
and North Shore Schools) if she would be interested in participat-
ing in this one-day community outreach event. She was not avail-
able but she suggested my name to Steve and the rest is history.
It has been brightening my days to have been “mucking about
with art materials” with children 5 to 17 at East End Arts ever
since! The East End Arts School Community, its students, teach-
ers, and staff, have continued to grow, blossom, and support the
ARTS in countless and invaluable ways.
“Art is a place where children learn to trust their ideas,
themselves, and to explore what is possible” (Maryann
Kohl)
East End Arts is just such a place!!!