COMPAS is excited to welcome nine new Teaching Artists to our roster! They bring a diverse array of media and skills that will wow students of all ages and abilities.
Here’s a quick introduction to them. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be sharing Artist Spotlight features on each of the artists to help you get to know them better.
Linda Brant-Malm studied art at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She spent her 40-year career working in costume design, specializing in animals for mascots, amusement parks, festivals, and stage productions throughout the world. She loves the challenge of changing the human silhouette. Her furry costumes have been hugged by millions! Learn more about Linda.
Stephanie Hunder is a Minnesota artist and arts educator who creates with ink, paper, and light. Her current work studies human relationships to the natural world through botanical and scientific iconography, combining photographic and digital techniques with traditional printmaking processes. Creating content through process and the importance of hands-on research is a focus in her teaching. Learn more about Stephanie.
Katie Knutson is a storyteller and teaching artist based in the Twin Cities who has performed and taught around the US and in Canada, Chile, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates. She has been called an “enchanting and magical” performer, and an “articulate, fun and inviting” workshop leader. Katie began storytelling in high school and is now the Executive Director of Northeast Storytelling (NEST). Learn more about Katie.
Dralandra Larkins is an award-winning spoken word poet, author of “Before I Lie, 2025”, and a recipient of the MN State Arts Board Creative Individuals grant. Her work is featured in literary publications including the League of Minnesota Poets Agates Anthology, MN Women’s Press, Tupelo Press, The Edge Magazine, and Insight News. She is the co-editor of two anthologies, Cracked Walnut’s Rewilding Hope (2023) and The Nations Underground: Writing With Our Ancestors (2024). Learn more about Dralandra.
Layl McDill grew up in Gillette, Wyoming where she began creating at a very young age. Her early works were dollhouses, marionettes and even an entire “Smurf Village.” Layl received her BFA in Illustration from the Columbus College of Art Design but she found it more exciting to make sculptural work and sell it through galleries and art fairs. She has exhibited her work around the country since 1994. Polymer clay has been her medium of choice using the millefiori technique and mixed media materials added. Learn more about Layl.
Rita Panton shares her whimsical passion for clay while exposing students to foundational techniques of ceramics. She seeks to create a playful environment of exploration, welcoming students to find their own story in clay. As an educator her focus involves encouraging students to find meaning and connection in their making process. Students learn to use creativity both as a means of self-expression and a tool for understanding and well-being. Learn more about Rita.
Broderick Poole is a Twin Cities-based artist hailing from Saint Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood. He began creating art in grade school, and in 1996, his work was first featured in a national publication—a milestone that fueled his passion for both art and community. In 2000, Broderick combined his creative talents with his desire to give back by volunteering and mentoring youth. Through his work with various organizations, he sought to inspire students to view the arts not only as a form of expression but as a viable career path. Learn more about Broderick.
Taiwana Shambly A Black trans woman with disabilities, Taiwana Shambley is a full-time writer and award-winning teaching artist from Saint Paul’s North End neighborhood. Based in Minneapolis, and guided by political anger and black radical tradition, Taiwana’s mission is to empower queer, trans, and disabled youth voices, through both her writing and by facilitating storytelling skills for others. Learn more about Taiwana.
Candice Simpson is an art teacher, painter, and a passionate ‘wholeness through creativity’ advocate! She works as a COMPAS teaching artist and also teaches and creates in her studio in NE Minneapolis’ Arts District California Building. Candice worked as the Art Teacher and then Art Director at a day program for adults with disabilities, has taught workshops for children at the Walker Art Center, Art Start, virtual classes with Highland Friendship Club, classes for adults at the White Bear Center for the Arts, and several artist-in-residencies around Minnesota. Learn more about Candice.
Meet the full roster of COMPAS teaching artists here.
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