- Details
Hi, I’m Rachel Sargent Mirus, a freelance STEAM teaching artist and nature writer.
My journery towards teaching artistry and writing has been a convoluted one. I trained in the life sciences, worked in a variety of research labs, earned a degree in museum studies, and ended up freelancing. Through all the switchbacks of life, my desire to share my enthusiasm for natural history through art, writing, and education never wavered. Artists and scientists both rely on observation and creativity, skills that everyone can benefit from their whole lives.
Email me to discuss collaborating, art, cool science, or joining my email list for class announcements!:
"Rachel’s class reminded me of the best parts of being a student. She encouraged us to be curious, share our expertise, and shared her own curiosity and expertise freely. I was engaged and invigorated by her teaching, which blends science and art in a truly interdisciplinary manner.
Rachel’s class made me want to practice art and science. I left full of ideas to experiment with the ink making techniques we learned and I stayed after the class to sketch in the museum instead of going home"
Teaching
I have three goals with my classes: provide participants with specific tools and skills to help them grow and improve as artists, introduce fun, new, and interesting science content, and encourage a mindset of observation and exploration. Some topics I teach frequently include nature-inspired drawing, foraged art making, and visual art perception.
I teach online for the Harvard Museum of Natural History, their education page is here. In Vermont, my in-person classes are often hosted at North Branch Nature Center. I’m on the Vermont Teaching Artist roster. You can read more about my past workshops and teaching experience on my Teaching Artist page.
Looking for a class? I use Facebook to post current announcements: https://www.facebook.com/rachelsargentscybercabinet
Writing
As a freelance writer I have written and edited primarily for Northern Woodlands and the Vermont Biosciences Alliance. Many of my Northern Woodlands articles are online and searchable at https://northernwoodlands.org/
Or check out my blog on this site: The Curious Creative
Art
My artist goals are to communicate or illuminate themes from natural science. I especially like to draw attention to things that are very small, or commonly under appreciated, like insects, spiders, and lichens. As far as the media I use, my first love was, and is, the simple pencil. I've since grown into making my own foraged and experimental materials from natural and upcycled sources. I also use watercolor and acrylic.
My art regularly appears in shows around Vermont and is in private collections across New England. You can see examples of my art sorted by category and accessed from the Gallery drop-down menu. I have temporarily taken down my online store, but I can still sell art, cards, and prints by arrangement.