Educational Background/Training

• BFA, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 1999
• Recipient of the NAEA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Conference Scholarship, New York, NY, 2020
• Recipient of the Southern Atelier Portrait Drawing Workshop Scholarship, Bradenton, FL 2020

For over a decade, Rowena has taught workshops and classes to adults and children of all ages, partnering with the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Virginia MOCA, and many other arts organizations around Hampton Roads. She taught drawing, painting, color theory, and art history for six years at the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, and has given professional development workshops for art teachers at Norfolk Public Schools and Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Rowena is a multidisciplinary artist with expertise in a broad range of media and an emphasis on the foundations of drawing, painting, and color. She is highly regarded for her ability to make students feel comfortable and confident, no matter their skill level. Rowena’s love of artmaking is apparent and contagious, as she gives students easy-to-understand information and techniques that foster a deeper love of art, and students always walk away from her workshops with new ideas and skills that they can immediately incorporate in their own art practice.

About the Artist/Ensemble

Rowena Federico Finn (she/ her/siya) is an artist, activist, and educator based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her work centers her experiences as a Filipina-American female, teacher, and mother. Born and raised in Virginia, Rowena uses materials such as capiz shells, piña fabric, and sinamay – all major exports from the Philippines – as the starting point for connecting with her heritage and exploring how it weaves into her American upbringing. Her work is distinctly Filipina-American, dissecting decolonialism, embracing BIPOC feminism, and using her Filipina-American-ness as the lens through which she examines how the universal need of belonging in a family and community affects identity and authenticity.

She is the recipient of the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant, and a creative residency at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts. Rowena believes public service is integral to her artistic process, and has served on several advisory boards, including as the Vice-Chair on both the Virginia Asian Advisory Board and the WHRO Community Advisory Board. Rowena resides in Virginia Beach, VA with her husband and three children.

Educational Program Description

AVAILABLE WORKSHOPS

Color Theory at Any Age
In this workshop, Rowena demystifies how color really works, what the color wheel gets right, and why it’s not always accurate. This lesson can be tailored to fit any age group, from kindergarten and up. All workshop participants will be provided with painting supplies and their very own workbook where they’ll get to practice color mixing and take home their book as a useful reference.

Watercolor Techniques
This workshop is an excellent way for beginner and intermediate artists to learn everything you need to know about watercolor painting. Rowena teaches students the most important techniques that all watercolorists use, along with several fun, less common techniques. Students will learn how to choose paints, watercolor paper, brushes, and more. All workshop participants will practice the techniques demonstrated, as well as some fun, quick paintings exercises that they can take home.

Atelier Drawing
Have you ever wondered why artists hold out their pencils and squint at whatever they’re drawing? Rowena teaches students of any skill level how the atelier drawing method has been successfully deployed by artists for centuries. This workshop is ideal for students who really want to learn to draw realistically, no matter the age or experience. Rowena firmly believes that “talent” is completely unnecessary when it comes to learning how to draw, and she helps students of all skill levels learn to “see” like artists, helping them become more confident in their own skills.

Hand Embroidery
In this colorful workshop, students will learn fun and useful stitches that are commonly employed in hand-embroidered work. Rowena will explain the tools and techniques necessary and then guide students of all ages as they practice different stitches. As a final project, students will put different techniques together to sew their own decorated initial.

Mixed Media Beading
The beauty and fun of mixed media is that anything and everything has the potential to create a masterpiece. Rowena’s mixed media fiber techniques incorporate unique materials and original concepts to produce works that are making art museums and institutions pay attention. This workshop is a wonderful opportunity to play with different materials and practice a high level of craftsmanship. In the interest of responsible environmental stewardship, students are encouraged to bring clean materials that would otherwise be discarded or recycled, and incorporate them into their art. The workshop will provide mixed beads, embroidery threads, sewing tools and more as participants experiment with new ways of creating 2D and 3D beaded art.

*The projects and materials for each workshop can be adapted to fit different age groups and abilities. The length of a workshop is generally a single session for 2-3 hours, but can extend to more than one day if necessary, depending on each organization’s needs.

Workshop fees begin at $150 per hour, not including supplies and workbooks.

*If you are familiar with Rowena’s work and have an idea for a different kind of workshop, please don’t hesitate to reach out – she’s always up for a new and exciting challenge!

Audiences

• All Ages