EMERGENCE / MICHELLE DIRKS

Michelle Dirks –founder of Treasure House Press, developer of resource curriculums for imaginative whole child education, artist, educator, natural foods and materials expert.

Michelle Dirks, internationally acclaimed educator and artist has captured her secrets of teaching success in her Treasure House Press curriculums. For over fifteen years, Michelle Dirks has taught children, ages 3- 17, creative art programs from painting to print-making, primitive weaving to learning from the masters, calligraphy to urban- street art, recycled material murals to martial arts, each creative opportunity rich and engaging for students. The result: children re-discovering their passion for learning.

In a multi-disciplinary approach to art education, Michelle Dirks provides a vast knowledge base while enhancing self esteem and cooperative communication between her students. The student work produced from her curriculums have been the source of fund-raising opportunities for numerous sponsoring organizations including Pegasus Artworks - Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, the Chester County Community Foundation, Coatesville Community Education Foundation and others. Currently Dirks is responsible for a five organization sponsorship tour called the Art of Hope, featuring student work from her award-winning curriculums. This ambitious tour of ten locations culminates in a Festival of Hope event in April, 2011.

For 10 years, Michelle Dirks was one of the top macro-biotic food specialists in the US, teaching classes in natural food preparation, educating on nutrition and cooking for celebrities. She is the author of two children’s books on good food Yummy Yummy in my Tummy and Mr. Hoppity’s Color Me Cookbook for Kids. Her illustrations are in Wild Food Foraging by Deborah Lee- Hoagie. Her knowledge base of living sustainably from the land is vast and diverse. Most recently, she has been awarded exclusive sheep wool management at the Chenoa Animal Sanctuary in Avondale, PA, shearing, washing, dyeing and weaving the wool with her students.

Michelle Dirks is a native of Ireland and graduate of Limerick College of Art and Design in Limerick, Ireland. She has been instrumental in founding Irish National Arts Programs, receiving grants from The Art Council of Ireland which set the stage for a legacy of work areas and exhibition opportunities for young Irish artists.

Michelle, herself is an enthused life-long learner, a life skill she exudes to students through every program she has designed. Enthusiasm for learning, what better education in creativity?