“Meet the Artist” is a new Q&A series featuring the Teaching Artists of Arts For All. Interviewed by AFA intern Danaley Silan (Pace ’24) in the Spring of 2022, “Meet the Artist” allows our Teaching Artists to share their individual backgrounds and stories about art in their life. A new interview showcasing an AFA Teaching Artist will be featured on our website over six Fridays.
What better way to introduce this series than by featuring Danaley herself, as she shares how important art has been to her.
Q: Who are you?
Danaley: My name is Danaley Silan, and I am originally from Orange County, California. I have experience in painting, singing, dance, and musical theater, and I am now an intern here at Arts For All.
Q: How did you first get involved in your specific discipline of art?
Danaley: I was placed in my first art class when I was six years old. I remember my teacher telling my parents, “she’s very quiet, but she has so much talent.” Having someone whom I respected believe in me encouraged me to keep taking art seriously. My teacher would enter me into several art competitions over the years, and these experiences made me fall in love with art. Always having a creative project to work on was so motivating both in and outside of the classroom. My passion for the visual arts pushed me to branch out into other mediums that I also learned to love. I eventually went on to do choir for ten years and dance and musical theater for four. Thinking back to what my first art teacher said, it still holds true today. Art has essentially become my first language. It is so much easier for me to translate the thoughts in my brain into pictures or sounds when I cannot find the right words.
Q: What role did art play in your childhood?
Danaley: I was always a very shy kid, but art helped me build self-confidence. I never liked being the center of attention or having to step out of my comfort zone. However as my passion for the arts grew, I became more and more enthusiastic to share my work with others because I was proud of what I was doing. Now, being onstage or just sharing an artistic experience with an audience is one of my favorite feelings in the world.
Q: What is your educational background?
Danaley: I am currently a sophomore at Pace University on the New York City campus. I am double majoring in Marketing and Arts and Entertainment Management. I chose these fields of study because I want to make sure that artists are reaching the audiences that they want to through their work. I believe there are so many artists and works of art with important messages that go unheard, and I want to help raise their voices. Art has always helped me in tough times, and I want to be a part of doing that for others.
Q: What is your favorite thing about working with Arts For All?
Danaley: Though I am just starting out as an intern, the mission of Arts For All truly resonates with me. I believe that it is so important for children to learn creativity and that they are exposed to artistic ideas. There should not be any barriers that prevent them from doing so. Being able to express yourself creatively can be so helpful when facing times of adversity, and I want to help teach that outlet. I am very eager to see how the teaching artists at Arts For All carry this out in the classroom.
Q: What does art mean to you?
Danaley: Art serves as a form of escapism for me. No matter what hardships I am facing, I know that I can turn to art– whether that be as an artist or an audience member. Being able to create works of art is such a powerful thing no matter what medium. As I have said, having a creative outlet can be so beneficial to an individual. At the same time, we consume art just as much as we create it. We all have our comfort movies, television shows, songs, and so on. We are drawn to these because they compel us to introspect and self-reflect, or they simply make us feel at peace. Art has such an emotional influence on both artists as well as audiences, and I believe that both sides are equally cathartic.
