Artist Bio

Emerging Worlds is a collaborative pairing of  Kira Hegeman, and Heather Leathers. Kira Hegeman is a doctoral student in art education at the University of Georgia. Before attending UGA, she served as the Art Director for Art Relief International, a non-profit dedicated to empowerment and education through the arts. As an artist, she works primarily in printmaking but has recently begun to explore ceramics and interactive installation. Hannah recently graduated with a master’s in art education from the University of Georgia. Before completing this degree, Hannah worked as an intern at the High Museum and a teacher at Color Wheel Art Studio. Over the past year, Hannah authored her first collaborative art project—an interactive mobile art studio run out of a vintage camper, titled the Out of the Blue studio.

Emerging Worlds is a collaborative project that began when Kira Hegeman and Brittany Ranew met in August of 2012. Both were eager to work together in community engagement. Through Art on the Beltline they were able delve into the complexities of handling the art of others with care and respect. The collaborative project seeks avenues to engage communities in art making and conversation.  Artists are drawn to ceramic work and will be able to guide people of all skill levels through the process of working with clay.