About

Micaela Stafford (b. 1997, California) is an artist, educator, and researcher committed to the transformative power of art in education. She has taught in public schools across New York, California, and Hawaii, bringing a culturally responsive and student-centered approach to her work. Her practice centers on the intersection of creative expression and social justice, empowering young people to see themselves as agents of change. She is dedicated to expanding access to meaningful arts education and using creativity as a tool for equity, growth, and community-building.

Her current research explores murals as sites of memory, resistance, and learning, examining how public art can surface suppressed histories, honor collective memory, and function as a tool for community storytelling and political expression, particularly within Black and Brown communities. She is especially interested in how mural-making can be integrated into art education as a collaborative, place-based practice that fosters critical consciousness, student voice, and collective agency.

Micaela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an emphasis in Critical Diversity and Social Justice from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Arts in Teaching in Urban Education and Social Justice from the University of San Francisco, and a Master of Arts in Art, Education, and Community Practice from New York University. She is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Art and Art Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.