Terlene Terry-Todd, Master Artist
with the Wolf Trap Institute
for Early Learning Through the Arts
Terlene D.
Terry-Todd is a Master Artist with the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the
Arts. She has represented the program throughout the greater Washington, DC area and in
many communities throughout the country. In 1998, the Wolf Trap Institute received a
grant from TRW to conduct arts-in-education residencies in two foreign countries as part
of the stART smART Program sponsored by the corporation. Terlene D. Terry-Todd was
selected to conduct the stART smART Program in Jamaica. Her work with the Wolf
Trap Institute included a workshop for teachers incorporating Caribbean culture and
traditions and she is one of the lead artists in the NEA funded multi-cultural program
with Fairfax County Head Start.
From September 29th through October 6th 1998, Ms. Terry-Todd was in residency in two
schools in Kingston, Jamaica working with young children who came from very poor and
disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, she conducted workshops and sessions for adults
(teachers, college students and parents) at the University of the West Indies, the Edna
Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts and the Institute of Jamaica (a museum
and cultural center). The stART smART residency program was facilitated by the US Embassy
in Jamaica and Ms. Terry-Todd was an honored guest at a reception hosted by the embassy.
As a special feature, Ms. Terry-Todd collaborated with Jerry Pinkney, an award winning
illustrator of African-American books for children. Part of this collaboration of the arts
was to bring Mr. Pinkney’s work to life for the children and teachers. The trip
represented the first time the Wolf Trap Institute worked collaboratively with a visual
artist, and the incredible amount of positive feedback has opened the doors for further
projects of this scale to be carried to new venues.
©2002
Reston Institute for the Arts