Tanesia Hale-Jones

Tanesia R Hale-Jones is a Montessorian, educator, social activist, poet, artist, and parent, who believes deeply in the importance of community engagement and teaching students to be global citizens. Tanesia has over 15 years experience teaching adults to 18 month olds and currently serves as Adolescent Program Coordinator at Escuela del Sol Montessori, where she guides 7th and 8th grade students and oversees a team of teachers and community partners. Tanesia holds an AMS diploma at the Elementary Level, and an AMI/NAMTA Orientation to Adolescence Studies Certificate. Additionally, she is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans where she earned her B.A. in English Literature/Creative Writing and San Francisco State University where she earned her MFA in poetry and poetics.

Active in Albuquerque’s arts’ community, Tanesia has a passion for creative collaboration. Her work and performances with EKCO poets and the poetry/textile collaboration between she and local artist, Maude Andrade, “Romance and Necessary Fictions” exemplify her appreciate of artistic confabulation. She has performed her original poetry at Tricklock Performance Space, Harwood Art Center, Burque Noir & Chatter. Her written work has been published in Callaloo, Sentence 5, 14 Hills, Mirage#4/Period(cial), and has been featured in exhibitions at Harwood Art Center. She is the 2018 recipient of the Bretta Weiss Award for Excellence in Montessori for Innovation. Tanesia was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM and is proud to be of service to her local community through her passion for arts education, social justice and creative collaboration.