Joanna Vaughn, BFA, M.Ed. is a Quaker who has been devoted to children, education and art for over four decades. She taught at the Austin Waldorf School for 11 years and was an elementary Art Specialist for 17 years at 10 of Austin’s public schools. She spent a year’s sabbatical at Pendle Hill, the Quaker retreat center outside of Philadelphia.  She earned her B.F.A. from the Dayton (Ohio) Art Institute and her M.Ed. from University of Texas (Austin).

Laurie and Joanna met at an educational conference at University of Texas in Austin where Laurie was creating The Pewen Singing Tree of Radical Love. Joanna came because The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy was one of her favorite books as a child and was curious about the project.

Since retirement in 2011 she has become a grandmother, and a certified Singing Tree facilitator. She teaches children’s classes at the Contemporary Museum’s Art School and senior citizens through ArtSpark’s Mobile Art program. Her first Singing Tree Project is called The Oak and Linden Singing Trees of Wholeness and Belonging, bringing together the Friends Meeting of Austin,  Austin tan Cerca de la Frontera and Escuelita Amiguitos.

Joanna has facilitated: