photo by Robin von Breton
Laurel Nathanson joined Lick-Wilmerding in 1999 to teach Jewelry. She later added the wildly popular sewing class, Textiles. She has taught at LWHS for 21 years.
After studying metal smithing in graduate school, Nathanson described finding such a well-tailored job at LWHS as fate.
She feels that LWHS is a particularly special learning environment. “I have very positive feelings about what we do here. In terms of the shops program and in terms of the diversity work we do, I know we have a lot more to do, but we’ve had good intentions even from the beginning,” she said.
Nathanson nourishes her creativity outside of her job by spending her free time sewing and knitting. Although she used to sell her work, she now finds balance between her work and her art by putting less pressure on her art and jewelry as a source of income.
Although they are separate, Nathanson finds a strong overlap between her outside work and her role at LWHS. Whether it be from shopping for fabrics with students or sharing projects she has loved, Nathanson enjoys how blended the two aspects of her life have become. “I have learned things from the students that I then use in my own work.”
After developing both of what she considers the two aspects of art — crafting and creativity — Nathanson feels that now, “Everything is a learning experience. Every project that’s a fail you can learn from.” She sees the same kind of potential in students, who persistently surprise and impress her.
