MINDFUL LIVING 4 LIFE

Dr. Vanessa Lorraine (EdD, MFA, MA) is an award-winning artist-educator and founder
of Mindful Living 4 Life, a restorative lifestyle coaching practice elevating empathy and equity in the classroom+ beyond through mindfulness, meditation, and movement (action) leading towards professional and personal growth. Beyond her artistic and academic success, she is a mother, a caregiver, believer in a higher power, and cancer champion who firmly believes in the power of conscious and intentional living!​
 

Dr. Vanessa Lorraine uses her extensive academic leadership experience designing culturally sensitive academic policies and practices aligned with the needs of marginalized communities.  Her research investigates culturally responsive teaching and learning in urban public schools and art-centered spaces. She is passionate about facilitating Arts Integration, and Anti-Racism Professional Development trainings rooted in DEI+ principles and practices. Her most recent research project, The Impact of Mindfulness on Highly Marginalized Communities of Women and Children investigates the impact of holistic somatic arts on creating and sustainable meaningful behavioral lifestyle choices and changes. She is also the founder of Daring Artists Making Noise (DAMN) and Coppin State University Community Outreach Dance program for underserved children and adults.​
 

Dr. Vanessa Lorraine is the Chair of the Higher Education Arts Task Force for Art Education, Editor-in-Chief for the National Dance Society, Chair of The Pierians Foundation Emerging Young Artist Awards and Grants, and Adjudicator for Coppin State University Visual and Performing Arts Academic Scholarships. She has served on the National Endowment for the Arts Dance, and Maryland State Arts Council Creative Arts Projects grant review panels. She also served as a subject matter expert on National Dance Educators Organization Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion + Accessibility, and Building Racial Equity Through Dance (B.R.E.A.D).

​​Dr. Vanessa Lorraine has spent years guiding others towards creating meaningful changes in their lives, and facilitating mindfulness, mediation and soul yoga dance master classes and workshops in higher education, public and private K-12 school systems, and community arts-education organizations. She has more than 20 years of service on community arts projects, arts education steering committees, and
foundations and boards~ advocating for disadvantaged schools, and community arts groups.​