CV — Felt Mythical

CV

Filipa Estrela (any pronouns)
filipadestrela@gmail.com

Bio

I am a 32 year old queer cartoonist, crafter and youth educator. In all my work, I seek to create stories that draw inspiration from my mixed Cape-Verdean/Macanese/Portuguese heritage and blend the everyday with a dose of myth, magic and wonder. I work in a variety of mediums, from comics to needle felting, but the common thread between anything I make is that it is sourced from joy and whimsy. I love playing with color, fantasy, and anything that glitters.

College Education

M.F.A. in Cartooning - Center For Cartoon Studies, May 2021
B.F.A. in English with a Creative Writing Specialization - UMass Amherst, May 2015

Continuing Education

Storytelling FLOW course - Sequential Artists Workshop, October 2018

Graphic Novel Workshop - Center of Cartoon Studies, August 2018

Intro to Arts Management course - UMass Amherst, September-December 2017

Special Skills and Trainings

Crafts skills: needle-felting, wet-felting, clothes sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, origami, mold-making, resin work, drawing, comics

Comics skills: digital lettering, inking, color flatting

Proficient in digital art programs: Clip Studio Paint, Adobe Photoshop/Indesign

Trained in informal education practices, e.g. free and loose part play theory, developmental stages of children and play, collaborative teaching

Trained in museum practices, e.g. exhibit development, program development, visitor experience

Languages

Fluency in English, Portuguese, French and Cape Verdean Creole

Comics Publications

Anthologies and Collaborations:

Meandering Realms: an anthology on Unconventional Materials Comics- editor and contributor (2022), Broad Concerns: Collaborative Comic (June 2020), Threads That Connect Us: AAPI Comics- editor and contributor (May 2020), Snapshot: Nostalgia Anthology- editor and contributor (Nov 2019), Monster Parade- editor and contributor (Oct 2019), Fantology:Origins- contributor (Oct 2019)

Self-Published Comics:

Tiny and Soft— comics thesis (May 2021), See-Through (July 2020), Grow (June 2020), Rioteens: The Official Magazine (May 2020), Catxiety (March 2020), You Are Cosmic (Jan 2020), How to Make a Shoople (Nov 2019), Sparrow & Crow (Nov 2019), Companion (Sept 2019), Anxiety (June 2019), Ghost Cat (Jan 2019), Catharsis (2018)

Other Published Comics:

7Days Newspaper- Year of the Rat (Feb 2020)

Curated Art Fairs

SPX (Small Press Expo)- Bethesda, MD, 2022, 2023, 2024

MICE (Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo)- Boston, MA, 2022, 2024

QTZ (Queer Trans Zine Fest) - Providence, RI, 2022, 2023, 2024

AntiRobot Club Market- Providence, RI, May 2022

Lowbrow Craft Fair - Northampton, MA, December 2018

Flywheel Comics and Zines Fest- Easthampton, MA, November 2018

Queer Makers Summer Solstice Market - Easthampton, MA, June 2018

Monthly Amherst Winters Farmers Market - Amherst, MA, December 2017- March 2018

Queer Makers Winter Solstice Market - Easthampton, MA, December 2017

SES Shopping Extravaganza - Sunderland, MA, November 2017

Art in the Parks - North Providence, RI, October 2017

Teaching Experience

Fashion and Sewing Resident Artist Mentor- New Urban Arts, Providence ,RI September 2023- Present

Mentoring Highschoolers in sewing and textile arts

Create Comics Workshop Co-Teacher - Online , In person- Center for Cartoon Studies,WRJ,VT July 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Ran week-long intro levels comics workshop for the Center for Cartoon Studies for adults and teen

Play Creation Workshop Teacher - Studio Playground, Providence, RI
February- March 2023 April-May 2023, February- March 2024

Co-led a physical acting and theater crafting workshop for ages 8-12
Taught prop making, backdrop painting, costuming, character design

Arts Director- Studio Playground Summer Camp, Lincoln, RI August 2023

Ran arts programming focused on supporting theater performance for ages 6-12

Intensive Arts Week Teacher- Sophia Academy, Providence, RI March 2023

Taught week-long intensive comics and zine-making program for Middle Schoolers

Comics and Papercrafts Afterschool Teacher - The Croft School, Providence, RI September 2022-March 2023

Ran afterschool programming for 3rd and 4th graders

Arts and Crafts Teacher- Studio Playground Summer Camp, Lincoln, RI August 2022

Ran arts and crafts corner for camp students ages 6-12

Comics Instructor for VT Governor’s Institute of Arts- Castleton University, Castleton,VT June-July 2022

Ran 2 two week-long intensive comics programs for teens covered intro to comics basics as well as guided individual projects
Ran workshops on Tabletop Roleplaying games for Collaborative Creative Process and Intro to Needlefelting

Comics Workshop Assistant Teacher - Online, July, August 2020

Assisted in two week-long comics workshops for the Center for Cartoon Studies for adults
Workshops assisted: Create Comics and Playing with Comics
Gave a lecture on “Unconventional Materials Comics”, maintained class website, maintained zoom call

Zine Workshop Teacher - Online, July 2020

Ran 1 hour zine making workshop for elementary age students for a library community

Saturday Morning Cartooning Club Assistant Teacher - Center For Cartoon Studies WRJ,VT, Oct 2019- March 2020

Assisted and guided students ages 9+ during monthly cartooning club

Elementary Afterschool Lead - Amherst Montessori School Amherst,MA January 2018- August 2019

Ran afterschool program based on creative play and STEAM activities for students grades 1-5
Facilitated 3-week long LEGO summer camp program
Developed and ran 1-week long Comics Workshop winter camp program

Arts and Crafts Specialist - Camp Norwich, Huntington,MA, June-August 2017

Developed and ran arts and crafts programs for campers grades K-2, 3-6, and 7-9, programs ran throughout the camp’s 2 week sessions during which groups of 10-20 campers visited art cabin for 45 minute long time periods, program activities included painting, stamp carving, weaving crafts, nature art, wet felting and more
Trained camp counselors in running various arts and craft activities
Organized and managed arts and crafts cabin, ordered inventory following a budget, reset space between groups
Wrote and submitted lesson plans that met expectations of the Program Director

Americorps Museum Educator - Providence Children’s Museum, Providence, RI, Sept 2015- August 2016

Created 11 month STEAM-based lesson plan that strengthened social skills and encouraged free play. Activities included sewing 2D to 3D objects, practicing storytelling skills through comics and stop-motion animation, problem solving and engineering using various recycled, found, and natural materials
Facilitated an afterschool learning program at Boys and Girls Club Southside with a team of 3, we taught 2 groups of 18-20 children, ages 7-10, 4 times per week during the Fall-Spring months and 3 groups of 18-25 children, ages 6-11, 4 times per week during the Summer months
Planned, developed and facilitated 6 educational interactive programs for museum visitors ages 1- 11.
Created temporary museum displays including Rainy Play Day themed puppet case featuring the Betty Huestis Marionettes collection, a world globe with tiny knitted animals for New Year’s Ball drop and a series of 17 ramp “window” boxes featuring 50 needle felted mythical creatures in sceneries made out of recycled materials
Assisted in museum exhibits installations
Served as a playguide and birthday party host, facilitating play and learning opportunities for families visiting museum exhibits
Organized museum “Family Night” dinners for Americorps outreach families. Tasks included creating signage, managing inventory of supplies, designing decorations, developing a take-home activity booklet, informing and inviting families

Site Supervisor and Group Leader, School Age Child Care -- HRYMCA, Northampton, MA, Sept 2016-June 2017

Oversaw and assisted 2 Group Leaders in charge of 10+ children each
Created and taught STEAM based curriculum activities
Called attendance roll, administered first aid, managed time-schedule, processed paperwork, organized cabinets
Corresponded between parents, school staff, and YMCA staff

Volunteer English Foreign Language Teacher -- Sal, Cape Verde, July-August 2013

Worked with 5 Cape Verdean nonprofits dedicated to keeping children off the streets sites: Ludoteca,Nos Kasa, Castelos do Sal, Africa 70 Community Center and the Jorge Barbosa Community Library
Created one 4-week and two 5- week beginner level lesson plan and appropriate materials
Taught 5 groups of 10-20+children, ages 5-12, and one group of 7-10 senior citizens

Performance

Kismet Kids- Kismet Improv, Pawtucket, RI. August-November 2022

Performed family-friendly improv show as part of a team

Out There — Fringe Fest, Farm Fresh RI July 2022

Co-wrote, performed, designed set and costumes for a clown show

Nightmare before Christmas-- Main St Museum, December 2019

interpretive dance routine of “This is Halloween” as Jack Skellington

Rocky Horror Picture Show-- Main St Museum, October 2019

performed role of Brad during a live screening

CCS Community Talent Show, Main St Museum, September 2019

comedy live-drawing routine as a tutu-wearing Pikachu