OUR STORY
LEKIA THORPE is an innovator and creator! She has been teaching Media Arts for eight years and loves exploring the use of Augmented Reality and video creation in artworks. She is on the board for the National Association of Media Arts, and is the district Media Arts PLC co-lead in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, working to develop curriculum for students and teachers across the district. Lekia is an award-winning educator, and was honored as Teacher of the Year for her school in 2020.
Justin Pierce is a Media Arts artist and educator committed to fostering collaboration and cultivating curiosity. He began his career after receiving a BA in Painting and a BFA in Art Education from Kent State University in 2004. Justin later earned his MAAE from MICA in 2011 with a focus on qualitative research and studio practice. Since then, he has taught in North and South Carolina, developing and instructing classes in Visual Art, Design, Photography, and Media Arts. In 2012, Justin helped form Cabarrus County School's first high school STEAM program. Within this program, he integrated art and design into all core subject areas. In 2018, Justin was awarded the Cato Excellence in Teaching Award from the Charlotte Arts and Science Council. This award recognizes exceptionally creative, innovative pre-Kâ12th grade Arts, Science or History teachers who infuse the Arts, Sciences and History into the core curriculum. As the current Visual Art & Digital Media Arts Specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, he is in charge of creating and providing inclusive and empathy-based curriculum that align to state and national standards. This includes building communities, storytelling, and helping students discover their self worth through the Visual & Digital Media Arts.
KODY HALL is a multi-curricular artist and teacher who loves everything from photography to realistic pencil drawing to watercolor to projection mapping! They have been a Media Arts and AP high school teacher for nine years, and serve as district co-lead for Media Arts within Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. They particularly love working to develop new project ideas and breaking those ideas down to make them approachable for others. They are a three-time presenter at the NCAEA conference, as well as a presenter at the NAEA conference in 2025. Their students have won more than 45 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and Kody was honored to win Teacher of the Year for their school in 2020.
