TeRRa HeAvEn Eco-Arts is an expansive

Art Workshop + Earth Stewardship project.

click here for 2026 SPRING CLASSES COMING SOON !!

Welcome to our site

• T.H.E.A. (The House of Earth Arts) centers symbiotic Arts and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) practices for learners of all ages. Our Art + Ecology programs are grounded in the understanding of Earth as our primary teacher, guiding participants in the exploration of the Sacred Original Algorithms that shape natural systems.

Artistic practice is used as a framework for ecological inquiry, material awareness, and relational learning, supporting intergenerational engagement, cultural continuity, and embodied environmental stewardship.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) can be understood as a kind of ecological technology. Through art, experimentation and place-based learning at T.H.E.A.; students gain hands-on experience that flows naturally into the more applied, material-focused work of Earthen Futures.

For Art + Ecology classes + THEA Program Packages visit the THEA WEB SHOP here !!
🪞ABOUT t.H.e.A.🪞
T.H.E.A. carries forward the ethos of Ancient Pocket: offering hands-on, nature- and art-based learning.
Ancient Pocket is the living culmination of Vanessa Santos’ 30 years of practice as an Indigenous (Yaqui, Mexica, Kizh, Apache, Hopi), Disabled, Interdisciplinary Artist, Healing Practitioner and Studio Arts Teacher. Working across weaving, ceramics, moving image, sound, painting, writing, and ritual. Fusing eco-disability advocacy, bionomic futurist ritual, and anarcho-animist practice to create spaces where human emotion, transformation and creative inquiry can unfold. At Ancient Pocket, sessions and workshops invite the dialogue between the deeper planes of existence and animist ritual into a holistic, experiential approach to personal and ecological restoration. Integrating the work of Indigenous esoteric studies, biodynamic land stewardship and ecological art-making. Creating encounters that cultivate profound connection.
To work with ANCIENT POCKET click here

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Welcome to T.H.E.A. (The House of Earth Arts)

T.H.E.A. is a creative learning space where art, nature, and ecology come together for children, youth, families, and learners of all ages. Our programs invite students to learn through making, observing, experimenting, and spending time outdoors, with Earth as our primary teacher.

We believe children learn best through hands-on experiences, curiosity, and relationship: with materials, with each other, and with the natural world.

What We Learn at T.H.E.A.

At T.H.E.A., students explore:

Drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media
Nature-based art and outdoor learning
Clay, fiber, plants, and natural materials
Guided experimentation and creative problem-solving
Herbalism and plant relationships
Individual expression and collaborative projects

Classes are designed to support confidence, creativity, focus, and care for the environment.

How We Teach

Our teaching approach is an all ages guidance platform: gentle, structured, and adaptable, inspired by Waldorf education, nature schools, and material art-based learning models. Lessons are paced to support different learning styles and needs.

Children learn through:

Hands-on making and experimentation
Story, observation, and repetition
Working both independently and in groups
Outdoor exploration and seasonal rhythms

There is no pressure to “perform” or compete, each child is supported at their own pace.

Learning Through Nature & Relationship All Ages

T.H.E.A. is rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, which means we teach children to:

Respect the land and living things
Learn from seasons, weather, and place
Treat materials like clay, plants, and fiber with care
Practice gratitude, responsibility, and reciprocity

Rather than memorizing facts, students build real relationships with nature through art-making and direct experience.

For Families

T.H.E.A. welcomes:

Children of all ages
Neurodiverse learners
Homeschooling families
Parents and caregivers interested in learning alongside their children

Programs are designed by an experienced artist, nature educator, Waldorf-trained teacher, and parent, ensuring lessons are thoughtful, flexible, and family-aware.

Our Values

At T.H.E.A., we value:

Creativity and curiosity
Care for land, materials, and community
Learning through doing
Respect for diverse cultures and ways of knowing
Safety, kindness, and inclusion

T.H.E.A. does not package or teach Indigenous culture as a product. Instead, we focus on ethical learning, respect for place, and nurturing a child’s natural sense of wonder and responsibility.

T.H.E.A.’s approach to Traditional Ecological Knowledge is informed by the founder Mx. Van Ehecatl Santos's lived background as Mexica, Kizh, Apache, and Yaqui. With a lifelong relationship to land, materials, and intergenerational learning. T.H.E.A. does not replicate, package, or extract Indigenous knowledge.

We Explore:

• Grounded Practice

• Fine Arts thru Play

• Connection

Programs center relationship-based learning that cultivates humility, respect, and accountability to place, emphasizing ecological responsibility rather than cultural consumption.

T.H.E.A. recognizes that Traditional Ecological Knowledge is place-specific and carried by living cultures. Programs emphasize respect for local Indigenous ecologies while encouraging students to develop ethical, reciprocal relationships with the lands they inhabit.

T.H.E.A. Activities Include

Nature + Arts Education / Traditional Ecology-Based Learning Systems
Fine Arts Foundations
Artistic Skill Development
Guided Experimentation & Material Inquiry
Online Classroom & Multidisciplinary Studio Arts
Anthroposophy + Hand Arts
Herbalism for All Ages

Our Arts Pedagogy

T.H.E.A.’s educational approach is biodynamic, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational, grounded in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and informed by established alternative education lineages while remaining rooted in contemporary ecological and artistic practice.

Earth is approached as a primary teacher, with learning centered in relationship, observation, material engagement, and lived experience.

Our pedagogy is informed by:

Steiner / Waldorf Education
Célestin Freinet’s Art-Based, Cooperative Learning
Nature School & Place-Based Learning Models
Plein Air École & Outdoor Learning Movements

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

At T.H.E.A., Traditional Ecological Knowledge is not taught as static content, but reinforced as a living, relational methodology. TEK forms the structural spine of all Art + Ecology programs and is practiced through relationship, repetition, place, and hands-on engagement.

TEK is reinforced through:

Place-Based Learning rooted in local land, climate, plants, and materials
Intergenerational Knowledge Transmission through shared making, observation, and mentorship
Material Intelligence, treating clay, fiber, plants, pigment, and earth as teachers
Seasonal & Cyclical Time, aligning learning with natural rhythms rather than linear pacing
Reciprocity & Consent-Based Ecology, emphasizing care, permission, and accountability to place
Embodied & Oral Learning, including story, movement, handwork, repetition, and memory

Artistic practice becomes a method of ecological remembering, reinforcing knowledge systems that honor land as animate, intelligent, and reciprocal.

Pedagogical Lineages & Context

Plein Air Écoles / Outdoor Air Schools

The Plein Air École movement emerged in the early 20th century from the belief that fresh air, outdoor learning, and contact with nature support physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.

Founded by Prof. Dr. Bernhard Bendix and Berlin school inspector Hermann Neufert, these schools offered “open-air therapy” to urban youth, creating learning environments rooted in health, movement, and sensory engagement.

Anthroposophy

Anthroposophy seeks the development and elevation of human consciousness, described by Rudolf Steiner as:

“The elevation of the human faculty of knowledge to Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition.”
- Rudolf Steiner, Third Conference, Dornach, April 15, 1923

At T.H.E.A., this informs our emphasis on imagination, handwork, rhythm, observation, and ethical relationship with the natural world.

While informed by Waldorf approaches to imagination and experiential learning, our programs are critically adapted to honor diverse cultures and community-centered practices.

Célestin Freinet Pedagogy

Freinet’s educational philosophy centers learners as active participants in their own education through lived experience. His five defining principles include:

Pedagogy of Work making, building, and offering meaningful contributions
Inquiry-Based Learning experimentation, trial-and-error, and discovery
Cooperative Learning collaboration and shared responsibility
Natural Method learning rooted in real-life experiences
Democratic Self-Governance agency, voice, and collective decision-making

These principles directly inform T.H.E.A.’s studio structures, collaborative art ecology practices, and TEK-centered learning environments.

Curriculum Development

All lesson plans at T.H.E.A. are developed by an educator who is simultaneously:

An Artist in Practice
A Nature School Teacher
A Waldorf-Trained Educator
A Homeschool-Fluent Parent

This integrated perspective ensures resilient, adaptable curriculum design that supports:

Youth of all ages
Adult learners
Families and caregivers
Community supporters and institutions

Each program is composed with flexibility, care, and respect for diverse learning needs, capacities, and lived realities.

Our Story

Terra Heaven Eco Arts (T.H.E.A.) provides intergenerational, hands-on learning that integrates studio arts, outdoor education, and technical skill development. Through experiential, place-based curriculum, learners of all ages build creative confidence, problem-solving skills, ecological literacy, and collaborative capacity.

Informed by the broader vision of Ancient Pocket and in partnership with Earthen Futures Studio, T.H.E.A. bridges art, environmental stewardship, and innovative inquiry to support resilient, community-centered learning across ages.

T.H.E.A. exists to spark curiosity, creative courage, and connection to the land through immersive, experiential arts education.

* Ready to checkout more?

See our: Programs/ classes available for grades K–12 and adult community members.