Philly Art Center

Miranda is grateful to spend her life sharing her passion for art with others. She joyfully emphasizes the beauty and inherent worth of the art making process and loves to teach, learn from and collaborate creatively with her students. Miranda holds a BA from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico and she earned her MFA at the Marchutz School of Fine Art in Aix-en-Provence, France. A painter and sculptor, her work has been exhibited nationally and abroad.

Bridget took her first pottery class as a sophomore in high school and has been in love with clay since then! She earned her BA in Studio Art at William and Mary College in 2004, where she focused on functional and sculptural ceramics. In 2009, she earned her M.Ed in K-12 Art Education at Arcadia University. Bridget believes that everyone can and should make art, and is looking forward to getting creative (and messy!) with students of all ages. When she's not in her studio, you can usually find her wandering around Collingswood, NJ, where she lives with her husband and two young sons.

Barrett Capistran is a printmaker and illustrator based out of Philadelphia. His work, whether created with pen, brush, gouge or knife, is rooted in the immediacy of markmaking. Many of his projects are inspired by his formative years in Northampton, Massachusetts, an area characterized by a unique blend of rural New England, and alternative-cultures. A graduate of UArts, his work has been included in shows at the Society of Illustrators in NYC, Second State Press, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and Gallery One at the Kimmel Center.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Marina has lived in Philadelphia for the past few years and loves it! She studied abroad in Rome for a semester and earned her BFA in Fibers & Material Studies from Temple University's Tyler School of Art. Marina loves teaching kids to get creative and grow their skills in the studio! Aside from teaching, she loves biking and embroidery.

Rachael is an artist and educator who has lived in Philly on and off for 10 years. She has Masters in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA in Studio Art from Vassar College. She loves getting to see all the creative ways her students interpret their projects. Rachael also designs and runs Ivy House Design, a textile and paper goods company with distribution in stores across the US and at many local craft fairs. When she's not painting, print making, and teaching, she is running after her two wild and adorable young kids in West Philly.

Chris D’Antonio is an artist living and working in Philadelphia. Recently, he's enjoyed painting landscapes as it's a great opportunity to express his appreciation for art and nature. In 2009, he received his BFA from Tyler School of Art at Temple University with a major in Painting and minor in Art History and has studied painting at several workshops in the US and abroad. He's grateful to have the opportunity to teach others and share his experience in painting as he believes a big part of practicing making art is to experiment and teach ourselves how to learn.

Originally from San Francisco, CA, Emily is a musician, cat lover and coffee enthusiast. After spending a few years in New York City, where she was a preschool teacher and also taught STEAM concepts as a kids’ robot building instructor, she made Philadelphia her permanent home and is thrilled to teach at the Philly Art Center.

Teal holds a BFA in Painting with minors in both Art History and Photography. She most recently graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Masters in Fine Arts concentrating on Painting and Drawing. Her favorite part about teaching is the opportunity to witness the unique moment when a student artist develops confidence in their own artistic style. In her spare time, Teal can be found painting or maintaining her home plant jungle!

Caitlin graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art with her Masters of Art in Teaching. Prior to this, she studied at Penn State University where she received her Bachelor’s in Studio Art (specializing in drawing and painting). Her artistic passion is graphite portraiture but finds endless excitement in the mixed media exploration that so often takes place in the art classroom. She has taught children from ages two to eighteen, finding their artistic understanding/know-how to be completely inspiring, but most loves the uninhibited energy and creativity of the youngest artists!

Sam graduated from Tyler School of Art with a BFA in painting. She uses installation, video and performance as a means to distinguish and poke fun at boundaries and limitations through play and humor. As a teaching artist, she puts emphasis on the individual and creative problem solving in the studio. She believes in the importance of fun when making and sharing ideas.

Colleen Itani is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. She holds an MFA in Studio Art from Florida State University and received her BFA in Studio Art and BA in International and Cultural Studies from the University of Tampa. Currently, she's fixated with the duplex housing structure and makes drawings, prints, artist books, and installations exploring infrastructure and the everyday. She founded Tallahassee Zine Fest and loves book structures and self-publication, something she often brings into the classroom.

Originally from the Philadelphia area, Em is passionate about the art scene in this city. She received her BFA from Moore College of Art & Design and is a practicing visual artist, making humorous videos, performances, and sculptures. She is a firm believer that art happens where collaboration and conversation take place and views teaching as the most important type of collaboration!

Natalie was born in Seoul, raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and has lived in the city since 2009! She graduated from Temple University with a degree in advertising account management and business administration. She loves children and has years of experience in kid-focused environments. Natalie enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, exploring new cuisines, knitting, traveling and the occasional boutique cycling class! She is also a cat mom of two.

Laura is a woodworker and seamstress with a bachelor?s degree in Crafts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She teaches woodworking and engineering courses at the high school level, having earned an MAT in Technology Education from The College of New Jersey. Prior to teaching, Laura built custom cabinets and furniture. Laura loves working with kids of all ages in their exploration of different materials and techniques.

Katie Larason has been making art since she was very small. She received her BFA from The College of New Jersey in 2011 and her Master of Arts in Teaching from The College of New Jersey in 2014. She loves teaching techniques to kids and getting messy in the studio! When she’s not teaching you can find her hiking, bird watching or gardening with her husband and young son.

Chelsey Luster is a Philadelphia-based art instructor, curator, and visual artist from Baltimore, Maryland. Chelsey's love for teaching and creating lesson plans that focus on interdisciplinary ways of art making and collaboration led her to seek out teaching opportunities while studying art. She studied abroad in Rome where she taught art history while attending Tyler School of Art. She earned her BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art where she focused on figurative painting and photography. Chelsey's personal work focuses on intimacy and vulnerability through depictions of black womanhood, personal narratives, and empowerment in various mediums such as drawing, painting, and printmaking. Chelsey is currently creating new art every day and is exhibiting in Philadelphia.

Jill holds an MFA from the University of Massachusetts and a BFA in art education from the University of New Mexico. With a K-12 teaching certificate and over 20 years of classroom experience, Jill has taught art at every level from preschool through university. In 2004, Jill launched the flagship location of Philly Art Center in Fairmount and has worked with dedication to grow Philly Art Center, delivering on their creative mission, ever since.

Kat writes curriculum for many of the Art Center programs, manages all centers' programs, and teaches classes for students aged 1 through 14, on and off site. Kat earned her B.A. in Contemporary Art with a concentration in Modern Art History from Universities on both US coasts. Her passion to study and make art took her all over the United States before finally settling in Philadelphia with her boisterous (and also creative) family. Kat is a working artist, an Art History lecturer, and gallery curator, with her paintings exhibited both nationally and internationally. In addition, Kat has over 10 years of teaching experience, working with artists through hands-on specialty classes.

A Philly girl, Ruby attended Drexel University and graduated with a journalism degree. After living and teaching in China, Ruby decided she wanted to remain in the education world and has been working around kids ever since. When she's not at work you can find her sewing, embroidering, or making jewelry.

Ian M. Petrie graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, 2013. He was selected for the Northern Clay Center’s Fogelberg Residency in 2013 and as a Resident Artist at the Worcester Center for Crafts in 2016-2018. Ian has exhibited his work across the country, including the American Museum for Ceramic Art in 2017. Currently residing in Philadelphia, PA, Ian spends his time making pots when he is sick of the soul-crushing neatness of paper/ink, and drawing comics when he can no longer stand the sight of an endless barrage of dinnerware.

Graduating in 2015 from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Hannah holds a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Painting and a minor in Art History,. She was a counselor at Hempfield Rec Daycamp in Lancaster for three years where she supervised kids of various ages; as a former member of Kutztown's tennis team, she instructed tennis there as well. Hannah is an abstract painter who believes that art is unplanned and that each mark is responding to a previous mark. Her biggest influence is Helen Frankenthaler. Aside from art and tennis, Hannah enjoys traveling and is looking forward to exploring her new home in Philadelphia.

Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Ali Richardson, currently resides in West Philadelphia, a vibrant and diverse community which serves as his home-base for teaching, creating, and performing music. As a co-founder of CODA Program, Ali is also lead facilitator for the Hip-hop Jazz Musicology and The Drum Circle workshops. Musically and artistically, Ali blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, and world music into his performances and plays several musical instruments, including guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, and percussion. He has experience teaching music lessons, baby music classes, and performing at children's birthday parties and events.

Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Avery grew up loving art and anything that required getting a little messy. She recently graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and thereafter decided to pursue art education. Avery loves kids and passing down her knowledge to help them grow as young artists. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, exploring and photography!

Meg is currently a student at the University of the Arts where she studies sculpture and art education. She specializes in work involving the human figure and biomorphism. She finds the most exciting aspects of creating to be the process, trial and error, and collaboration. Her main goal is to inspire and be inspired by children of all ages and to use art as a means of building human connections.

Haley was born and raised in Pennsauken, NJ. She graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a Bachelors in Visual Art and Design. Her experiences include teaching at The African American Atelier, The Goddard School, and now at Philly Art Center! The best parts of being a teacher is showing kids what they're capable of, and watching their skills and confidence grow. Haley's latest work as an artist is a series of portrait style paintings influenced by one of her favorite artists, Voka.

Originally from New Jersey, Jacqueline is currently a student at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia where she is working toward her BFA degree in Art Education. She has always been interested in working with children and has been babysitting and working at summer camps since she was twelve years old. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing how each student interprets the project in their own way. Her studio focuses are in ceramics and photography. She is also interested in film, travel, environmental science, music and poetry.

Bryan holds an M.F.A in painting from the University of Delaware, and a B.A in Visual Art from Stockton University. He has been teaching for more than 10 years at the University and Community College level, and has exhibited his artwork across the country in New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Delaware, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Maryland, and Connecticut. As an artist and teacher Bryan focuses on exploring traditional artistic skills with a sense of creativity and humor. When he’s not teaching he can be found traveling the Tri-State area in search of adventures with his wife and 3 year old daughter.

Kailey graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Illustration in 2016 and has been illustrating anything and everything ever since. Her work can be found in magazines, newspapers, books, and even murals. She has loved drawing, painting, building, and making for as long as she can remember and loves to watch young artists learning to do the same. When she’s not drawing or teaching, she can be found outside, usually with her dog, and a coffee!