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Isabel Alff Kids Teaching Artist Queen Village |
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Isabel holds a Bachelors of Science in Art Education from Kutztown University, and currently attends Tyler School of Art to pursue her Masters degree in Art Education. She has worked in a variety of mediums but has a special love for oil painting and ceramics. Isabel loves seeing the happiness and excitement that art brings to children and encouraging their natural creativity. She enjoys the outdoors, gardening and camping, as well as quiet mornings practicing yoga, reading and drinking coffee. She currently lives in West Philly with her cat Diamond. |
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Lori Barcello Kids Teaching Artist |
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Lori earned a B.S. in Health Behavior Science at the University of Delaware & researched Autism at Duke prior to moving to Philadelphia to pursue her Masters of Occupational Therapy at Temple University. She is inspired to create a space where art intersects with accessibility for all. At home, Lori loves making vegan recipes, styling fresh flowers & going to trivia with friends! |
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Sasha Black Kids Teaching Artist |
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Sasha has obtained a degree in photography and art history from Bennington College in 2021. After relocating to Philadelphia from New York she has finally found a position that is relent on their passion for visual arts as well as childcare work! They have a wide range of experience such as tutoring elementary age kids as well as assistant teaching for preschool and day care as well as camp counseling, but pursuing art with children has always been her dream. She is eager to bring this passion to the Philly Art Center! |
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Taaj Brown Kids Teaching Artist |
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Taaj is a South Jersey based artist who specializes in oil and digital painting. She completed 3 years at West Chester University for a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. Before working at Philly Art Center, Taaj was a full-time self-employed artist. She most enjoys the therapeutic and subjective nature of art. Taaj thinks it’s very important that children have a safe and fun outlet to fully express their creativity. Aside from teaching, Taaj loves to paint and create prints, home decor, clothing, etc. Art and creating is her life. |
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Piper Burris Administrative Associate |
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Piper was raised in Wilmington, Delaware and graduated from Temple University with a degree in Advertising Art Direction. She believes in the importance of expression for kids and their development and understanding of self. Piper loves the organizational and management side of administration, and is thrilled to spend quality time with budding artists at the Art Center! Outside of work, Piper loves collage, watching TV, and spending time for self care. |
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Cameron Butts Assistant Director of Administration and Marketing |
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Cameron is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey and graduated from the College of Charleston with a BA in Historic Preservation/Community Planning and a BS in Urban Studies. He loves being able to provide children in the greater Philly area with engaging art classes because he feels that art should be heavily integrated into urban spaces. He loves drawing, specifically architectural drawing, and print making. When he’s not teaching he can be found exploring Philly with his friends. |
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Marina Caprara Assistant Program Director and Kids Teaching Artist |
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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. |
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Marcie Chlewicki Adult Teaching Artist |
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Marcie is from Baltimore, MD, and lived in NYC for 9 years before coming to Philadelphia in December 2018. She received her M.S. in Interior Design from Pratt Institute and a B.A. in Studio Art from The University of Maryland, College Park, with a concentration in drawing and woodblock printing. She loves exploring art techniques and thinks it's more important to enjoy the process than the final product. "Happy accidents" often produce her favorite pieces. In addition to making art, Marcie loves exploring the city, traveling abroad, reading, and bad puns. |
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Kelvin Cochrane Kids Music Teaching Artist |
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Kelvin hails from the Isle of Wight in England, a far cry from the city of Philadelphia, his home for the last 16 years. A lifelong performing musician and writer, his travels have led him from southern England through continental Europe and across the Atlantic Ocean. As a devoted father of two, Kelvin found a place where his great passions, music, performance, and childhood development, were combined in early childhood music classes. Beginning with a teacher training course with the company that pioneered the now ubiquitous idea of infant/pre-K music education, Music Together in Princeton more than a decade ago, Kelvin has been teaching ever since. He continues to play, write, record, and perform music and is still continuously inspired by the families with whom he sings, dances, and speaks the joyful language of music.
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Shane Davis Adult Teaching Artist |
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Shane was born and raised in Glenside, PA. He holds a BFA in Studio Art from Marywood University and an MFA in Painting from Boston University. He currently lives and works in Philadelphia, and draws inspiration for his paintings from the vast array of people he sees every day. When he isn’t in the studio, he can be found playing the piano, listening to some vinyl, or traveling somewhere new. |
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Teal Davis Studio Director Cherry Hill |
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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!
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Emma Deesing Administrative Associate |
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Emma is from Reading, PA, and earned her BFA in Painting with a minor in Art Entrepreneurship & Curatorial Studies from Arcadia University. She is thrilled to have the chance to provide art opportunities for kids and adults around Philly – by keeping everything organized behind the scenes! In her art practice, she enjoys finding beauty in discarded materials and incorporating them into her artwork, with a passion for mixed media, & collage. Additionally, she aspires to educate others on the importance of accessibility and representation within the art community. When she is not at the art center, she enjoys visiting museums, organizing community art events, painting, and cooking. |
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Caitlin Finnegan Studio Director Fairmount |
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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 Bachelors 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! |
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Destinee Freeman Kids Teaching Artist Queen Village |
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Destin’ee is a mixed media oil painter born and raised in Philadelphia. She loves teaching kids to not be afraid to try something’s new and enjoy the process of creating. She is currently in school for business administration at Southern New Hampshire University and attends the Milan Art Institute for Mixed media arts. When not creating art, Destin’ee loves baking, dancing, singing & spend time with her friends. |
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Mary Hall Keyes Kids Teaching Artist Fairmount |
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Mary Hall Keyes is an oil painter and collage artist living in Philadelphia. Before working at the Philly Art Center, Mary Hall graduated from Alfred University where she earned her BFA and minored in Visual Arts Education. She has pursued her passion for working with children in a creative setting by student teaching for grades K-12th as well as being a counselor and administrative staff member at Chimney Corners Camp. She believes building confidence in kids is an essential part of being an educator and enjoys celebrating their self-expression in the studio.
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Natalie Kim Director of Administration and Marketing |
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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. |
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Laura Kinney Sewing Camp Coordinator |
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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. |
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Maren Less Kids Teaching Artist |
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Maren Less is a Philadelphia based artist who received her undergraduate degree from Kenyon College, Post Baccalaureate in Fine Art from The Maryland Institute College of Art, and MFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art. Maren believes in provoking imagination and joy through storytelling and has shown her work in galleries in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Her experiences as an adjunct professor and studio assistant to different local artists, translate seamlessly into her role as a teaching artist at the Art Center! Apart from working in the studio, Maren enjoys listening to audio books while taking long walks. |
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Erica Levy Kids Teaching Artist |
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Erica graduated from Tufts University in 2021, with a BA in Anthropology and Architectural Studies and a minor in Studio Art! She moved to South Philly after spending the summer teaching college students to backpack the Appalachian Trail. Erica loves hiking, dancing, and biking for some of the same reasons she loves painting, printmaking, and other crafts: the physical, in-your-body process is cathartic, celebratory, and alive. She loves working with kids and is grateful for the opportunity to learn with them! |
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Sophia Maggio Kids Teaching Artist Queen Village |
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Sophia grew up in Everett, WA and attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, where she graduated with her Bachelor's in Art and Psychology in 2020. She moved to Philadelphia and worked as a case manager for a year while drawing and painting on the side! Sophia has worked as a camp counselor and assistant teacher in creative environments and is so excited to be in a kid-focused & artistic space at Philly Art Center. When not creating art, Sophia loves to read, dance, and go on long walks in pursuit of the best coffee in Philadelphia.
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Jill Markovitz Founder and Director |
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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. |
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Nick Mayo Adult Teaching Artist |
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Graduating from Swarthmore College with degrees in Studio Art and Political Science, Nick understands curiosity and attention as central to any process of making. Drawing is his approach in art: watching and observing lets the world—inside or outside—feel freshly alive. Currently teaching art to Pre-K through 8th Grade, he works towards the joy of students taking learning into their own hands. |
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Veronica Mehl Kids and Adult Teaching Artist |
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Veronica graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2017 with a BFA in ceramics. She has pursued multiple jobs in the ceramic field such as freelance and production work but nothing compares to her passion for teaching. Her favorite thing about teaching is having students make tangible objects that reflect and celebrate their individualism. When she’s not working on ceramics, you can catch her painting in the park or walking her dog around the city.
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Emily Pfeifer Kids Teaching Artist |
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Emily is from Charlotte, NC. She was a teaching assistant in art class throughout high school, where she discovered her love of teaching. She taught outdoor education for two years at Echo Hill Outdoor School in Worton, Maryland before moving to Philly. She specializes in collage, printmaking, watercolor and pen and ink. She loves teaching at the art center because shes inspired by childrens uninhibited creativity. When shes not at the art center, Emily loves cooking, taking her cat Ginger for walks, hiking and going camping.
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Hannah Pipkin Program Director |
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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. |
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Matthew Reiner Kids and Adult Teaching Artist |
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Matt is from Los Angeles, CA and graduated from Yale University with a BA in Art and Philosophy. He is a painter and writer, and has worked in museums, galleries and school settings all across the US. He has a studio in Northern Liberties and when he isn’t there, likes to read and cook with his girlfriend.
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Antea Roberts Adult Teaching Artist |
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Antea Roberts has been working with clay since she was a kid. Hailing from South Philly, she took classes at Starr Garden, The Clay Studio and Fleisher Art Memorial. Antea spent 7 summers at Appel Farm Arts Camp in Southern NJ experiencing all kinds of art, and returned as an adult for an additional 7 summers to lead the ceramics department. After graduating in 2008 with a BFA in Fine Art/Ceramics from Corcoran College of Art in Washington DC, Antea developed ‘The Ceramery’- her brand of one of a kind ceramics; sold online and at area craft shows. A life long love of clay has brought Antea to Philly Art Center, where she’s excited to teach and grow alongside everyone! |
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Johanna Roebas Graphic Designer |
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Johanna is a designer, a teacher, a traveler and a student. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from The Pennsylvania State University and an Elementary Education Teaching Certificate from Widener University. As a Graphic Designer she combines her outgoing nature and creative style to push the limits of color and typography. Johanna played with clay since she was shorter than a pottery wheel, but now her ceramic work conveys a sense of freedom; in every piece there is a bit of her mood, energy and her fingerprints. She also loves biking, yoga, going to the movies and spending time with her family. More importantly, she¹ll never miss an opportunity to pop into a photo booth. |
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Bridget Rogers Adult Teaching Artist |
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Bridget is an educator and lens-based artist who creates interdisciplinary works centering around the concept of alternative domestic spaces. With her background in architecture, Rogers’s current work combines miniature rooms and digital manipulation to create large scale prints that skew the viewer’s perspective of space and reality. Rogers earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Syracuse University, and then her Masters of Fine Arts in Photography from Tyler School of Art + Architecture at Temple University in 2020. Originally from a small beach town in New Jersey, when she is not creating new art or teaching, Rogers can be found enjoying the outdoors on hikes and walks on the beach. |
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Kaitlin Santoro Adult Teaching Artist |
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Kaitlin Santoro is an interdisciplinary artist who work across photography, video, glass, and printmaking, to explore impermanence, loss, and generational trauma caused by cognitive impairment with a recent focus on dementia. She creates work that slowly breaks down and shifts, documenting the process and the aftermath to illustrate the fragility of memory over time.
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Haley Schultz Kids Teaching Artist Queen Village |
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Haley Schultz is an artist with a passionate and enthusiastic approach to teaching kids! Haley loves drawing, illustrating, and painting and is always excited to start a new project! They collect rocks and anything miniature. They love connecting with children through art and creating a social and fun environment for their students to comfortably explore together |
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Joni Sullivan Adult Teaching Artist |
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Joni was born and raised in Northampton, MA, but has spent time in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston, and now Philadelphia. She earned her Bachelor of Humanities and Arts in Psychology and Art from Carnegie Mellon University, and May 2021 she graduated from Boston University with an MFA in Painting. She has a studio in North Philly, and when she's not painting there, she's with her rescue pup Tala or she's finding a new Italian restaurant to try with her fiance. Joni loves teaching and sharing the joy of painting, and believes the magic is in the process. |
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Kailey Whitman Kids Teaching Artist |
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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! |
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