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Bee Aldi Kids Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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Bee is a Philadelphia-based multimedia artist with a Bachelors of Art in Art Therapy. In the classroom they prioritize the process of art- emphasizing it's role in building problem solving skills and exploration. When they're not making art, Bee can be found in the kitchen experimenting with new receipts or just chilling with their cat. |
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Fae Alleyne Kids Art Teacher | Mount Airy |
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Fae has a background in behavioral health and psychology. She has experience working with children of all ages and is excited to encourage and foster creativity. She is passionate about art in all forms and loves to create and learn as much as possible. |
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Yvonne Appeltans Bookkeeper |
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Yvonne has been working at Philly Art Center since June of 2017 and it's her best job ever! The owner, Jill Markovitz is whirlwind of fabulous energy and good vibes, she operates an amazing business, especially because of her outstanding staff! Yvonne's done accounting and bookkeeping for many small businesses in the Philadelphia area for over 20 years, however Art Center is her favorite. |
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Sara Appleby Kids Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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Sara holds a BFA in Studio Arts and Art History from the University of Pittsburgh. Her love of color theory and paint-mixing began at an early age. Her mother fostered a process-based learning environment at home, where supplies were always available and experimentation was encouraged. Sara craved a future in the arts and knew she wanted to encourage others in their creative journeys. With experience in a variety of mediums, her favorites are printmaking and painting. With over 11 years of classroom experience, Sara shares her love of art history with her students. When not in the studio, she enjoys gardening, drinking coffee, exploring new restaurants, and traveling to experience the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. She is a proud mama to two incredible kids and a local in the Queen Village neighborhood. |
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Sasha Black Kids Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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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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Wendy Bradley Kids Art Teacher | Cherry Hill |
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Wendy is from Berlin, New Jersey. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Technology Education from Rowan University and has spent many years teaching middle school STEM. She appreciates how the creative problem solving components of STEM can also be applied to the process of seeing an artistic vision come to fruition. Outside of the classroom, Wendy enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, the beach and walking her dog. |
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Maxwell Brody Kids Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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Max grew up in Topanga, CA, and enjoys surfing, playing guitar, and spending long nights in the darkroom printing photographs and listening to Indie records. He obtained a BA in alternative process photography from Whitman College and loves sharing his passions with young aspiring artists. Before joining the Philly Art Center he worked as an art teacher at a middle school in Harlem, NY. He is passionate about inspiring young artists to express their unique perspectives through their art and experiment with novel techniques. |
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Taaj Brown Assistant Studio Director | Cherry Hill |
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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 Marketing + Design Coordinator |
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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 Director of Administration + HR |
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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 at Art Center he can be found exploring Philly with his friends. |
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Marina Caprara Studio Director | Fairmount |
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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 Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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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 Teacher |
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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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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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Caitlin Finnegan Studio Director | Mount Airy |
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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 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! |
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Alexa Galtman Adult Art Teacher | Mount Airy |
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Alexa Galtman is an illustrator and graphic designer with a BFA in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She specializes in both traditional and digital media with a love for blending the two and playing with new materials. She recently relocated from South Carolina where she worked as an artist for screen printing. In her spare time she plays board games, collects cookbooks and spends time with her husband and three children. She is delighted to be teaching again and loves to help people feel excited about creating art. |
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Kyra Jackson Kids + Adult Art Teacher | Mount Airy |
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Kyra Jackson is a Philadelphia based artist who completed their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Louisiana State University in 2022. Their degree was focused in ceramics and they also obtained a minor in art history. In 2023 Kyra relocated from Baton Rouge to Philadelphia to join the ceramics special student program at Tyler School of Art. Kyra enjoys working with all types of mediums, but holds a special place in her heart for clay. |
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Mary Hall Keyes Assistant Studio Director | Mount Airy |
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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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Abigayle Koch Kids Art Teacher | Cherry Hill |
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Abby was raised in Voorhees, NJ and enjoys expressing herself through creating. As a 2024 Fine Arts Graduate of the University of Delaware, Abby spent her four years exploring many mediums including printmaking, painting, illustration, ceramics and more. During this time, her love for painting grew and it continues to be her medium of choice. Although she is passionate about creating, Abby’s goal is to inspire others to express themselves through art and encourage them to explore their creativity, just as her educators inspired her. |
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Emma Krall Kids Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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Emma holds a Bachelor’s of Art in Art History from Rollins College, and currently attends Tyler School of Art to pursue her Masters Degree in Art History. She has a range of experience working with children, from teaching art classes to toddlers, to being a camp counselor for ages six to fifteen. She loves to help kids find their excitement for art and creating! Emma’s biggest passion is creating a safe, accessible space to explore the world of art, and she is honored to be a part of the Art Center team. When not at Art Center, you can find her exploring the art museums of Philly, or at a coffee shop with her favorite book.
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Rebecca Lee Co-Studio Manager | Queen Village |
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Lee obtained her degree in education from Temple University and went on to fulfill her life long dream of teaching art. Before Philly Art Center, she was the art teacher at an elementary school in Camden, NJ. She is a published children’s book author and illustrator and is passionate about story telling. She loves being silly with kids and helping them grow their love for art through the process of creating and making choices. Outside of the center, she enjoys her time in her sunny studio junk journaling, needle felting, crocheting, and illustrating. |
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Eleanor Linafelt Administrative Associate |
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Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Eleanor graduated from The College of Wooster with degrees in English and women's, gender, and sexuality studies in 2020. Since moving to Philly, she has worked in journalism and arts education. She is also a guitarist and songwriter active in the local music scene with her band Queen Rat. She loves reading, going to art museums, and eating hoagies. |
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Rhianne Lowe Adult Art Teacher | Mount Airy |
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Rhianne Lowe is a ceramicist with a formal background in architecture and culinary arts. She works seasonally, which allows her to divide her time between ceramics and baking. In the winter, she focuses on creating and teaching clay arts, while in the summer, she runs a Bakery & Cafe in Avalon, NJ. Although her introduction to ceramics occurred at a young age, pottery did not become a focal point until 2017. She started seeking out continuing education programs that allowed her to expand upon her skills. Working with clay is such a magical experience, and she feels fortunate to be able to share the joy of creating with students of all ages. |
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Elena MacEntee Kids Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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Elena MacEntee is a current student at Temple University. She's graduating with a BA in art therapy and would love to specialize in childhood development. |
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Elana Mallov Kids Art Teacher | Mount Airy |
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Elana has her BFA from Binghamton University, and her Certificate of Education in Studio Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. She currently teaches the Art Program at Bala House Montessori School in Bala Cynwyd and works for Atlanticare as an Art Therapy Coordinator. She’s previously taught at The Main Line Art Center, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City. Her biggest joy is teaching and making art with her young students and helping them find their own creative art making voice. |
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Carmen Marcucci Co-Studio Manager | Queen Village |
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Carmen grew up in Hershey, PA. She earned her BFA in Printmaking and Teaching Certification from Tyler School of Art in 2019. Her favorite mediums to work in are screen printing and woodblock printing. She loves helping kids creatively problem solve to make art that they feel proud to share. When Carmen is not teaching or making art, she enjoys camping and traveling to new places!
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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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Amber Martin Kids Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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Amber Martin is a graduate of Temple University's Tyler School of Art
and Architecture, where she earned a BA in Art Therapy. Her passion
for art spans a diverse range of mediums, including oil paint,
watercolor, graphite, linocut, fibers, ceramics, and more. Prior to
pursuing her degree, Amber taught art to students from kindergarten to
eighth grade then spent a few years overseeing the Infant and Toddler
program at a Montessori-based school in Wellsboro, PA. Amber is
passionate about the transformative power of art and is committed to
using her knowledge and love of the creative process to guide others
on their path of self-expression. Currently, Amber resides with her
beloved companions: a cat named Indie and a tortoise named Mr Eko. Her family, friends, and all the children in her life serve as constant
sources of gratitude and inspiration.
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Nick Mayo Adult Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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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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Alex Mihalski Kids Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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Alex is a fiber artist and intaglio printmaker with a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. She grew up in Seattle where she spent days exploring the forests and coasts, and evenings in her father's restaurant. When she's not creating (or teaching!) art, Alex can be found cooking for friends or taking long walks to explore the city. |
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Sabrina Moore Administrative Associate |
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Sabrina Moore is a graduate of Albright College where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Business with a minor in Arts Administration. During her time at Albright College, Sabrina was involved with Albright's record label, radio station and one of their dance teams. In her free time, Sabrina enjoys entertaining friends, going to community events, and watching musicals. Sabrina is excited to continue aiding in sharing the love of the arts to the community. |
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Sophie (Knox) Peters Adult Art Teacher | Mount Airy |
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Sophie (Knox) Peters is a practicing visual artist with an MFA from the University of the Arts UK. She specializes in drawing and painting and enjoys working with all age groups. She teaches practical skills in art making as well as develops and supports each student’s creative voice. |
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Hannah Pipkin Program Director |
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Hannah has her Masters in the Business of Art and Design from MICA and a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts concentrating in painting and art history from Kutztown University. Hannah is an abstract painter who believes that art is unplanned, it is about the action and each stroke and color responding to the previous one. She also expresses herself through simple ink drawings and collage work. When Hannah is not creating you can find her on any city tennis court or hanging with her cats, Roger and Rafa. |
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Abigail Reeth Kids Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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Abigail is a painter and creative writer who explores everyday moments through art. She graduated from Houghton College in 2019 with a BA in art and writing. Abigail looks for ways to build community and resilience through artmaking with children, and she is continually inspired by the young artists around her. Abigail also enjoys running, reading, and discovering new coffee shops. |
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Ruth Ribeiro Kids Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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Ruth has a BFA in art and currently works in ceramics. She has a passion for the creative process, how we can learn and grow from the making and playing in the arts. She is inspired by the stories, and moments that are told, and lived through the making and experiencing of art, from a picture book to a sculpture to a hand made plate. When she is not in the studio she is making and sharing food, biking and being outside at the park! |
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Antea Roberts Adult Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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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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Natalie Sieminski Director of Administration + 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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Emily Stroud Adult Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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Emily Stroud is a painter and art educator from the South. She currently works and lives in South Philadelphia. She earned her MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art in 2023 and her BFA with a concentration in painting and ceramics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2018. Emily’s creative practice is centered around painting and drawing, where she investigates the collision of her present and her memories through color and figuration. She is experimental in her own painting practice and encourages material and conceptual exploration while teaching. Emily’s primary focus as an art educator is to foster confidence in her student’s artistic abilities through thoughtful instruction. When she is not painting or teaching, you can find her walking her two dogs around her neighborhood or reading a good book. |
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NinaLynn Wagner Adult Art Teacher | Cherry Hill |
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Nina is a teaching artist and art therapist. She graduated from Arcadia University with a BFA and a concentration in ceramics and then went on to get her masters in art therapy and counseling from Albertus Magnus College. Nina enjoys working with all age groups and all art media. Her favorite media is anything related to ceramics. She believes that art is one of the best ways to communicate how a person views the world and themselves. She is grateful to work in a studio environment and get to guide individuals in the art process! |
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Christopher Wallace Adult Art Teacher | Queen Village |
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Chistopher Wallace is an artist, printer, and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. He received his MFA in Printmaking from the University of North Texas in 2013, and his BFA in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2010. He has held teaching positions at Maud Morgan Arts, the Mosesian Center for the Arts, the University of Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston's Glassell School of Art, and Lonestar College. |
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Erik Wright Adult Art Teacher | Fairmount |
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Erik came to Philly from California in 2017 where he worked as a studio tech in a number of different kinds of clay studios. From 2014-2016 he apprenticed as a production potter, honing his technical throwing skills and learning the ins and outs of what it's like to run a small-scale studio pottery. After spending a few years bouncing around in the Philly clay scene, he started his own studio in South Philly where he focuses on the production of functional tableware. As a teacher, he cares about careful technique and aims to foster a strong understanding of the ceramics process. Overall, he just loves pots. |
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