Philly Art 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

North Carolina transplant Alison Lindley migrated to Philadelphia in 2015 to pursue her MFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. While in study she refused to let her practice be defined by one material and committed to none. She experimented with variety through drawing, painting, printing, installation, performance and video. Carving out time and into surfaces Alison has spent much of her time in a print shop. Since then her practice has been consumed with navigating the the widely felt struggle to balance the day-job, bill paying, work life with the creative, mess making, art life.

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.

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.

Margie E. Ricchezza is an artist practicing in many different medias. Her favorites are crocheting, ink painting and drawing illustrations and hopes to write her own children’s book one day. She completed a BFA at Tyler School of Art at Temple University, focusing on fibers and materials. She has been teaching art to children since she was in high school and continues to be inspired by the their curiosity. She continues to look at the world through a child’s eye, rejecting the reality she was taught and substituting her own.

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!