Faculty Profiles
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Shana Alexander (visual arts/children) has over ten years experience teaching art at the Jewish Community Center (Newton), Solomon Schechter Day School (Newton), Woodland School (Weston) and elsewhere in both Israel and Greater Boston. Her own artwork has often reflected political – particularly anti-war – themes. She has exhibited her sculpture, installations and video at Starr Gallery (Newton), Beit Ha’Omanim (Tel Aviv) and Arad Artists’ Quarter (Arad, Israel). As a singer, she received a fellowship from Radcliffe College for training in vocal performance. She holds an MAT in Art Education from Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts, a BA in Government from Harvard University, and initial licensure (grades PK-8) in Art Education.
Cindy Arias (comics/children) is a comic artist and illustrator who has worked for Blurred Books and ProVockative V. She has self-published mini-comics including Wulf, a version of Little Red Riding Hood. She earned her BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts, where she studied under the direction of David Mazzucchelli, Jessica Abel and Matt Madden.
Rebecca Arnoldi (community partnerships) has combined her interests in art and nature for over a decade, teaching at the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cape Cod National Seashore and elsewhere. At Earthworks and the New York Botanical Garden, she has taught teachers to lead programs in ecology, botany and horticulture. For the Eliot School, she has taught painting in community settings, including a Latina depression support group at a local health clinic. Her art has been shown at the Schoolhouse Gallery (Provincetown), A.I.R. Gallery (New York City), Arad Museum (Israel) and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in Studio Art from Massachusetts College of Art & Design and an MA in Environmental Education from Antioch New England. 
Juan José Barboza Gubo (painting) is a painter and sculptor whose work has been shown in museums and galleries in Peru, Japan, Italy, Greece and the US, including Boston’s Nielsen Gallery. He teaches drawing, painting and sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art & Design, where he earned MFAs in Painting and Sculpture. He holds a BA from Pontifical Catholic University in Peru.
Jonathan Bechard (woodworking) carves sculpture from wood and stone. He has exhibited his work at Kathryn Schultz Gallery, Open Studios at The Distillery, and The Carving Studio & Sculpture Center (West Rutland, VT). He has taught visual arts for Very Special Arts at Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School (Dorchester), stone carving at George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum (Springfield), and both art and woodworking through our School Partnership Program at Fifield Elementary School and Henderson Inclusion Elementary School. He earned his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and is currently pursuing his Masters in Arts Administration from Boston University.
Seymour Beckford (upholstery) started his apprenticeship at age 15 in Jamaica, doing both automobile and household upholstery. He continued as a professional upholsterer in a manufacturing plant there before founding his own company, MasterCraft Upholstery. Relocating to Boston, he worked at Majestic Upholstery in Kenmore Square. In 1980, he taught woodworking to children with physical and mental disabilities at Little People's School (Newton). Since 1990, he has maintained Seymour's Upholstering, a small storefront business in Mattapan.
Ellen Berrahmoun (visual arts/children) has over twenty years experience in art teaching, curriculum design and community-based programming. A certified teacher of Visual Art (preK-grade 9), she has taught art with Boston’s Arts in the Parks program, Jackson Mann Community Center, Roxbury Community College’s Kids to College program, Thomas Gardner Extended Services School/Gardner Pilot Academy, United South End Settlement’s Children's Art Centre, Boston Children’s Museum, Beyond the Fourth Wall’s Children at Art program, Boston Public Library and Children’s Hospital Boston. Her extensive portfolio is full of dynamic, creative, resourceful, fun art activities, often using recycled materials. Masks, puppets, maps, murals, collage, collagraphs, handmade books, block cities and life-sized costumed self-portraits are just some of her many projects. She has often worked with children for whom English is a second language, and is fluent in Spanish. Ellen is a professional flutist and has also acted with community theater. She holds an AA in Music from Prince George's Community College (Maryland), a BA in Liberal Studies from Lesley College, and a Masters in Arts in Education from Harvard University.
Brian Bishop (drawing) teaches art at Framingham State College, and has previously taught at University of Alabama, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), University of Memphis and Memphis College of Art. His five-foot-square drawing, Chow, was on view through August 2010 in Downtown Boston as part of the Boston Art Windows Project of the City of Boston and the Boston Redevelopment Authority. His art has been shown throughout the South and most recently at A+D Gallery/Columbia College (Chicago), New Hampshire Institute of Art and Bromfield Gallery (Boston). He is active with Jamaica Plain Open Studios and served as Director and Curator of Art Workers Union/Plan B Gallery (Memphis) and Director of Exhibitions at Memphis College of Art. He earned his BFA at Memphis College of Art and his MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Terry Boutelle (painting) has been a painter for over 30 years, working primarily in acrylic and mixed media. She has studied art at Boston College, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art & Design and the Fine Arts Work Center (Provincetown). President of Jamaica Plain Artists Association and an active member of the Cambridge Art Association and Fort Point Arts Community, she exhibits her work throughout New England.
Jessica Burko (mixed media) is an artist, independent curator and arts marketer. As principal of Burko Design and founder of Boston Handmade, Burko works with artists and arts organizations to help them achieve their professional goals. As a working artist, Burko creates photographic-mixed-media including paper quilts and encaustic collage. Her art has been shown at Attleboro Arts Museum, New Art Center (Newton), Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and elsewhere. Burko earned her BFA in Photography from Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA in Imaging Arts and Sciences from Rochester Institute of Technology.
JooYoung Choi (visual arts/children & teens) draws inspiration for her paintings from her experience as a Korean adoptee, her American childhood and her reunion with her birth family, making use of animation, comics, fantasy, textures, patterns and colors. She has taught art at Phoenix Charter Academy and as a private tutor, and led youth programs at the Children’s Social Justice Program at the Justice School and for the Unitarian Universalist Association. Her work has been shown in Greater Boston at the Hallway Gallery, Bunker Hill Community College, The Middle East and elsewhere. In 2009, Choi completed an artist’s residency at Ko–Root (Seoul, Korea), and created and donated baby portrait paintings to residents of Ae Ran Won, a home and support organization for Korean single mothers. She earned her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design, with additional training at Korea National University of the Arts, Kyunghee University and Ewha Women’s University.
Lucilda Dassardo–Cooper (visual arts/children) is a painter who transcends barriers of race, culture, language, national origin and religion to muse on universal themes, employing cross-cultural icons. She represented the United States at India′s 9th Triennale with her Veiled Presence series of paintings of sari-clad women. In Egypt, she painted Cairo streets overlaid with ancient imagery to unite past and present. Her paintings have been shown locally and internationally in museums, galleries and at art fairs. She has taught art at Mass Bay Community College, Roxbury Community College and Fillmore Arts Center (Washington DC), and led workshops at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Art (Boston), Hamilton College (New York) and elsewhere. She also teaches yoga. She earned her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Paul DeVito (upholstery) graduated from Everett Vocational High School, where he majored in upholstery. He has worked for Borges Upholstery and Possick Upholstery. Currently the lead upholsterer at Melo & Sons Upholstering, he has been practicing his trade for over 20 years.
Paul DeVito III (upholstery) is an upholsterer in training.
Nancy Dick-Atkinson (gilding & frame restoration) has specialized in restoration of gold-leafed objects for over two decades. She serves on the Continuing Education faculty at Rhode Island School of Design and is a member of the New England Conservation Association. She apprenticed with master gilder Nils Johnson at the Eliot School. She holds a BS in Art Education from the State College of New York at Buffalo and an MFA in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art.
Gary Duehr (photography) creates photographs, poetry, public art and books. He was chosen as Best Emerging Artist in New England by the International Association of Art Critics in 2007. His work has been featured at the Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), Exit Art, Umbrella Arts and New York Arts (New York City), as well as in Cuba, Japan, Yugoslavia and elsewhere. Duehr's public artworks include a photo installation funded by the Visible Republic program of New England Foundation for the Arts and a commission from the MBTA for a permanent photo installation at North Station. He manages Bromfield Gallery in Boston's South End. Gary holds a BA in Photography from Southern Illinois University and an MFA in Poetry from the Writers′ Workshop at the University of Iowa.
Jerel Dye (graphic narrative) is an artist and designer working in drawing, illustration, video and new media performance. His art has appeared in children's books, exhibitions throughout New England, comics and animation. He is developing his first graphic novel. He works as Media Arts Manager for Grassroots International and a freelance illustrator. He earned his BFA at UMass Dartmouth and his MFA at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.Dahlia El-Shafei (comics) writes articles and short fiction. She has taught for PEN New England Prison Writing Workshops (Framingham) and B-Safe Summer Program (Dorchester), where she created and implemented writing and reading comprehension programs for ages 6–13, including stories, comics and photo essays. At 826 Boston, she worked with Greater Egleston Charter High School on a project incorporating students’ photographs and writing. Before that, she was Program Assistant for The University of the Middle East Project, where she developed curriculum for secondary teachers to incorporate collaborative art, mutual understanding and cross-cultural dialog into their classrooms. She holds a BA in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College.
Matt Files (woodworking) is Technology & Engineering Teacher at Duxbury High School, with previous experience as Assistant Plant Manager at New England Casket Co. His original furniture has been showcased in galleries locally and abroad. He earned his BFA in woodworking and furniture design from Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Crafts, with additional study at the University of Copenhagen's Design School.
Ifé Franklin (fiber arts) creates textiles, drawings, photographs and video. She has taught Adire dyeing at Massachusetts College of Art & Design, the Revolving Museum (Lowell), Suffolk House of Corrections and elsewhere. She has taught art to children since 1995, most recently through Kids′ Day/MSPCC. Her art has been shown at Ethos Fashion Show (Wellesley), GASP Gallery (Brookline), Center for Latino Arts (Boston), New Art Center (Newton) and elsewhere. She holds a Diploma from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, with additional studio work at California College of Arts & Crafts and Minneapolis College of Art & Design.
Pablo Friedmann (painting & drawing) is a painter whose work explores color and narrative. He teaches at Boston University, Newbury College and Cambridge College, with additional experience at Emerson Umbrella (Concord) and elsewhere. He has also taught art in prisons and with disabled children and teens, encouraging emotional expression through painting. He has enjoyed solo shows of his work at Casa de la Cultura/Center for Latino Arts (Boston), Sherena Cedar Gallery (London), Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros Art Gallery (Mexico City), among others, and group shows in the US, Mexico, London and Paris. He earned his Masters in Painting from Royal College of Art (London) and his BA in Painting from La Escuela Nacionál de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado, "La Esmeralda" (Mexico City).
Erik Gehring (photography) is a professional and fine art photographer whose work has been shown at galleries throughout New England, including the Arnold Arboretum’s Hunnewell Building. Erik has taught for the Arboretum, Roslindale Arts Alliance and Hyde Park Art Association.
Michael Gleason (furniture finishing & restoration) has made custom cabinetry and furniture at Gleason, Hendrick & Devine since 1981. He made custom furniture and did antique restoration with Nils Johnson at A.G. Johnson & Son from 1972 to 1981.
Patrick Goguen (woodworking/children) has worked as Teaching Assistant in our Summer Programs for Children. He is a sculptor working in wood, rubbers, ceramics, steel and other materials. He has worked as a farm hand at Szerlag Dairy Farm and as a volunteer for HandsHouse Studio, building a 17th century Polish bell using traditional tools and techniques. He is completing his BFA in Sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Beverly Gomes-Schwartz (fiber arts) has made a transition from the corporate world (over twenty years in management at Fidelity Investments) to pursue her passion for the visual arts. She transforms reclaimed garments, fabric and yarn into elegant clothing and accessories. Since 2009, she has also worked at the Society of Arts & Crafts (Boston). She earned her BA from Pratt Institute.
Rachel Grobstein (visual arts/children) has taught art to children through Operation PEACE (Boston), The Schoolhouse (Portland, ME), SmART (West Harpswell, ME), Art Union (Brunswick, ME), as well as through our School Partnership Program. As a Research & Communications Intern at Artists in Context, she curates a calendar of local events and encourages meaningful social engagement for artists. She earned her BA in Philosophy and Studio Art from Bowdoin College, with independent study at Lady Margaret College, Oxford University. She will receive her Masters in Art Education from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2011.
Cristina Hajosy (photography, book & paper arts) has taught at New England School of Photography, Cambridge Center for Adult Education and Fuller Craft Museum. Her work has been shown at Aidekman Arts Center at Tufts University, Cambridge Art Association and elsewhere. Her most recent fine art project was shown at Carroll & Sons’ Boston Drawing Project and can be seen at Unfairest of Them All.
Charlotte Halloran (quiltmaking) is co-chair of Proper Bostonian Quilt Guild and a long-time quiltmaker.
Amy Hitchcock (mixed media) is a self-taught artist with a degree in art history. She has been making assemblages since 2002. Her work has been shown at the Fuller Craft Museum, Jamaica Plain Open Studios, First Thursdays (JP Centre/South Main Streets), SoWa Art Walk, Arlington Center of the Arts, and the Salem Arts Association show Ode to Cornell: What Would Joseph Do? in conjunction with the exhibition Joseph Cornell: Navigating the Imagination at the Peabody Essex Museum.Ron Horion (seat-weaving) owned and operated GHNK Caning Supplies for 17 years in North Quincy. He taught caning for over 35 years both there and at local colleges. His fine craftsmanship has been exhibited at historic museums including Monticello, Sturbridge Village, Plimouth Plantation and Eric Sloan Museum. He has lectured at many local historical societies and clubs.
Ashley Hosler (drawing/painting) has taught art at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, as Arts Coordinator at East End House, and at a Watertown elementary school. She exhibited her work in Maryland and Florida before moving to Boston in 2008. She earned her BFA in Painting and her Masters in Art Education at Maryland Institute College of Art.
Lisa Houck (mosaics, tiles) uses color and pattern in ceramics, mosaics, etching and paint to create strong, vibrant images. The Boston Globe called her work “a crowded, cacaphonous landscape inhabited by flowers, fish, trees, numbers, raindrops, symbols and dots like in aboriginal paintings.” Her art has been exhibited widely and is in numerous public and private collections including those of the Boston Athenaeum, Brigham & Women′s Hospital, Children′s Hospital (Boston), Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Fidelity Investments and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Houck holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Jenn Houle (drawing/painting/children) enjoys working in many mediums, including 2D, 3D and performance art. Painting is her primary means of expression. She has been educating children in the arts since 2003 and has taught art at the McGlynn Middle School (Medford), Linnaean Community School (Cambridge) and the Children's Art Centre (Boston). She holds a BFA in Painting with a concentration in Printmaking from Massachusetts College of Art & Design. Her classes incorporate multi-media and utilize a multi-sensory approach to education.
Jennifer Hughes (drawing, book & paper arts) has taught printmaking, artists’ books, bookbinding and drawing for over a decade, currently at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and DeCordova Museum as well as at the Eliot School. She has studied with master printers including Judith Solodkin and Keiji Shinohara. She earned her BA in Art from Wellesley Collage and her MFA from the University of Iowa.
Jen Ingram (visual arts/children) is a graphic designer for the Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation & Recreation, where she is in charge of Interpretive Programs at Walden Pond State Reservation. She has taught art at Hardy Elementary School (Arlington), East Arlington Public Library, Borderland State Park (Easton) and, through our School Partnership Program, at Henderson Inclusion Elementary School. Her work has been shown at the Cambridge Art Association, Bernard Toale Gallery, Arlington Center for the Arts and elsewhere. She earned her BA from Brown University and a Diploma from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where she was a Traveling Scholar.
Diane Ivey (yarn) has a passion for knitting, spinning and dyeing yarn. She has 8 years of knitting experience and has been spinning and dyeing yarn for over five years. She is particularly interested in finding alternatives to dye yarn and wool without chemicals.
Kymberlee Keckler (soapmaking) is a chemical engineer whose talents include bookbinding, silversmithing and soapmaking. She has been making soap since 1985 and teaching soapmaking since 1997. Her soap is sold locally at Fire Opal in Jamaica Plain and on-line at Soaporama.
Nancy King (woodworking/children) works for the Commonwealth during the week helping low-income children and families. For fun, she is an avid woodworker. A long-time student at the Eliot School, she now shares her skills here with children.
Simone Kivett (visual arts/children) has taught art to children at Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center (Newton), Stratton Elementary School (Arlington) and Kennedy-Longfellow School (Cambridge); she has also taught painting to adults at Arlington Community Education since 2009. She is a volunteer for family programs at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from University of Denver, a Masters of Education in Art from Lesley University and a Massachusetts Initial Teachers’ License for Visual Art, PreK–8.
Anna Koon (marketing for artists) is the creator of Retro Girls and several other art series. She has participated in Jamaica Plain Open Studios for eight years, and has exhibited throughout the US. In 2003, she won JANE Magazine′s artist competition. Her work was featured on the front and back sleeves of their annual music compilation, as well as in the magazine and on their website. She earned her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Allison Krzanowski (fiber arts) has taught art and weaving at the Women’s Cooperative at Los Patojos community center in Jocotenango, Guatemala. Locally, she has taught art and fiber arts to children at Manville School, Judge Baker Children’s Center (Boston). She is completing her BFA in Fibers at Massachusetts College of Art & Design. 
Katie Li (comics/children) has dedicated the past decade to developing her skills as a writer, artist and educator. Her literary interests include unconventional and international contemporary fiction, children’s literature, fairy tales, manga and graphic novels. She has received training by working in alternative education and therapeutic settings at Germaine Lawrence School, Project Joy, Writers’ Express and Northstar Learning Center for Teens. Katie currently teaches at Linnean Community School (Cambridge) and is working on her first novel. She studied theatre at Boston Arts Academy, then attended Hampshire College, where she created her own curriculum in Creative Writing, Literature and Cultural Studies.
Ken Lindgren (wood turning) makes functional and abstract objects from trees that have fallen due to death, disease, storm or construction. He says, “My pieces are all handcrafted to show the beauty that results when people and nature are in harmony.” Ken's professional career was as a chemical engineer. A member of the American Association of Woodturners, he has taught woodturning at Fuller Craft Museum and elsewhere. He sells his turned bowls and other works of wood art throughout New England.
Peter Lipsitt (woodworking/children) is a sculptor who has taught woodworking to children for over twenty years at Edward Devotion School and Maimonides School (Brookline) and, more recently, at Chestnut Hill School Creative Arts & Sports Program. He is a founding member of Boston Sculptors Gallery, where he exhibits his work. His sculpture is in the collections of Harvard Art Museums, DeCordova Museum, Vassar College Museum, Fort Lauderdale Museum (Florida) and elsewhere. Lipsitt taught art in Ethiopia while in the Peace Corps, then sculpture at Brandeis University, and joined the art faculty at Wheaton College. He is a graduate of Brandeis and earned both his BFA and MFA from Yale University School of Art. He and his wife are residents of Brookline, where they raised two boys.
Kevin Mack (woodworking) designs and builds 17th to 19th century reproduction furniture and one of a kind originals at Kevin Mack Fine Furniture (Melrose). He also has worked as a carpenter from 1990 to today, building and remodeling houses. He won Best in Show at the Providence Fine Furniture Exhibition in 2007 and 2009; his work has been shown at the Concord Museum (Concord, MA) and is on permanent display at the Deerfield Museum (Deerfield, MA). He has taught woodworking through our School Partnership Program at Manning Elementary School and Sociedad Latina. Kevin earned his Diploma in Fine Furniture & Cabinetry from North Bennet Street School.
Jeffrey Martin (woodworking) owns Jeffrey Martin Fine Woodworking (Salem), building custom cabinets and fine furniture. He gained a decade of experience through employment with Walter Lane (Ward Hill), Charles Webb (Woburn), Mark Richey (Newburyport) and Safeway Stair (Stoneham). He has studied cabinetmaking at North Bennet Street School and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.
Julie Martini (drawing/community partnerships) works primarily in handmade paper and drawing. She has taught at UMass Dartmouth, Creative Arts, Fuller Craft Museum, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and, through our School Partnership Program, at the Agassiz Elementary School. She has taught and made art with homeless individuals as Artist-In-Residence at Barbara McInnis House, through the Eliot School and hopeFound at the Kitty Dukakis Treatment Center at Shattuck Hospital, and at Pine Street Inn. She has also been an Artist-In-Residence at the Cancer Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, making art with patients. In 1997, she conceived her first community art project, The AIDS Book. Over the course of nine months she worked with individuals living with HIV to create an edition of 125 handmade books that featured their writings. Julie earned her BA in Studio Art at Carleton College and her MFA at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Matt McKee (marketing for artists) has been creating photographic illustrations for over 18 years. His award-winning photographs have been published and collected internationally. His extended formal education took him on a tour of business, technology and fine art, finally earning him a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has served on the Board of the Jamaica Plain Arts Council since 2004, helping to produce Jamaica Plain Open Studios. Raised by teachers and now married to one, he says it was only a matter of time before he found himself in a classroom again.
Shari Mendlowitz (woodworking/children) creates sculpture in wood, wax and metal at her Pawtucket studio. She has worked as Assistant Teacher at Lemberg Children’s Center (Waltham) and Teaching Assistant in Sculpture at Brandeis University. Nominee for the Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Award and recipient of several fellowships, she earned her BFA and Post-Baccalaureate degree in sculpting from Brandeis University and her MFA in Sculpture from Boston University.
Dan Noyes (woodworking), a professional wooden boat-builder, does business as Dan's Dories (Newbury). He has built and repaired boats since 1997 with Lowell's Boat Shop (Amesbury), Pert Lowell & Co. (Newbury) and Transfusion Boat Works (Ipswich). His work has been featured at the Wooden Boat Show (Mystic, CT), in Wooden Boat Magazine's Small Boats edition, and at the Antique & Classic Boats Festival. He earned his Graduate Certificate in Industrial Design from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Jen Paulousky (sewing) designs and sells knitwear and other clothing through her company, Blue Alvarez Designs. She has shown her fashions at Rockin’ Runway, Craftland Providence, Seamless (Boston Museum of Science), and elsewhere. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University, with additional training at Rhode Island School of Design and Massachusetts College of Art & Design. 
Frank Pettorossi (woodworking) started as a cabinetmaking apprentice in Naples, Italy at age 14. After moving to the US, he graduated from Boston Trade, joined Cabinetmakers Local 51, and worked in architectural millwork shops throughout the Boston area. His experience as a cabinetmaker and carpenter spans five decades. 
Ellen Shattuck Pierce (visual arts/children) has exhibited her prints and wall installations at Francesca Anderson Fine Art (Lexington), Little Gallery Under the Stairs (Lynn), and throughout New England. Her recent work has explored the experience of raising small children. She has taught and developed art curriculum at Park School’s summer program, Pierce School, Roxbury Prep Charter School and Nunavut Arctic College (Alaska). Through our School Partnership Program, she has taught art at Fifield and Philbrick Elementary Schools and Murphy K–8 School. She earned her BA in Art and Women’s Studies from the University of Massachusetts and her MFA from York University.
Barbara Poole (fiber arts), a contemporary felt artist and figurative painter, creates handmade wearable art from wool, silk and beads. She has held residencies at Virginia Center for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Banff Center for the Arts (Canada) and Radgale (Illinois). Her work has been featured in solo shows at Bromfield Art Gallery (Boston) and Hera Gallery (Wakefield, RI), and included in group shows at Copley Society, Mills Gallery, A.I.R. Gallery (New York City) and throughout New York and New England. She holds a BFA from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and a Masters in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Robin Radin (photography) has photographed the cultural and natural landscape of Jamaica Plain for 30 years. Her work draws inspiration from JP’s diverse street life and the beauty of its green spaces. Her photographs have been published and exhibited nationally, including shows at Institute of Contemporary Art, Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Anthropology, Center for Photography, Marcuse Pfeifer Gallery, Nexus Contemporary Art Center, The Dean's Gallery at MIT, and The Print Club. In 2003, she was awarded the Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Grant in Photography. She has served on the board of the Jamaica Plain Arts Council for many years. Her photographs appear in Breaking Bread: Stories and Recipes from Immigrant Kitchens, a collaboration with local writer Lynne Anderson. She earned her BFA from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Kara Rainey (visual arts/children) has been sculpting since 1996, working mostly with metals. Her sculpture has been shown at Gallery 181 (Lawrence), Boston City Hall and in many group shows, and is held in numerous private collections. She has been Arts Group Director since 2006 at the Home for Little Wanderers, running weekly arts groups for children. Through our School Partnership Program, she has taught art at Sociedad Latina and elsewhere. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with additional study at Universidad de Cuenca (Ecuador).
Lynne White Robbins (drawing/painting) is an illustrator and visual artist. As an educator in the Boston Public Schools, she shares her passion for drawing and the visual arts as moderator of the Art for All group,meeting on selected evenings at the Eliot School. She earned her Masters in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Elizabeth Rocha (visual arts/children) has done illustrations for Whootie Owl, Calliope Magazine and other publications and companies. Her costume and prop design credits include Behind the Mask Theater, Prometheus Dance Company and Company of Fools. She has taught art at Brookline Art Center, Lexington Preparatory School, Haggerty Elementary School (Cambridge), for Mad Science and, through our School Partnership Program, at Henderson Inclusion Elementary School. Her interests range from puppet-making and sewing to architecture and folklore. She has studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Rhode Island School of Design.
Alexandra Rozenman (drawing/visual arts/children) brings a charming mysticism to her life and art. In 1989, she immigrated from Russia as a political refugee. She has taught at Minneapolis College of Art & Design, University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, Solomon Schechter Day School (Newton), Cambridge Center for Adult Education and elsewhere. In 2006 she was awarded a MacDowell Foundation Fellowship. From 2001 to 2009, Rozenman lived in Minneapolis, where she was a member of Traffic Zone Art Cooperative and a director of Argyle Zebra Gallery. She is represented nationally and internationally, with recent exhibitions at Contemporary Art Network Gallery (New York) and French Cultural Center (Boston). She earned her BFA in Painting from the State University of New York and her MFA in Visual Arts and Art Theory from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.Mario Rubio–Ospina (woodworking/children) retired recently from Park School (Brookline), where he taught woodworking for a decade to grades K–9. A graduate of the Cabinet & Furniture Making Program at North Bennet Street School, he designs and builds unique custom furniture for individual clients. He also worked for years as a commercial painter, with a degree from Butera School of Art.
James Russell (furniture design) is a former IT executive and college physics and math instructor who has been designing and building unique room and cabinet solutions for 30 years and making American period furniture for over a decade. Jim uses modern computer tools including Sketchup to develop detailed designs and produce shop drawings for his woodworking projects. He is a member of the Eastern Massachusetts Guild of Woodworkers and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers.
Mitch Ryerson (furniture design) is one of Boston's best known furniture designers, renowned for the color, liveliness, and light-heartedness of his finely crafted work. His public furniture graces Forest Hills Cemetery, Cambridge street corners, and (through his work with the Eliot School) the Irving and Sumner Schools in Roslindale. Mitch has designed furniture for over 25 years. His work has been shown at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston Public Library, Mint Museum, and Gallery NAGA; he has won an Artist's Award from the Society of Arts & Crafts and been featured in American Craft magazine. (Photo courtesy of Forest Hills Educational Trust)
Charles Sandler (woodworking) has over 40 years of experience in woodworking and 37 years teaching in the Boston Public Schools. He has worked as teacher, Director and Superintendent of the Eliot School for over 40 years.
Carlos Santiago (sewing) majored in Fashion Design at Massachusetts College of Art & Design. He served as a Compass Program Mentor at MassArt, exposing local high school students to college and assisting them with multi-media projects. 
Linda Scharf (sewing & yarn/fiber arts) spins sculptural yarns, weaves, and has a passion for ancient textiles and those who created them. She aims to offer deep knowledge in a playful way and inspire students to continue learning after classes end. She shows and sells her handspun yarns, unique hats, jewelry and fuzzy goods on-line at Stoneleafmoon.
Robert Siegelman (drawing/painting) teaches at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, in workshops throughout New England and in his own annual summer program in Amsterdam. His work is in the collections of the DeCordova Museum, the Fogg Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. He is represented in Boston by Gallery NAGA.
Nick Siemaska and Lauren Zimmerman (painted furniture) started restoring furniture in 2007 as a hobby and a way to make their homes look great on a limited budget. In 2009, they founded Second Coat Design with a mission to take discarded furniture and restore it beyond its original beauty. Their furniture has been featured in The Boston Globe, AoL’s Rented Spaces, Design*Sponge and many other design blogs. Their pieces will be featured in a Design*Sponge book in 2010.
Andrew Sloan (visual arts/children) has taught art to children of all ages through the Attleboro Art Museum, ¡CityArts! for Youth (Providence RI) and Aspira Charter School (Miami). His teaching blends traditional fine arts training with creative freedom of expression. Andrew’s work has appeared in solo and group shows nationally and internationally; he is represented locally by Montanaro Contemporary Arts (Newport) and Colo Colo Gallery (New Bedford). He received a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Virginia and an MS in Marketing Communications from Florida International University.
Joe Stanewick (woodworking) has been associated with the Eliot School since 1984 as a student and instructor. He learned cabinetmaking at Wentworth Institute and North Bennet Street School, and worked as a furniture restorer at Trefler & Sons.
Laura Evonne Steinman (mixed media/visual arts) has always made art with community members of all ages and walks of life, including for five years in Poland. She teaches art at Gifford School in Weston to students with emotional, learning and behavioral challenges; she previously taught at the British School. On weekends and evenings, she organizes community-based art projects and sews what she calls Colorful Matters. She earned her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and her Masters in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Sandra Storey (marketing for artists) is publisher and editor of the Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain Gazettes. She is also an accomplished poet.
Kristen Strazdas (fashion design) has worked as a freelance designer since 2004, creating handbags, hats, corsets, costumes, dresses, children’s wear and wedding clothes. She has worked in customer assistance for Ann Taylor and United Colors of Benetton, volunteered as a CCD instructor for the Parish of St. Claire (Braintree) and assisted with Special Olympics at Condon School (South Boston). She holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Laurel Stroman (mixed media/visual arts) tells tales of her life, hopes, dreams and the world around her through art. She combines sewing, fashion design, fine art/mixed media, beadwork and needle/fiber arts to make dolls and to teach creative arts to adults and children. She says: “My mom and I started out making dolls as toys for little girls. After her death, I began experimenting with combining different media and techniques and began creating art dolls. Later, I began focusing on the concept of creating something from nothing and using recycled items and found objects.” Laurel has taught through our School Partnership Program at the Fifield, Lee, Manning and Winthrop Elementary Schools, as well as in our in-house classes. She has sold and exhibited her dolls at the Women's Educational & Industrial Union, South End Settlements and the Black Doll Convention. She also makes wearable art from recyclable materials.
David Sturtevant (painting) focuses on the urban landscape, exploring the boundaries between realism and abstraction. His paintings have been exhibited in San Francisco and greater Boston. He lives in West Roxbury and works for Harvard Art Museums.
John Sullivan (woodworking) specializes in New England Federal-style furniture and clocks, featuring inlay and veneer. With over 25 years of experience, he has transformed his grandfather’s boat shop into Starling Furniture (Braintree). He has twice been named among the 200 Best Craftsmen in America by Early American Life Magazine, and has appeared on New England Cable Network’s New England Dream House. He has built reproduction period furniture for the Senate Reception Halls at the Massachusetts State House and for many private homes.
Charlie Tardanico (woodworking) started his cabinetmaking apprenticeship in Italy at age 10. With over 45 years of experience in cabinet and furniture making, he has been employed at Scott & Duncan, F.B. Curry and Laing & Casson.
Peter Thibeault (wood carving) has operated a studio furniture and sculpture studio in the Boston area for three decades. He has taught design at Rhode Island School Design, Northeastern University, Wentworth Institute, and currently Suffolk University, UMass Dartmouth, and Massachusetts College of Art & Design, where he is helping to develop a furniture design certificate program in collaboration with North Bennet Street School. He earned his BFA at Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA at Art Institute of Boston. 
Jeannette Tobin (quiltmaking) is co-chair of Proper Bostonian Quilt Guild and a long-time quiltmaker.
Jac Van Loon (woodworking) trained as a furniture maker in Holland, where he also attended college for interior design. With over 30 years experience in woodworking, he teaches in Wentworth Institute's Industrial Design program.
Susan Vannini (woodworking/children) has studied woodworking at the Eliot School and North Bennet Street School for over a decade. She now passes her knowledge on to children.
Diane Vezeau (sewing) has taught sewing, alterations and quilting at Newton Community Education and Snow Farm as well as the Eliot School. Diane also sews privately by appointment.
Brigid Watson (drawing/painting) has taught drawing and painting at Boston Center for Adult Education and Wentworth Institute of Technology. She has exhibited her work on three continents. She earned her BFA from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and her MFA from New York University.
Robert Worth (woodworking/children) has worked as Teaching Assistant in woodworking for our School Partnership Program at Manning Elementary School and with Science Club for Girls. He has also taught at Chestnut Hill School Creative Arts & Sports Program (Brookline). A talented young furniture designer, sculptor and craftsman, he is completing his BFA in Sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
Shunsuke Yamaguchi (visual arts/children), a painter, sculptor and freelance photographer, supplies images that provide the environments for video games. He has done photography for Nippon Sports Publishing, animation for Olive Jar Animation, and taught art in the Arlington Public Schools, Studio 221, and, for the Eliot School, at Boston Teachers’ Union School. His paintings, murals, animation and photographs have been shown at the New Museum (New York City), Somerville Theater and many other venues. He earned his BFA from Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where he was a 5th Year Traveling Scholar.
Michael Zachary (painting) teaches drawing and foundations at University of Massachusetts (Lowell) and Northeastern University. His work has been shown in Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvania and New York. He earned his BA in Visual Arts from Bowdoin College and his MFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design.