Margaret Coleman (she/her)

Margaret finished her BFA from the University of MN in 2005 and her MFA from Pratt Institute in 2009. She has had a broad range of experience in the arts from curating and teaching at the University level to developing children’s art curriculum and teaching community education. Many of the awards she has received for her community driven art have included involving the community, working with people of all ages and abilities. She travels frequently giving arts education workshops, curating art shows, and artist talks.

Mikayla Messier (she/her)

Mikayla was born and raised in Vermont and has been teaching art to elementary school aged kids for five years now. She earned a BFA degree in Studio Arts at Johnson State College in 2018 and received a MFA degree in Painting at NVU-Johnson in 2020. Mikayla loves to paint and find new ways to incorporate sculptures in her art. She has been showing many of her paintings around Chittenden County, so keep an eye out and you might see one of her pieces! You can also check out her website at mikaylamessierpainting.com. Besides being an artist, she also loves to read, swim, and travel. Mikayla believes that art is just as much about the process as the finished product and with that in mind everyone can be an artist as long as they have fun making it!

Cody Fuller (he/him)

Cody graduated from Saint Michael’s College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Education Studies with a minor in Art and Design. He has a passion for Craft and the Arts. In the Studio, his work is painting, drawing, and writing with a goal to constantly learn and do new things. He’s a folk musician and enjoys outdoor activities like slacklining, biking, and frisbee. His first calling is working in education, and he has worked with kids his whole life in a variety of environments. He aims to make the Arts and the personal interests of students more accessible throughout our community. 
 

Heather Garland (she/her)

Heather was born and raised in the Midwest and recently moved to Vermont by way of California. She is a practicing artist and outdoors enthusiast who has shown her work in NY, CA and throughout the U.S. She holds a BFA from Indiana University, and an MFA in painting from Pratt Institute. Her journey in education began in NYC in 2013 teaching after school art, science, athletics, and private portfolio development lessons. She has since continued this work and began substitute teaching in general and special education classrooms in northern CA. Heather loves teaching and working with the kids of all ages. When she’s not teaching or creating in the studio, Heather enjoys exploring the wilds of Vermont with her family.

Lillian Read (she/her)

Lillian Read is currently a Senior at the University of Vermont and is double majoring in Studio Art and Art History. Her art medium of choice is a tie between pencil and paper drawing and acrylic paints. In her free time, Lillian enjoys spending time with friends and family, making art (of course), and immersing herself in stories. Whether it be written words, music, or video games, give her a story and she’ll enjoy it greatly!

Lilli Lesnick (any pronouns)

Lilli is in her senior year of her Art Education degree at the University of Vermont. She loves working with children of all ages and values communication, respect, and collaboration in the classroom. In her own art practice, she enjoys creating mixed media works and values process over product. Lilli enjoys constantly learning new art mediums to continue their education and to add to their teaching toolbox. When she takes a rare break from making art, she enjoys reading, writing, and sailing.

Olivia Santamauro (she/her)

Olivia is currently a Senior at Champlain College, where she is pursuing a Game Art Major with a Game Programming minor. Her passion for movement and art brought her to a natural inclination towards animation, which she aspires to build her education and eventual career towards. You can find her work on her website, which she updates consistently alongside her education. Her love of movement blends into her daily life as well, as outside of her education Olivia participates in several activities such as dance and rock climbing. Her dynamic blend of interests allows her to keep pace with energetic children, as well as help spark their creativity.

Chelsea Vanslette (she/her)

Chelsea has been in the education field for the past 12 years. Her passion lies in teaching children and helping them grow, whether it be in a traditional classroom or at the art center. Chelsea enjoys spending time with her children and pets, being outside, reading and finding new ways to be creative.

Yishay Mercy (she/her)

Yishay Mercy is an artist from Des Moines Iowa. She is a costume designer, marionettist, mask maker, and performance artist. Yishay has a love for historical costume, Victorian era history and culture, shadow puppetry, and the circus. She has worked previously in Washington state as an art teacher for afterschool programs, as well as leading a nature education program in the state of Iowa. In Vermont, she worked with a local children’s theatre, designing costumes and directing plays. In her free time, she likes to sing, play music, and create theatrical performances with her friends. She can often be found working on various art projects, with her cat Alamere, and two rabbits, Jacques and Poiret, snuggled near her.

Leah Branon (she/her)

Leah was born and raised in Fairfield, Vermont. She grew up making maple syrup and milking cows with her brothers and sister on their family farm. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2024 with a degree in social work and a minor in studio arts. Outside of the studio, you can find her singing in her bluegrass band, writing song lyrics, trying new recipes, reading her book, or creating her own artistic discoveries. She has worked with kids for over a decade and loves helping individuals express their inner strengths through the power of art.

Connor Torpey (he/him)