Faculty

Joan is a painter who specializes in brightly colored, expressive florals and landscapes. She is excited to teach beginners and others how create their own authentic paintings. She is also a Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher/Trainer and has been studying yoga for over 29 years with well over 1,600 hours of training with yoga masters from…

A longtime Workshop instructor, Joanne uses her experience as a metalsmith and jewelry designer to encourage students to create unique personal jewelry. Combining her knowledge of designing jewelry for mass production, and the satisfaction of incorporating symbolism in “one of a kind” treasures she offers students the opportunity to stretch their imaginations in a relaxed…

Joseph (Joe) Tarantelli is from Honeoye Falls, NY. Since childhood, art has been a part of his life. In addition to working in galleries and painting, he aspires to teach students how to find their artistic voice. After receiving his BFA in fine arts studio from Rochester Institute of Technology, Tarantelli served as an intern…

Kerina Mangiaracina is a multimedia artist with a focus on jewelry design and printmaking. Her artistic journey began with classes at the Creative Workshop under the guidance of Joanne LaChiusa and Loraine Cooley. This initial exploration inspired her to embark on a career transition from a two decade career in hairdressing, to becoming a full-time…

Kevin Carr has taught painting, drawing, fibers, and printmaking for over a decade. As an instructor, he provides technical instruction with emphasis on the interests and aspirations of his students. You will find an empathetic and exciting environment in his classroom with an emphasis on creating and fostering joy. Kevin’s practice is very interdisciplinary –…

Larry Keefe has worked in and around the graphic arts his entire life, starting with classes at the Catholic University of America, a stint as a photojournalist after grad school, and marketing for the photo book publisher and archival framing and conservation pioneer Light Impressions. He turned knowledge he gained there into the authoritative Life…

Linda DelMonte has been a children’s clay teacher at the Creative Workshop since 1987 and remembers taking clay classes here when she was six. Linda went to Nazareth College, then came back to the Workshop to teach. Her work is in private collections in England, Germany and Israel and was presented to delegates from Rochester’s…

Lizz is a printmaker, painter, & bread baker, currently making art & bread in Rochester, NY. Lizz has led art classes, workshops, and curated shows at schools, printshops, and galleries in New Jersey, where she is originally from, as well as in downstate and upstate New York. She earned a BFA in Printmaking, Painting and…

Loraine Cooley is an artist, craftsperson and teacher. Through a BFA in metals from the Rochester Institute of Technology, study in Art Education at Nazareth College and extensive travel around the globe, she has gained aesthetic and technical expertise in her field. Her jewelry, sculpture, paintings and collages have been exhibited nationally, including several Rochester…

Lucy Winters Durkin is a busy art historian and teacher here in the Rochester community. In addition to teaching here at MAG, she has taught art history at the Eastman School of Music since 1996, where, in her words, she inflicts culture on unsuspecting undergraduates. Her favorite part of teaching is making art more accessible,…

In 2015, Maddie graduated Cum Laude from Nazareth College with a BFA in Studio Art, with a Concentration in Ceramics. In her junior year, Maddie spent a semester abroad at the École Européenne Supérieure d’Art de Bretagne in Rennes, France. Based on that experience, she created a multimedia thesis presentation, “Interdimensionality,” that focused on the…

Meagan was born and raised in Rochester, NY where she was immersed in the world of arts and crafts. Her mother, also an artist, started Meagan on her artistic path with basket weaving, jewelry making, and painting. She took all the art classes available at Victor High School, gravitating toward sculpture and ceramics. Meagan pursued…

Mimi Smith has taught weaving across the area for more than 20 years, including at Rochester Museum & Science Center and the Weavers’ Guild. She has participated in seminars nationally and given workshops in Vancouver, St. Louis, Orlando, Cincinnati and Minneapolis. She learned to weave at the Creative Workshop when, for a brief time, the…

Paul Harp has taught teen and adult clay classes at the Creative Workshop since 2003 and has served since 2007 as ceramics studio manager (a role in which he is responsible for firing all work in the clay classes). He orchestrates enjoyable, high-energy classes for beginners and continuing students in clay and enjoys supporting other…

Rose VanTyne, who started as an adult student at the Creative Workshop, has been teaching here since 2008 and started as the Ceramic Technician in 2021. She is responsible for the smooth operation and maintenance of the ceramic studio. She makes sure that the studio is supplied with materials from clay to glazes, coordinates the…

Roxana has been an arts educator in the Rochester area for more than two decades.She teaches art appreciation classes for adults (as well as motivated teens). Her teaching style includes prepared lectures weaving history, social and political themes, and the concerns of the artists she discusses. Roxana frequently includes artworks from the museum’s permanent collection and…

As a multi-faceted artist, instructor, athletic coach, fitness trainer, and mother, Sara Blake is observant and attentive to her students’ needs while positively encouraging them to try new techniques and breathe easy. Her abstract paintings continue to evolve using organic shape, spontaneous marks, and vibrant color to connect and communicate. On her canvas emerges a…

Sara Silvio teaches professional jewelry-making skills to teens in the popular Coolest Jewels class. She tells us “The practice of crafting jewelry has been the center of my life for more than 20 years. I’ve studied, practiced, and taught jewelry making since I was in my teens. It’s been a journey that’s taken me from…

Sarah Hart has taught at the Creative Workshop since 2007. She earned a BFA from Meredith College, Raleigh, NC, and studied oil painting and drawing in Paris with fresco painter Ben Long IV, focusing on portraits, the figure and landscapes. Her post-graduate studies include the Jeffrey Mims Studio in Southern Pines, NC, with an emphasis…

Shelly Green Stoler has taught ceramics at the Creative Workshop since 1996. Her classes stress patience, process and a relaxed atmosphere. Her own wheel-thrown pottery (available at the Gallery Store) reflects the craftsmanship and aesthetics she teaches to students from absolute beginners to the most advanced. Shelly studied at SUNY Cortland and RIT. She has…