Take a moment to read more about our wonderful teaching staff!
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Meet the Instructors:
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Laurel Smith
Laurel is a working and teaching artist who has been at Munroe since 2013. She founded and facilitates the Figure Drawing studio group, and leads 'In Your Hands', the teen visual arts studio group. She has been active in the visual arts in Lexington since her grown children were elementary students, and is a member of the ArtWalk committee. Her focus is on building an individual’s art 'language' through practice, risk, and play. Explore Laurel's work and read more about her inspirations online! |
Emily Passman
Emily is a painter of oils and acrylics, known for her expressive, loose style. She works from observation, both in the studio and plein air, and describes her work as 'a reaction to’ the subject, as opposed to a ‘rendering’. In addition to teaching oil and acrylic techniques, she encourages and teaches students to sketch. She says daily sketching is a great way to heighten one's ability to see, and important to incorporate into one’s painting process. After earning both a fine arts degree and a Master’s in Education, she had a successful career as an educator and graphic designer. She teaches privately in her California barn-studio during winter months, and at various educational venues near Boston. Her work is shown in galleries in New England and private collections internationally. See more of Emily's work online. |
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Taylor Pierce
Taylor Pierce has worked as a teacher in the Boston area for six years, holding a BA in Fine Arts from Suffolk University, as well as a state Visual Arts license. Much of Taylor's experience is specialized in painting/drawing, alongside graduate courses in 2D and 3D design, printmaking, and figure drawing. In education and social environments, she is committed to inclusivity and exploring how various cultures and information intersect with art. In addition to art instruction, Taylor's personal love for the sea is incorporated in own artwork, and even in her seasonal work as a ferry tour guide across the North Shore. |
Lea Baecksteiner
Lea is an artist and illustrator with a Masters in Fine Arts and Illustration from the Neue Kunst Schule in Basel, Switzerland. Originally from Switzerland, she now lives and works in the greater Boston area. Her range of artistic media includes oil, gouache, watercolor, ink, and digital painting. In addition to her work as a fine artists, Lea provides illustrations for books, magazines, and printed materials. Her style has been described as playful, minimalist, and well-proportioned. Lea has exhibited across New York City, Basel, and Boston areas. View her work and list of exhibitions on her website! |
Stephanie Stigliano
Stephanie Stigliano is a printmaker extraordinare, with experience leading students of all ages through book arts, drawing, and printmaking. Currently, she is a faculty member of the Art, Art History, and Film Department at Boston College. She has curated for Hess Gallery and taught across New England, from Walnut Hill School for the Arts to Art New England. Her artwork is in collections and displayed both nationally and internationally in areas such as Boston Museum of Fine Artists and the Book Art Museum of Łodz. More information on her wonderful and extensive endeavors are available online!
Stephanie Stigliano is a printmaker extraordinare, with experience leading students of all ages through book arts, drawing, and printmaking. Currently, she is a faculty member of the Art, Art History, and Film Department at Boston College. She has curated for Hess Gallery and taught across New England, from Walnut Hill School for the Arts to Art New England. Her artwork is in collections and displayed both nationally and internationally in areas such as Boston Museum of Fine Artists and the Book Art Museum of Łodz. More information on her wonderful and extensive endeavors are available online!
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Nancy Crasco
Nancy Crasco's passion as an artmaker comes through in how she utilizes fiber arts alongside other mediums. After studying at both the Rhode Island School of Design and Lesley University, Nancy continued teaching both public and privately, predominantly through fiber arts and printmaking. As a member of the Studio Art Quilters Association and Surface Design Association, Nancy has worked with textiles for the past several decades. Likewise, her personal work has been displayed both nationally and internationally, including locations across Japan, Europe, and South America. Much of her pieces are inspired by the intricacies of nature; this work can be previewed on her website. |
Brooke Lambert
Self-proclaimed nature lover Brooke Lambert's personal philosophy greatly impacts both her art-making and her teaching style. As a sponsored artist of Akua Inks and Speedball Art, Brooke's works in painting and printmaking focuses on sustainability through non-toxic and/or recycled materials. With a BFA in Printmaking from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Brooke splits her time between her professional art and exhibition work, teaching in her respective mediums, and movements to develop public art projects in the eastern Massachusetts area. Read more and look through her work online. |
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Drew Moss
Anyone who attended our vacation camps will recognize Teacher Drew! In their classroom, Drew makes sure to balance fun with learning plenty of skills, such as design, structure, and detail work. Drew has been a visual artist since they were young, using paint and recycled materials to make puppets, costumes, sculptures, mobiles, and more. Drew's classes expound upon imagination, giving students the tools, skills, and guidance to let their imaginations run wild. Check out their personal Instagram, full of tiny creations! |
Anya Krupnik
Anya Krupnik is a multi-disciplined art educator and ceramic artist. As a ceramicist, she is skilled leading students through both pottery wheel and hand-building techniques. She is passionate about teaching students of all levels because she believes that art lessons bring a lifetime of inspiration. Anya holds an MFA from Yale University School of Art and a BA from the Corcoran School of Art. Much of her own functional artwork can be seen on display, such as in the 87th Regional Exhibition of Art & Craft at the Fitchburg Art Museum. See both in-process and completed pieces on her website. |
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Judith Cooper
Judith is an artist-teacher who received her BFA in Painting and Drawing from Boston University, minoring in art education. She taught art for 30 years in the Gloucester public schools, mainly spanning ceramics, drawing, and portfolio development. Now, Judith utilizes a Masters from Lesley University and training in spiritual guidance to lead creativity and self-exploration workshops from her Lexington studio space. Judith participates locally by teaching classes and serving on the steering committee for Lexington Open Studios. Her drawings and mixed media pieces have won awards from the Women's Caucus for Art and Cambridge and the Concord Art Associations. Her work hangs in private and corporate collections, and can be seen on her website. |
Nancy Priest
Nancy Priest is a multi-disciplinary artist - spanning ceramics, photography, drawing, and more. Over several decades, Nancy has worked in the Greater Boston area and had work exhibited from the Mills Gallery to Harvard Ceramics Program, Brookline Art Center, and more! She works in both sculptural and functional ceramics, and her recent pieces are inspired most by the natural world. Nancy's attention to detail for the world around her impacts her teaching style, for both wheel throwing and handbuilding approaches alike. Nancy's personal work can be found on her social media here. |
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Natalie Lou
Natalie is excited to return to the MCA ceramics studio, after years as a member of our Summer Camp team! When working with students, Natalie brings passion, energy and is always open to creative exploration. In her personal work, she enjoys exploring patterns and glaze combinations, as well as techniques for both high and low firing (such as her raku piece included in the South Shore Art Center's "Points of Departure" exhibition). |
Jamie Magid
As a long-time Lexington resident and arts advocate, Jamie Magid is excited to join the ceramics teaching team! As a multi-media creator, they enjoy working in both 2D and 3D mediums. In the classroom, Jamie emphasizes tactile and interactive elements of art in order to encourage creativity and play. She holds a B.A. from Lesley University. Jamie's crafted creatures and other artwork can be viewed online. |
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Annie Thompson
Annie first fell in love with pottery over 30 years ago during a college course, practicing throughout graduate school. Years later, she joined the Munroe community as a student and volunteer, which reignited her love for the ceramic arts. Annie is foremost drawn to the pottery wheel, which she believes helps improve focus and combat stress. Additionally, Annie enjoys experimenting with glaze combinations. In her day-to-day, Annie lectures at her alma mater MIT, where she studied Real Estate & City Planning. |
Alejandra Cuadra Sanchez
Alejandra Cuadra Sanchez is an interdisciplinary artist living in Medford, MA. She holds a BFA in Sculpture and Minor in Public Engagement from Maine College of Art, and participated in various residencies ranging from Yale Norfolk School of Art to the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation. After ten years of apprenticing at Kemp Pottery, Alejandra continues her creative path as an independent artist, studio assistant at Emmanuel College, and participant in Mudflat Studio's technical program. She believes working with clay allows one to experiment with letting go of control, and is excited to bring her enthusiasm and knowledge to the ceramics studio. |
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