VISITING TEACHERS
Megan Larson
CREATIVE EDUCATOR
Megan Larson has been working as an educator for over 12 years. Megan served in Peace Corps Jamaica from 2016-18, where she taught both art and literacy classes. Prior to the Peace Corps, she worked as an elementary art instructor in Thailand.
Megan holds a BFA in printmaking and has taught art workshops/classes throughout the city. She loves teaching the magic of indigo dyeing and is in the process of learning other natural dyeing techniques. Megan is also a gardener and hopes to one day have a space to grow her natural dye plants. She enjoys spending her free time learning about plants, art, yoga, and astrology.
IG: @living.breathing.color
Mikayla Voller
ART THERAPIST
Mikayla teaches our Altered Book Making Workshop. She is a Registered and Board-Certified Art Therapist, living in Philadelphia.
For the past 5 years, through art therapy, Mikayla has been using art as a tool for improving self-esteem, self-expression, and overall well being. As an art therapist, Mikayla has facilitated art therapy groups for individuals of all ages, who often have little to no background in the arts.
In addition to her art therapy work, Mikayla has hosted free virtual art events to teach small groups how to use art for self-care and makes time for her own art making. She has a visual arts background in drawing and painting, and her personal art was featured in the Bee House Literary Journal.
http://mikaylavoller.wixsite.com/arttherapist
IG: @mikayla.voller
Cindy Lozito
ILLUSTRATOR
Cindy Lozito is an illustrator, cartoonist, and muralist based in South Philadelphia by way of Queens, NY.
She loves paper-based crafts and has experimented with analog visual storytelling for clients including the LA Times, PHL Airport, and the School of Visual Arts. She encourages an exploratory approach to drawing that embraces the imperfections and smudges that come along the way. She has taught art classes around Philadelphia, including a five-week sketchbook practice workshop for illustration seniors at University of the Arts.
In addition to drawing, she has painted murals around Philadelphia and New York for Vetri Community Partnership, World Trade Center, the Philadelphia Flower Show, and more. When she isn't painting, you can find Cindy singing in her local choir or walking her little dog through Washington Square.
You can see more of her work at cindylozito.com or on Instagram, @acleartrace.
Linda Ruggiero
PHILLY FIBER FLOCK
Linda teaches workshops that utilize Upcycled Fabric and Fibers. She has been crafting ever since she was a child. Her love for fabrics and all things fiber is expressed through knitting, weaving, and stitching.
What began as hobbies has now turned into a sort of therapy for Linda, as she works as a nurse with critically ill patients in a local ICU. Her crafting helps her find calm and peace after difficult shifts, and she is truly grateful for this outlet.
Over the years she has started a number of knitting groups, has taught hundreds of people to knit and has led multiple crafting events for charity. Linda also runs a Facebook community group, Philly Fiber Flock, where she plans meetups and shares local resources and opportunities for fiber artists.
IG: @KnottyNurseRN
Etsy: www.etsy.come/shop/KnottyNurseRN
FB: Philly Fiber Flock
Julie Woodard
Artist Julie "juicebox" Woodard splits her time between mountain trails and the streets of Philadelphia.
Using salvaged textiles, Julie creates wearable pieces and impressionistic landscapes that convey her passion for nature, memory, and creative reuse. What began as a way to honor her late mom and repurpose family heirlooms, juicebox workshop collections now also feature vintage goods, damaged textiles donated by community members, cutting room scraps, and reclaimed trash.
Julie's process incorporates elements of collage, applique, embroidery, quilting, painting, and soft sculpture. The "juice" is the joy Julie seeks to create and the "box" is her platform for storytelling and advocacy. Every piece has a story. Every textile is repurposed with purpose. These values extend to custom projects, where patrons are invited to provide their own treasured textiles to be workshopped into something new.
Learn more at www.juiceboxworkshop.com and @juiceboxworkshop on Instagram and Facebook.
JUICEBOX WORKSHOP