About Our Team

Teresa believes that everyone thrives in a world that promotes and supports creative thinking. She loves nothing more than helping others give voice to their unique perspectives through art. Teresa holds a BA in education and began her career as an elementary school teacher in Pasadena, California. Over the years she also worked as an children’s occupational therapy assistant in Amman, Jordan, taught classes for gifted students in Minnesota, and opened a preschool in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since moving to Vermont 1999 she has been enthusiastically focused on gifting individuals of all ages with a life-long love of the arts. Teresa founded Davis Studio in 2003.

Sami believes art and play are essential for lifelong learning! Sami is an artist, teacher, and office aficionado who leads with creative expression, empathy, and a growth mindset. They hold a BS in Art Education from the University of Vermont and have worked in both the art education and office administration realms for a variety of creative spaces – including startups, art classrooms, and museums. She lives in Burlington with her partner, Simon and three cats, Miko, Soba, and Salem. In their personal creative time, Sami loves creating botanical illustrations, tufting rugs, playing video games, and tending to their plants.

As a life-long lover of the arts, Renée has spent nearly two decades as an educator; with a focus on art-making and program development for youth and families. She believes that the arts and PLAY are essential to all and loves sharing those ideas with others. When not teaching or being the tech-guru for Davis Studio, Renée enjoys spending time with her son and her nieces. She is an accomplished photographer and loves travel, Star Wars, and planning her next adventure. She recently completed her second solo cross country road trip and has now accomplished her goal of visiting all the lower 48 states. Renée received her BA in History and Minor in French from Vermont State University-Johnson.

McKenna encourages children to explore, be curious, and collaborate with others. She believes that self-directed, hands-on, iterative experiences provide the best learning opportunities. McKenna is an artist, maker, and naturalist. She studied fine arts and environmental studies at Saint Michael’s College. In her own art, she conveys relationships between nature and culture, relying on research, observation, and fabrication. McKenna has spent the past several years working in a variety of creative settings including galleries, studios, classrooms, and makerspaces. She focuses on sharing her enthusiasm for the natural world, along with her passion for project-based learning with her students at Davis Studio.

Alana believes in the transformative power of creativity, connection, and mindfulness. Growing up with dyslexia, she found confidence through art, turning her childhood hobby into a rewarding career. Inspired by moments spent creating art with her grandmother, Alana is dedicated to providing artistic spaces where young people can thrive. With a degree in Art Education from the University of Vermont, she has extensive experience working with children in various social and leadership roles. Her teaching style blends artistic exploration with a nurturing approach, creating safe, accepting environments for self-expression and collaboration. Outside the classroom, Alana enjoys cooking, outdoor adventures, and time with her dog, Rosie. Alana is a passionate advocate for community through shared creative activities and believes art fosters both personal and collective growth.

Katie finds inspiration by being in nature and from working with children. She is a painter and illustrator who graduated from the New England School of Art and Design. She spent many years working in a public school as a literacy interventionist and would often go into the classrooms to story-tell on the whiteboards and bring art projects in for kids to do during indoor recess days. Katie lives in Charlotte with her husband, 2 cats, a bunny, a horse, and a snail. When she’s not teaching, you can find her happily creating art in her studio surrounded by a plethora of animals who cheer her on as she paints.

Eve supports students by creating experiences and environments that boost confidence in their own creative potential. Not only does she do this at Davis Studio in her many art classes, she also helps develop confidence as a private tutor in math, writing and study skills. Eve’s role models are Leonardo DaVinci and sculptor Dorothy Riester. Eve began her career as a Middle School English and Social Studies teacher after studying Elementary and Special Education at State University of New York, Geneseo. After college, she moved to Vermont for its nature, music and art. She continues to pursue her interests in education as well as in art and art history and enjoys collage as an outlet for her own artistic expression.

Cassandra is an artist who believes in education as a powerful medium for creating change and values interaction with nature as an act of care and reflection. Being raised in the mountain desert regions of Colorado instilled her passions for hiking, playing in the water, and adventuring anywhere she can collect stones. She is earning her MFA in visual art at the Vermont College of Fine Arts considering a range of approaches for conveying her curiosity, experience, and relationship to global issues. As a florist farmer, she loves witnessing growth, weeding through challenges, and collaborating with the earth to arrange beauty and foster connections. Sharing her practice with children and others inspires her work as she strives to capture the essence of being human and teach empathy while being reminded to wonder with courage.

Teddy believes that creativity and curiosity are essential to everyone’s development. She is eager to share her passion for the arts, and seeing students express themselves brings her great joy. Teddy is committed to establishing an environment that fosters exploration, collaboration, and personal and artistic growth. Originally from Long Island, New York, Teddy relocated to Vermont in 2022 to pursue her studies in English and Studio Art at the University of Vermont. Her artistic pursuits include poetry, artist books, and textile/fabric arts, although she also holds a deep appreciation for photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, and pottery. Apart from creating art, Teddy enjoys playing the guitar, reading, and spending time in nature.

As an artist and art instructor Kat is guided by creativity and compassion. She is passionate about providing her students with opportunities to develop authenticity as well as technical skills in drawing and painting. Kat has a strong background in art education with over 12 years of experience in public schools, alternative and charter schools, as well as non-profits. Her recent artworks include large scale colorful acrylic paintings and mural installations as well as linoleum block printed patterns made to inspire joy and to empower others. Kat was raised in Charlotte, Vermont and received her BFA in Painting at Rhode Island School of Design and her Master of Arts in Teaching at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

James thoroughly enjoys seeing his students develop their skills as they gain a deep appreciation of the art of picture-making. He loves to support their growth. James comes from a genre illustration background. His personal style is inspired primarily by Fantasy and Sci-Fi Art. He grew up in Long Island and received his education at Pratt Institute. While living in New York, James worked as an illustrator and taught Graphic Novel and Genre Illustration with the Flowerfield Atelier. Since moving to Vermont with his wife, a native Vermonter, James has taught at several arts organizations and has also participated in regional Comics, Gaming, and Artist Shows.

Jackie strives to create a learning environment that is comfortable and creative, where students will see themselves as artists, be inspired to follow through with their ideas and bring their artistic vision to life! A Burlington-based artist, Jackie works in fused glass and illustration, often combining the two. She received a BS in Multimedia and Graphic Design and a BS in Professional Writing from Champlain College. She has done professional work in marketing, design, and development over the years. She spends time creating from her studio space in Winooski, VT. You can find her selling her glasswork locally, under her company name ‘Melted Glass’. She also enjoys spending time outdoors: hiking, camping, snowboarding, and doing as much exploring as much as possible.

Sarah is excited to share her curiosity about the natural world and her passion for watercolor with her students. She began her career teaching oceanography to undergraduates aboard a research vessel. After committing to life on land, she taught science and biological illustration to high school students in San Francisco for fifteen years. Sarah believes that science and art are inextricably linked because both disciplines feature experimentation and careful observation. Sarah majored in environmental science and minored in studio art, receiving her BS and MS from Stanford University. She has been an educator for nearly twenty years and loves working with students of all ages.

Melissa believes that creativity is a powerful tool for self-expression and for tapping into the reservoir of peace, joy and magic that is always there. She believes everyone is an artist and has something to express no matter their level of experience. In her classroom Melissa creates a supportive and light-hearted atmosphere full of possibilities. Melissa recently made Vermont her home. She lives with her husband Jesse and her baby, Ava. She has lived all over the world and has created a body of work that includes portraits, murals, books & more. She currently has a personal studio at S.P.A.C.E. Gallery on Pine Street and some of her recent botanical work at Frog Hollow. She loves sharing the skills she has developed over the years with her students. 

Jason believes the skills of listening and humor to be powerful tools in building effective relationships in the classroom. He recognizes the capacity of arts education to foster personal and professional growth. Jason has over 15 years experience as an artist and educator. He has worked in the commercial arts, higher ed and currently in special education. Jason is a curious teacher who loves learning alongside students and coworkers alike. In the classroom he strives to give practical feedback and critical responses while maintaining a kind, fun and humorous tone. Raised on the east end of Long Island, NY he studied sculpture, drawing and art history at Maine College of Art. Later he received an MFA with a concentration in painting from Indiana State University. His genre influenced paintings, drawings and occasional sculptures can be seen on Instagram @jasongorcoff

Micaela loves working with students of all ages while sharing her passion for glass. She began her glass journey working with stained glass over fifteen years ago. Her love of glass inspired her to explore fused glass as well, which she has been enthusiastically doing now for several years. She has taken a number of advanced fused glass courses from a variety of places including the Studio at Corning Glass in Corning, NY. In the Spring of 2011, Micaela’s fused glass work was juried into the Vermont Handcrafters’ Association. Her work includes fused glass plates, platters, bowls, candle lights, sterling wire wrapped jewelry and stained glass sun catchers.

Amanda absolutely enjoys teaching kids how to express themselves through their art work. She also loves watching kids grow and take pride in what they can achieve through art. Her specialties are painting, photography, and pottery, but truthfully she enjoys nearly anything creative. She is currently teaching high school art and also has a strong background in theatre. Amanda is excited to spread her love and passion for creativity with everyone! She grew up in Long Island, New York and came to Vermont to attend UVM in 2005. She has a bachelor’s degree in art education and has been happily teaching art ever since.

Sugar encourages children to ask a gazillion questions, try new things, get messy, and make mistakes because that is how they learn and grow. She focuses on designing opportunities for each child to explore, experiment, and create. Sugar holds an Elementary Education degree with a concentration in Art from UVM. Additionally, she has been a yoga instructor for over twenty years. She taught preschool for five years and was also a puppeteer with Puppets in Education. Sugar took a break from teaching to pursue writing and become a mother. She is thrilled to be back in the classroom. In addition to teaching, Sugar loves animals and spending time in nature. She plays guitar, draws, sews, and bakes. She loves to make meaningful connections with students and their families while sharing her many passions and excitement for life.