Cheryl has a Master’s in Education and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She recently retired from the Washoe County School District where she taught K-4th for 35 years. She is skilled at integrating art across all facets of academic curricula, with a particular passion for weaving together art and literacy.

Desi studied at Truckee Meadows Community College before moving on to Portland Community College and Portland State University. She has extensive experience teaching art at a variety of schools, art museums, and community arts organizations.

Galina is from Lugansk, Ukraine, but spent much of her childhood admiring the culture and art of Kyiv and St. Petersburg. She has a Masters of Fine Arts specializing in figurative painting, and her favorite subjects to paint are the subtle moments that define people in their daily lives. She teaches part-time at Truckee Meadows Community College, Lake Tahoe Community College, and Arts For All Nevada in Reno, striving to nurture the next generation of artists.

Julia is a graduate student in art at the University of Nevada, Reno who works primarily in graphite and charcoal, but has spanned across many mediums including sculpture, collage, printmaking, watercolor, and acrylic. While Julia was born and raised in Sacramento, California, she has deep family roots in Reno, where she also obtained her Bachelors of Art in drawing at UNR. Julia is advocacy-driven, believing that drawing is an inherent part of being human, thus she encourages others to discover and embrace their unique individual artistic sensibilities.

Karen earned an Advanced Placement Art Scholarship and received her B.A. and M.A. in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. She taught K12 through University-level Fine Arts classes. She enjoys recreational painting instruction, creating custom graphics, and especially unique projects like Trompe L’oeil murals.

Karena is a self-taught abstract painter, fine art photographer, and singer. After exploring mediums throughout her life, she found a home in abstract painting. Its freedom, movement, and expressive qualities mirror her own values in life.  Karena holds a certification in song-leading and enjoys sharing her love of music with anyone who wants to learn. With Arts for All Nevada, Karena is excited to bring large-scale abstracts to adult students and to bring her skills to plant the seeds of creativity in children.

Lorna has Degrees in Arts in  Art and Design from several universities in the UK, including West Surrey College of Art and Design, Middlesex University, and Portsmouth College. She was The Head of the Art Department at St. Luke’s School and Oakmead College of Technology before coming to Reno. Since 2001, she has been an educator with Arts for All Nevada and Sierra Fine Arts Foundation. She continues to do commissions in Reno, the UK, and Canada.

Mark is a retired teacher with a Masters degree in Special Education. He has been interested in art his whole life, having taken art classes from high school through adulthood. Before becoming a teaching artist with Arts for All Nevada, he taught special education for 34 years. Mark’s skill as an artist spans across various mediums, including watercolors, pastels, pencils, printmaking, acrylics, and more. He loves providing art instruction to individuals with disabilites.

Melanie Hoen is a French-American multimedia artist with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Design. Influenced by a strong interest in High Fantasy, cinema, and storytelling, she decided to major in illustration and animation. After graduating, she relocated to Reno where she eventually started working at Arts for All Nevada’s offices. Later on, she transitioned to a Teaching Artist position and has since then taught classes to many students in the Reno community. Melanie has had a strong passion for the arts from an early age and enjoys creating in a variety of mediums, including digital art, traditional drawing, painting, and sculpting. She loves to help her students tap into their own passions and refine their technical skills while keeping the learning process open, playful, and fun.

Monica is a dedicated art educator/teaching artist with a strong passion for fostering creativity and artistic expression in learners of all ages. With a background in Human Development and Family Science, she understands how art can be a powerful tool for personal growth and community engagement. Monica is committed to creating inclusive and inspiring environments where students can explore different mediums, develop their skills, and express their individuality. She promotes a lifelong love of learning by designing dynamic experiences that spark curiosity and imagination. Her approach, whether through hands-on workshops or educational content, is grounded in empathy, innovation, and a deep love for the arts.

Patty Lassaline is a multi-media artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.  She majored in ceramic arts and continues to create art as a professional, selling her pottery, cards from paintings, and beadwork. Patty finds great joy in offering a judgement-free atmosphere as an art teacher. She enjoys assisting others in finding their own inner artist while expressing themselves with play and fun in every project.

Sophie is a visual artist and musician/singer-songwriter inspired by human quirks, nature, and all things whimsical. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Ralston spent many free-time hours of her youth drawing and was awarded the Muriel Goodwin Corbett Art Scholarship. After obtaining a B.A. in anthropology with a minor in art (digital media) from UNR, she self-released two original music CDs and performed in the U.S., Canada, England, and Australia. Current mediums of interest include watercolor, photography, and upcycled plastic.

Suellen has enjoyed the exploration of teaching art to students of all ages throughout her life. She began teaching in Oregon, where she received tenure at Western Oregon University. She moved to Reno and shifted her focus to being a foster/adoptive mother. In Nevada, she taught in community colleges and the Coral Academy of Science, where she retired in 2023. Her drawings and paintings explore the human condition through symbolic abstraction, figures, and portraiture. She also pursues interests in sculpture, printmaking, dance, words, gardening, and hiking.

Vivian has a Masters in Arts Education from Lesley University, and a B.A. in Theater from UNR. Vivian loves inspiring her students to follow their creative spirit in all forms of art, and she is an owner of the art gallery Desert Light Arts. She has received several honors and awards including a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholarship and several Nevada Arts Council grants.