Tracy LeFort Tracy Le Fort has been an art educator in the West Warwick Public School Department since 1997. She is the coordinator of their K-12 Program and CTE Pathway for Visual Arts, and their National Art Honor Society Chapter. When she is not teaching she enjoys photography, gardening, spending time with family, singing, and attending sporting events. A few of her greatest accomplishments in life are her two beautiful daughters, marrying her junior high school sweetheart and celebrating 25 years of marriage this October and getting her masters degree from Providence College. [email protected]
Elizabeth Peterson Elizabeth Peterson loves helping caring, creative teachers connect the arts with social-emotional learning strategies that are practical and meaningful. An arts integration specialist with degrees in Education, Music, Arts, Leadership and Learning, she hosts theinspiredclassroom.com. Elizabeth is the creator of SEAL, Social-Emotional Artistic Learning: a unique and holistic method of integrating the arts with SEL. She is in her 24th year of teaching and 16th year of hosting workshops, retreats and online courses in arts integration and SEAL. Elizabeth believes that when caring, creative teachers feel empowered with SEAL strategies, they make a difference in their students’ lives every day.
Mia Thompson Mia is an Art and Design teacher at North Kingstown High School. Last year, Mia was recognized as the following: 2021 Art educator of the year in Rhode Island and 2021 District Teacher of the Year (North Kingstown). [email protected]
Adam Ferbert Adamhas been creating art since he could pick up a pencil. His earliest works in crayon, wood glue, and newspaper were proudly displayed (much to his parents’ dismay) on his bedroom walls. He pursued art throughout his academic career and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in ceramics and sculpture at Rhode Island College. After graduation, Adam found his passion for teaching art while working with adults and children at various local studios. Finding an opportunity to combine his love of art and teaching, Adam went back to Rhode Island College to complete his Master of Arts in Teaching. He now resides at Wheeler teaching visual art in the Upper School. Between teaching and taking care of his fur family (three cats and one very energetic dog), Adam still finds time to create his own art and enjoys making music with his partner. [email protected]
Kristin Murphy Kristin Murphy has been engaged in art education in Rhode Island for the last 26 years. She worked at the middle and high school level in the Portsmouth Public Schools for 11 years and is in her 15th year at the Wheeler School where she teaches studio art courses, art history, serves as senior project coordinator, varsity swim coach and works with the faculty and parent anti-racist groups. Kristin was recently named the co-head of the new Inquiry and Design Department at the Wheeler School. Within the Rhode Island Art Education Association, she has served as Educator's Exhibition Coordinator, President and currently as interim ED&I Liaison. [email protected]
Kristine Straus As a 19 year teaching veteran, Kristine strives to ignite a passion for artmaking in all her students; she works to educate the whole human...through art. Kristine is a mama to Hudson (7) and Louise (5), and loves painting in her tiny home with her family. [email protected]
Crystal Cavaco Crystal has been at Portsmouth Middle School for 15 years now and she also has taught at RISD CE for 15 years! In 2011, Crystal was named the 2011 RIAEA's Middle Level Art Teacher of the Year. While Crystal is not teaching, she enjoys sharing her love of art with her two children. She also loves being outdoors as much as possible, bike riding, hiking, and enjoying nature! [email protected]
Tara Villanova Art teacher at Community Elementary School in Cumberland. My colleague Kerri Marshall and I are the co-chairs for RI Youth Art Month. We coordinate our own art events in March, as well as promote YAM, and collect information and photos from art events all around RI. If you hold any Art events in March, please let us know so we can showcase you and your students! [email protected]
Mike Elson Michael Elson - Visual & Performing ArtsDepartment Chair . BA, Graphic Design, Rhode Island College . BS, Art Education, Rhode Island College Mr. Elson is a state and IB certified visual arts teacher who has been teaching at The Prout School since 1998. He has taught up to nine different visual arts classes during his time at Prout. Currently, Mr. Elson teaches IB Art, Visual Arts I and II, and Graphic Design. Besides directing both a winter and spring art show, he is also the moderator of the Art Club and Garden Club. He is a member of both the RIAEA and NAEA. Mr. Elson is a practicing visual artist and freelance graphic designer who enjoys woodworking, painting, clamming, and values being a dad to his daughter above all those things. He also feels awkward writing about himself in the third person. [email protected]
Katie Truskoski Katie Truskoski received a BA in Studio Art with a concentration in relief printmaking from the University of Rhode Island in 2003. She returned to complete her second BA in Art History in 2005. In 2007, she became a Registered Yoga Teacher (200RYT) and in 2015, she completed her Masters of Art in Teaching Art Education at Rhode Island College. She was recognized by the National Art Education Association as a Best Practices Lecturer in 2015 and again in 2022, and her printmaking has been shown nationally through traveling exhibitions. Her work was also published in the book Paper Politics: Socially Engaged Printmaking Today, in 2009. Katie currently teaches public high school visual art in Rhode Island. [email protected]
