Name some artists that have influenced you: I have always been enamored by folk artists. It shows that art can exist and thrive outside the context of proper schooling, and that people can use materials that they already have to create really interesting work. Growing up I loved Grandma Moses, Minnie Evans, Maude Lewis, and though not a folk artist, he was a self-taught illustrator (with a fabulous museum made out of his home in Cape Cod) Edward Gorey.

Share an artistic accomplishment you are proud of: I don't know if this is artistic or art-adjacent but I love my new project Show Your Art, and how I'm helping artists find homes for their art. It is deeply rewarding.

Why do you teach art? I teach art because it’s a deep and essential part of being human. There’s a powerful sense of release that comes from creating something with your heart and hands and then sharing it with the world.