Our Artistic Team

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  For ten years, Melissa has been the inspiration for artists of all ages who come to study art at Engage. Melissa graduated from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking. Since she was 6 years old, she has been drawing & painting, always knowing she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Then, Melissa got a job teaching at a studio during college and fell in love! She has been teaching for more than 14 years. Her major bodies of work are paintings and drawings inspired by the figure and anatomy, occasionally mixed with some florals and Noveau-style curves.  She also loves to experiment and work in a variety of styles and mediums and aims to bring that same exploration to class projects in the studio. Her artwork can be found in the front sunroom in the gallery shop, as well as scattered about the gallery!

Rae has been working at Engage since its humble beginnings in Skippack as a small converted garage! Rae graduated a semester early with Magna Cum Laude honors from Kutztown University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a minor in Music. She is also part of The International Honor Society in Psychology. When not doing behind-the-scenes paperwork, she enjoys jumping in and helping the students create. Rae particularly loves creating meticulously painted ceramic pieces as well as watercolor works. In the future, she would love to combine her degree and love of art to become an art therapist or music therapist. 

Mrs. K  graduated from Potsdam State with a Degree in Art, focusing on pottery. She has previously worked as a special education teacher. After retiring from teaching, she began working at Engage. For the past three years, Mrs.K has used her extraordinary skills and 30+ years of experience to teach kids and adults pottery, focusing primarily on wheel-throwing. In her free time she enjoys kayaking, reading, and creating pottery pieces which are available in our shop for purchase! Her work is also available to view on her Instagram @ks_pottery_twl.

Brenna is a self-taught digital artist with a love for teaching. From the moment she could hold a pencil, she was drawing. Since then, art has been her greatest passion. While currently pursuing a Fine Arts degree, she enjoys fostering creativity in the next generation of artists at Engage. For the last year and a half, she has taught and assisted classes at Engage such as Drawing and Painting, Art  Jumble, and even designed and integrated our Anime & Manga Character Design class. Her main goal for each class is for students to have a fun, happy space where they can express themselves and learn while doing it. When not at Engage, she enjoys playing video games or creating concept art. 

Amy has been teaching at Engage since 2016. After receiving her Associate's Degree in Fine Arts from MCCC in 2013, she studied painting at PAFA and most recently graduated from Tyler School of Art with a BS in Art Education. Amy is also an adjunct faculty member at James A. Michener Art Museum. Amy is also certified in therapeutic arts and loves helping people express themselves through art. Amy has also designed and integrated Engage's Inside-Out; Emotional Wellness through Art class. Besides teaching, she is a muralist and portrait artist. Amy's mural work is available to view on Facebook @WallsbyAmyStephen and her watercolor work can be found at @MyDovePaintingStudios.

Rachael is an artist and visual arts educator who received her BFA in Fine Arts & Photography from MICA and her M.Ed. in Art Education from Temple University. Rachael is a PA certified K-12 art teacher who has experience teaching all ages. She has worked in many educational settings from art centers, public schools, galleries and private studios, to large scale art museums, including the Philadelphia Museaum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Currently, she is an adjunct faculty member at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown. When she is not teaching, she enjoys creating work in her studio and darkroom. Rachael exhibits her work at Exhibit B Gallery in Souderton. 

Happily Married to her husband, Ron, as well as mother and grandmother, Gabe has been in sales for 36 years.  She went to Penn State for Interior Design. She loves flowers and plants and has a 20+ year history in the nursery business. She spent creative time for 3 years creating custom wedding toppers. Gabe loves to paint and create custom artwork. She is the creative interior design expert at Engage Artisan Gallery and her arrangements always create delight for coworkers and clients! Gabe also has aworks on display in our downstairs gallery!

 Kathy Bohn is a self-taught artist who started her journey in West Chester, PA 20+ years ago creating portraits. She graduated to wood burning aka Pyrography and Gourd Sculpture 8 years ago. Kathy took advantage of opportunities to create artwork in Washington, California, New Mexico, and Montana. Her journey brought her back to Pennsylvania in 2018 where she found Engage Arts in April of 2021. After participating in the festivals and renting a space in the gallery, she was hired to work part-time as a gallery clerk and provides web building and social media skills to build the gallery presence for Engages prospective clients. Kathy's art is also on display in our downstairs gallery!

 Carmen is a member of the team at Engage, passionate about helping children harness their artistic talent as well as helping customers find the perfect piece made by local vendors. Carmen is currently majoring in Psychology and minoring in Art at Ursinus College and is pursuing a career as an art therapist. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting with watercolor and acrylic paints as well as practicing piano, ukulele, and guitar.