Melissa is a certified visual art teacher licensed to teach Pre-K through 12th grade. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Art Education, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Kent State University in 2003. She earned a Master of Science in Education, with a focus on curriculum and instruction, from Walden University in 2005. Previous to her employment at The Fine Arts Association, Melissa was an art teacher with Painesville City Local Schools. She has been a member of the Visual Arts Faculty at FAA since 2013 and teaches visual art classes to all ages ranging from two-year-olds to adults. Melissa also acts as the Associate Director of Visual Arts Education at FAA. She has developed interdisciplinary state standards aligned programming for local school systems and other groups to enjoy at The FAA. Curriculum for numerous teaching assignments in a wide variety of off-site locations has been written and facilitated by Melissa as well. The Salvation Army Learning Zone, Willoughby-Eastlake, Painesville City, and Riverside Local Schools are a few examples that have participated in her literacy and social studies-themed, grant-related visual arts programs. She has continued her professional development, taking courses in both art and education, while creating a diverse portfolio of her own artwork. Her own art has been on display at various public venues, along with a high school mural, designed and painted under her direction. Melissa’s favorite art media are paint/collage and upcycled art, along with watercolor cartoon illustrations in the children’s book series she has been writing and illustrating in her free time. Melissa attended classes at The FAA as a child and is honored to be teaching there. Art is something she believes should always be meaningful, and she strives to empower her students to develop the confidence to utilize their own originality. You can view her website to see examples of her portfolio pieces, pictures of her classes, and the special ways that art inspires her everyday life.
