Meet our Instructors
Multimedia
Dahlia Popovits
Weave a log cabin dish towel, Weava a Holiday Table Runner, Weave a Tapestry Wall Hanging. Handweaving has given Dahlia a lifetime of inspiration. She applies her design and weaving skills to the development of clothing and accessories, and the teaching of this very gratifying craft. Her shop and studio, located in Bostons, Art and Design district, is a special space where one can see and touch a variety of exquisite hand made textiles.
Patti Kelly
Creative Journaling. Patti Kelly is primarily an American romantic abstract artist known for her imaginative, tempestuous landscape paintings. Often borrowing from nature, her choice of colors is inspired by the impermanence of New England's charging seasons. Working in acrylic and watercolor, Kelly builds upon nebulous surface layered with sensual colors. Her gestural work presents the viewer and emotionally charged imaginary world.
Bridey McGlynn
Introduction to Screen Printing. Bridey McGlynn (she/her/hers) is a painter and printmaker from Northborough, Massachusetts. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Syracuse University with a concentration in Two-dimensional Mixed Media and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises. She currently works as a Registrar and Printmaking Instructor at Worcester Center for Crafts in addition to pursuing her MFA in 2D Fine Art at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Rachel Benson
Felting Workshops. Rachel is a fiber artist & art teacher.
Ceramics
Holly Lauer
Wheel II: How to Make Better Pots, Berry Bowl Workshop, also Studio Support Tech. Holly studied neuroscience at UMass in Amherst and came to ceramics later in life. She uses her science background in studying glaze chemistry and applies that knowledge to capture the feel of the ocean in the glaze patterns on ceramic forms.
Tom O'Malley
Wheel 1.5 The Next Steps, Soda Firing Workshops, Introduction to the Lighting Studio. Tom O'Malley is the head of the Ceramics and Photography Departments, having joined the center in 1994. He has taught a variety of classes and workshops in both ceramics and photography while also leading the teams in each studio. Tom holds a BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. His work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States and internationally, earning him numerous citations in ceramic art publications.
Claudia Sarver
Intro to Hand-building. Claudia has been a playing with clay since 2002. She enjoys sharing her experience loving clay and expressing her personal journey. She learns right along with her students.
Lori Mader
Wheel II, Woodfire intensive workshop. Lori established Cedar Swamp Pottery at home and built a wood burning kiln in 2001. She has been a ceramics instructor at Worcester Center for Crafts since 2004.
Alondra Biberos
Intro to Hand-building. Creating Bisque Molds. Alondra Biberos was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Twin Falls, Idaho. She received her Bachelors Degree with an emphasis in Sculpture and Ceramics from the University of Idaho in 2019. She Currently resides in Worcester, MA and works as a studio artist, instructor, and social media manager at the Worcester Center for Crafts.
Metals
John Barrett
Creating Spoon Jewelry. John has been creating spoon jewelry since 1969. Pierce work is his technique in which he create spoon rings, necklaces and earrings.
John Stevens
Garden Metalwork, Forged Jewelry & Vessels. John loves to hammer and get into the creative flow of moving metal by hand. In his teaching, he emphasizes the planning of a project, becoming your metal, and the purposeful and deliberate working of the medium.
Louis Garcia
The Ring Cycle series (Ancient and Traditional forging). Louis Garcia is an Artist, Art Historian, and Experimental Archaeologist specializing in ancient metalworking techniques for non-ferrous metals and has taught at WCC since 2018. His passion is helping others discover the "Ancient Artisan" within them.
Joshua Swalec
Blacksmithing. Joshua has been studying and working in metals for 27 years, starting his journey at Worcester Voke Tech and the Worcester Center for Crafts. He Currently runs a custom architectural metal shop, Ferromorphics. Lately he has been focused on conceptual pattern welded cutlery.
Tiffany DeFreitas
Intro to Clay. Tiffany has been creating jewelry as a hobby since 2015, but launched her online Etsy shop in 2020 when the world went into lock down and she needed to do something so she didn't climb the walls while being stuck at home. She has been running her business, The Creative Catte, for three years part-time while she works as an Academic Advisor in the Academic Success Center at Worcester State University as her normal 9-to-5 job. When she isn't up to her elbows in clay, acrylic paint, and alcohol ink, she is spending time with her favorite human (her husband), and their three chaotic kitties!
Alison Bruun
Introduction to jewelry. Influenced by folk art, Scandinavian modernism, and illustration, Alison delights in the play of light on hammered textures, and in blending bold and delicate lines to lend multiple dimensions to her hand-drawn designs. Her jewelry blends charm with elegance and brings joy to its wearers. Alison holds an MFA in Artisanry/ Metals from UMass Dartmouth, and currently teaches at Worcester Center for Crafts, The Steel Yard and The Bench.
Nicholas Hesson
Introduction to Jewelry and Small Objects, Enameling 100, Casting. Nicholas Hesson is an art educator, jeweler, enamelist, and CAD designer. His work utilizes a combination of digital and hand fabrication processes. He currently works as a Silversmith for Tiffany & Co. in Rhode Island.
Jay Kipp-McGowan
Intro to Chainmail Jewelry. Jay enjoys the process of creating and watching projects come together. While they love working with a variety of materials including metal, leather, and ink, Jay is especially enthusiastic about chainmail and its unique tactile nature. They look forward to welcoming students into the grounding and creative process of making maille by hand.
Healing Arts
Mar’Kee Thomas
Mar’Kee is a yoga teacher, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and mother of two who integrates anti-oppressive and liberatory practices into her healing work. With over 15 years of clinical experience, she specializes in shadow work, grief integration, and yoga for children and families. After discovering yoga in 2011, she deepened her practice following personal loss and completed her 200-hour training through My Vinyasa Practice in 2021. Mar’Kee blends social work and yoga philosophy to create grounded, equitable spaces for growth and healing.
Sara-Grace Reynolds
Sara-Grace Reynolds is the founder of Third Eye Yoga Collective and an E-RYT 500 teacher who has led movement classes since 2006 (yoga since 2009). She has studied yoga and meditation in India and teaches with a focus on self-compassion, intuitive movement, and taking what you need. Her classes weave in pranayama, meditation, and Buddhist teachings, offering yoga that’s both accessible and deeply rooted. Sara-Grace is also a mom of two and an internal medicine physician with training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, supporting students of all abilities and those navigating illness.
Jordan Murphy
Jordan Murphy is an E-RYT 200, YA Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor, Prison Yoga Project Facilitator, and Trauma Conscious Yoga Instructor (TCYM). She specializes in trauma-informed support for anxiety, depression, PTSD, grief, and loss, with classes focused on tuning inward, restoring balance, and building self-trust. Jordan offers trauma-conscious yoga through groups, 1:1 sessions, workshops, and programming in local prisons and correctional facilities. She’s also the founder of the Worcester BIPOC Yoga Collective, creating healing spaces for BIPOC community members.
Meng Le
Meng has 20+ years of yoga practice and 12 years of teaching experience. She began yoga to support better sleep, first learning at home before finding a studio community at Metrowest Yoga, where she later became an instructor. Meng has taught across Central MA in studio, college, and corporate settings, supporting students of all ages and abilities. She completed her 200- and 300-hour trainings with Theresa Murphy and has continued studies in yin, restorative (Judith Lasater), and myofascial release (Tiffany Cruikshank). Her classes emphasize smart use of props to build body awareness and ease.
Sherylynn Sealy
Sherylynn is passionate about wellness. A certified yoga instructor, barre instructor, artist and woman of faith, she seeks to encourage and spread a message of hope in her teaching. She received her yoga certification from Mang’Oh Yoga in New York City, and has taught across New England, New York, and New Jersey. Sherylynn leans into her faith in her personal asana practice, and is the founder and owner of TrustLoveKnow | The Christian Wellness Company where she offers a Christ-centered alternative to traditional yoga classes. To learn more visit: www.sherylynnsealy.com or www.trustloveknow.com.
Cindy Boulter
Cindy is a longtime movement educator with 20+ years in fitness and 16+ years teaching yoga and training teachers. She holds a B.S. in Health Sciences and integrates yoga therapeutics, somatics, and meditation into classes that balance curiosity, precision, and humor. Cindy has studied with teachers including Baron Baptiste, Rolf Gates, Shiva Rae, Ana Forrest, Tom Myers, Bo Forbes, and Theresa Murphy, and is completing an IAYT-certified Yoga Therapist program (Susi Hately) while training as a Licensed Somatic Educator (School of Mind Body Centering). She has taught workshops internationally and at Kripalu.
Heather Castagnaro
Heather has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. She has attended and received her 200 and 500-hour certifications in Prana Flow through Shiva Rea’s Samudra School, led by Shiva’s Senior teacher, Coral Brown. As a dedicated student of yoga and her love of being outdoors, Heather draws inspiration in her own practice and teaching from nature and its many forms. She wholeheartedly believes that yoga is about community and offers space for students to experience their practice in a dynamic yet supportive environment where compassion and acceptance are encouraged.
Ruth Febo
Ruth Febo (she/her/ella), a certified RYT® 200 and Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher, began her yoga journey in 2003. She earned her Yoga Teacher Training certification in 2019 and completed trauma-informed yoga training with Lara Land of Three and a Half Acres Yoga in 2024. Ruth is dedicated to lifelong learning, both on and off the mat. Her classes focus on flow and restorative yoga, weaving breath and movement to nurture the mind-body connection. She values sangha—community—as a vital aspect of yoga, providing space for practitioners to support and accept one another.
Gabrielle Navarro
Gabrielle (she/her/ella) has practiced yoga for 10+ years and completed her 200-hour teacher training in Costa Rica in 2019. She teaches slow, intentional, breath-led classes with a focus on accessibility for all bodies and backgrounds, and she especially loves yin and restorative yoga. Gabrielle encourages students to carry yoga off the mat through mindful movement, breath, and self-connection. Outside the studio, she does legal advocacy work for the LGBTQ+ community and enjoys hiking, reading, board games, and a great cup of coffee.
Jacki Libby
Jacki found yoga while searching for a safe place, and discovered the deepest safety comes from returning to herself. She earned her 200-hour certification from Metrowest Yoga and Training Center (Worcester) in 2016. Jacki teaches the way she practices—slow, intentional, and choice-centered—inviting students to trust themselves and focus on how yoga feels, not how it looks. A lifelong student and nature lover, she draws inspiration from the outdoors and her small market farm in Pomfret, CT, where patience, growth, and resilience echo the lessons of practice.
Jennie Backstrom
ennie Backstrom has practiced yoga for 30+ years, first introduced to the path as a child. Her classes are warm, clear, and fun—designed to make yoga feel accessible while helping students reconnect to their bodies, breath, and inner wisdom. Trained in Ashtanga, Anusara, Svaroopa, Hatha, and Vinyasa, Jennie has studied with respected teachers and taught in diverse communities. She’s also the founder of YogAffirm, a supportive space for women (especially single mothers), and she guides students toward resilience in every season of life.
Jeanine LeDoux
Jeanine is an RYT-200 with 20+ years of yoga practice. She completed her 200-hour training at Heartwood Yoga Institute with Ginny East Shaddock and is also certified in Chair Yoga. After first falling in love with vinyasa’s rhythm of breath and movement, she deepened into restorative practices that invite rest and turning inward. Jeanine creates welcoming, safe classes that blend pranayama, intuitive movement, vinyasa flow, and restorative postures—helping students bring breath and wellness into everyday life.
Jennifer Davidson
Jennifer Davidson has 20+ years of experience in yoga, meditation, and fitness, offering a compassionate, accessible approach to wellness. She has worked with a wide range of students—including prenatal/postnatal clients, teens, seniors, veterans, and post-surgical recovery—always prioritizing safety and mindfulness. Jennifer is a graduate of Frog Pond Yoga Centre, the Massage Institute of New England, and Seton Hall University, and holds Pilates and Barre Pilates certifications (Balanced Body) plus Reiki Levels I & II. Her classes blend anatomy, philosophy, and mindful movement to support both body and spirit.
Rick Rocha
Rick Rocha has been on a meditative path since 1986 and began studying Tai Chi in 2000. With ongoing training in multiple styles of Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong, he brings a deep focus on mindful movement, breath, balance, and inner strength. Rick also has a background in Ayurveda and is Reiki II certified, with a longtime love of Ashtanga Yoga. He teaches at the pace of each student, offering Tai Chi as both a grounding mind-body practice and a personal journey.
Gina Cranford
Gina is a Gendai Reiki Master and Certified Bliss Bowls Sound Healing Practitioner who blends Reiki with singing bowls and sound bath meditation to support deep relaxation and renewal. With B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music Education from the University of Connecticut, she’s taught all ages for many years and has studied natural healing modalities for 20+ years. Known for her calming presence, Gina offers intuitively guided sessions tailored to where clients need support most.
Youth
Jen Swan
Jen Swan is a teaching artist and mural painter. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she currently teaches classes for the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester Center for Crafts, Listening Wellness Center and as a Cultural Partner. Making connections between art and nature has inspired collaborations with the Audubon and EcoTarium. Her recent paintings explore art and ecology as she portrays the web of interrelationships in our environment. Through plein air landscapes and wildlife studies, she wishes to creatively propose new possibilities for coexistence, sustainability and healing.
Liviah Yeaw
Livi is a natural fibers artist & film maker with a focus on sustainability and humor. Livi is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Animation Film and Textiles. She is a freelance visual and voiceover artist.
Brianna Ko
Forged in Fantasy & Exploring Enameling + Identity. Brianna Ko (she/her) is a third year art teacher at Marshfield High School. She teaches drawing and painting, and sculpture but her background is in metalsmithing. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth in 2022 with her B.F.A in Art Education and a minor in Jewelry/Metals.
Laura Dusty
Proud to extend her over 15 year career in youth art education to children at the Worcester Center for Crafts!
Glass
Jeanne Kowal
Jeanne is a second generation stained glass artist. She finds stained glass to be an excellent medium to work with. As a designer, she loves creating unique and beautiful designs. As an artist, she loves working with color, light, and texture. As a craftsperson, she enjoys bringing it all together with knowledge and precision.
Jennifer Carey
Enameling: Multi-Level; Painting enamel. Jennifer is a professional enamelist who has been working in this medium for over 30 years. She is skilled in all techniques and my work focuses on enameling as contemporary art.
Tomo Sakai
Area of Expertise: Glass engraving. The inspiration for Tomos glass work comes from her experience growing up in Japan, where traditional crafts and modern culture exist in a close relationship. From this experience, she has learned to merge traditional glass techniques with modern forms and processes, creating something new, and hopefully, beautiful.
Peter Grigg
Enameling. Peter Is retired university professor. Has 20+ years experience in enameling Particular interest in cloisonne and screen printing enamels.
Photography
Caterina Maina
Intro to Digital Photography, Photography II, Photographic Storytelling. Caterina Maina is a Providence-based artist engaging in fine-art projects with a focus on portraiture and environmental photography. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2020 with a BFA in Photography and a minor in Sustainability. Her work delves into the power of human relationships and one's connectivity with their environment while exploring the tensions that exist in society today.