Teaching Artists

Leticia Ramirez, Vibe's Lead Teaching Artist, is a published multidisciplinary artist from Mexico who loves teaching and is passionate about using art to drive social change. HER ARTWORK combines reality and fantasy to create surreal pieces that spark meaningful conversations. Her artistic journey includes studying oil painting at the Angel Academy of Florence and earning an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Beyond her art studies, Leticia has a background in interior architecture, furniture design, and photography. She is also the owner of OSSEUM, a unique jewelry brand that was showcased at the International Milano Jewelry Week in Italy. Leticia's deep passion for everything handmade infuses her work and classes with a unique and compelling perspective.

Elijah Jamal Asani is a Nigerian-American anti-disciplinary artist // youth educator from Chicago.

As a surrealist, Elijah has worked with & for youth throughout the United States by facilitating classes in instrument making, music production, & the infinite approaches of sound creation/exploration within music. Elijah is our teacher in residence at the Vibe Studio in the Cathedral Village Apartments in the St Johns neighborhood.

Kevin Yatsu, Digital Art and Design, is an artist, director and producer working across interactive artworks using Unreal Engine, audio design, and film. During his MFA at the University of Oregon, Kevin co-founded a production house and creative collective called AUGURY HOUSE where he spearheads projects ranging from large scale exhibitions to interactive livestreams and feature films. With a teaching practice rooted in experimentation and play, Kevin enjoys growing alongside his students as new ideas and stories are explored.

Kiana Lamberton is a multidisciplinary artist, working with a variety of mediums, from fibers and clay to organic materials, like plant matter. In 2016, she moved to Portland to attend Oregon College of Art and Craft. It was during that time that she grew a profound appreciation for the handmade. She found a sense of independence that came with the ability to create; from drawing on paper, to forming and firing the dishes she uses in her kitchen. As a teacher, Kiana aims to help students feel confident in their expression, by assuring them in exploring their own concepts and introducing them to different mediums. She encourages young artists to take a process-based approach to making, where the art becomes more about the experience than the outcome- it is all about having fun! Kiana teaches our Wednesday after school Art Club at Paisley Studios, in addition to many of our workshops and camps.

Leo Crum is a trans and queer multidisciplinary artist, working primarily with mediums under the umbrellas of printmaking and fiber arts in his personal art practice. He has worked with youth to facilitate Art Education in many facets since early 2021. In facilitating, his goal is empowerent of the students through exploration and technical skill building. His favorite mediums to teach are block printing and weaving. Leo is currently teaching SUN classes, PRIDE camps, and many other camps and workshops.

Lainey Perry is a cross media artist whose practice is anchored in slow-moving textiles like hand sewing, weaving, quilting, and natural dyes. Other mediums such as photo, ceramics, drawing, painting & more get their spotlights too and typically cross-pollinate. Common themes for her include healing and reverence of nature, often in conversation with each other. Her bachelor degree in fine arts from Oregon College of Art and Craft landed her in a multidisciplinary world of her own design where she began to understand the importance of hands-on work and learning style flexibility as central to growing self esteem and independence. In art making, Lainey celebrates “failures” as a means of creating fertile ground for discovery, skill building and resilience. She views work with students as an extension of her art practice and delights in the surprises they offer her in their own creations. Connecting with kids of all different backgrounds through creativity is an endless source of inspiration and joy. Lainey teaches our after school program at A Renaissance School as well as our camps. 

Sophie Kendall is an American artist working in drawing, painting, and clay/found object sculptures and vessels. Sophie’s work explores concepts of intimacy, feminism, queerness, humor, and community. Some of her recent works use three dimensional clay features to bring to life her idiosyncratic but relatable paintings on ceramic vessels, portraying her own personal values and sense of humor, as well as larger social issues. Sophie was formally trained in various art forms through a family heritage of artists, and a Waldorf Education, followed by a BFA from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. In her teaching practice she encourages kids to explore many mediums, letting their hands guide their imaginations, and believes that anyone can express themselves through art.

Xeandra: “My Grandmother gave me my earliest sewing lessons after she found me using tape to hold together clothing for my dolls. I teach sewing because I want to pass on the DIY vision to young creators. I try to tap into the students’ imagination, helping them turn their ideas into 3-dimensional creations. Every project builds on the ever expanding question: “What else can I make”? Xeandra teaches our Saturday Sewing Classes at the lodge and our sewing summer camps.

Sophia Ahmad is an avid dancer, choreographer, movement teacher & traveler. 

She holds a B.A. in International Studies from UNCA, Asheville, U.S.A. & a Postgraduate Certificate of Contemporary Dance + Creation from AREA dansa, Barcelona, ES. She has worked with children for over ten years across various settings: Clinical, ELD, Gymnastics, Movement, & Art. Children are some of her greatest teachers, with their curious + generous spirits. She tunes her classes to the rhythms of the students, encouraging their unique desires to unfold through a process-based learning style. 

Christian Alvarado is an interdisciplinary artist educator from New Jersey currently attending the University of Oregon Studio Art MFA. Inspired by cartoons, surrealism, and speculative fiction and focusing on motifs of motion and contact, Christian's practice revolves around the creation of whimsical characters and how they use invention in order to navigate their turbulent worlds. Christian believes that art and art-making is about the relationships one inhabits within themselves and the world around them, and how those relationships change over time. Art never ends, not in space nor time.

Swan is a multidisciplinary artist who, in recent years, has focused on combining physical and digital media through sculptural and collage-oriented animation. 

As an artist, they find passion in experimentation and material exploration; throughout their experience at OCAC and PNCA, they transformed what once was a dream of being a children’s book illustrator into something which combines multimedia sculpture, collage, fiber arts, stop motion animation, and poetry into one medium. 

As an educator, Swan aims to share that love for experimentation in art and encourage young artists to take risks and try new things. 

Swan teaches after-school classes at Lents Elementary and Cathedral Village apartments in St. Johns, as well as camps during school breaks.

Claire Melli is a Portland-based mixed-media artist and educator who holds a Master of Education from Portland State University and an MFA from the University of Montana. She embraces a student-centered teaching approach, encouraging students to pursue their own interests and ideas while providing tailored guidance and support. Claire's work explores the intersection of sensory experiences and emotional expression, using color, texture, and mark-making to create evocative visual narratives.