At the Stoney Creek School of Art, instructors care about each student’s creative and technical development as well as creating a positive and encouraging environment. Instructors act with respect and understanding of the learning curve students experience when trying new skills. Strong emphasis is placed on age appropriate delivery of information and techniques while addressing the various learning styles in the presentation of demonstrations and discussions. Students have found great success with our logical and consistent approach to teaching that is found in every classroom.
Lisa Tziatis: Owner/Director, Supervisor & Instructor- for kids & teens
I have worked for many years with SCSA as the lead Crafty World Camp Instructor and Summer Camps Supervisor. I am a graduate of Sheridan College and have been working at the Stoney Creek School of Art Summer Camps over the past 5 years. Outside of SCSA, I work with special needs students as an Educational Assistant at Mohawk College and for the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. I have a great passion for teaching young people and sharing the joy of creative art making with children. I am extremely excited to be the new Owner and Director here at the Stoney Creek School of Art and look forward to working to expand and create a dynamic art school, while keeping the integrity and virtues of a family atmosphere that SCSA has built upon for years!
Heather Lokstet-Instructor/Teen and Adult Classes
Heather is an emerging artist from Stoney Creek, Ontario whose practice lies in displaying human behaviour, as well as portraiture through drawing and painting. She attained her Honours BA in Visual Arts from Brock University in 2008. Outside of SCSA she works with artist materials and creates professional artwork for customers. You can visit her website at: www.heather-lokstet.vpweb.ca.
Andrea Skelly-Instructor/Photography
Andrea Skelly has been teaching children and young adults the importance of art, as well as theoretical and practical studio practice for the past 4 years. She graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honours Bachelors of Arts in studio specialization in electronic imaging and photography, and has recently completed her Masters of Arts in Art History at the University of Western Ontario. She has taught children and teen studio classes at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, ReCreate Outreach Art studio, and Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant. During her time at each teaching position, Andrea has developed new projects that illustrate the essential role that art plays in our daily lives. She looks forward to inspiring children and teens to implement their passion for art in everything that they do. Currently, Andrea is a practicing digital artist and the Art Coordinator at Earls Court Gallery, in Hamilton.
Emily Milko: Party Hostess, Prep Person and Crafty World Instructor in Training
Emily has greatly enjoyed working for the past year at the Art School as the Birthday Party Instructor/Hostess, a position which has allowed her to have fun and get crafty with the kids. This past summer she worked at the summer camp as the Volunteer Coordinator and Prep person. A former student of the art school herself, she has been enjoying working with children from a young age through various volunteer experiences at camps and as a child care provider. She is an avid scrapbooker who greatly enjoys crafts of all kinds. Her passion for photography which blossomed at a young age, has traveled with her to various countries, including Iceland this past summer where she ran in the Reykjavik Marathon after raising $4000 for Diabetes Research. Currently in her final year at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School, she looks forward to studying medicine at McMaster University to achieve the goal of one day becoming a pediatrician.
Rachel Zavarella-Instructor
Rachel is a high school graduate planning on attending Sheridan College for creative art next year. She is currently at Grimsby Secondary School where she is taking a full year co-op in the Art Department making an ornate stained-glass window for the school. Rachel has been doing art since a very young age and has always used art to express her creativity and imagination. She has a passion for teaching others and hopes to teach art as a career in the future.
Sandra Mercuri: Founder, Director
Sandra Mercuri founded the Stoney Creek School of Art in 1993. As an honours fine art graduate from McMaster University and practicing artist, she has taught and created art programming for the community and throughout the Niagara Region for over 15 years. She designed and developed the curriculum programming for the Stoney Creek School of Art to suit the challenges of individual students while ensuring a consistent and holistic approach to techniques, creativity and tool use. Working with the SCSA students, volunteers and staff has been a complete joy for her- and sharing her love of art made this unique entrepreneurial venture a success. Creating a joyful place to create and share at the Stoney Creek School of Art has always been her most coveted work of art.
Sandra Mercuri’s fine artwork is focused on the beauty of nature and the spirit of women reflected in it. She specializes in pastel paintings, drawing with various media and sculpting in clay.
Please contact us for class visits and hands-on instruction of your most complicated curriculum needs.
Contact: Art Director ~ Lisa Tziatis 905-643-3513 email: scsa@mountaincable.net