Hunter Berry - Board President
Mr. Berry is a Reporting Analyst for the Please Touch Museum. Hunter has furthered the Portside’s mission by dedicating his time coordinating fundraising events, giving financial guidance, and building partnerships with local businesses and community groups. Hunter has been an active board member since 2010.
Luca Bernabei - Board Member
Luca first came to the Portside Arts Center as a volunteer for the After-School Arts Program. Luca holds a Bachelors degree in biology from Ursinus College and a Masters Degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his Masters degree, he worked as a technical consultant for an environmental firm in NJ. Since 2016 he has been working in clinical research for the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine helping develop new treatments for blood cancers. Luca has lived in the Philadelphia metropolitan area for over 10 years and has developed a strong connection with the city. Volunteering for Portside is a way that Luca can give back to the city he has called home for many years.
Claire Pavlica - Board Member
Claire Pavlica studied art history and studio art at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut before moving to Philadelphia in 1995. A member of the curatorial team at the National Museum of American Jewish History for over twenty years, Claire especially enjoys working with students and interns and has taught museum collections management graduate courses. Claire has been a Portside parent for five years and joined the board in 2018.
Jenna Wilchinsky - Board Member
Jenna is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Art's four year certificate program in the Fine Arts; and, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Jenna worked at the Portside from January 2010 until May 2019 and continues to serve on it's board. Jenna received her Masters in Arts Administration from Drexel University.
Jean Murray - Board Member
Since 2012, Jean has had the pleasure of teaching and developing programs at the Portside. At the Portside Jean teaches inbound and outbound after-school arts programs as well as their full-day summer arts camp. Jean has taught craft classes for children and adults for over 10 years and has worked with teens in therapeutic painting class. Jean's always encourages her students to talk about what they have made and how they feel while they are creating art. When Jean is not teaching others she is working in her artist studio located in Bridesburg Philadelphia. She is an abstract painter, paper and paper collage artist.
Kim Creighton - Founding Director - Visual Artist
In 2007, Kim Creighton was on a mission.
A member of the North Philadelphia community since 1989, she had come to realize that the youth in her area lacked the opportunities for productive extracurricular activities and creative outlets.
Kim had a solution. An accomplished mosaic and metal artist, she decided she would found and direct a community arts center, where both children and adults could learn to tap into their innate creative energies.
In 2007, she landed on a old canvas factory in Port Richmond on the corner of Lehigh and Belgrade. From there, turning the building into the dynamic place it is now was an uphill battle. Creighton devoted her full resources to the project and also left a successful career in sales at United Packaging and Shipping in order to pursue her dream. For over 12 years at United Packaging Supply, Kim successfully identified major accounts and prospects, which she had ultimately sold and maintained. Ms. Creighton’s professional and educational experience lay the groundwork for her excellent managerial skills and her ability to lead the Portside Arts Center and the development of their programs.
Ms. Creighton has received art instruction at Fleischer Memorial, Cheltenham Arts Center and privately with well-known Artist, Mary Zaccarian. Kim founded and taught the Mosaics Hands On class at the Portside for seven years before passing the torch. Kim has a unique artistic style, which is based largely on geometric shapes and simple objects. She also enjoys working with several different materials such as metals, glass, tile, wood and paints. In turn, out comes beautiful and breath-taking sculptures, mosaics, floor and wall mirrors. Kim also likes to use found and recycled objects some of which are permanently installed at the Portside.
With her background for business and love for the arts, Ms. Creighton has dedicated her life to running the Portside Arts Center and seeing it become a cornerstone to the community.
A member of the North Philadelphia community since 1989, she had come to realize that the youth in her area lacked the opportunities for productive extracurricular activities and creative outlets.
Kim had a solution. An accomplished mosaic and metal artist, she decided she would found and direct a community arts center, where both children and adults could learn to tap into their innate creative energies.
In 2007, she landed on a old canvas factory in Port Richmond on the corner of Lehigh and Belgrade. From there, turning the building into the dynamic place it is now was an uphill battle. Creighton devoted her full resources to the project and also left a successful career in sales at United Packaging and Shipping in order to pursue her dream. For over 12 years at United Packaging Supply, Kim successfully identified major accounts and prospects, which she had ultimately sold and maintained. Ms. Creighton’s professional and educational experience lay the groundwork for her excellent managerial skills and her ability to lead the Portside Arts Center and the development of their programs.
Ms. Creighton has received art instruction at Fleischer Memorial, Cheltenham Arts Center and privately with well-known Artist, Mary Zaccarian. Kim founded and taught the Mosaics Hands On class at the Portside for seven years before passing the torch. Kim has a unique artistic style, which is based largely on geometric shapes and simple objects. She also enjoys working with several different materials such as metals, glass, tile, wood and paints. In turn, out comes beautiful and breath-taking sculptures, mosaics, floor and wall mirrors. Kim also likes to use found and recycled objects some of which are permanently installed at the Portside.
With her background for business and love for the arts, Ms. Creighton has dedicated her life to running the Portside Arts Center and seeing it become a cornerstone to the community.
Sarah Damiano - Education Director - Visual Artist
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Sarah holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from the Maryland
Institute College of Art (MICA). She is a Pennsylvania certified art teacher and has worked with children 3-18 in classroom and after school settings. As an artist she works mostly in drawing and printmaking mediums. www.sarahdamiano.com |
Claudia Bokulich - Marketing and Operations Coordinator - Visual Artist
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Claudia received her BFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in 2015. She has since taught at various non profit art centers throughout Philadelphia. She lived in Western Colorado where she attended Elsewhere Studios Artist Residency and taught at a local art center there. Claudia continues her own artistic practice as a figurative oil painter.
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Rachel Nevins - Minnows Lead Teacher
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Rachel Nevins is the Lead Minnows Teacher at Portside Arts Center. Since 2014, Rachel has been an assistant teacher for the sharks and minnows during our summer camp and after school programs. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Childhood Studies from Stockton University. Rachel has a passion for learning about children’s interactions and what goes on in their minds. Her studies help her guide her students in their creative endeavors.
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Kelsie Lilly - Teaching Artist
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Kelsie Lilly is a Minnows teacher for the Portside Arts Center's Creative Classroom. Since 2014, she has worked with the PAC as a teacher for all age groups, and as a teaching artist for adult stained glass & mosaic classes. Kelsie enjoys planning and executing art festivals and fundraisers to help advocate and spread awareness of the Portside Arts Center.
Kelsie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from West Virginia University where she studied printmaking and sculpture. She is currently enrolled in the New England College of Art & Design studying the social and economic advantages of Creative Placemaking in disenfranchised communities. Kelsie uses her art - and the artwork of her students- to spread visual messages that question environmental awareness and advocate for cultural diversity. "I wish to illustrate for our future world the current perspective of our society from the Philadelphian point-of-view." www.kelsielilly.com |
Katie Butler - Sharks & Pirates Lead Teacher
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Katie is a Lead Teacher for the Sharks and Pirates. Katie holds a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Texas at Arlington, a professional certification from the Portland Actors Conservatory and is a current MFA candidate at University of the Arts with an anticipated degree in Devised and Physical Performance (December 2020). In addition, Katie has been an arts educator and director since 2015, working with students aged 7-18 in classroom and afterschool settings. Beginning her teaching career as a certified educator in Houston, Texas Katie is now an active teaching artist and theatre maker in Philadelphia and aims to blend visual and performing arts to push the boundaries of storytelling.
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Madison Chamberlain - Sharks & Pirates Lead Teacher
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Madison Chamberlain received her Bachelors Degree in Fashion Design from Philadelphia University in 2017. After graduation she designed for companies such as Free People, and QVC. She left her industry design jobs to pursue teaching kids and starting her own clothing brand. Madison has taught two fashion weeks camps at Portside, and is excited to join the team for the school year! She loves incorporating her textile, texture, color knowledge into all of her lessons for a fun hands on process.
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Jessie Hansen - Sharks & Pirates Lead Teacher
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Jessie is a multidisciplinary artist. Her favorite media include painting, collage, and film photography. After graduating from MassArt in 2017 she has taught woodworking, fine arts, and gymnastics. She is now pursuing a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology while continuing her art career. She absolutely loves working with children and it brings her joy to see them express themselves.
jessiekhansen.com |
Paulina Krajewska- Assistant Teacher
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Paulina Krajewska has experience from both sides at Portside. She used to be a camper, a volunteer and now part of the staff. She graduated from Highschool for the Creative and Performing Arts in 2018 in her major of visual arts and recently graduated with an associates degree in Early Childhood Education at CCP. Paulina believes that it is important for children to have a creative outlet especially to help children with their emotions and self regulation. Children that are able to recognize and respond appropriately to their emotions are more capable to learn and focus on what there is to do.
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Chris Windle - Assistant Teacher
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Chris Windle is a practicing artist and community mentor. Chris attended the Tyler School or Art where he studied painting and worked several years as a studio assistant for local sculptor Zenos Frudakis. Chris served as a Rec Leader in the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation for 13 years before retiring in May 2019.
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Chris Jones - Assistant Teacher
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Chris Jones is a musician and multimedia artist based in Philadelphia. After earning his BA from Oberlin College in 2017, he went on to teach music through Brooklyn's public schools and work several jobs in the live sound industry. He moved to Philadelphia in 2019 hoping to connect with a community of artists and found exactly what he was looking for at Portside Arts Center. Now Chris is a Visual Arts Assistant and couldn't be happier. He continues to write music and perform with his band Chris Sunshine. https://www.chrissunshine.com/
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John Price - Upholstery Teacher
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John Price has over 35 years of experience with upholstery. Before going out on his own, John worked for Regent Upholstery in Old City, Philadelphia under, Isreal Kurman for 20 years. Now John has established his own Upholstery shop in Philadelphia where he specializes in bringing old furniture back to life. Aside from refurbishing the old, Mr. Price can build beautiful custom pieces from scratch. John will work with you to create your own design from the first stitch to the last staple! He can bring furniture back from the heap next to the hearth. www.JohnPriceUpholstery.com
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Nicole Schaller - Teaching Artist
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Nicole has a BFA in Fine Arts from Arcadia University and a Masters in Museum Education/ Art Education K-12. She has taught visual arts and coordinated programs in a variety of educational settings including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Asian Arts Initiative, Appel Farm Arts and Music Center, The Philadelphia School and Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. Nicole loves to encourage youth to explore their creativity and self-expression through the arts.
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Joseph Whitfield - Portside at Cherry Street Pier Studio Manager
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Joseph specializes in creative problem solving and visual storytelling with a focus on community-centered projects, multi-media art, and improvisational design. Since graduating from VCU with a degree in sculpture, he has worked with many diverse institutions across the arts, non-profit, and educational sectors including the VMFA, VisArts, Gallery5, Scrap USA, and Yes! And...Collaborative Arts. As a creative consultant and art educator, he has led activities covering a variety of 2D and 3D processes in an effort to help expand individual's communicative capacity, incite imagination, and battle threats to possibility! He manages Portside's studio and gallery space at Cherry Street Pier.
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