Artworks Studio Instructors

Jenna Bentley is a certified K-12 art teacher who earned her B.A. in Visual Art at the Pennsylvania State University’s college of Arts and Architecture; her focus was life drawing and oil painting until discovering ceramics, which Jenna still practices today. She continued her education at the School of Visual Arts in New York City where she earned an M.A.T. in Art Education in 2015. Jenna has experience teaching elementary art in New York City public schools as well as New Jersey, where she worked as a full-time visual arts teacher for eight years. Beginning her career in Bayonne, N.J, Jenna taught high school art for two years before accepting another high school teaching position in Essex County. Jenna has experience teaching a range of visual art courses, from ceramics, AP drawing and painting, printmaking and illustration. Jenna has also taught elementary art at the Montclair Art Museum’s Yard School of Arts' summer program.

Cassandra Brown

Cassandra graduated from TCNJ - The College of New Jersey with a double major in art and math education. She got a job right out of school in Morristown and has been there for 29 years, working with students from pre-K to 5th grade, with a short time at the high school teaching ceramics and pottery during COVID-19. Cassandra has run many private art lessons and art clubs throughout the years, doing murals, glass melting, pottery wheels, studio art, drawing, and more. Other clubs consist of Girls on the Run and indoor/outdoor games.  

Cassandra has been a member of AENJ (Art Educators of NJ) since being a student. She has attended multiple art conventions and Youth Art Month shows, from the Trenton State House to Grounds for Sculpture and the County College of Morris. In her free time, she paints murals, makes pottery, experiments with various art mediums, makes art for presents and sells by request.

Outside of art, she is a 6th-degree black belt in the karate style Isshin-Ryu and has run multiple kids' classes and camps at the dojo. Cassandra started and ran a girl's lacrosse program in Morristown from 3rd - 8th grade that she handed over to the Colonials boys' program when she got busy with her own three kids. She has coached lacrosse and Field Hockey at Morristown High School and the Long Valley club program.  

Karen Brown graduated with a BFA in visual communications from Hood College and furthered her fine arts education at Pratt Institute, School of Visual Arts NYC, Center for Visual Arts of NJ, and Center of Contemporary Arts. Her early career was spent art directing and managing package design for Mattel Toys, Kraft Foods, Nestle, and Disney for over 10 years. Since 2014 she has taught Artworks Studio art classes for all ages but especially enjoys working with young kids. Her artistic interests extend to watercolor, drawing, photography, and pastel. She is a member of the Pastel Society of NJ.

Hannah Coward

Hannah Coward is a certified K-12 art teacher, having earned her B.A. in Art Education from The College of New Jersey. As a Randolph native, she grew up taking classes at Artworks and is excited to return as a teacher. Hannah teaches multiple levels of visual arts at a public middle school in Morris County, employing her various art knowledge across both 2D and 3D mediums.

Hannah has extensive experience in various mediums, including glass, metal, textiles, photography, ceramics, painting, and drawing. She prides herself on her skills in painting with watercolors and acrylics, having completed painting commissions for locals and clients across the country. Recently, she began attending curated events for her sustainability-focused small business, Celastrina Designs (@celastrinadesigns).

Stacy Mazzarino Currie is a mixed media and watercolor artist. She took major art in high school and studied graphic design and toy design at The School of Visual Arts in NYC, as well as classes in watercolor and journaling at the Visual Art Center of New Jersey. Stacy worked as a freelance textile designer in the 90s and early 2000, selling her designs to major labels. Stacy has illustrated a folk tale series of three books. Stacy is currently the director of children’s ministries at BRPC and has 20-plus years of experience as an early childhood educator. She has implemented her own art program and written curriculum for both vacation bible school and art camps for students ages 3 to 10. Stacy also teaches art workshops for adults in watercolor. Featured in the NYT and Where Women Create you can find Stacy at instagram.com/stacycakes13. Explore her Etsy shop here.

Steffi Salgado is an artist and art educator whose creative journey began in Honduras, where she directed and participated in storytelling performances for children and young adults. Now based in New Jersey, she blends her cultural heritage with her passion for nurturing creativity in young minds. Steffi earned her B.A. in Visual Arts with Teacher Certification (summa cum laude) from Montclair State University and an A.F.A. in Fashion Design from the County College of Morris.

Recognized for her artistic and academic excellence, Steffi has been honored with memberships in Kappa Delta Pi and The National Honor Society, along with awards such as the Machuga Visual Arts Scholarship, the Teachers Club of Montclair Scholarship, and the Geoffrey W. Newman Scholarship.

In her teaching, Steffi views art as a universal language—one that nurtures imagination, empathy, and confidence. Her classes are joyful, hands-on experiences where young artists explore color, shape, and storytelling while developing creative thinking and self-expression. With warmth, patience, and enthusiasm, Steffi transforms every lesson into an opportunity for discovery, growth, and fun.

Anne Marie Tatkow pursued fine art in college and secured her teaching degree from The National College of Art and Design, in Dublin, Ireland. Figure drawing and printmaking were her areas of expertise. She won the Derek Hill Award for her academic and artistic accomplishments. She taught high school art for six years in Ireland and worked in summer camp programs before moving to America. Teaching opportunities arose in private schools in Ringwood, Wayne, NJ, and in the Dallas International School in Texas. When she moved to Randolph 18 years ago, she became a member of the Newcomers Association and was vice president for 2 years. She has worked in the Randolph school system and has taught art enrichment after school privately. While her children were in school, she decorated the environmental center and did face painting for all the fundraising and social events, as well as teaching mini-courses during the winter months to the students. Currently working in the Dover school system and attending seminars/workshops that pertain to the overall health and education of the child. 

Leah K. Tomaino received her BFA from the Cooper Union, NY, and her MA from William Paterson University, New Jersey both with concentrations in painting. She has also studied abroad at the Studio Art School of the Aegean, Samos, Greece. Leah teaches mixed media painting classes to adults and children at Artworks Studio, Randolph, NJ, and is a professor at the County College of Morris. Leah has taught workshops for the Children's Museum, SoHo, NY, and has been a grant recipient from the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation, NY. Her work has been widely exhibited throughout the country, has won national awards, and is in many private and public collections. Leah is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and is represented by New Hope Sidetracks Art Gallery, New Hope, PA.