Brandon is a self-employed software developer (and aspiring artist). He grew up in a small town in eastern Nebraska and studied oil painting and digital media at Nebraska Wesleyan University before moving to Denver in 2010. In 2015 Brandon co-founded a creative technology company called Barbershop that specialized in designing and building technology applications for clients ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 companies. After Barbershop merged with one of its clients, Brandon moved on to work for Moment Health—a tech startup based in Silicon Valley focused on improving peoples’ mental and social health, both of which are major priorities in his own life. Today he works as an independent contractor and has turned more of his focus towards making art in his spare time. Brandon loves all of the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer and recently completed his first Ironman triathlon in November of 2023! When he’s not swimming, biking, or running he loves volunteering and hanging out with the teachers and kids at The Art Garage every week!

Brittany, a former elementary educator and instructional coach, has been an artist for as long as she can remember. She loves to work with children and adults alike, helping them to explore their creativity and learn about themselves through art. Brittany has a Bachelor's degree in Studio Art from Wellesley College, a Master's degree in Special Education, and she was a teacher for 10 years before pivoting to creating artwork full-time. Working in a variety of media, Brittany also runs a small business creating artwork that seeks to inspire, connect, and help people find their community. She's thrilled to be a part of the Art Garage community!

Celeste is from Boulder, Colorado and has a B.A. in Communications, M.A. in Early Childhood Education, and professionally trained in Classical and Modern Dance. She started doing Arts and Crafts around the table with her Great Aunt and critically ill cousin. It taught her about the healing and nurturing aspects of art and Creativity. She currently and gratefully is an art teacher, art assistant, and is painting and illustrating more, returning to her early creative roots and innate belief that art is for everyone. 

Website: https://www.cloeyreneart.com/

Colorado based visual artist and art instructor. He specializes in graphite illustration, and is proficient  with various mediums such as airbrush, graphic design, charcoal, and more. His teaching philosphy centers around, empowerment,  encouragement, and exploration. 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/decorrean.c

Website: https://dyfferentmedia.squarespace.com/

Joy Giles (she/her) joined the Art Garage team in 2018. Before coming to the Art Garage she was an art teacher for K-8th grade students in the Denver area for 13 years. Before that, she taught English in Japan for 5 years to students ranging in age from 3 years old to adults. She has a BA in Printmaking from The Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. She believes everyone has some kind of creative spark and helping people find theirs is a passion of hers. Through art, she loves to learn and teach about world cultures, geography, and history. She is very happy to be a part of the Art Garage family.

Katie Trapp is a Denver-based mixed media artist inspired by the beauty, color, and variety found in nature. Using a combination of acrylic paint and collage, she creates layered, textured artwork that explores floral and botanical themes, organic shapes, and natural patterns. Her work blends playful creativity with thoughtful composition, resulting in pieces that feel vibrant, fresh, and full of life. Katie creates original artwork, commissions, and prints designed to bring a touch of nature indoors. She also enjoys sharing her love of art through classes and workshops that encourage creativity and exploration for artists of all skill levels in many mediums. 

https://ktrappart.wordpress.com/

Kylle Been started her art career in ceramics. She is passionate about teaching and sharing artistic techniques. She is now an interdisciplinary artist primarily focused on clay  sculpture, but loves to create images with watercolor and acrylic painting. She believes when we open ourselves up to the infinite possibilities contained within our minds, we are able to create functional changes in our world. 

Mieke (they/he/she) is a self-taught mixed media artist and workshop facilitator. They work predominantly with reclaimed materials and delight in showing others the wonders of would-be trash. Mieke's facilitation style is informed by his background in mental health and theater respectively. She is committed to co-creating environments in which people can learn to relate to materials (and the wider world) in new ways. Check out their work on Instagram @MieliepopCreations www.instagram.com/mieliepopcreations/

Sara earned her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Michigan State University and is a multi-media artist and photographer. With more than 20 years of experience teaching and working with children, she is passionate about fostering creativity, confidence, and self-expression in every student.

Sara believes that creativity exists in everyone and that every student can succeed when given the right tools, encouragement, and instruction. Her classroom encourages curiosity, artistic exploration, and hands-on learning in a supportive and engaging environment.

And if you ask her favorite color, she’ll happily answer: “the rainbow” — because choosing just one has never been her style.

Yessenia S. Hinojos, is an artist with spotlights in various local businesses and galleries throughout the Denver Metro area. Her background is primarily in Illustration but has personally studied in Watercolor, Pyrography, and Blockprinting. She started to explore teaching art in January 2023.

Sierra is a multimedia artist who can most often be found drawing favorite characters on a sticker-covered iPad, poking away at a new fuzzy needle felted creation, or painting two beloved cats in the Art Garage's pet portrait class every time it's offered.

The Art Garage was instantly a perfect fit for Sierra who joined the team as a volunteer in 2024, then soon after became a studio assistant, and is now additionally beginning to teach needle felting classes. 

Every day in the studio has its impactful highlights for this dedicated assistant who always strives to make classes run smoothly for teachers and students alike. If you look around on the walls or The Art Garage's social media, you'll see many of the flyers and posts that were created by Sierra, a proud member of the marketing committee.

Going forward, Sierra hopes to continue experimenting with all different types of art mediums, as well as sharing that passion for creating with anyone who enters The Art Garage.