MEET OUR TEACHERS
Workshop SLC has a dedicated team of professional artists who teach our weekly programs. Learn more about them below!
KAORI FAIRBOURN
STUDIO MANAGER
WATERCOLOR INSTRUCTOR
Kaori Fairbourn was born in Kobe, Japan and is now currently residing in SLC, UT. She has had the opportunity to live in 3 different continents as a child which has helped her mind expand to the beauty of landscapes and sceneries. She has studied Art and Art History at Utah Valley University and coupled with her extensive travel experiences and her love for colors has helped influence her to become the artist that she is today. Kaori has done numerous commissions in the past which specializes in wedding invitation designs and landscape paintings.
She believes that watercolor has not only impacted her creativity but also has given her the power to let her mind rest and breathe through the everyday stress in life. Her hopes and wishes in life are to help anyone feel at ease and joyful as they see her paintings.
Also pictured: Giovanni (Kay’s Corgi)
samantha dasilva
WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
Samantha da Silva (1978) is a Brazilian-born artist living in Salt Lake City, UT. She is a third-generation artist shaped by migration, assimilation, and her desire to create. She has moved over forty times as a result of natural disasters and life circumstances. Like many who have experienced migration, she underwent a process of assimilation at the crucial age of 10, and her relationship with things was forever altered by having to leave so much behind. Her artwork has become a navigational tool that helps to connect her to new surroundings and provides a form of consistency in a life full of movement.
She is best known for her large-scale relief sculptures that resemble topographic maps and cracked earth, made from found materials such as dirt and sawdust. The themes of this body of work revolve around belonging, spirituality, mapmaking, and resourcefulness.
As an educator, da Silva has taught at various public and private institutions in Canada, the United States, Hawaii, and France, and her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Bravo TV, HGTV, and others.
LOUISE CHRISTENSEN
FINE ART INSTRUCTOR
Hi friends, my name is Louise. I've spent my entire life creating and art has always been my greatest love. My background is in portrait work, but overtime I've learned that my true passion lies within art curriculum planning and teaching. I have taught hundreds of classes to just about every age and loved it.
Throughout my years of teaching and managing art spaces, I’ve found that working with children has been particularly rewarding for me. There is nothing more fulfilling than curating special art experiences that I would have loved myself as an art kid. I believe all children possess a unique, creative voice innately, and I love to encourage my students to channel that individuality through art within my classes. I like experimenting with all different kinds of materials and making sure to always provide a safe space for my students.
I grew up here in Utah and am so excited to continue building enriching art classes for children within my local community. I cannot wait to create with you all!
CHRIS MAGGIO
DRAWING/SKETCHING INSTRUCTOR
Our Drawing Instructor, Chris Maggio, formerly taught college-level figure drawing, among other courses. He is a Medical Illustrator by degree, as well as a concept artist, architectural illustrator/designer, product designer, cartoonist, painter, master sketch artist, and draftsman/engineer. His personal favorite creative genre is anything nautical.
morgan allen
POTTERY INSTRUCTOR
Hi friends! I am Morgan Allen. I was born and raised in Indiana, where I was fortunate enough to of been exposed to my only consistent passion I’ve found in this life, ceramics. My ceramic journey began as a wee 15 year old and has continued to blossom ever since. Although, i’ve been in contact with clay for almost 10 years my knowledge for all pieces and parts of the ceramic process started developing in 2020, after I graduated college. I received my degree in in Elementary Education with a concentration in art and specification in ceramics, so I am able to be an art teacher but not limited to only being an art teacher!
I moved to Utah in 2021 with the intention of starting my 20’s in a new state. Here i’ve been able to grow my ceramic business, create new relationships, and stare at mountains on a daily basis (10/10 would recommend). I suppose when i’m not immersed in mud, I love indulging in camping, paddle boarding, soccer, photography, traveling, reading and whatever else resonates with me at the time!
I am so excited you’ve decided to embark on your ceramic journey, I can’t wait to meet you and watch you grow as an artist in my cute little class (-:
KENDYL SCHOFIELD
OIL PAINTING INSTRUCTOR
Kendyl Schofield is a visual artist based in Salt Lake City, Utah, working primarily in oil paint. She earned her BFA with an emphasis in Painting and Drawing from the University of Utah in 2020.
Her recent studio practice has focused on Utah landscapes, plein air studies and commissions of pets (primarily dogs). In a classroom setting Kendyl strives to support the artist inside everyone and foster creativity while being a resource for both technical and creative development.
Outside of the studio Kendyl enjoys spending time with DIY home renovation projects and getting away to camp/travel with her partner and dog as much as possible.
Griffin Hale
POTTERY INSTRUCTOR
Griffin has a background in education and a passion for working with clay. He earned a BFA with an emphasis in ceramics from the University of Utah in 2022.
Clay has allowed for a creative exploration of love, loss, growth and gratitude throughout his life. In the studio he wants to continue to develop his relationship with clay and explore how the medium can portray time and energy.\
In the classroom he strives to create a space that is comfortable and challenging - a space where exploring the medium of clay is fun, but also educational.
In a world that moves this quickly, we must, every once and awhile, stop to play in the mud.
Gabby omaN
POTTERY INSTRUCTOR
Gabby is a ceramic artist and instructor from Utah. She has been doing ceramics since she was 4 years old and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in ceramics, as well as minors in sculpture and art history. Gabby is inspired by artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Hitomi Hosono, and Ogawa Machiko. She is enamored with the tactile experience of the ceramic medium and is inspired by the process of creating a form or vessel and how it can be explored. She hopes to teach others the joys of creating while continuing her own artistic practice.
spencer brady
FINE ART INSTRUCTOR
Spencer Brady is a classically trained painter with a lifelong passion for the arts. After visiting Florence during a painting and drawing study abroad program, he fell in love with the city of Florence, and decided he simply had to live and study there. In 2018, he began his studies at Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, where he was rigorously trained in the sight-size method, emphasizing precision, proportion, and the study of light and form. Spencer has exhibited internationally, including in “Cuatro Miradas” in Villa de Leyva, Colombia—a group exhibition showcasing four contemporary artists from around the world. As an instructor, Spencer is committed to helping students build strong foundational skills while cultivating self-confidence in a supportive and focused environment. Spencer loves walking his dog, cooking good food, and driving with the windows down!
Allison kristine
DIGITAL PAINTING INSTRUCTOR
As a fantasy illustrator with 14 years of experience, I bring my love of character-driven storytelling and worldbuilding into the classroom. Based in Utah and holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in illustration, I guide students through approachable, practical techniques that help them express their own creative vision. My goal is to make the artistic process feel both empowering and accessible, whether we’re exploring portraiture, or imaginative environments. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned and help students grow their skills with confidence.
Miranda Gilvarry
PRIVATE EVENT INSTRUCTOR
Miranda Gilvarry (@thinskintattoos) (they/she) is an acrylic painter and tattoo artist specializing in illustrative, black and grey and color realism, vintage/retro, etching, psychedelic and American traditional inspired tattoo styles. They grew up in the Seattle area, studied Illustration and Visual Communications at AIU London, spent some time as a flight attendant, and eventually found their way to SLC where they met their supportive spouse, got a business degree, had a baby, and then decided to learn how to tattoo while raising that baby thanks to that supportive spouse. They have been tattooing at Raventhorn Manor Tattoo since 2000. Art in nearly every form is their lifelong passion and sharing it, building community around it, and prioritizing an inclusive, safe and inspiring experience for all is their mission.
Britny Snel
PRIVATE EVENT INSTRUCTOR
Britny Snel is a Cottonwood Heights, UT-based artist working in fine arts and ceramics. A self-taught artist, Britny views the creative process as a vital practice intended to inspire, expand, and enrich the human experience. Her work is a celebration of simple joys, translating personal "favorite things" into tangible forms designed to share happiness with her audience. Her lifelong engagement with art serves as a centering force, a way to calm her mind and share her soul in ways she cannot articulate with words. She is passionate about cultivating spaces for individuals, particularly Fems and Thems, to engage creatively, build community, and learn new skills, advocating strongly for everyone’s right to take up space. Outside of her studio practice, she is a yoga and meditation instructor and a mother of two daughters.