Meet the Education Team!
Our team of educators and instructors provides a variety of art education classes for artists of all ages. As practicing local artists and professional art instructors, they work to create an inviting working and learning environment for all who enter the studio.
Nancy Gareh
Education & Program Manager
Nancy Gareh joined the Art Gallery of Sudbury | Galerie d’art de Sudbury as Education & Program Manager in 2001. She has developed the education department to rank among the strongest in the province, demonstrating excellence and innovation and programs to a diverse audience of over 7,000 participants each year. Nancy has had extensive experience in teaching and designing curriculum for a variety of disciplines. She has sat on numerous jury panels and serves as a recommender for the Ontario Arts Council. Nancy has successfully applied for numerous grants and oversees the hiring and grant applications for the Art Gallery of Sudbury’s internship, co-op student and summer jobs programs as well as organizing events and hospitality for a variety of events and opening receptions.
Sarah Blondin
Education Coordinator
Sarah Blondin graduated from Cambrian College Design and Visual Art Program in 2017. Sarah became the Education Coordinator for the Art Gallery of Sudbury | Galerie d’art de Sudbury in 2018 and has been teaching art to various ages and community groups ever since. Working in community-based art projects have brought her a deeper understanding of the importance of creativity to help people better express themselves to bring awareness to their own mental health and well-being. Sarah is a practicing artist working mainly in illustration, creating whimsical worlds to hopefully bring some humour and joy through her art practice.
Adult Educators
Dineen Worth
Acrylic Painting, Seniors and Special Projects
Dineen is a multidisciplinary artist whose’ passion is in teaching art. Her students have ranged in ages 4 – 101.”One of the greatest soul affirming moments is when a student’s eyes go wide with pride in what they are creating.” Dineen has gained the trust of people in the arts community and hosts many arts events in the art studio building she manages bringing many different disciplines of art together harmoniously.
“The art world is like a family, you need to nurture it, feed it, love it then watch them take their wings and grow.”
“To gift someone the ability to “see” then to create, is one of life’s greatest rewards.”
Get more info on the Adults Acrylic Painting course.
Sheryl Boivin
Portrait Drawing
Sheryl Boivin is a contemporary realist artist based out of Sudbury Ontario, Canada. She uses a variety of mediums from oils to acrylics, to pencils and pastel. Her passion is figurative, most typically the female form, but she also explores other subject matters such as landscape art and is often seen out in the field completing plein-air work. Sheryl’s work has sold internationally with pieces in Guatemala, Australia and Germany.
Get more info on the Introduction to Portrait Drawing course.
Rita Vanderhooft
Beginner Watercolour
“My art is my experience, real or otherwise, conveying traces from places to the viewers. Art has always been a part of my life, it is an extension of who I am. I have some formal training. Two years in a general art program at Cambrian collage. I’ve taken workshops with Helen Whitehead, Linda Finn, Diane Steward, Brigitte Bere. These are few of the ladies who have encouraged my journey to find my own style and confidence. The creative process is something I have always been passionate about. So I carry on experimenting and learning . It has taken me 67 years to learn to finish that piece of art, whether you hate it or love it. It is always a learning process.”
Get more info on the Watercolour Basics course.
Creative Kids & Outreach Instructors
Emily Sportan
Creative Kids Educator & Outreach Coordinator
Emily Sportan (she/her) is a 24 year old, LGBTQIA+ artist based in Sudbury, Ontario. She studied at Sheridan College in their Art Fundamentals program, and has since branched out to freelance illustration, and as of spring 2023, proudly teaching at the Art Gallery of Sudbury. Emily has been a painter and visual artist for majority of her life, and her work has slowly transitioned onto digital and animated formats in recent years. Her work has a sense of playfulness, with subject matter focusing heavily on mental health and wellness. She currently works as a full time freelance illustrator under the name “Art by Astronoht”.
Get more info on the Creative Kids weekend programs or School & Community Group offerings.