Get to know our team of experienced art professionals. We are thrilled to help your children develop their passion for art.

Barbara Gay
Barbara Gay, the founder of Children’s Art Classes, is a certified art teacher with over 40 years of teaching experience. She earned her degree in art education at the University of Wisconsin. Barbara has developed and implemented an in-depth art curriculum for children that has gained recognition in the Southwest over the past two decades. Barbara continues to refine our curriculum and training program. In addition to teaching at her Jacksonville studio, she is responsible for instructor training and mentoring.
Her philosophy of art education focuses on building her students’ self-esteem through public recognition of their achievements. “The proof is in the pudding!” has been her motto. Teaching is her passion.

Lisa Shanahan
Lisa is thrilled to be part of your child's artistic journey. Lisa is passionate about art and its ability to develop self-expression and grow confidence in children. Lisa enjoys creating art with many mediums, including charcoal and pencil drawing, acrylics, and her favorite, oil paints.
After earning her B.S. in Marketing from Indiana University, Lisa had a diverse career in marketing, public relations, and social work. Lisa has three grown children and lives in Geneva with her husband and two goldendoodles.

Rick Yent
Rick Yent grew up in Towson, MD and is a graduate of Towson University. Rick has been an entrepreneur from an early age and has had multiple careers in restaurant management, Information Technology and sail design and construction. He is an avid photographer and has won multiple awards with his photography. He was a teacher in the Anne Arundel County, MD school system and taught industrial arts and Computer Technology to 6th and 7th graders. Rick has a passion for teaching and enjoys working with kids of all ages to teach them new skills and self-confidence.

Shiloh Warner
Shiloh Warner is a student at Savannah College of Art Design, majoring in art history with a minor in painting. She started attending Children’s Art Classes when she was 8 years old and was a student here for 10 years. Shiloh’s portfolio consists of many acrylic paintings of polar bears, often accompanied by glitter. Another muse of hers is rats, because she has 5 pet rats of her own.
Shiloh is passionate about childcare and has many years of experience in preschool education and nannying. Her dream job was always to be an art teacher— so she’s grateful to be living her dream at the studio that sparked that aspiration.

Maya Widmer
Maya grew up in Chesterfield county and now lives in the Manchester area of Richmond. She graduated from Cosby H.S. with art honors and is currently a student at VCU.
She is an avid lover of anime (a hand-drawn and computer animation originating from Japan) and enjoys several mediums including watercolors, chalk pastels and ink.
As a Children’s Art Classes instructor, Maya can combine her passion for art and children. She truly has a gift of connecting with children of all ages as well as helping them discover and develop their strengths while building their esteem, self-expression and pride.
Maya has worked as a camp counselor for many years and is excited to work with your child to help them explore the world of art and grow as creative and critical thinkers.

Grace Su Young Kim
Grace received her Bachelor’s in Fine Art from Wonkwang University in South Korea where she studied oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting, abstract painting, and installation art. Grace has spent many years working as a Graphic Design Artist and an educator. She has taught children of all ages both in Korea and here in the US.
As a mom of three wonderful children, she has navigated the demands of parenting and understands how to connect her passion for art with education, patience, and encouragement. As an artist, her passion is botanical art using watercolors.

Josmary
Josmary is an Architect from Venezuela, while in college, she took a number of art classes, including sketching, architectural drawing, and graphic design. She also received a Marketing and Business degree from the University of North Florida, where she work as a designer for promotional material on campus.
For about 15 years she has been a freelancer graphic designer, allowing her to grow as an artist on the digital field. Josmary has been teaching extracurricular activities to children for 10 years, and she loves to help them discover and develop their strengths while building their esteem and pride. She loves to sketch using either fine markers or ebony pencil, and she uses sketching for every situation in her life as a therapeutic, communication, and organization tool.

Gail Shahin
A Miami resident and formally a middle school art teacher in the Miami-Dade Public School system for 35 years, Gail holds a Masters in Art Education from Florida International University. Gail is now retired and enjoys her time helping little ones discover their love for art.

Mackenzie Young
Born and raised in Palm Beach county. Mackenzie is a proud Bak Middle School of the Arts and Dreyfoos School of the Arts graduate. Her passion for the arts is everlasting; her goal at Children’s Art Classes is to spread the critical thinking aspects and the joy that the arts have to offer us.

Cheyenne Graham
Cheyenne is a resident of Loxahatchee and attended Miami International University of Art & Design. Cheyenne is passionate about art and representation through art. She believes that art is how we relay the beauty we find in the world. Cheyenne has been creating art ever since her hands could hold a pencil and enjoys sharing that same enjoyment to others.

Krystal Nowak
Krystal is a new teacher at Children's Art Classes in Royal Palm Beach. She recently graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Bachelor's degree in elementary education and previously attended Bak and Dreyfoos Schools of the Arts. Krystal loves art and making a difference in children's lives. She is looking forward to sharing her experience with the team.

Allee Flanigan
In her free time, Allee enjoys spending time with local friends and family, taking her mini schnauzer on adventures, and making music on her own! She’s excited to bring her passion for growth and creativity to CAC!

Maria Ananieva
Maria, born in Bulgaria, received her Associate Degree in Graphic Design from the College of Dupage along with continuing education in Fine Arts. Her primary medium is oil painting, and her primary subjects are birds and flowers. Maria is a Batavia, IL artist where she has been teaching and creating art for over 5 years. Maria finds her students to not only be extremely creative, but truly inspiring, as they have no blocks or barriers to their artistic abilities - just the desire to create! Maria’s teaching style is encouraging children & adults to develop their own artistic style as they develop in their skills.

Amy Dahn

Taylor Hahn
Taylor Hahn is a university student majoring in Art History. She loves painting and is excited to teach at Children's Art Classes. In her free time, she loves to go on walks and spend time with her friends along with exploring new hobbies and crafts.