Studio Classes

Daniel Mantilla is a Colombian-born artist with over a decade of experience teaching young people, families, and adults. In his paintings, drawing-collages, and cutouts, Daniel explores ideas of transition and instability. He previously lived in New York City, where he recorded instructional videos for public television. His art has been exhibited across the United States and internationally. He has studied paintings in museum collections in Spain, conducted research on cadmium-free acrylic paint, and holds an MFA from Hunter College.

Jaffia Royes is a visual artist and art educator who lived and worked in New York City for seventeen years before moving to Atlanta. As an educator, she has worked with various art organizations, museums, and schools and has taught artists of all ages, including portfolio development for those entering art and design colleges and universities. While Jaffia’s primary medium for over two decades has been oil painting, she began developing a body of work in clay a few years ago as a creative way to house her ever-growing plant collection. Her passions for art and plant life allow space for her to practice mindfulness, serenity, and self-care, which she brings into the classroom and hopes to encourage through her teaching.

Loi Laing is a visual artist and educator specializing in fiber art, natural dyeing, earth pigments, and botanical inks. She is committed to sustainability and is passionate about connecting people with nature through art. Her workshops emphasize the use of locally sourced, eco-friendly materials, fostering creativity and respect for the environment. By sharing ancient techniques alongside contemporary approaches, Loi empowers participants to explore their artistic potential while honoring the earth. Her writing is featured in the book This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection (2021) by Jen Hewett.

Purna Ahuja is a graphic artist turned art educator. As a graphic artist, she worked in publishing in New York and Atlanta with a specialization in children’s books. Her passion for educational materials inspired her to change careers, and she worked as an art educator for Gwinnett County Public Schools for twenty-one years, using multidisciplinary and STEAM-based methods to teach students of diverse needs and abilities. She has served as a juror to select high school students for the Governor’s Honors Program and has also been a supervising mentor for several art education students at Georgia State University. 

Marquetta Johnson is a textile artist and quilter residing in Stone Mountain, Georgia, who creates her works from her own dyed, printed, and stamped fabrics. She has over thirty years of experience as a teaching artist, working in inclusive classrooms for all ages and abilities, and she is affiliated with VSA International/Kennedy Center, The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Decatur Education Foundation, and Utah State University’s Arts Access Program. Her artwork has been featured in multiple publications, including Quilt Magazine and MARTA’s MARTA on the Go, and is included in several private and corporate collections such as the estates of B. B. King and Faith Ringgold, the University of Maryland, Turner Broadcasting, and The Coca-Cola Company. She is the author of the how-to book Hand-Dyed Quilts (2008).

Michelle Alba is a teaching artist at the High Museum of Art, where she works with children, families, adults, and older adults. She has taught arts-integrated curriculum involving photography, video, visual arts, music, and theater since 2001, both in Chicago and Atlanta. She holds a BA in art education from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.