Our Team

	Erica Reshef - Artist / Director / Instructor Owning, running, and instructing Visual Arts in a private setting is a privilege and a pleasure. I graduated from Teacher's College with Visual Arts as my major followed by a B.Ed. degree from University of Alberta and have spent 40 years in the classroom teaching all grades - from Senior Kindergarten through to High School. When not in the classroom, I spent my time painting, sculpting, working on commissioned art, and raising our family. As retirement approached, so did my desire to begin a new and exciting chapter in life, and in 2007 ArtVenture became a reality. With each passing term at the studio, I continue to enjoy watching our students approach the process of art as an adventure. It is a journey I enjoy taking alongside my students and am very proud of the inclusive environment we were able to build at ArtVenture.
	Ayala Reshef - Manager / Instructor Creating ArtVenture from ground-up has been a family dream and a personal highlight of my career in the field of Education. Focusing on the Visual Arts has compiled all the best that education has to offer in one inspiring location with talented students, whose desire to learn is both invigorating and remarkable. Bringing forth 20 years of classroom experience with a B.Ed. degree that has enabled me to teach in Edmonton, Vancouver, Stratford, London (UK) and London (Ontario), I feel fortunate to be working alongside my family as we pay homage to art history and help pave the path towards a creative outlet for our current students. ArtVenture’s focus on the Visual Arts has enabled me as a passionate photographer, to bring forth my love for composition, balance, and repetition as means to teach and inspire young artists in their journey towards a life of creativity.
	Hugo Reshef - Finance & Admin Shortly before retiring from an engineering career that took me from the University of Alberta in Edmonton to the National Research Council in London, I joined Erica and Ayala to co-found ArtVenture which was Erica's dream as an artist and art teacher. My interest, and later passion for finances, started when I joined H&R Block as a tax preparer in 1988. After completing the requirements and receiving a certificate from the Canadian Institute of Financial Planners I started my own business in personal and business taxation which I continue to practise to date. I'm proud to be part of this fine and unique institution and to be able to apply over two decades of experience in the field of finances to its success.
	Gianna McGrath - Instructor Having completed an Undergraduate degree in Music, Education and Visual Arts at Western University, I am currently working on a Masters Degree in Music Performance and Literature. I have been teaching and volunteering at many academy's and programs since I was 14 years old and am very grateful for opportunities that allow me to combine my passion for music and art with my passion for teaching. I am extremely excited to be a part of the ArtVenture Studio team; being further inspired by every student and their creative artistic minds!
	Cassidy (Cassie) Morris - Instructor Currently in my fourth and final year at Western University for my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to share my skills and passion for visual arts with my ArtVenture students. As an artist, I am drawn to painting as my medium of choice, in addition to printmaking, embroidery and drawing. Recently, I have been pursuing the exploration of realistic and abstract human body/portrait. It is my goal to inspire our budding mini artists by creating an environment where visual arts and art history is learned through discovery. It is tremendously fulfilling to be part of my students' early art education, guiding them along their path as blossoming artists. Working with my students to create incredible works of art, I look forward to watching them develop their artistic talents while having fun along the way!
	Anna Wilson - Instructor and Camps Director Having graduated from Western University with my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I am now teaching at ArtVenture as well as working as a full time artist in residence at TAP - Center for Creativity. I specialize in large-scale marker drawings of architecture and house interiors. I love sharing my knowledge about art with my students and would like to continue my career in the direction of teaching while also showing my drawings in galleries. With every new term at ArtVenture, I continue to feel a surge of excitement as I get ready to teach and be inspired by our new and returning students.