Lori Esposito
Visual Arts and Multimedia
Lori Esposito is an artist and educator who has taught in higher education, museums, community centers and social organizations for over a decade. She earned her MFA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and her PhD from The Ohio State University in Art Education, with a focus on making sensory-led practices that can incorporate naturally occurring processes toward diverse results. Esposito has a background in drawing and painting and has presented her work at cultural centers, museums, and universities nationally and internationally. She has received numerous teaching awards and is committed to meeting students where they are to make deeper connections with their environments.…
Dara Harper
Multimedia and Visual Arts
Dara Harper M.Ed., a passionate, creative entrepreneur, artist, and educator, is a true testament to the power of art and education. Her academic journey at the University of Akron, where she earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, a Bachelor’s in Studio Art with a focus on Painting and a Minor in Art History, has significantly shaped her artistic prowess. This is evident in her public installations at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Downtown Cuyahoga Falls, Morgan Park, North Hill, Firestone Park, Kenmore and the West Side of Akron. When Dara Harper says, “Engaging the community and spaces through art is part of my purpose as an artist,” she is not just making a statement, but revealing her artistic philosophy and her approach to community engagement.…
Polina Isurin
Visual and Multidisciplinary Arts
Polina Isurin is an artist-teacher with over 15 years of experience in museums, schools, organizations, and universities. She holds an MFA in Studio Art from Tufts University, a PhD in Arts Administration, Education, and Policy from The Ohio State University, and is both committed and interested in how creative and pedagogical practices can coexist. Polina has taught a variety of visual art/culture courses (e.g. drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, digital video, AP Visual Art, International Baccalaureate Visual Art, courses within makerspaces) to middle, high school, and college level students, across four different states.…
