Ms.Pitcher Biography

Growing up in the village of Painted Post in Upstate New York, Ms. Pitcher's favorite place was the art room. She found magic in creative expression and the power of quality art education, and she is excited to bring that same creative and collaborative energy to the young artists at Decatur.

 

Ms. Pitcher recently transitioned from a decade-long career as a Graphic Designer to pursue a Master’s in Art Education at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. During her MAT program, her passion for teaching through the arts and her core belief that “everyone is creative” were ignited. She completed a year-long competitive internship at Boston Arts Academy (an all-arts public high school) in the Visual Arts Department. This experience informs the current iteration of her teaching practice — creating an environment that emphasizes student-led learning, play within the artistic process, social justice, art therapy, and accessibility. In addition to her Master’s, Ms. Pitcher holds a BFA in Graphic Design & Digital Media from Champlain College and an AAS in Fine Arts & Design from Corning Community College.

 

She is thrilled to work with amazing, creative individuals every day (one of the best parts of being an educator). The daily interactions, community-building, and art-making in her classes inspire her to be a better teacher and artist. How she adapts and grows her approach is in response to each of these young artists—their interests and passions.

 

When she is not in the classroom, her curiosity keeps her busy—whether it's analog (enjoying the outdoors with her partner and dog, playing guitar, spoon carving, and sitting down with a good book) or digital (creating illustrations and animations, watching movies with her cats, and listening to podcasts). She loves discovering new skills and exploring new possibilities.