Meet Our Team
Westport Leadership Team
Sarah Rinaldi | Director
Sarah Rinaldi received her BFA in Art Education from Manhattanville College and her MFA from the College of New Rochelle. Throughout her studies, she worked with artists across a variety of disciplines, including printmaking, sculpture, watercolor, and mixed media.
As an undergraduate, Sarah interned in the Education Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She later served as the Children’s Programming Director at Citibabes in SoHo, NYC, where she spent eight years developing and leading arts-based programming for children and families. She then spent three years directing a Reggio Emilia-inspired program in Connecticut, creating an authentic studio curriculum focused on fine artists, materials, and techniques.
Sarah is an artist and educator whose work is inspired by nature, with a focus on watercolor, printmaking, and mixed media. She currently serves as Regional Director for One River School of Art + Design, where she oversees multiple locations while leading educational programming, exhibitions, and community engagement initiatives. Sarah is passionate about creating meaningful art experiences that inspire creativity and lifelong learning.
Emma Reid | Assistant Director
Emma Reid graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Graphic Design. She works across a variety of artistic mediums, with a focus on design and illustration. Her freelance background includes web design and creative work for a range of clients and institutions, creating everything from websites and branding materials to movie posters and packaging design.
Art has always been a central part of Emma’s life, and she loves helping others discover their own creative voice. She has been a member of the One River team since 2020, beginning her journey as a Digital Art instructor. Working closely with students and fellow instructors has given her the opportunity to share her passion for creativity while continuing to learn and grow herself.
At One River, Emma enjoys fostering a welcoming environment where artists of all ages and experience levels can explore new skills, build confidence, and have fun creating!
Maija Krasts | Director of Education
Maija received her BFA with honors in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design and a BA in International Relations from American University. Before moving to Westport with her family, she worked as a senior designer for a national womenswear brand in NYC. In addition to teaching at One River, she was an instructor at the New England Fashion+Design Association. As an illustrator, she works primarily in marker, gouache, watercolor and ink. Maija has spent years sharing her love of art and design with kids in local public schools and is excited to help students of all ages and abilities find their inner artist through the unique One River experience. She also loves that her youngest students know her
as “Maija Papaya”!
Ashley Green | Assistant Director of Education
Ashley Green received their BFA in Animation + Game Arts from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth - College of Visual and Performing Arts. She began her art journey in traditional mediums, but now focuses on digital media including both 2D and 3D. Ashley’s work uses their Japanese-American upbringing and cultures to inspire their art. Outside of teaching, they work as a freelance character and environment concept artist in the gaming industry. She is from Fairfield and brings her own creative and quirky spin to teaching the next generation of artists!
In-Studio Educators
Katia Claude | Instructor
Katia Claude was born and raised in France before moving to Montreal where she studied Fine Art at the University of Quebec in Montreal. She was an instructor at the French American International school and studied at the San Francisco Studio School in Contemporary Art for her own practice. Katia is a visual artist with oil painting being her strong medium of expression. She moved to Connecticut in 2019 and has found a great fit at One River School.
Hannah Bertrand | Instructor
Hannah received her BFA in Art with a concentration in drawing from the University of Rhode Island. Her artwork is inspired by her love of nature, especially animals and flowers. Her artwork is typically created with soft pastels or oil paint. She previously served as Activities Coordinator for an assisted living facility, where she used her love of art to nurture creativity and expression in seniors affected by dementia. She is excited to be teaching at One River and foster creativity in another generation.
Lilah Heyman | Instructor
Lilah Heyman graduated from Fairfield University in 2021 with a BFA in Studio Art and minors in Education, Graphic Design, and Marketing. In 2023, she graduated from Western Connecticut State University with an MFA in Painting. Lilah is primarily a painter, focusing on contemporary still lives and interior scenes in both oils and acrylics. She also creates through drawing, printmaking, and embroidery. Lilah is passionate about nurturing the gift of creativity and the love of learning in young students.
Bella Papadopoulos | Instructor
Bella Papadopoulos received her BFA in Digital Media and Design, with a focus in Motion Design and Animation from the University of Connecticut. She began drawing traditionally from a very young age, but eventually tried and now focuses on digital media. She is a digital artist and animator who loves to work on the preproduction of media, such as storyboarding, character and weapon concept art, and animatics. Bella is very excited to help spark that interest in art with the students at One River, wanting to help provide the enjoyment of creating to as many as she can.
Olivia Porretta | Instructor
Olivia Porretta is an award winning filmmaker, animator, and teacher who graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a Bachelors in Animation. She specializes in storyboarding and animation, and has produced countless short films-- many of said films have been selected for film festivals and have won numerous awards, including Best Production Design and Best in Show. She is also the recipient of the BAFTA King's Scholarship for her Thesis Grant. She has also worked for numerous clients including Titmouse, Studio Yotta, Showtime, Cartuna, Nathanlove, and more. Olivia loves working with students who want to tell stories and create their own unique worlds through art and animation.
Tziporah Zions | Instructor
Ava Porretta | Instructor
Lory Tomassi | Instructor
Lory is a studio artist and experienced teacher who believes that everyone is creative and that making art should be joyful, exploratory, and a little bit fearless. She’s taught students of all ages in schools, co-ops, and community settings, encouraging them to build skills, express themselves, and enjoy the process.
She’s also a lifelong learner and proud One River student, always exploring new techniques and materials to bring fresh energy into her classes.
When she’s not teaching or creating, Lory is spending time with her family.
Mitch Vecchione | Instructor
Mitch is a Connecticut based Illustrator and Visual Development artist. He received a BFA in Illustration from Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in 2019. He began as a traditional artist working in gouache, charcoal, and oils until he came across digital and animation. He freelanced for a few years with comics and games before going back to earn an MFA in Visual Development from Academy of Art University. Outside of teaching he is a freelancer for studios in the games and animation industry. He has worked on numerous games as a character designer and background painter. Mitch loves sharing his passion for art with the staff and students here at One River.
Jader Correa | Instructor
Jader began his Teaching Artist journey while working with Art Space New Haven, where he facilitated Street Art and Graffiti Art workshops that introduced students to creative techniques and the cultural significance of public art. He later completed AFLCT’s Teaching Artist Program, Emerge, earning a Teaching Artist Certificate. He has been featured as a Teaching Artist presenter at educational conventions throughout CT, including events with Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS).
Since then, Jader has gained extensive experience working with diverse age groups and communities. He collaborates with local school districts to provide engaging in-school and after-school art programs, creating learning environments that encourage exploration, confidence, and individuality. He continues to expand his practice through professional development in areas such as UDL (Universal Design for Learning), SEL (Social Emotional Learning), and STEAM education to ensure accessible and inclusive experiences for every learner.
Jader’s work as a freelance artist spans digital design, collaborations with local streetwear and skateboard brands, and large-scale mural projects throughout community spaces and schools. His artwork reflects his connection to culture, identity, and the power of visual storytelling. Jader is honored to bring his experience, energy, and artistic perspective to the One River School team.
Join Our Team
Career opportunities at One River School allow passionate artists, educators and lovers of art to share their love and knowledge of art and enhance the lives of people they connect with everyday.