Meet Our Team
Englewood Leadership Team
Shannon McGillick
Director
Shannon McGillick holds a BFA in Fine Art with a focus in photography from Pace University. Her personal work spans digital design, mixed media, and painting. Shannon is deeply passionate about curating exhibitions and thrives on collaborating with fellow artists to foster a supportive and inclusive community for creative expression. At One River School, Shannon is dedicated to nurturing her students' growth within a safe and encouraging environment. In her free time, Shannon enjoys cuddling with her dog, Luna, baking, and exploring museums!
Zach Erdmann
Senior Educator
Zach is an educator with a passion for art, curriculum and community! Graduating from The University of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, he worked as a freelance artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and front-end web designer in the private sector. Discovering his vocation for education, he returned to The University of the Arts to receive his Master of Arts in Teaching in Visual Arts. Before joining the One River team, he taught Drawing & Painting and World of Art at Piscataway High School, designing the curriculum for the latter. Zach is excited and motivated by art history, contemporary art, equity in education, and social justice. In his free time he loves to create abstract art and consume all kinds of film, television and media.
Hayriye Bacaz
Assistant Director
Hayriye majored in Fine Arts with a concentration in Art History and minored in Business at Montclair State University. She has worked in production for music events and has curated and organized a number of gallery shows. In her free time, Hayriye practices a variety of crafts including ceramics, basketry, and wood carving. She brings with her to One River over ten years of experience in arts administration and is passionate about sharing the love for the arts with students. She believes that anyone can learn to be an artist, they just need to start.
In-Studio Educators
Elba Rovelli
Elba graduated with a BFA in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and went on to teach Portfolio Development at Pratt for 8 years working with High School students. Since then she has been working for the past 17 years as an art teacher in the New Jersey public school system. Elba loves being a part of the One River Team because it gives her a chance to work with her students in a smaller group setting that allows for connection and collaboration.
Emily Evanowski
Emily is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in NYC where she received a BFA in Illustration. She has been working for New Jersey public schools for over 8 years, with experience with all age groups. As a teacher at One River, Emily loves being able to see students grow and be able express themselves in their most authentic way.
Tina Castiblanco Grammer
Tina is an artist and educator with a BFA in Painting and Drawing from Parsons School of Design, and an MAT from Montclair State University. Informed by her love for hiking and the outdoors, she creates artwork across various 2D media that bridges abstraction and nature. Tina teaches adult classes, guiding her students not only through technical artistic development, but creative personal growth.
Danielle Linz Rivera
Daniella Linz Rivera holds a BA in Art Education from Ithaca College and a Masters Degree in Art Education. Danielle works as a high school art teacher during the day, teaching sculpture, drawing & painting. Danielle is a passionate potter who loves creating unique and fun functional work in her home studio. In her free time, Danielle enjoys hiking with her husband and dog Elliot. Danielle is passionate about creating safe spaces that foster creativity & excite young artists.
Gerardo Alba Rojas
Gerardo is a digital artist and screen printer from Mexico City. He holds a BFA in Animation from Tecnologico de Monterrey and a MA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Arts and Design. Gerardo's work ranges from comics to graphic design and editorial illustration. He runs a screen printing studio in Jersey City alongside his wife. In his free time, Gerardo enjoys birdwatching, reading comics and spending time with his two cats.
Paige Sauther
Rebecca Bang is a recent graduate from Stevens Institute of Technology, earning her Bachelors in Visual Arts and Technology with a concentration in design. Serving as a Student Services Coordinator, she has experience in both art education and customer service. In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys going to cafes and playing with her dog, Momo!
Erica Travia
Erica is a visual development artist specializing in environment design and concept art. She recently obtained her bachelor's degree at Savannah College of Art and Design, where she pursued animation with a concentration in storytelling and concept development. Erica is incredibly passionate about teaching and sharing her knowledge with others, especially regarding the positive influence that art can have on students. She truly believes that art can inspire, motivate, and transform lives, and she can't wait to see what her students will create!
Taylor Coleman
Taylor is a multi-media artist and educator that specializes in ceramics, printmaking, and textiles. Graduating with a BFA in Fine Arts from Moore College of Art and Design, Taylor is dedicated to creating a vibrant inclusive classroom and studio where students feel empowered to explore their creative potential. Taylor’s passionate about fostering the creativity of young students and enjoys teaching at One River because the kids are always surprising us with their talent.
Paige Sauther
Paige graduated with a BA in studio art from Franklin & Marshall College, and has over four years of experience working in New York State public schools. One of her favorite things about teaching is watching her students’ confidence grow as they develop their problem solving and creative thinking skills. Alongside teaching, Paige enjoys her own artistic practice, working in a variety of mediums from photography and printmaking to painting and collage. She is excited to share her passion for art-making with One River’s students and to see where their creativity leads them.
Juliet Alicea
Juliet Alicea holds a BFA in Illustration and a teaching certification for grades P-12. She currently teaches at an elementary school in Kearny, NJ. Juliet dabbles in both traditional and digital mediums, with a preference for drawing animals and nature. Juliet also loves spending time with her dog, Loki, playing video games, and watching movies.
Taylor Coleman
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Frank Aiello’s passion for art was influenced by his father, a classical painter and child artist prodigy. After his BFA in Photography and minor in painting from St. John’s University, Frank went on to receive an MFA in Photography from Brooklyn College, studying under Walter Rosenblum, Aaron Siskind and Robert Frank. During his studies, he assisted such highly acclaimed photographers as Joyce Tenneson and Ryzard Horowitz. Frank has taught basic through advanced art courses in local metropolitan area colleges and universities. Frank is presently teaching at Bergen Community College and is also the Arts Coordinator for the NYC Department of Education, Office of Arts and Special Projects.
As a pastime, Frank loves to grow organic vegetables.
Emma Stoecklein
Emma is a teacher at One River, and is a former student and teaching assistant with the school. Emma holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Ringling College of Art & Design. She is a jack of all trades from mixed-media, sewing, printmaking - she loves to do it all! Emma is deeply passionate about her student’s creative growth and making them feel seen. Her high energy and enthusiasm brings a fun & educational energy to each class. Outside of One River, Emma loves anything fitness related, baking, and getting involved in the goth scene.
Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith holds a BFA in Fine Art with a focus on color theory and ceramics from the University of Hartford, and a MAT in Special Education from Montclair State. She is passionate about gardening, yarn, and connecting with students to create an optimal learning environment for every student. Her cats are Romeo and Loreli Gilmore and they have developed a habit of stepping on her oil paints at home.
Haley Algrant
Haley is a teaching assistant and former student at One River. She recently graduated with her bachelors in Art, Film and Visual Arts from Harvard College. Haley specializes in mixed-media fabric sculpture, silkscreen and design, and her thesis explored the visual connections between Augustan elegy and Teen Drama. Her favorite artist is Tav Lewis!
Ace Koveshnikov
Ace Koveshnikov is working towards a BFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. His personal work is in multi-media, mostly including oil painting, graphite, wood carving, metal work, and collage. Ace is focused on current events, politics, identity, and the things he finds comfort in. Ace hopes to encourage individuality and an exploration of identity at One River School. Ace loves exploring the outdoors, going to shows and concerts, and listening to loud music.
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.