Carrie Weiss, Co-Owner:  BFA Graphic Design, Tyler School of Art, Temple University. Held Advertising Agency Art Director positions in Princeton, NJ and Doylestown, PA. Headed a screen-printing company art department in Freehold, NJ. Has extensive knowledge of current advertising trends, graphic design software and printing technologies. Designed and created theater set pieces for a local youth performing group for 7 years.

As our Business Director, Carrie oversees business development, company relationships, branding, and public relations/advertising. New to teaching in 2014, she has found a great joy in developing and instructing art classes and events.

Veronica Olivares-Weber, Teaching Artist: Veronica discovered her passion for art when she moved to the Upper West Side in NYC in 1996. There she attended Teachers College and Columbia University where she focused her time on taking art history and ceramics courses and volunteered at the Children’s Garden studio where she taught art and Montessori classes.

Veronica is originally from Mexico and her culture and heritage are a very important part of her work. She focuses on teaching different mediums, but she is more passionate about teaching paper-mâché, mixed media, ceramics, and painting. In 2010 she created the classes “ Spanish Through Art “ and “The Movement of the Muralist”, both focused on teaching about her culture, heritage, traditions, and Spanish language through different art mediums. She has been teaching in several schools, Ground for Sculptures, local events, and has been part of the Arts Council of Princeton faculty for over twelve years. At the Arts Council she has taught weekly art classes and the Princeton Youth Achievers (PYA) creativity program creating several collaborative community art projects with her students, and more recently helped create a new program called Smart Kids for middle school Students. For fifteen years Veronica has played a significant role in co-curating, organizing, and coordinating Day of the Dead events at the Arts Council.

Veronica has been a community activist and organizer since she moved to Princeton. She has been organizing cultural events, is the founder and main organizer of the Festival Cultural Latino, has served as Vice-Chair of Latino America Legal Defense Fund (LALDEF), Princeton Recreation Department Commissioner, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees of several boards like the Housing Initiative of Princeton, Code for Princeton, Princeton Red Umbrella, Code Equal, Arts Council of Princeton, and the Chair of Human Service Commission.

Veronica instructs upper elementary and middle school students in school art programs, after school enrichment, and camps.

Janet Neuman, Certified Elementary Education Teacher: BS, Millersville University. Janet has been creating art for as long as she can remember. With many years of experience teaching children from kindergarten through eighth grade, she mostly enjoys teaching art . Part of her excitement is guiding children through the process of creating art, having fun, and not always thinking of the final product. That is where the learning occurs and the confidence grows which spills into other parts of our students’ lives. It is exciting to see them grow and change through this action.

Janet has been married for 30 years and has 3 grown children. In her free time, she designs jewelry and upcycles furniture. She has her own small jewelry business that allows her to create pieces for clients. She likes to hike out in the woods, go camping, and plan family vacations! Janet has two german shepherds, as well as two very shy shelter cats.

Janet instructs younger students in school art programs, after school enrichment, and camps.

Tori Vilk, Art Therapy Advisor & Art Instructor: BA, Seton Hill University in Studio Art and Psychology. MS for Counseling Psychology and Art Therapy, Holy Family University. She has been working for 3 years with women and teens as a creative arts therapist. Tori believes in spreading art to all people no matter what their skills are. In addition to art therapy, Tori brings mindfulness and a non-judgmental approach to art making!

Tori instructs after school art and yoga programs and develops Social Emotional Learning art lessons.

Bette Collins, Art Instructor Assistant: BFA Illustration, Moore College of Art & Design. Bette has worked as a freelancer and as an in-house graphic designer/illustrator at various companies, utilizing desktop publishing, drawing and photo editing software. She has also been very involved in creating and designing for many of her children's school events as a member of various parent associations.

Bette provides instructional assistance to students in school and summer camp art programs and instructs paint events.

Jill Faulhaber, Art Instructor Assistant: AA Elementary Education, Rowan College at Burlington County. Jill has been working with kids for most of her life. This includes positions such as the Guest Experience Director and former party host at a children’s museum, as well as a camp counselor for children with special needs. When she isn’t in the classroom, you’ll find her at a concert or reading a good mystery book.

Jill provides instructional assistance to students in school and summer camp art programs.

Christine Hazynski, Yoga Instructor: MA English, BA English Secondary Education, NJ Standard Teaching and Supervisor Certificates, The College of New Jersey. Currently a high school English teacher at Montgomery High School in Skillman, NJ, Christine is excited to begin sharing her love of yoga and teaching at Village Arts. She has been practicing yoga for over ten years and began her apprenticeship and yoga training at Renew Yoga in 2019. Christine lives with her husband and two daughters in Burlington Township, NJ.

Christine develops and instructs after school yoga programs that focus on creative meditation and self-calming techniques.