Our Team

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Emily is a multidisciplinary artist and licensed PK–12 visual arts educator based in Chicago. As TCGC’s Teaching Artist Manager, she brings experience teaching youth across Chicago and New York, with a practice rooted in mixed media, painting, found materials, and community-centered artmaking. Emily is passionate about creating warm, inclusive spaces where young people can experiment, build confidence, and see their own stories and surroundings as worthy of artistic expression.

Iyana Brown-Bey brings a strong background in youth support, behavioral intervention, and trauma-informed care. She is currently a Master of Social Work student at Aurora University on the school social work track and works as a paraprofessional at Easterseals Academy Chicago, where she supports students’ academic, behavioral, and independent skill goals. A former site coordinator with Guitars Over Guns, where she facilitated SEL-based group work, she supported youth in distress through de-escalation and safety planning to build emotionally safe, community-centered environments. 

Isabella is a ceramic artist and educator whose practice centers on making art approachable, joyful, and hands-on for young people. As a bilingual (English/Spanish) Teaching Artist with The Children's Gallery Chicago, she leads youth in both wheel throwing and hand-building, encouraging experimentation, creative confidence, and personal expression through clay. Her calm, patient teaching style helps students of all experience levels feel comfortable taking artistic risks and learning through the creative process.

Alba is an artist and art history enthusiast with a passion for creativity in all forms. She has an M.A. in Museology from Caribbean University in Puerto Rico and has been painting for over fifteen years. Her art process is centered in history, emotions, and self-exploration. She believes that everyone has an artist inside of them, and is excited to work with children and help them discover the satisfaction of creating their own artwork

Steven brings a warm, people-centered approach to youth engagement. With a professional background in hospitality, customer service, and fast-paced team environments, Steven is especially skilled at creating welcoming spaces, building rapport quickly, and helping young people feel comfortable, seen, and encouraged. At TCGC, he supports hands-on arts programming through painting, sculpture, mixed media, and community-based creative activities that spark confidence, self-expression, and joy.

Nicholas Echevarria is a DePaul University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a strong commitment to youth development through movement and mentorship. He has worked with Rhythm Academy of Dance in Waukegan, where he instructed children in rhythm and dance while helping them build confidence, teamwork, and self-expression. During his time at DePaul, Nicholas was also involved in Nu’Ance Dance Team and the EDGE Team, experiences that further shaped his collaborative spirit and passion for working with young people.