FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT

Shilpa Rao is a St. Louis based, interdisciplinary artist with over 10 years of experience in community art and teaching. She works towards expanding artistic horizons, promoting multicultural outreach and connecting communities through art. Rao believes art can bridge gaps in communities, help heal, voice opinions, and spread positivity. She is a 2020 Teaching Artist Institute fellow from the Regional Arts Commission and 2023 Community Arts Training (CAT) graduate. Being a certified teaching artist allows her to share her passion and empower youth by using art as a powerful means of communication. Rao was born in India and is inspired by ancient art forms from around the world, especially art rooted in geometric and patterned symmetry. She has shown her work at galleries, juried shows and art fairs. Rao’s passion is to create collaborative art using her teaching skills with different communities. She has worked with various organizations including The Saint Louis Art Museum, The History Museum, The Magic House, Bread and Roses Missouri, Craft Alliance, Webster Arts, the City of Manchester, the City of Chesterfield, and St. Louis County Library. 

At Dayspring Arts and Education, Rao has taught Clay, Painting, Drawing, Geometric Art, and Friday enrichment classes since 2022.

Tatiana is a local photographer and media manager. She graduated from Georgetown College in 2019 with a Bachelors in Art and Psychology. Since then she has worked as an Art Teacher in Louisville, KY at Foster Height Elementary School. Now she lives in St. Louis teaching our students all about art! Tatiana loves to inspire the next generation to express themselves through art and enjoy the creative process! Tatiana is excited to be a part of the DaySpring Community!

Ahmed Eldarrat is an Arab-American artist, illustrator, printmaker and tattoo artist living and working in Saint Louis, Missouri. Owner of Oasis Studio and Gallery a private tattoo studio, art gallery and print shop. In addition to tattooing full time and regular showings of work in area art exhibitions, Ahmed teaches private printmaking and art classes in studio at Oasis using his collection of vintage letterpress and modern printing presses. As a dedicated life long learner and with a strong belief in community engagement, Ahmed seeks to connect and share printmaking and design with area artists and organizations in order to promote collaboration and creative connections across diverse communities.

Pratima Murali is an interdisciplinary immigrant artist who lives in St. Louis. She has a degree in Applied Arts from India and she is a 2016 Community Arts Training (CAT) fellow from the Regional Arts Commission. She is an experienced teaching artist and an educator whose artistic journey is deeply connected to the natural world. Her teaching practice intentionally includes an emphasis on nature, and sustainability. She draws on her photography skills to inform her mixed media work to express her passion for nature. Her paintings weave visual stories using layers of paint, marks, and medium; leading to interesting textures, natural and abstract shapes. She has shown her work in galleries, art fairs, and invitational art shows. Her paintings can be found in homes in the United States and abroad. She has taught and led community art workshops for varied age groups through Artscope, Bread and Roses, DaySpring Arts and Education, and The Magic House. She is an Assistant Educator on Call at The Saint Louis Art Museum where she oversaw the Summer Artful Adventures for the past 2 years.

Sheri Lyn Terry, Performing Arts and Art Educator, enjoys teaching and directing numerous youth musicals, fairy tales and melodramas in schools, camps, and community centers. Some of her favorites are Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, The Little Mermaid, and Alice in Wonderland. She directed Be A Star On Stage for 9 years in Maryland Heights, MO. She also has produced themed Variety Shows with senior adults and welcomes students of all ages to collaborate with her to make a production a rewarding experience for all. In her art classes Ms. Terry teaches a variety of techniques and especially enjoys collage and clay projects. She spent 5 summers in Maine at Tripp Lake Camp teaching pottery skills to 350 girls and is on the board of Blaze STL.

Hello! My name is Gayathri Seetharaman and I am thrilled to be your students’ Visual Arts Teacher at Dayspring. I am a St. Louis based teaching artist with over 10 years experience in the community teaching and volunteering. I have shown my work at galleries and juried art shows in painting and photography. I have collaborated with St. Louis Art Museum, The Magic House, St. Louis County library and I also teach at ParkwayRockwood community education. Throughout the year, your students will be exploring a wide range of styles, artists, art-mediums, and learn about the principles of art. Students will learn to be creative, express themselves freely, be hands-on and messy at times :) I have been teaching at Dayspring since 2023. Through Art Explorers, and the Drawing and Painting classes, students will learn the skills, techniques, and the appreciation of art.

Dail Chambers is a visual artist, creative consultant and grower.  Her visual art practice is a multimedia exploration in genealogy, women’s narratives and social environmental art. She has received numerous awards and fellowships through out the United States. As a homeschooling, teaching artist mother, she has traveled internationally, creating curriculum lesson plans to enhance and motivate inter-generational learning environments.