Our Team
Danielle Barbaro
Danielle was the kid in the back of class who doodled in the margins of her notebooks. A Jill-of-all-trades, she dabbled in many mediums while attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she received a Bachelors in Fine Art and Masters in Art & Design Education, with a minor in Art History.
Danielle taught publicly in the Department of Education in NYC, as well as privately for individuals, groups, retirement homes, and businesses. She took the plunge on owning a business with The Art Studio in March 2022 after several other tries where the timing wasn’t quite right. She is the studio’s owner, curriculum writer, and lead instructor.
She uses a variety of mediums in her personal artistic endeavors, including printmaking, drawing, pastels, sewing, and watercolor. She encourages all that she meets to doodle in the margins of their notebooks and beyond.
IG: danielle_barbaro
Web: www.daniellebarbaro.com
Zahra Rizvi
Zahra is a native New Yorker, born and raised on Long Island, right near The Art Studio! She studied graphic design & fine arts at Hofstra University and has worked in companies that create licensed pop culture collectibles, games & puzzles. Her love of pop culture inspires her love of cartoon-style art and creating logos and doodles in that style. Growing up as a proud "90's kid", she enjoys the comfort of home & family style entertainment of the classic sitcoms of that decade. She has a kind and colorful personality and is a big kid at heart by nature, which makes working here at the studio a perfect fit! She has been working at The Art Studio as the Studio Manager since March 2022!
Angelica Zampini
Angelica is a dedicated art instructor at the studio with a deep passion for her craft. She teaches a variety of classes including general art, drawing, oil painting, and pottery. She approaches teaching with a soft, caring, and inclusive style, supporting students of all ages with patience and encouragement.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Molloy University, with double minors in art therapy and child life. Knowing she wanted to work with children and art, she found her path at the studio. After joining the team in January 2023, she quickly took on increased responsibilities as one of the lead instructors and found a strong sense of purpose in teaching and mentoring others.
Chloe Veg
Chloe grew up right here on Long Island and earned her bachelor’s degree in Art from LIU Post. She became part of the Art Studio family in March 2024 and is working toward her master’s in Art Education. She is one of the studio’s lead instructors.
The studio has always been a special place for her, and she’s excited to help create that same sense of comfort and creativity for others. Chloe enjoys working with all ages and exploring different mediums such as paint, pastels, mixed media, and pottery.
Watching students explore, grow, and discover their ability to create is where she finds the most joy and inspiration.
Stephanie Battista
Stephanie has a BFA in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She has worked as a Designer for over a decade with some of the industry’s finest brands, including Avec Les Filles, Express, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Nordstrom. After years of experience in NYC’s Garment District, she now welcomes the opportunity to share her knowledge with young budding designers at The Art Studio. She has been the studio’s lead fashion and sewing teacher since July 2022.
Roger Beckles (In Memoriam)
Roger was a realistic painter living and working in New York City. He was born in 1958 in Barbados, West Indies. From the age of eight, Roger Beckles envisioned leaving his home in Barbados and becoming a professional artist in New York City. At nine, this vision began to come into focus. Roger and his family immigrated to New York where he would grow and continue his artistic explorations.
In 1977 he attended the School of Visual Arts, New York City. A visit to a Cape Cod gallery catalyzed him to pursue his art professionally which lead him to begin studying oil painting with his mentor Marcel Franquelin in Princeton, New Jersey, honing his talent and perfecting his artistic perspective.
Influenced by 18th century French artist Jean Auguste Dominique-Ingres and 21st century contemporary Realist Chilean artist Claudio Bravo, Roger’s oil paintings are richly realistic and soothingly serene. “Composition, light, color, texture and mood are all essential elements for the style of paintings I produce. I want my paintings to express a feeling of serenity, to capture a moment in time, to create a familiar comfort zone.”
His oils have been exhibited at the Garth Davidson Gallery, Clover Fine art Gallery, Gilt Complex, Stricoff Fine Art Gallery and Grenning Gallery.
Roger sadly passed away on May 27, 2024 after losing his battle with cancer. We retain him on this team page in his memory.
Rainbow Rizvi
Rainbow is Zahra's six-year old green cheek conure, a type of baby parrot. He has become the unofficial Art Studio mascot and loves visiting the students here! His name is inspired by the colorful feathers and is also very fitting for an artistic space. He loves playing with the kids and bopping his head as they talk to him & equally loves saying hi to all the teens and adults too. Just be careful with your fingers...he may think they are food!