Alison Pariso

Art is not only my career choice, but it is also my lifestyle. I have taught art classes to grades 6-12 in the Virginia public school system for the past 6 years. In September of 2022, I stepped away from the brick and mortar classroom and started teaching art to the community at large. I love to be able to teach art to youth because my primary school education included arts magnet middle and high schools, and I’ve learned first-hand how much art can positively impact young lives!

I graduated from The Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking. I am knowledgeable in many different forms of art including drawing, painting, printmaking, papermaking, sculpture, fiber arts, and photography.

My artist husband Frank and I have two kids of our own (ages 3 and 6), and enjoy making art together as a family! Before becoming teachers, Frank and I lived in Boston and NYC and were on completely different career paths. I was an art gallery director and an art handler at Sotheby’s Auction House. We moved to Virginia in 2015 and a series of unexpected life events led us to our current teaching career paths and we haven’t looked back, because we love what we do!

On Teaching: I am passionate about teaching my students how to make and learn about art that is relevant and unique to each individual. I always encourage my students to express themselves through a creative outlet and to explore many different artistic mediums. I believe that making art is more important and relevant now than ever – art teaching through a pandemic has taught me that art will always prevail and that technology only makes it more accessible.