● Who’s leading my classes?
Meet the Instructors
Our team is a close-knit crew of artists and educators who bring both expertise and heart to The Pearl—shaping programs, guiding creativity, and making each session unforgettable.
Billie Scalisi
Painting Instructor-
Billie Scalisi is a watercolor artist and instructor originally from Louisiana, now based in Houston. After a 40-year career as a successful salon owner, she shifted her creative focus to painting, studying watercolor with artist Nancy Melton and training with instructors like Lian Quan Zhen and Janet Rogers. Billie has taught both children and adults for over a decade and currently offers beginner and intermediate watercolor classes at the Pearl Fincher Museum while also creating commissioned artwork of homes, pets, and portraits.
Marisol Graham
Painting Instructor-
Marisol Graham is a professional illustrator and graphic designer with over 10 years of experience, working across branding, logo design, and surface pattern design. She now runs a creative home décor business where she sells her original artwork and curated pieces from other artists. Marisol believes art can be created from anything, whether paint, flower petals, or scraps of fabric, and she’s passionate about inspiring others to explore their own creativity.
Anna Ovsyannikova
Painting Instructor-
Anna is a sculptor and ceramic artist with ten years of experience in fine art and teaching. Originally from France, she began her artistic career through a city art and culture center, where she also led workshops and masterclasses in her original ceramic techniques. Since moving to Houston in 2021, she has continued developing her work through the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and exhibits with the Glassell School of Art. Anna believes in lifelong learning and teaches both children and adults, combining classical foundations with openness to new ideas and creative exploration.
Linda Marie
Painting Instructor
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Linda has been teaching art since 1984 and believes creativity lives in everyone by design. She has been a full-time art instructor at Extraordinary Education in Magnolia, Texas since 2011, teaching drawing, painting, art history, ceramics, animation, and studio art. A graduate of Kendall School of Art & Design in Michigan, she developed an early curriculum that taught children to use drawing as a language. She later founded Art à la Carte Learning Center in San Diego, where she spent 15 years building a creative community. Many of her students have gone on to art schools and careers in the arts. This is Linda’s second year teaching Summer Camp at the Pearl Fincher Museum.
Nicole Babendure
Painting Instructor-
Nicole discovered her love of art as a child exploring Houston and continued to develop her passion through school and university. While studying at Texas State University, she was inspired by a professor to become an art teacher and began her career in a juvenile detention center, where she saw firsthand the transformative power of creativity. She went on to teach middle school art for thirteen years before taking time to focus on her family, continuing her own creative practice along the way. Nicole believes art is a form of magic and is passionate about sharing it with others through teaching and community involvement.
Pam Mayo
Painting Instructor
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Pam Mayo is a retired elementary art teacher with 29 years of teaching experience in Huntsville, DeSoto, and Cy-Fair ISD. Since retiring from public education, she has continued to share her love of art through teaching with Young Rembrandts, The Center for Teaching and Learning in The Woodlands, Board & Brush Cypress, and children’s classes and workshops at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, where she also serves as a volunteer docent. Pam enjoys creating engaging art lessons, exploring museums, and collecting children’s picture books about art, which she often incorporates into her teaching. She has recently renewed her passion for watercolor painting and believes, as Picasso once said, that every child is an artist and that creativity just needs to be nurtured and encouraged.
Angela Smith
Painting Instructor-
Angela Smith has been drawing for as long as she can remember—she simply never stopped as a child. Torn between art and theatre in high school, she found the perfect blend of both in animation and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Media with an emphasis in Animation. Angela has worked in many creative roles, including freelance illustrator, Trader Joe’s sign artist, children’s theatre set designer, and convention artist. She has taught students from preschool to college, focusing on strong foundational skills that empower creative expression.
Vivian Pinotti
Painting Instructor-
Vivian Celeste Pinotti is a fashion designer, vintage clothing collector, and former design assistant and digital patternmaker for Chloe Dao, winner of Project Runway Season 2. She holds a B.A. in Art History and plans to pursue graduate studies in Historical Textile Conservation, combining her passions for fashion, history, and preservation. Vivian enjoys thrift flipping—reworking vintage garments into new designs—and also explores ceramics, metalworking, and travel as sources of inspiration. Of Brazilian heritage, she hopes to one day launch a sustainable fashion brand that reflects her cultural roots. Vivian has experience as a bilingual instructional aide in public schools and finds great joy in teaching and inspiring young designers.
Katelyn Pharris
Painting Instructor-
Katelyn Pharris is a digital illustration artist from Spring, Texas, who has been creating art since childhood. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animation from Sam Houston State University, where she developed a passion for world-building, character development, and visual storytelling. Growing up in a family of educators, she values the power of learning and creativity. As an instructor, Katelyn helps students of all ages build confidence and artistic skill through both digital and traditional media, encouraging exploration, imagination, and technical growth.
Brooke Silva
Painting Instructor-
Brooke Silva is a native Houstonian, artist, and mother of two creative boys. Inspired early on by Houston’s vibrant art scene, she developed a love for mixed-media art using paper and fiber. In college, she discovered her passion for art history and earned a B.A. in Art History from Texas State University. Brooke worked for five years as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she gained a deep appreciation for art education programs for children. She now teaches the Art Start program at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, introducing preschoolers to art through hands-on creativity and storytelling. She recently launched the Little Art Historians program for ages 3–5, combining art history, children’s literature, and imaginative projects—often complete with costumes for a fully immersive experience.
● Contact
Join Our Team
We’re looking for passionate artists and inspiring teachers with fresh ideas for classes—traditional or totally unique! The Pearl welcomes all art forms and all levels, from beginner to advanced.
Share your creativity and help our community grow!
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Studio Art, Art Education, or a related field
Minimum of two years of teaching experience
Demonstrated expertise in your area of instruction
Strong portfolio reflecting artistic skill and professionalism
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Ability to plan and teach lessons that build skills step-by-step for all experience levels
Dependable, punctual, and able to work independently
Enthusiasm for nurturing creativity and confidence in students of all ages
