Meet Our Team
Millburn Leadership Team
Madelyn Zachara | Director
Madelyn Zachara graduated from Rutgers University with a Master's degree in Art History, and from Bucknell University with a Bachelor's in Art History and Anthropology. She has museum docent and gallery attendant experience, in addition to several years of customer service experience. She is looking forward to working with the students to make art more accessible by providing different perspectives through which to view established traditions. She is excited to contribute to students' growth and passion for art as they uncover the focus of their art making practice.
Viviana Maciel | Director of Education
Viviana Maciel graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art with a concentration in Studio Art. She specializes in drawing and sculpture, and uses both to explore the range of human emotions. A passion for guiding others in refining their craft led her to begin her teaching journey over 15 years ago. Viviana loves working at One River because she is able to push her students to become better artists while also empowering them to be and discover their true selves.
Abigail Palfy | Assistant Director of Member Services
Abigail earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree through Marist College’s international four-year program based in Florence, Italy, in partnership with Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute. With a concentration in Art History and Digital Media, her studies reflect a deep fascination with how the past informs the present. After graduating she held roles in digital marketing and fine art sales, working both at home and abroad. From studying traditional painting and drawing in Florence, to connecting with contemporary art collectors in Hawaii, she’s developed a global perspective and deep appreciation for art and culture. At One River School, Abigail channels her passion for creativity and community into fostering an inspiring environment where every student is welcomed, valued, and empowered to thrive.
John Prehart | Assistant Director of Education
John Prehart is a graduate of William Paterson University with a BFA in fine arts with a concentration in painting and drawing. John has exhibited his work in various galleries and shows throughout the NY, NJ area. He specializes in landscape and wildlife art gaining his inspiration from nature. John also has a passion for teaching. For the past decade, he has been a painting instructor sharing his skills and techniques with his students. John is excited to be apart of the One River School family and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge with students of all ages.
Our Educators
Marcy Critelli | Instructor
Marceline Critelli is an enthusiastic and skilled art teacher currently finishing a BFA at Thomas Edison University. With an extensive background in both 2D and 3D digital art, she is well-versed in the Adobe Creative Suite, as well as programs like Blender and Maya. While digital art is her forte, Marcy’s true passion lies in studio art, especially traditional mediums like pen and ink. Her specialty is watercolor portraiture, where she skillfully captures the essence of her subjects. Marcy’s artistic portfolio spans a wide range of genres, from vibrant anime-inspired pieces to stunning portrayals of K-pop idols. As an educator, she strives to inspire creativity and exploration, encouraging her students to embrace both digital and traditional techniques to express their unique artistic voices.
Alison Hooper | Instructor
Alison received her Bachelor's of Fine Art from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master's of Art Education from Kean University. Her personal art passions include Mixed Media Sculpture, Ceramics and Photography. Alison is excited to be a part of the One River School where she has the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for the arts, encourage students to explore their inner creativity and produce art that brings them joy.
Tim Brown | Instructor
Tim Brown graduated from the College of New Jersey with a Bachelor’s in Art in Art Education. Tim specializes in graphic comic art as well as colored pencil renderings, both traditionally and digitally. He currently is an elementary school art teacher at a nearby private school. Brown looks forward to sharing his talents with the students of One River, while also learning from the other great artists that are a part of the One River transformation.
Matthew Esposito | Instructor
Matt Esposito was born and raised in Millburn NJ. He graduated from the School of Visual Arts in NYC with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Cartooning. He specializes in making comics and illustrations both digitally and traditionally. What drew Matt to teaching at One River was the ability to teach and allow students to develop their own world where they have a voice, a say, an impact in the art they make.
Irene Domingo | Instructor
Irene Domingo graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art in Studio Art with a concentration in Ceramics, and a minor in Art History. Irene is a multi-disciplined artist specializing in drawing, illustration, digital, and ceramic sculpture. Her works of art bring fantasy into the realm of reality and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and skills while creating an environment in which students of One River can engage in creative exploration.
Kate Annen | Instructor
Kate Annen graduated from the University of Cape Town with a B.A.(Art), H.D.E. and brings international experience having lived in South Africa, Germany and the United States. Kate has taught all ages, but mainly High School Art concentrating on Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, Ceramics and History of Art and Architecture. She takes great pleasure encouraging personal growth, exploration, and a love for art in all her students.
Katherine Ivanova | Instructor
Katherine Ivanova is a mixed media artist and an art instructor working with children of all ages and adults. Her passion is to experiment with a variety of artistic media through creating personalized experiences for her students with a motto of “one student at a time”. She received her BFA in Studio Arts and Arts History from Rutgers University, NJ, and Master’s in Business and Finance from London Business School, UK. Prior to becoming an artist, Katherine had a successful career in business in New York City and London. She enjoys traveling and visiting art collections around the world.
Bryant Franco | Instructor
Bryant Franco graduated from Valencia College with an AA in Arts and specializes in illustration, character design and comic art. Bryant works well with both physical and digital mediums. He enjoys studying the intricacies of what make a good comic book or drawing and works at One River wishing to pass that creative knowledge onto the next generation of artists.
Ankita Bhowmick | Instructor
Ankita Bhowmick graduated from the New Jersey City University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Design and Crafts. She also has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Textile Designing and Advance Diploma in Animation and Graphic Design. She worked as a textile design artist for years in New York City. She moved to teaching 4 years back and currently is an art teacher at a private school. Ankita’s favorite mediums are painting, sculpture and digital art. She is looking forward to being a resourceful addition to the highly talented team of One River and bringing a remarkable difference in her students' life with skill and creativity.
Lucas Vazquez | Instructor
Lucas Vazquez is a recent graduate from New York University’s Gallatin School with a concentration in animation and creative writing. With a strong passion for 2D, hand-drawn animation, Lucas has created web comics, compelling music videos, full animatics, and much more. Lucas believes that learning art is a personal and exploratory process in which trial and error open pathways for growth. He strives to make art education an engaging and inclusive process that empowers students to think critically, embrace creativity, and develop a lifelong love for learning. His teaching approach is centered on fostering a student-driven environment where curiosity and exploration lead the way. Every student brings a unique set of talents and challenges to the classroom, and Lucas aims to create a space where they feel supported and inspired to grow."
John Sahin | Instructor
John Sahin graduated from MTM College of Animation, Art & Design in Toronto, Canada with a B.A. in Animation. He specializes in Concept Art and Background Design for the animation and video game industries. John has worked on various projects in Toronto’s animation industry, ranging from small indie projects to wide release TV shows. As a visual development supervisor, concept artist, and teacher John values grounded, well-researched work inspired by imagination and the natural world. His teaching philosophy is based on building his students’ understanding of the real world in order to produce dynamic new designs. He strives to teach students that realistic foundations and research are the seeds through which high quality designs are born, no matter how fantastical the end result.
Join Our Team
Career opportunities at One River School allow passionate artists, educators and lovers of art to share their love and knowledge of art and enhance the lives of people they connect with everyday.