Meet Our Team
Montclair Leadership Team
Emily Rocha
Director
Emily has been a practicing visual artist for the past seven years with a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design. With a passion for creativity in all its forms, she loves helping aspiring artists explore their talents, build confidence, and develop their artistic voices. Drawing on over a decade of experience in customer-focused roles, Emily is dedicated to fostering a welcoming, supportive, and inspiring environment for students, families, and artists at every stage of their creative journey.
Peter Dougherty
Director of Education
Peter Dougherty is a practicing writer and oil painter who has been teaching art in Essex County for the past ten years. He received his degree in literature from NYU. He is a part of the Newark Arts community where he formerly had his studio.
Emily Glynn
Assistant Director of Education
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Kayla Gonzalez
Assistant Director of Member Services
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In-Studio Educators
Wendy Born
Wendy studied fine art and illustration at Parsons, School of Visual Arts, and The Art Students League. She thrived as a designer in the fashion industry and then channeled her skills into freelance illustration and eventually became a published children’s book artist known for her research-rich, detailed work. Wendy earned both a B.A. and M.A. in art education. Today, she’s a veteran teacher of adults and children and fine artist with a thriving studio practice in northern New Jersey. Energetic, organized, and deeply passionate, she’s committed to making meaningful art and sharing it with others. You can view her fine art at wendyaborn.com
Amanda Burns-Elhassouni
Amanda Burns-Elhassouni graduated from Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington D.C. with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art, and from Academy of Art University in San Francisco with her Master’s in Illustration. Amanda is the owner and artist at Burns-Elhassouni Studio doing commissioned artwork in drawing, painting and mixed media. She has combined her many years of teaching experiences with her passion for making art to give students specialized knowledge and encouragement for growing their skills and having fun while doing it.
Danielle Burden
Danielle obtained a BFA in Illustration and Animation from Montclair State University and is currently pursuing masters level education for Clinical Psychology with concentrations in art therapy at Caldwell University. She is a multimedia-based animator and illustrator with works centered around organics, and dreamy imagery, exploring motifs of childhood and the subconscious. Using these core themes she focuses on teaching students the foundations of design, story development, and composition using digital and studio based tools. She is continually inspired by her students' unique perspectives and creative spirits.
Dominique Egalite
Dominique graduated with a BFA in Animation/Illustration from Montclair State University. She is an illustrator and 2D concept artist focused primarily on character design, creature art, and visual development. Her work ranges from traditional to digital media, deriving inspiration from the imagination, film and storytelling. She enjoys forming personal connections with families and discussing topics covering the artistic journey. One River is a fun environment that supports her passion for animation and painting. Dominique spends her spare time traveling, reading graphic novels, and watching movies.
Aurora Ferreira
Aurora is an undergraduate at New Jersey City University, working towards a BFA in Illustration and Art Education. She specializes in digital illustration and diverse mixed media, creating captivating, engaging worlds. Her teaching journey is inspired by a deep commitment to improving education and emotionally enriching others, encouraging them to discover their inner artist.
Alex King
Alex is a multimedia digital specialist, with a focus on hand-drawn animation and character design. He has a BFA in Animation from Savannah College of Art & Design. In his free time, Alex creates animated shorts with a small studio of friends. His work is focused on character-driven stories, color theory, and mixing 2D and 3D elements. Alex leads the class by engaging with students’ interests and guiding them to escape their comfort zone.
Lauren Muggeo
Lauren Muggeo is a visual artist living and working out of New Jersey. Lauren earned her BFA from St. John's University in Queens, New York with her concentration on Painting. Highly saturated paint and lucid watery layers guide her practice, exploring instinctual reactions to different environments. Her artwork is a meditation on opposition, our relationship to time and place, and its power to shift perspectives. Through her painting we may glimpse a faceted connection to the world around us, its rhythm, mystery and magic. Lauren is continuously inspired by her students, and the dialogue created through sharing her love of art making.
April Spitz
April has always been drawn to the creative process. She elected to studio with One River a few years back focusing on watercolor and gouache. As a part of our creative community April fell into the role of Teachers Assistant. Her easy going personality and high emotional intelligence led her to take on a lead teaching role for our young classes in studio instruction. April is continually inspired by her students and loves helping them learn and grow as artists.
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.