Art Program
Explore. Design.
Create your masterpiece.
ART IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF LIFE AT VILLA MARIA
Students learn techniques in drawing, painting, graphic design, watercolor, and 3-D work and display their work at school and in the community.
Villa students receive scholarships for pre-college programs and have taken part in summer institutes around the country. Graduates have majored in creative fields at a variety of colleges and universities, including RISD, Parsons, Pratt, SCAD, the University of the Arts, Drexel University, the Pennsylvania State University, York College, and MICA.
COURSE OFFERINGS:
| Intro to Art | Interior Design | Honors Art Major | |
| Studio Art 1 & 2 | Ceramics 1 & 2 | Honors Advanced Art Major | |
| Collage: Mixed Media | Ceramics Independent Study | AP Studio Art | |
| Watercolor Painting | Digital Art & Illustration | AP Studio Art Drawing & 2D | |
| Digital Photography | Graphic Design | AP Art History | |
Villa's Art Instructors
Kate
Brown
Mrs. Brown is an artist, art educator, and entrepreneur. She has a B.S. in Art Education from Kutztown and an M.A. in Art Education from The University of the Arts. The 2023-2024 school year marks Mrs. Brown’s 30th year at Villa, and her 24th year as an instructor at The University of the Arts as a senior faculty member, teaching in their Pre-College Programs, Summer Institute, and Professional Institute for Educators.
Mrs. Brown was voted High School and Non-Public Teacher of the Year in Chester County, earning Citadel’s Heart of Learning Award in 2011. She was also chosen, via a national search, to be a teacher advisor to Scholastic Art Magazine in 2013-2014. She works with a variety of media and has shown her work in public settings.
Sarah Bacastow
Mrs. Bacastow joined Villa Maria Academy in 2012. She holds a BFA with a concentration in ceramics and sculpture, and a minor in Art History from West Chester University, where she was awarded the West Chester University Foundation Award for Best of Show. She later earned a Pennsylvania Art K-12 Education Certification from Rosemont College.
A teacher with more than 17 years of experience, Mrs. Bacastow has previously taught classes at local schools and art centers in Chester County, apprenticed at artist workshops, and exhibited her work in a variety of public settings. In her spare time, she likes spending time with her family, painting, kayaking, doing anything outdoors, and traveling.
Stephanie McLaughlin
Mrs. McLaughlin's deep love for the arts is evident through her passion for teaching young artists, her dedication to her own artistic journey, and her small business. She earned a BFA with a concentration in painting from Tyler School of Art at Temple University, and is continuing her education at Parsons, where she will obtain a certificate in Graphic Design. The 2023-2024 school year will mark Mrs. McLaughlin's third year at Villa.
In 2020, Mrs. McLaughlin was awarded the Jane D. Bonelli Art Education Award. In 2022, she won the Viewers' Choice Award at the Central Pennsylvania Fine Arts Images Exhibition. Mrs. McLaughlin continues to display her artwork at a variety of public settings and attends art fairs and craft shows. On weekends, she teaches classes at a local community arts center. "
Darren Polsz
Mr. Polsz currently works at Villa as the Design and Video Specialist as well as the Graphic Design teacher.
He brings his ideas, design skills, and expertise in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to the classroom, giving students lessons that can be transferred to real-world projects. Prior to joining Villa in 2017, Mr. Polsz had an internship with the Philadelphia Flyers marketing department during the team's 50th anniversary year.
In addition to bringing his artistic skills to Villa's MarkComm team and teaching Digital Art and Illustration, Mr. Polsz is active with Villa Maria's esports program. In 2023 he traveled to an esports conference, where he represented Villa Maria.