About Us
About CCSa
As a leader in contemporary art education, we believe that everyone possesses a unique seed of creativity that should be valued and nurtured. That’s why we are dedicated to innovation, inspiration, and excellence in all our programs. We are a team of professional artists and educators in Toronto, Canada working to provide accessible, dynamic art programs for toddlers, children, teens, and adults.
Founder And Director
NAHAL BAHRMAN, MFA
Nahal Bahrman is the founder and director of the Canadian Children’s Art Foundation and the Canadian Contemporary School of Art, where she manages the school’s operations and oversees its team. For over 20 years, she has dedicated herself to the fields of art education and art entrepreneurship. Nahal founded CCSA in 2017 with the goal of developing an innovative, accessible art education program for children, teens, and adults in Toronto. In 2018, she initiated and hosted Canada’s first children’s art competition. An artist herself, Nahal’s work has been showcased in exhibitions in Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. She holds a Master’s degree in Illustration.
Our TEAm
We are a team of professional artists and educators in Toronto, Canada working to provide accessible, dynamic art programs for toddlers, children, teens, and adults. With engaging in-studio classes and an exciting variety of online courses, we welcome local and international art lovers.
Executive Manager
ASAD SHARIFI, PHD
Being so enthusiastic about education and talent development, Asad did his PhD in Language Teaching and Education and also studied talent management and human resources development at the University of Toronto and European universities and academies in Switzerland, Austria, and France. As the Executive Manager of CCSA, he is involved in academic and portfolio planning, curriculum development, and program development. He believes that we can make a better Canada if we make art an indispensable part of our contemporary education
UX/UI DESIGNER
PEGAH SARGOLZAEI, BA
Pegah is an architect, UX designer, and creative thinker who has always had a passion for art. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering. She also did her postgraduate studies in User Experience Design at Humber College since she was so interested in the way people interact with different spaces. She already collaborated with the City of Toronto and also the Faculty of Media and Creative Arts at Humber College in the “Tiny Town” project. She teaches architecture at CCSA to transfer her knowledge to interested students.
Graphic Designer
Aida Mahmoudie, MA
Aida Mahmoudie is a multifaceted Graphic Designer with a rich educational background. Holding a diploma in graphics, a bachelor’s degree in industrial design, and a master’s degree in illustration, she epitomizes a blend of technical prowess and artistic flair. Beyond her academic achievements, Aida is deeply passionate about art education. She has dedicated significant time to transfer her knowledge, teaching a spectrum of creative disciplines including graphic design, painting, sculpture, and pottery to individuals spanning various age groups—from kids to adults. With her expertise and commitment to nurturing artistic talent, Aida continually inspires and empowers aspiring artists to explore their creative potential.
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
ALEXANDRIA REGIS, BDes
Alex is a multimedia freelance artist. Graduated at Ryerson University in Fashion Communication, she initially studied graphic design, working with editorial fashion magazines. However, her love of art has evolved, now pursuing her interest in studying digital illustration and animation. Her inspiration derives from both eastern and western influences and hopes to contribute to the rapidly growing animation industry. In her free time, she likes to work on comics and graphic novels, as well as snacking on green tea ice cream.
Administrative
SAM DEMPSEY, BA
Sam is CCSA's administrative staff member. She is a recent graduate from St. Clair College's Musical Theatre Performance program where she learned singing, acting, and dancing. Since her graduation, Sam has performed in various children's entertainment shows in places such as Canada's Wonderland. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, taking care of her many house plants, and dancing. Sam’s favorite style of art is abstract and especially loves to look at the sculptures when she goes to art galleries like the AGO.
https://www.samanthadempsey.ca/
Our INSTRUCTORs
Our instructors are highly trained professional artists. They bring to their lessons industry experience, expertise in their fields, and passion for children's art education. With our small class sizes, students receive personalized, quality instruction that develops their skills and nurtures their creativity.
RYANNE FLORENCE
Visual Arts Instructor
Ryanne Florence is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Ontario. A 2020 graduate, Ryanne received an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Diploma of Art & Art History from the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College. Her largest installation work ranking in at 30 feet long, Ryanne loves to use unusual materials and mixing media together to create an unconventional dialogue of the self and one's place within the world. Ranging in work from representational to abstract, Ryanne is a versatile artist that knows her way around the computer and the canvas.
SARAH
Sarah is a fourth-year student studying at OCAD University in the Drawing and Painting program with a minor in Art History. She makes paintings primarily in oil and is interested in exploring in-depth how to create sensitive aesthetic experiences. She exhibited in her first public art show in April 2023 in the annual juried Heintzman House Art Show and Sale within the GTA in Ontario. Since her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts began in 2020, Sarah has been working intensively to expand and enrich her knowledge and experience as an artist in the contemporary art community. With love for research and experimentation, Sarah enthusiastically engages in visual art practices with an open mind and curiosity.
ROSE MONTGOMERY-WHICHER
Portfolio and painting/drawing instructor
An artist, educator and author, Rose has taught students of all ages in gallery, school, community and university settings in Canada and the UK. With a MA and PhD in art education, as well as a BFA, her teaching is informed by practice, research, and a philosophical and historical understanding of art. Students in her classes will discover the joys of art-making and learn the skills to help them become confident and innovative artists. She is the author of “The Phenomenology of Observation Drawing: Reflections on an Enduring Practice” (Routledge, 2022). She lives in Toronto with her husband, two young adult children, and a dog named Tapioca.
KAYLEA ANGUS, BFA
Kaylea Angus is Burl and Brush. Inspired by Ontario, its northern landscape, and nature, Kaylea is a Canadian based artist, freelance theater and motion picture technician, and art instructor. She received a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in 2011 from OCAD University, majoring in painting and drawing, and minoring in integrated media. She is currently an online art instructor for the CCSA and stage manager for Theater Orangeville in conjunction with Community Living Dufferin for their Creative Partners on Stage program.
JOBELLE QUIJANO
Visual Arts Instructor
Jobelle Quijano is a Toronto-based artist. She is currently studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) at Queen’s University. She has exhibited works in Toronto and Kingston at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, the Union Gallery, and the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Primarily working in painting, she creates a vivid and honest image of her inner world by exploring themes of girlhood, comfort, vulnerability, fantasy, and nostalgia. Through her classical training in arts and experience in childcare, arts education, publications, and private commissions, Jobelle aims to teach with a balance of creativity and technical skill that allows students to develop a strong love for art.
NAA-ADEI LAURA MARMON
Fashion Design Instructor
Naa-Adei Laura Marmon is a fashion designer with over 10 years of experience in the field. She is the creative director of her name sake brand and has showcased her designs at New York Fashion Week. With an education in fashion design at George College Naa-Adei is an expert in fashion illustration, digital illustration, pattern drafting, fashion business, cutting, and sewing.
Now, Naa-Adei seeks to pass her knowledge of fashion design to the next generation, by sparking inspiration in our youth.
NIKA NABAEE
Visual Arts Instructor
Nika is a versatile designer and artist who brings a diverse range of talents to all of her creative pursuits. She has mastered painting since childhood. In addition to her expertise in painting, Nika has a formal education in architecture and fashion design, as well as experience in floral design. She aims to unlock kids' creative potential and bring their ideas to life, making her the perfect guide for aspiring young artists.
TIFFANY DANG, M.Arch
Tiffany is a designer from Windsor, ON and has practiced in Toronto and Detroit. She holds a M.Arch from the University of Detroit Mercy along with a General BA of Visual Arts and a B.Arch.Sci through Visual Arts + the Built Environment (VABE) from the University of Windsor. Her background in art with her architectural education set a foundation for her understanding of the spatial environment. She is interested in human-centric design and how to celebrate the performance of daily living through experiential qualities of the collective space.
LIDA SHANEHCHIYAN
Lida is a passionate Toronto-based art teacher who loves nurturing young minds through creativity. With extensive academic credentials, including a Master of Design (MDes) degree from York University and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from OCAD University, Lida is a true interdisciplinary visual thinker. Throughout her career, Lida has collaborated with prestigious institutions like OISE University of Toronto and worked with notable financial organizations like BMO and CIBC. Her exceptional artwork has earned recognition from BBC Persian and Now Magazine, among others. Since 2019, Lida has been dedicated to sharing her artistic expertise with children in the Yonge community, finding immense joy in helping them discover their unique artistic expressions. With Lida as their teacher, children can expect a warm and supportive environment where they can explore their creativity, develop skills, and enjoy the wonders of art.
SEPIDEH BORHANI
Painting Instructor
Sepideh is a self-taught artist based in Richmond Hill, Ontario with a background in Engineering; however, her love of art made her take a bold decision of transitioning her profession from Engineering to Art. She started building her art career since 2017. She uses Acrylic, ink, coloured pencil on paper and canvas. Her recent artworks are acrylic paintings on canvas, mainly illustrating portraits of women communicating their inner mind and emotions. Her works explore the interaction between the detailed realism of the portrait and the abstract.
KELLY MARIE
Kelly is a Toronto-based artist and graduate from Seneca College’s Independent Illustration program. She specializes in watercolor portraiture, mixed media drawing, and collage. As a freelance artist, Kelly is the chief illustrator for an ongoing children’s book series. She is passionate about the value that art education can bring to a person’s life, especially in their formative childhood years.
JADELYN POON
Fashion Instructor
Jadelyn is an outgoing and creative student from George Brown College, currently enrolled in the Fashion Management program. Since a child, she has always held an appreciation for the arts and loved to visit exhibitions as frequently as possible. She has a love and eye for fashion as well, and is currently working towards being a stylist for shoots and other productions. In her spare time, Jadelyn loves to go thrifting, watch movies, cook, and spend time with her friends.
ABBY TIBON
Painting Instructor
Abby Tibon is a third-year Drawing and Painting student at OCAD University. Her main mediums are oil and acrylic paint. Abby uses her art to bring representation for Filipino Canadians. She focuses on making art that captures people’s stories. Abby believes in intent observations to express emotions through the human figure. She challenges herself to learn new mediums such as clay and digital media. Abby is currently striving to develop her animation skills, to create stories to share with larger audiences.
JOHN BILGERA
Visual Art Instructor
John is a Toronto based visual artist. They are a graduate of OCAD University. Creating works through a variety of medium from acrylic painting, digital medium, and drawing, they convey stories of their own experiences growing up in the city and as part of Filipino-Canadian diaspora. John has a passion for trying out new things, seeking for new ways to express creative ideas. John hopes that they can sharetheir passion and knowledge of the arts as an educator and looks forward to seeing what their students create.
SYDNEY WEST BURNS
Visual Art Instructor
Sydney West Burns introduces herself as an Artist and Designer with a rich background in various creative domains, including art direction, creative direction, graphic design, illustration, and painting. Throughout her life, Sydney's focus has been on artistic pursuits, from early childhood lessons to her education at the renowned Claud Watson School for the Arts. Her academic journey led her to Savannah, GA, where she completed a BFA at the Renowned Savanah College of Art and Design. Believing firmly in the potential of art and design to instigate positive social change, Sydney is dedicated to harnessing the transformative power of her creative skills. Her goal is to utilize art and design as influential tools, aspiring to make a lasting impact and improve the world through her artistic endeavors.
NICHOLAS KASPERSKY
Digital Arts Instructor
Nick is an undergraduate digital futures student at the Ontario College of Art and Design. An enthusiastic animator, cartoonist and freelance illustrator, he has worked on several comics, character commissions and taught as a programming instructor at various Toronto schools.
Beginning from simple doodles of stick soldiers and fantasy maps, he has gained a passion for animated storytelling and world building, and currently works as the animation instructor at CCSA.
LIDA SHANEHCHIYAN
Digital Arts Instructor
Lida is a passionate Toronto-based art teacher who loves nurturing young minds through creativity. With extensive academic credentials, including a Master of Design (MDes) degree from York University and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from OCAD University, Lida is a true interdisciplinary visual thinker. Throughout her career, Lida has collaborated with prestigious institutions like OISE University of Toronto and worked with notable financial organizations like BMO and CIBC. Her exceptional artwork has earned recognition from BBC Persian and Now Magazine, among others. Since 2019, Lida has been dedicated to sharing her artistic expertise with children in the Yonge community, finding immense joy in helping them discover their unique artistic expressions. With Lida as their teacher, children can expect a warm and supportive environment where they can explore their creativity, develop skills, and enjoy the wonders of art.
DEBBIE MACNEVIN
Photography Instructor
"Debbie is a photographer originally from Pembroke. Before moving to Toronto Debbie graduated from Loyalist College in Photojournalism. Where she learned the importance of capturing an image along with the main components that come with it. Being unsatisfied with the photojournalist way of photographing she went on to attend and graduated from St. Lawrence College in Visual and Creative Fine Arts. Debbie has since had her work featured in Newspapers, Galleries, Magazines, as well as becoming an award winner. Her heart has always been led by her passion for Photography. Debbie has many years experiences of working with youth, spending most of her summers at an over night camp as a camp counsellor. Debbie hopes the students in her class find their passion and love for the art of photography the way she did with teachers in her youth. She hopes that by the end of her classes students will go out and see the world using the eyes of a photographer."
EMMA KEENAN
Filmmaking Instructor
Graduating from Sheridan College in 2020, Emma has been actively contributing to Toronto’s film and television industry since 2022. Her main expertise lies in props, set decoration, and costumes. Additionally, she has a strong passion for prop building and scenic art, with her creations showcased in productions like The Boys and Star Trek, as well as on stages nationwide. Emma is equally dedicated to sharing her love for filmmaking by teaching children the art of the craft.
Creative Writing
BRITTANY LUCAS
Creative writing Instructor
Brittany Lucas is a Canadian creative writer and photographer. Brittany completed a bachelor of fine arts from York University, a post-graduate degree in creative writing from the Humber School for Writers, and is currently writing her first novel with help from mentors at the University of Toronto. As a photographer and creative director, Brittany has worked for the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Rogers Media and more. Brittany is passionate about teaching children the value of storytelling and the importance of finding their voice.
DANIEL PERRY
Creative writing Instructor
Daniel Perry is the author of the short story collections Nobody Looks That Young Here (Guernica Editions) and Hamburger (Thistledown Press). His fiction has been short-listed for the Carter V. Cooper Prize, and has appeared in more than 30 publications in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Czechia. Daniel holds a Master of Arts degree from the Centre for Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto and has spent the last two years working on his next two books: a haunted apartment story that's growing from a novella into a novel, and a non-fiction work about two immigrants to Southwestern Ontario imprisoned during and after the War of 1812.
DAVID HUDON
David is a Montréal born, multi disciplinary artist with much teaching experience. After completing his degree in Professional Theatre at John Abbott College, David continued to perform in plays, movies, television as well as writing and producing his own short films and releasing music. He has always had a passion for teaching as well. Through his career he's worked in many day camps and arts institutes specializing in improv and creation of individualized works. David shares his love of performing with young minds at CCSA.
IRENA HULJAK
Drama / Acting on camera Instructor
Irena Huljak has taught Drama and Public Speaking since 2015. She is a professional actress in the ACTRA union. She earned a place on the Dean's list with her B.F.A. from York University. She went on to do a Master's, graduating at the top of her class. Not only has she received a certificate in Foundational Studies in TESOL but also has studied Voice and Speech for over six years with acclaimed coaches from Oxford and The American Shakespeare Company. She has a passion for FILm , T.V. , and theatre. She is capable of igniting students to do their best while surprising themselves and having fun. Seeing any student who didn't believe in themselves suddenly rise to the challenge is very fulfilling.
MILTON TORRWA LARA
Milton is an actor and performer from Ottawa, Ontario. Before moving to Toronto, Milton trained at the Screen Acting Academy, where he built a foundation for on-camera performance. He then began to appear in films, television shows, nationwide commercials, and became a full member of ACTRA in 2019. Most recently, Milton graduated from Randolph College for the Performing Arts, where he furthered his education in musical theatre disciplines. Milton’s main goal at CCSA is to build an environment that’s not only informative about drama, but also fun and inclusive for everyone!
ROSIE WALLACE
Rosie is a mixed media artist based in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Graduate Diploma in Behaviour Therapy from George Brown College. Having devoted her working life thus far to children’s therapy and recreation programs, Rosie is currently pursuing a graduate diploma in Art Therapy from the Toronto Institute of Art Therapy. She is passionate about creating equal arts opportunities for all children. In her spare time, Rosie enjoys collaging and hanging out with her cat.