Paula C.

Arts & Crafts, Fashion, Yarn & Fiber Arts

New York City

• I'm a lifelong maker, who was knitting, crocheting, and sewing my own clothes as a teenager.
• I used to design knitwear for runway fashion shows.
• I lived in France for a year in high school as a foreign exchange student.

I’m a lifelong maker and creative arts professional with over 20 years of experience in the NYC arts/museum, design and high fashion worlds. I earned a BA in Art History from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a degree in Fashion Design from the Parsons School of Design. Rooted in fashion and the arts, and combined with my education, I bring a unique, multidisciplinary perspective to my teaching in the classroom. I love creating supportive spaces where young learners can explore materials, experiment, and discover confidence through hands-on creativity; unlocking the artist, designer, and maker in each of them. Using a variety of techniques from both fine arts, hand crafts, and fashion, my classes incorporate skills from these different disciplines to engage students’ imagination, and expand their technical toolkits so they can fully realize their own creative process. In recent years, I co‑founded Maker Shoppe NYC, a youth arts and crafts startup where I designed original content for hands‑on projects, developed curriculum, led workshops, and created online product inspired by current trends in arts, fashion and design. I look forward to building inclusive environments together, where the power of art sparks imagination and confidence, fostering a lasting connection.