Our team
Founder, Owner & Director
M.Ed., Lesley University - Integrated Teaching through the Arts
BA, CU Boulder - English Literature and Elementary Education
Colorado State Teaching License - Elementary Education and Art
Christie Slater Hubley
(she/her)
Christie founded Tinker Art Studio and opened the doors in January, 2012. Prior to starting the Tinker, Christie taught third grade at The Studio School, an arts-integrated magnet school in Northglenn, CO. She then established a ceramics program at The Studio School and continued teaching in the Ceramics Studio through 2014. She holds her Masters of Education in Integrated Teaching through the Arts, and previously her Colorado State Teaching License with an endorsement in Elementary Education as well as Art. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder. When not teaching or managing the business, Christie enjoys Colorado activities and adventures with her husband, two children, and dog.
Email: christie@tinkerartstudio.com
Studio Manager
BA, University of Colorado at Boulder- English Literature and Studio Art
Anika Feldmann
(she/her)
Anika, a Colorado native, has been with Tinker since 2016. While in college at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she fostered her personal passion for the arts. With degrees in Art and English Literature, Anika now loves having the opportunity to work with children and adults to encourage artistic growth and lifelong learning each day while at the studio. A jill-of-all trades at Tinker, you might see Anika teaching classes, supporting teachers, leading meetings, or behind the computer. In her spare time, Anika enjoys being outside, reading, traveling, and going on as many adventures as possible with friends and family.
Email: anika@tinkerartstudio.com
Executive Assistant
BA, University of South Carolina, Mass Communications with a Leadership Distinction in Community Service
Alexis Bambach
Alexis made the move to Colorado in 2023 from Asheville, North Carolina. Alexis graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors in Mass Communications and Leadership Distinction in Community Service. During her college years, she undertook internships at three distinct art organizations, uncovering a passion for leveraging her communications studies to advocate for the arts. Post-graduation, Alexis dedicated her efforts to the nonprofit animal welfare sector, where she took on the role of a volunteer coordinator. She is thrilled to join the Tinker team to reignite her commitment to fostering the arts within the community! In her free time, Alexis enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, concerts, and spending time with her beloved cat, Snow, and dog, Rosie.
Saturday Birthday Party & Summer Camp Lead
BA in progress, University of Colorado, Boulder - Elementary Education
Ashley Kim
Ashley is a student at CU Boulder who is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. She is a Colorado native who grew up in Longmont, just a few minutes away from Boulder. She enjoys working with kids and has spent time working in after school programs, nannying, and volunteering as a summer camp counselor. Her love for creativity and art manifested in many years of playing violin and piano, and has now led her to Tinker! Ashley is so excited to be joining the team at Tinker this year and is looking forward to bringing the skills she learns here into her future classroom. When she's not at the studio, you can find Ashley reading, scrapbooking, and exploring all of the wonderful things that Boulder has to offer.
Clay Hub Adult Handbuilding Teacher
BFA University of Colorado at Boulder -Art History
Cris Conklin
(she/her)
Cris is a Colorado native who has always loved exploring and creating art. While studying Art History at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she discovered her life-long passion for clay. After graduation, she pursued her interest on her own and in community classes and eventually became a full-time potter. Cris is a long time member and teacher at the Boulder Potter’s Guild. She loves the endless possibilities of working with clay and the synergy between artist, clay, and kiln. She is thrilled to join the Tinker community and to share her love of clay with students. When not in the studio, Cris enjoys reading, gardening, quilting, and hanging out with her cats.
Front Desk & Youth Class Lead Teacher
BA, University of Colorado, Boulder - Psychology with a Minor in English Literature
Allie Bundy
(she/her)
Art has always been a core part of Allie's life inspiring her to share the joy and freedom she's found in creating with others. She recently graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Psychology and a minor in English Literature. She is a passionate artist, growing up surrounded by other creative people who inspired her to pursue an artistic path. Her grandfather being an avid painter and educator taught and inspired throughout her childhood. She now works as a freelance Digital Illustrator in the book community, having designed several special edition book covers. Combined with her passion for mental health she focuses her art on representing the beauty in individual differences and identities. Additionally, she’s been with Tinker for a number of years and has developed a love for working with children in an artistic setting. She is excited to continue to grow with the studio expanding into teaching others in the subject she loves so dearly. When Allie is not in the studio she spends her days working on her fantasy novel or painting strong female characters. She loves to play volleyball with friends or is found thrifting for unique clothes or trinkets.
Summer Camp Lead Teacher
BS, Towson University - Animal Behavior
Erin Toomey
Erin grew up in New Jersey, and her journey brought her from NJ to Maryland, to Florida, then to the beautiful Rocky Mountains. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Behavior and a minor in film studies from Towson University in 2017. Erin is a lover of all things creative and has a passion for storytelling and education. She has extensive experience in creative education as an educator and performer at The Walt Disney World Resort.
Whether it’s performing on weekends, writing poetry, spending time in nature, fostering shelter animals, or ice skating, Erin is always engaging in her passions for creative expression, entertaining and educating children, animal care, and conservation.
She can’t wait to inspire creativity in a new way at Tinker this summer!
Lead Adult Teacher
MFA, University of Colorado Boulder - Painting & Drawing
Erica Podwoiski
Erica is a figurative artist who was born and raised in Metro Detroit, Michigan. In 2010, she graduated as Valedictorian from the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio, where she majored in painting, drawing, and printmaking. As a BFA student, Erica gravitated towards figure painting and portraiture, which remains at the center of her artistic practice today. Podwoiski's work has been featured nationally, in pop-up shows at the historic Belle Isle Conservatory in Detroit and the Newhouse Hotel in Denver, in traveling exhibitions with the Ann Arbor-based Gallery Project, and most recently at the Gallery of Contemporary Art (GOCA) in Colorado Springs. Erica received her MFA in painting & drawing from the University of Colorado at Boulder in August of 2017. As an MFA candidate, she taught undergraduate classes in figure drawing and painting, introductory oil painting, and introductory drawing over a course of six semesters. As a teacher, Erica strives to instill a fearless approach to art making, encouraging personal growth through media exploration and experimentation. Her goal is to foster a bridge between art and the outside world while helping each individual student develop their own technical skills and artistic voice. Erica currently lives and works in Boulder, where she enjoys running, hiking, hanging out with her cat, and frequenting rock concerts, galleries, and 24-hour diners in her free time.
Lead Adult Teacher
BA, University of Colorado Boulder - Fine Art & Art History
Grey Grimm
(she/her)
Grey grew up in Boulder with a strong passion for sidewalk chalk! A graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder, with a dual major in Fine Art and Art History, Grey’s passion for chalk became a passion for everything art and creativity related. While in school her focus was oil painting, and she has most recently returned from an Artist in Residence with Chateau Orquevaux in France, where she spent three weeks honing her craft and mingling with international artists of all trades. Grey worked in restaurants and hospitality from ages 17 to 30, using her artistic eye to create chalkboards as well as food photography for the (former) Walnut Restaurant Group. Changing paths during the pandemic and finding her niche with Two Hands Paperie on Pearl Street, Grey is currently the merchandising manager and social media content creator, as well as teacher of pastels for the wider Colorado community. You may recognize her window displays the next time you’re downtown!
Clay Hub Lead Teacher
BFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago - Studio Art
Jordan Gantos
(they/them)
Jordan moved this spring to Longmont, Colorado, from Orange County, California. Though the seeds were planted in childhood, their dedication to ceramics took root in late highschool. In the years following, Jordan earned their BFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They have participated in a few woodfirings (something they could chat about for hours) and took summer courses at the OxBow School of Art in Michigan. Jordan was lucky to work under artist Amanda Gentry and with many other truly gifted artists across the midwest. They moved back to California after graduation to teach beginning through intermediate ceramics in Laguna Beach, and fell deeply in love with the other side of learning.
Alongside ceramics, Jordan loves to illustrate, carve wood, make prints, sing, dance, fly kites, practice martial arts, read, and be outside. They can’t wait to keep sharing their love of nature, music, connection, clay, and how they all converge in this new chapter with Tinker!
Clay Hub Manager and Lead Teacher
BFA, Florida Atlantic University
BA, Education
Julia Zuniga
(she/they)
Julia is an educator and ceramic artist with a passion for all things art! She studied at FAU where she graduated with a BFA in Ceramics and a Bachelors in Education, along the way earning awards and scholarships for the dedication to her work. After graduation, Julia worked at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach, FL and taught IB Visual Arts for 5 years. As an engaged educator, Julia organized Mindfulness student gatherings and Art club events. Julia moved to Colorado from Miami, Florida and is an apprentice at the Boulder Potter’s Guild. She is very excited to be here in Boulder and to be a part of its growing artistic community. When Julia is not teaching or in the studio she enjoys hiking, reading, journaling, and spending time with her husband, Shawn, and her pets Ruca and Sly.
Lead Teacher & Studio Assistant
BA, University of Colorado Boulder - History
Kaitlyn Shirley
(she/her)
Kaitlyn grew up in San Diego, California. She began her Bachelors in Art Education at San Diego State University and was able to teach art as a volunteer to both school-age and adult students. Kaitlyn recently moved to Boulder, Colorado to finish her Bachelors at CU Boulder and graduated with a degree not in Art, but in History. Her artwork focuses on the divine feminine and the reclamation of woman's power through mixed media collage and oil painting. When she isn't working or painting, she enjoys camping, hiking, exploring new places in Colorado, and spending time with her Dog, Deanna Doo.
Lead Children’s Teacher
MA, University of Denver: Curriculum and Instruction - Education Leadership
BA, Colorado State University: Dance
Kathy Martin
Kathy has spent most of her career working with children in various arts settings. Earning her BA in dance, Kathy taught ballet, creative movement and contemporary dance for many years. After returning to school, she earned her MA in Curriculum & Instruction and Education Leadership. She has further training in arts integration and the impact and power of learning through the arts. Kathy taught at the elementary level from 2009-2022, with most of her time spent at The Studio School, an arts magnet school in Northglenn, CO.
Kathy loves being a part of the Tinker team, and loves fostering creativity and community with her students. Whenever possible, Kathy can be found in her garden or creating something with nature. She also loves hiking and exploring Colorado with her hubby and family.
Clay Hub Adult Lead Teacher
Assistant Teacher - Summer Camps
Katie Koch
(she/her)
Katie started taking pottery classes in 2013 and has been hooked ever since! She's taught pottery for over seven years at several Boulder-area studios. She loves teaching students of all ages from all walks of life. She specializes in both wheel throwing and functional hand building. When not potting, Katie can be found hiking or cross country skiing with her dog (and pottery assistant) Sophie.
Front Desk
BA in progress, Naropa University - Visual Arts
Lead Summer Camp Teacher
BFA in 2021 in studio arts from CU boulder and then my masters in art education from CSU in 2022
Mackenzie Reinhart
(she/her)
Mackenzie is a student with a life-long passion for creating. She is currently working towards a BA in Visual Arts at Naropa University. She has been working closely with kids as a private art tutor to develop their artistic voices and skills for over five years. She has a passion for sharing the wonder of art with anyone who will listen and hopes to spend her life doing just that. Ever since she could hold a crayon Mackenzie has been producing art. Whether it’s crocheting, drawing or sculpting, you will never find her hands void of a project for long.
Lead Children’s Teacher
M.Ed., University of Colorado Denver - Education and Human Development: Teaching in Diverse Contexts
BS, Colorado State University - Human Development: Early Childhood Education
Off Site Summer Camp Counselor Instructor
BFA, Colorado State University- Drawing (in progress)
Minor in Music Stage and Sports Production (in progress)
Mariah Stotsky
(she/her)
Mariah is a Boulder-area native whose passion for teaching is only rivaled by a life-long love of art and creativity. Mariah began her teaching career in general education before transitioning to teaching art full-time to merge her greatest joys. In just a few short years, Mariah has had the opportunity to teach in many different capacities. Mariah taught preschool, kindergarten, and first grade in a variety of different contexts from Fort Collins to Denver. Mariah then spent a blissful year as a K-6 Visual Arts teacher in the great state of Washington until she was called back home to Boulder by the Rocky Mountains and the blue skies. She is thrilled to be returning to her favorite teaching environment of them all, Tinker. In her spare time, you can find Mariah painting, creating art, hiking with her dog Otis, and soaking up the sun.
Molly Carroll
(she/her)
Molly grew up in Boulder County after moving from Pittsburgh, PA, at age 4. Since she was young, she has always had a passion for all things artistic: drawing, painting, makeup, fashion, etc. At Colorado State University, she has a concentration in Drawing but is passionate about exploring all mediums. Her portfolio includes drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. Although pursuing studio art, she is devoted to her love of working with children and is so excited to share this by joining the Tinker Team! In her free time, she enjoys cooking, fashion, sitting in the sun, and watching movies with her friends and family.
Clay Hub Assistant Teacher
BS, Metropolitan State University - Criminology & Criminal Justice
Negeen Samimi
(she/her)
Negeen is a Colorado native with a passion for art and hunger for continuous creativity. In 2021 Negeen graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology & Criminal Justice. Shortly thereafter, she knew she craved something different, maybe a bit more imaginative. Negeen ventured off to Australia where she spent half a year as a live-in nanny for a family of six. It was through travel where she rediscovered the importance of risk, self-expression and curiosity. Since then, Negeen is constantly finding a new project to pour herself into. A few of these passions include, drawing & painting, hand-engraving mirrors, embroidering clothing and baking! Besides art, Negeen enjoys to dance, watch true crime documentaries & spend as much time as possible with her beloved pup Taz and her baby niece Maisy Jo!
Summer Camp & Youth Class Lead Teacher
BA, Indiana University, Bloomington - Media
Landry Saul
Landry grew up just north of Austin, Texas and made the move to Boulder in September of 2024. She is currently majoring in International Affairs, minoring in History, and pursuing a certificate in Peace, Conflict and Security Studies at CU Boulder. Her inspiration behind her choice of studies is her overwhelming passion for humanity and the earth, and she aspires to make the world a better place. In her free time, Landry has always loved to explore all things creative, and she has a particular passion for upcycling- believing that even “junk” can be turned into something beautiful and sustainable. She also loves to embellish and paint furniture, taking inspiration from Rapunzel from Tangled. She is thrilled to be working to encourage creative expression among youth and to be surrounded by a group of passionate individuals. When she’s not studying or crafting, Landry loves to cook, play with her cats Jazz Jazz & Ron Ron, and collect used vinyls.
Randi Nahmias
(she/her)
Randi is originally from Indiana, but her journey has taken her across the country. After spending five years in Austin, Texas, she eventually made her way to Colorado, where she now calls home.
While in college, Randi studied Creative Advertising and Human Development & Family Studies, with a focus on Youth Development. After graduating, she began her career in corporate sales—until she decided to follow her true passions: art and working with children. Since making that leap, Randi has loved guiding kids of all ages—from toddlers and preschoolers to homeschoolers and elementary/middle school students—both in-schools and in-studio. When she’s with the kids, she incorporates everything from painting, drawing, and clay to mixed media, unconventional materials, and even STEM-inspired experiments. While she enjoys all forms of creating, her long-time favorite medium has always been tie-dye! Randi's background allows her to foster creativity, sensory exploration, and hands-on fun with her students. In addition to her work with children, Randi has recently channeled her creativity into writing. Over the past year, she’s crafted her first children’s book, set to be published later in 2025.
When she's not working on her book or making art with kids, you’ll likely find Randi exploring Colorado or soaking up nature with her husband and two dogs—always on the lookout for a rainbow. Color is truly at the heart of her world!
Malea Vitt
(she/her)
Malea is back for another Summer Camp season at Tinker! During the school year Malea is a Middle School Art teacher and loves helping young artists explore their creativity and grow in confidence. Outside the classroom, I enjoy reading, creating my own art, and spending time with my many beloved pets.