Lynden Educators

Jeremy Stepien, Director of Education
With over ten years of experience in art education and administration, Jeremy has worked with art organizations throughout Milwaukee including the YMCA, RedLine, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Walker’s Point Center for the Arts. He joined the Lynden staff as director of education in April 2010. His experiences as a youth mentor, line therapist for children with autism, and art educator have contributed to his patient and responsive approach to teaching, one that encourages experimentation and discovery. Jeremy earned his BFA from MIAD in 1999 with a major in painting and a minor in drawing, and he continues to work in a variety of media in his home studio in Bay View. He has been active as a volunteer with Milwaukee Empty Bowls for nine years, and he joined their board in 2011. Jeremy’s family enjoys urban homesteading, camping, canoeing and the arts.

Anna Grosch, Education Implementor
Anna Grosch is an art educator with a strong background in community-based curriculum and an affinity for urban education and social justice. After three years as Lynden's Graduate Fellow, she has joined our staff to manage partnerships with schools and nonprofits, and to work directly with teachers at Lynden and in their classrooms. Grosch recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Master of Science in Art Education. Her research focused on community-based art education, museum education, and place-based learning.

Claudia Orjuela, Bilingual Art and Nature Education Specialist
Claudia Orjuela is an art educator who uses the arts as a vehicle for cultural integration and environmental awareness. During her time as a graduate fellow at Lynden, she was influenced by our critical place-based education mission and the potential of outdoor education. Orjuela’s multicultural background influences her practice of promoting diversity and awareness of critical issues through the arts. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Orjuela earned her BFA at the University of Barcelona, Spain, and her master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Denice Niebuhr, Guest Educator
Denice Niebuhr has been an early childhood educator and has recently retired as a teacher of four-year-olds within the Milwaukee Public Schools. As an alumna of the Innovative Educators Institute at Lynden, she has a strong background in connecting nature and the arts with children of all ages. Professional development provided by the Kid Curators program at Arts@Large also prepared her to complete museum projects based on project-based learning. She has participated in the arts programs at the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Milwaukee Ballet Company, and she used music to enhance learning when assisting in the development of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Early Childhood ACE program. Niebuhr is currently a board member of Reflo Sustainable Water Solutions as an educational consultant, and a self-taught steel wire jewelry artist. Hiking, watching movies, and going to the theater and art museums are things she enjoys.

Annalesa Albright, Guest Educator
Annalesa Albright has been a member of Lynden’s land team for six years. Her passions are gardening, exploring nature, and crafting (knitting, nature crafts, sewing). Using natural materials in her projects is very important to her. She has a formal education in local food systems and has spent years building her knowledge of local flora and fauna. Annalesa has a two-year-old daughter and is always finding ways to incorporate her passions into her parenting. She is eagerly sharing this confluence of interests with the Lynden community in Let’s Make Together!, a new series of workshops for 3-5-year-olds and their adults, and by hosting the monthly Knit @ Lynden group.

Ali Berry, Art Educator in Residence
Ali Berry is an art teacher, artist, and farmer. She taught high school art in Milwaukee for four years before moving to Sheboygan County where she currently teaches middle school art. When she is not teaching, she lives and works on a small organic vegetable farm. In her own artistic practice she is inspired by relationships between living things. She loves to experiment with natural dyes, printmaking, and designing collaborative experiences.

Hattie Grimm, Art Educator in Residence
Hattie Grimm spent four years teaching art in the classroom and has spent the past year as a full-time artist. Working with the Innovative Educators Institute for the past five years has allowed her to feel the possibilities of a better world—empowering students to make art can make a big difference. She loves her students and how thoughtfully they create works of art that express who they are and the world they want to live in. In her own art practice, she enjoys painting birds and building giant puppets. She also likes spending time outside on Lake Michigan.

Katie Hobday, Art Educator in Residence
Katie Hobday is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Art Education Program and is currently working as a teacher mentor, art teacher in residence, and curriculum designer. She taught middle school art for seven years and has been involved with the Innovative Educators Institute since 2015. As an Art Teacher in Residence at the Lynden Sculpture Garden, Katie collaborates with educators and artists to create meaningful learning experiences rooted in art, place, and connection. In March, she takes over Let’s Make Together!a new series of workshops for 3-5-year-olds and their adults. In her own art practice, she enjoys working with fibers and exploring new mediums. In her free time, Katie loves spending time at the lake with her family and two dogs, Ravioli and Gnocchi.