About Me: 

Hi, I’m Aryn Bates, an art educator who believes that creativity, curiosity, and connection belong at the heart of every classroom. Before diving into art education, I spent several years teaching in healthcare and leading outdoor adventure trips for young adults with cancer. Those experiences taught me how to hold space, listen deeply, and meet people where they are, skills I now carry into the art room.

I’m currently finishing my B.S. in Visual Arts Education at SUNY New Paltz, with a minor in Social Justice in Education. I’ve taught students ages 10–12 through the Saturday Arts Lab program at New Paltz and completed fieldwork in both studio and digital art high school classrooms. My lessons are rooted in big ideas, like self-expression, storytelling, and sustainability, and guided by the Studio Habits of Mind.

Outside of teaching, I’m a big fan of hiking (especially in national parks), cooking elaborate meals I probably don’t have time for, and hanging out with my very silly animals, a dog and mischief of curious rats. In my own art practice, I work mostly in oil paint and drawing. I believe art is a healing tool, and that young artists thrive when they’re given room to take risks, be vulnerable, and make work that matters to them.