Lauren Appel (she/her/they)

Faculty/Mentor

Lauren Appel has worked in arts education for twenty years. Currently she is an Elementary Art/MakerSpace Specialist with Seattle Public Schools, and works as an educational consultant on local projects and partnerships. Previously she worked with Arts Corps, Hilltop Artists, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Youth Theatre Northwest, Rubin Museum of Art, Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Arts Center, and the Guggenheim Museum. Lauren holds a BA in theatre from Smith College and a MSEd in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education.

Shannon Barnes (she/her)

Program co-Director/Faculty

Shannon is a dance educator and arts administrator committed to inclusive and creative practices. As Director of Community Education at Pacific Northwest Ballet, she oversees community-based programs and partnerships with public schools. Shannon is the 2018 Dance Educators Association of Washington Dance Educator of the Year and a guest instructor for Seattle University. Shannon holds a B.A. in Dance and Psychology from the University of Washington and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Dance in Community from Laban, London.

Ann Marie Caldwell (she/her)

Program Coordinator/Faculty

Ann Marie Caldwell (she/her) is passionate about arts education because it helps people express themselves, solve problems creatively, and build community. A TAT Lab alum, Ann Marie serves as TAT Lab Coordinator and Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Community Education Programs Manager. A teaching artist since 2004, Ann Marie has had the honor of teaching youth in a variety of subjects, like creative movement, choreography, improv, creative drama, visual art, and arts integration. Ann Marie grew up in Idaho and holds a BA in theatre.

Lauren Davis (she/her)

Communications Coordinator

Lauren Davis works towards equitable access to arts opportunities for both artists and audiences. She has been with ArtXchange Gallery in Pioneer Square for 15+ years and received her MFA from Seattle University’s Arts Leadership program. Lauren’s projects include events with the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, the Arts & Social Change Partnership and Columbia City Gallery. She also works with La Sala, a Latinx artists’ support organization, and ReVision Arts, which organizes inclusive arts programs. 

Carina A. del Rosario (she/her)

Faculty/Mentor

Carina is a cultural worker who uses visual art, writing and teaching to build community. Her art has been exhibited in various venues and supported with grants from Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture and Puffin Foundation. She teaches youth to express their experiences and advocate for what matters to them through art. She serves on Seattle Public School’s Antiracist Arts Education Task Force and specializes in arts integration at Arts Corps. KCTS presented her with its 2020 Golden Apple Award.

Janet Hayakawa (she/her)

Program Co-Director/Faculty

Janet is the Program Supervisor for The Arts at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the primary agency charged with overseeing public K-12 education in Washington state. She holds a MA in educational theatre from New York University. Janet is a currently practicing visual artist with experience as a classroom teacher, teaching artist, playwright, workshop facilitator, and program manager. She has worked for the Seattle Public Schools, the Creative Arts Team/New York University, WNET, the Education Development Center, and Densho.

Tamar Krames (she/her)

Program Co-Director/Faculty

Tamar joins the TAT Lab team as a multimedia artist, National Board Certified teacher, instructional coach, and arts administrator. Her work in schools is an ongoing exploration of how equity ideals show up in the everyday craft of teaching. As ArtsWA’s Arts in Education (AIE) Program Manager, Tamar oversees a variety of programs that support the creative practices of youth and educators. Tamar holds a Master in Teaching degree from The Evergreen State College and a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.

Tina LaPadula (she/her)

Faculty/Mentor

Tina LaPadula is a warrior for equitable arts education. For more than 15 years she poured her creative energy into Arts Corps, the award winning arts and social justice nonprofit she helped found. Currently, she serves as the Arts Education Manager at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, overseeing the The Creative Advantage. Tina supports the development of teaching artists locally and nationally through the Seattle Teaching Artist Network and as a national advisor for the Teaching Artist Guild.

Orlando Morales (he/him) 

Faculty/Mentor

Orlando is a Seattle-based musician, educator, and songwriter. He is currently Assistant Artistic Director for the Tacoma Refugee Choir and holds a Masters in Teaching from the University of Washington. He has over eighteen years of experience teaching music and theater and over thirteen years of experience as an arts administrator (Seattle Children’s Theatre, 2013-2015; The 5th Avenue Theatre, 2010-2013, 2015-2023) working to empower young people, build community, and use the performing arts to dismantle systems of oppression.