Phyllis Burstein
[Department Chair, Multi-Media]
Ms. Burstein holds a Liberal Arts Degree with Distinction in Photography and Cinema from Ohio State University. Following a career as a freelance fashion/portrait photographer, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Art Education at The School of the Art Institute. Currently, Ms. Burstein is a PhD candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ms. Burstein was a Golden Apple Finalist while teaching at Bell Elementary School prior to establishing the art program at Payton. Student art projects she has guided in have been featured on WTTW’s Art Beat Chicago, The Chicago Tribune, and in professional journals and texts. She has served as a reader for teacher grant foundations, national education organizations, and is an evaluator for the National College Board's AP Studio Art Exam.
In addition to teaching art at Payton, Ms. Burstein teaches art education courses at DePaul University. Previously, she has taught courses at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, National-Louis University, and Northeastern Illinois University. Ms. Burstein has led workshops and given presentations at local museums and organizations as well as national conferences including The American Educational Studies Association, The Annual Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference, and The National Art Education Association.
Jennifer Gran
[Art I, Web Design, AP Art Portfolio]
Ms. Gran graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a BA in Art Studio. Post college, she moved to Los Angeles to work as a model maker for the film industry. After working on such action-adventures as "Godzilla", "Armageddon", and "X Files, The Movie", Ms. Gran decided to make the move back to her hometown of Chicago. She spent the next few years working as a graphic / web designer and clothing designer before enrolling in Columbia College Chicago to earn her Masters of Arts in Teaching in Interdisciplinary Art Education. Ms. Gran started teaching at Payton in 2003 - she teaches Art I, AP Art Portfolio, and Web Design. She is also the co-sponsor of the Environmental Club and the Gay-Straight Alliance. Whenever she gets a free moment, Ms. Gran chooses to spend her time traveling abroad. She recently won an Earthwatch Fellowship to join a scientific expedition in Iceland where she worked on a glacier for a week. Her favorite travel spots so far include, the lava, glacier, and volcano filled landscapes of Iceland and the bustling well-lit streets of Tokyo. Ms. Gran is currently pursuing National Board Certification.
Pat Guizzetti
[Art I, Sculpture]
Ms. Guizzetti has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Hartford, and a Master's of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Prior to teaching, she spent fifteen years in the museum exhibitions field. She was a Senior Production Specialist for the Field Museum of Natural History and later went on to run her own diorama and model-making business.
Ms. Guizzetti was a lead artist for Gallery 37 for several years and also taught three-dimensional media to Bachelor of Fine Arts students at The School of the Art Institute. In 2000, she began teaching art full time and was one of the founding teachers of Young Women's Leadership Charter School of Chicago. She received National Board Teaching Certification in 2004. Ms. Guizzetti continues to create and exhibit her own artwork, primarily sculptures, in local galleries and alternative spaces. She is inspired by her students and proud to teach at Payton.
Lisa Terrazas
[Teacher]
Biography coming.