Visual Art Teachers

Natalia LaRoche studied Russian Language and Literature at the Teacher Training Institute, and Art Theory and Art Instruction at the Mari State University.  Natalia worked for ten years teaching art to elementary aged children in Russia before coming to the United States. Natalia also has an Early Childhood Education background and 19 years of art teaching experience. Over the years, she has developed her own, unique teaching method and has developed the current art programs at TRIS for primary-aged students.  Natalia started teaching at the Toddler and Preschool levels at TRIS in 2000.

Kati Gyulassy is the guide for the art program at the elementary level.  She received her BFA from the Academy of Art University as well as studied Astrophysics at Columbia University.  Kati has had many years of experience teaching children at various art camps throughout the bay area, as well as leading creative writing and visual storytelling workshops as a published author/illustrator at over 30 schools.  She spent over ten years as a scout leader in the Hungarian Scout Association and as a result has a strong connection and interest in the natural world. In her free time Kati enjoys gardening and immersing herself in botanical study.  She has been a part of the TRIS team and community since 2017.

Eva Enriquez is a native from Spain. She holds a BA in Journalism and a BFA in Painting. She has been a teaching artist for over eleven years in a variety of settings from adults with special needs to Elementary public schools. She understands art as a way to engage children's interests, develop motor skills and self-expression.Eva joined TRIS in 2018 and got certified as a AMS Montessori guide for Primary (three to six years old) in 2020