The Riverside Arts Center’s FlexSpace is pleased to present a group exhibition of art by our teaching artists Christine Blanek, Diane Claussen, Erin Hayden, Corrine Miller, Tariq Tamir, Shawn Vincent, and Daiva Walz, curated by Joanne Aono. Please join us for a reception for the artists on the evening of Friday, March 13th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The event is free and open to the public with light refreshments served.

Opening Reception: Friday, March 13, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Exhibition Dates: March 13 – April 11, 2026

Exhibition on view: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 1:00 – 5:00 PM

The Riverside Arts Center is pleased to present a group exhibition of art by our teaching artists Christine Blanek, Diane Claussen, Erin Hayden, Corrine Miller, Tariq Tamir, Shawn Vincent, and Daiva Walz. We are fortunate to have these talented teachers who provide our amazing classes to students of all ages in mediums encompassing painting, sculpture, ceramics, mosaics, and so much more. This exhibition provides a glimpse into their personal artistic practices outside of their educational services, revealing what their passion pulls them to create.

Shawn Vincent’s mastery of ceramics and glass is displayed in her assemblage of hanging discs and gleaming vases, while Diane Claussen’s colorful paintings show her influences of abstraction and expressionism. Christine Blanek’s stoneware pieces are an extension of her ceramic knowledge combined with sensitivity to nature, while Corrine Miller’s embroidery is an unexpected reveal of creativity and expression in response to our times. Daiva Walz’s interests in the environment are shown through ceramic vases and a large fiber wall hanging, while Erin Hayden’s grouping of ceramic tea pets and small paintings of orcas and butterflies depict her desire for slowness and reflection. Tariq Tamir’s intense installation of paintings and a dramatic dragon sculpture capture his immersion of art with life.

These seven teaching artists are all respected educators with experience and skill in their mediums of ceramics, painting, assemblage, glass, mosaics, drawing, and jewelry. The Riverside Arts Center values the professionalism they bring to our classes and the enthusiastic students they gather. The art these teaching artists make in their studios is often a result of their influences from educating, but is largely from what lies inside them – the art they have a passion to explore and express. We are grateful to have these artists be a part of the RAC Family.

–Joanne Aono, curator

Christine Blanek studied Fine Arts with fiber mixed media, figure drawing and ceramics for many years at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago through their weekend programs, early college and then college. Growing up with artistic and musical parents, art and music has been a huge part of her life – taking her to work many years at Marshall Fields, Macy’s then Neiman Marcus in the Visual Department. Blanek’s love of art and working with students with disabilities has brought her to work at her local middle school as a Paraeducator. She is the RAC Ceramics Studio Director and currently teaches Ceramics for Kids, Weekend Wheel Workshops for Teens and Adults, and Spring Ceramics Class for Teens.
Instagram: @becreativeuniqueyou

Diane Claussen has been an artist, teacher, and art therapist for over 40 years. She teaches spontaneous art techniques and communications tools aimed to spark creativity, fun, and relaxation. She leads RAC’s Senior Art Club at the Riverside Parks and Recreation.

Erin Hayden is an interdisciplinary artist and educator working across painting, performance, drawing, poetry, video, installation, and ceramics. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Stony Island Arts Bank, and Galleria d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Torino, Italy. She holds a BFA in Painting and a BS in Art Education from Illinois State University, and an MFA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University. She is passionate about sharing art as a tool for expression, reflection, and connection across all ages and communities. Erin has taught art to learners ranging from preschoolers to seniors, in public schools, universities, and community arts programs throughout the Chicagoland area. She currently teaches a Ceramic Talisman Workshop and Ceramic Surface Decoration for Teens and Adults, and will be expanding into classes in painting, drawing, and performance.
Website: erinkhayden.com
Instagram: @erinhayden @psychicorcas

Corrine Miller earned a BFA from Northern Michigan University. Her body of work is mostly photography and mixed media with a concentration in fiber and paper craft. She loves sharing the creative process with children and has been teaching most of her adult life. The past four years she has taught at The Log Cabin Center for the Arts in Palos Park, IL. Corrine also works at The Pile Bookstore where she developed and runs the StArt (story + art) program, an art history/literacy program held at the bookstore once a month. She teaches Fun with Fibers and RAC’s seasonal Art Camps for Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving, and Winter Breaks.

Tariq Tamir affectionately called Mr Tee by his students, is an artist and educator who studied at Columbia College Chicago. He has exhibited his painting, assemblage, and found object art in solo and group exhibitions in local venues. He has been featured in numerous videos for RBTV’s People in Perspective, the Riverside Arts Center, Cultivator, and the Oak Park Public Library. Prior to joining RAC, he taught young adults ages 14-21 with Chicago’s Gallery 37 and the Boys and Girls Club. In addition to being poetically inclined, Tariq uses art as a medium for self-growth and empowerment which he transfers to his students. As our Lead Teaching Artist, he has been an instructor at RAC for nearly two decades. He teaches RAC’s seasonal Art Camps for Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving, and Winter Breaks, as well as his popular Creation Station for Teens, Creation Station for Kids, and Intuitive Painting for Teens.
Instagram: @esotariq2

Shawn Vincent received a B.S. degree from Western Illinois University with majors in both Fine Art and Biology. She spent many years working as an art director for an advertising agency and has also freelanced. Finding her true passion, Shawn has worked in ceramics for over 30 years and has been teaching for 26 years. She has exhibited her pottery at various galleries and venues throughout the Chicago land area and her work is collected nationally. Her class offerings include Fused Glass Jewelry, Mosaic Making, and several levels of Pottery Explorations.
Instagram: @claymama

Daiva Walz is a Chicago-based studio artist and emerging art educator whose multidisciplinary practice spans ceramics, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Working across two- and three-dimensional forms, she explores material process, surface, and structure through deliberate mark-making and constructed form.
Walz earned her Associate in Arts from Triton College and her BFA in Art, Media, and Design from DePaul University, with a concentration in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking. She is currently completing a Master of Arts in Teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with anticipated graduation in May 2026.
Website: www.daivawalz.com

Image: Erin Hayden | Installation of Clear Sky Series: Orcas and Tea Friends, 2026, Acrylic, colored pencil, and ink on canvas and Cone 10 stoneware with red iron oxide, dimensions variable

Riverside Arts Center
32 East Quincy Street
Riverside Illinois 60546

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Tags: Christine Blanek, Corrine Miller, Daiva Walz, Diane Claussen, Erin Hayden, RAC Teaching Artists, Riverside, Riverside Arts Center, Shawn Vincent, Tariq Tamir