𐃘 ⭐️About me, Sanya, Sanja Manakoski, Founder of My Art Academia:

I am an awarded winning professional artist with an MFA degree from Northwestern University. I possess expertise in various fields of art such as theater designing, fashion designing, illustration, and fine arts. I have taught art to students of all ages, from young artists to graduate students at the university level. My artwork has been displayed and recognized in both Europe and the United States. Currently, I reside on the beautiful Island of Oahu, where I continue to create art. 


𐃘 ⭐️About Art Pro Teaching Super Star Jelena:

Jelena, an amazing artist with a masters degree in art from New York City, is truly remarkable. She has been teaching art and design classes at Art College Cuny for many years. While studying for our bachelors degree, we both focused on Fashion and Costume Design. Throughout the rigorous 5-year program, we collaborated on various projects, witnessing Jelena's immense talent and creativity. What I find most admirable about her is her calm demeanor and caring nature. In her spare time, she enjoys drawing and expressing herself visually. Her designs are always extraordinary, like the time she created a dress entirely out of straws! Jelena has a knack for turning ordinary things into something special, and with her unique experience working in New York, from the Metropolitan Opera to movie sets, she can impart her knowledge and expertise to students for their future careers. 

𐃘 ⭐️About Art Pro Teaching Super Star Megan:

Megan, an exceptional artist residing in Chicago, is truly remarkable. Not only does she dedicate herself to being a school counselor for students with special needs, but she also possesses an incredible talent for art. We both pursued our master's degrees at Northwestern University, where she earned her graduate degree in art. Megan's artistic abilities are truly outstanding, showcasing her high level of skill and creativity. Moreover, she is a nurturing and caring individual, making her a joy to be around. She has a unique ability to recognize the special qualities in everyone and uses that to help her students grow and find their own voice.

𐃘 My Art Academia Teaching Philosophy:

Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Teaching allows me to keep my artistic side alive by constantly exploring new ways to create and appreciate art. As an art teacher, I get to nurture my artistic side too by discovering fresh methods to create and admire art. I push myself to view things from diverse perspectives and experiment with various techniques to teach each young student uniquely.

My teaching philosophy is that all students must have a stimulating creative environment that will foster their artistic, creative, social, and intellectual growth. I approach each student individually by celebrating their specific point of view. 

My goal is to create a class that is never one-note or repetitive, but rather collaborative, interactive and dynamic. I want every student to have a meaningful experience in my class. 
In a safe, process-based environment I invite my students to learn through experimentation, share their ideas and discover the joy of creating art. 

My aim is to support students in feeling confident as they express their creativity and nurture their individual talents. This will be accomplished by teaching them essential art and drawing techniques and skills, and providing guidance on how to view the world from an artistic perspective.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you in some of my classes!
About me
𐃘Use the coupon code ARTPROF20 to get a $20 discount on your first Outschool class!
I'm absolutely thrilled to be here on Outschool, ready to teach and inspire learners through the power of art! Join me in the series of classes My Art Academia where we embrace creativity, kindness, and diversity. In our class, we value respect and maturity while having fun and engaging in the creative process.

⭐️ Welcome to My Art Academia’s vibrant world of creativity! My name is Sanya (Sanja Manakoski) and I am the visionary behind a small, female-owned and operated art organization based in the enchanting paradise of Hawaii. However, our reach extends far beyond these beautiful shores, stretching across the globe through our captivating online classes.  Based in art capitals like Chicago and New York City, our team includes talented artists and teachers!

⭐️ Our Teachers:

⭐️👩‍🎨Founder and Art Prof Sanya -Sanja Manakoski
⭐️ 👩‍🎨 Art Prof Yelena- Jelena Antanasijevic
⭐️ 👩‍🎨 Art Prof Irena- Irena Hadzi Djordjevic
⭐️ 👩‍🎨 Art Prof Megan- Megan Truscot

At My Art Academia, our aim is to ensure that each artist who enters our classroom leaves with a profound sense of achievement. By offering personalized support, we instill the fundamental tenets of art while fostering their innate creativity, curiosity, and distinct character.


⭐️👩‍🎨Founder and Art Prof Sanya -Sanja Manakoski:

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Costume and Fashion Design from University of Applied Arts and Design in Belgrade, and my Master of Fine Arts in Stage Design from Northwestern University in Chicago.

I've taught various art and design related classes for 10 years and I have worked with all different age learners. Aside from teaching young developing artists I am also teaching regularly at college level, such as Northwestern University. Watching students learn to discover and create with the help of my guidance inspires me a lot. I am an active professional multidisciplinary artist, and I have been costume designing internationally and in the US for the last 10 years. I also have experience in other design areas, such as film, fashion, makeup and illustration. As a result, I am able to share my first-hand experience, skills and knowledge that help students consider various creative opportunities and moreover the joy of creating art. 
For me learning never ends- as much as students learn from me, I am also the one who learns from them all the time. Being an artist and teacher is not just a profession for me, it is a way of life.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 

Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Teaching enables me to remain an artist, rediscovering new ways to be passionate about theater and art. My teaching philosophy is that all students must have a stimulating creative environment that will foster their artistic, creative, social, and intellectual growth. I approach each student individually by celebrating their specific point of view. 
My goal is to create a class that is never one-note or repetitive, but rather collaborative, interactive and dynamic. I want every student to have a meaningful experience in my class. 
In a safe, process-based environment I invite my students to learn through experimentation, share their ideas and discover the joy of creating art. I want to help students feel comfortable unlocking their creative voices and developing their talents.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you in some of my classes!

BIOGRAPHY

Sanja Manakoski is a full time teaching artist and professional multidisciplinary artist. Sanja recently relocated to Hawaii from Chicago and she is originally from Serbia, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Costume and Fashion Design from University of Applied Arts and Design in Belgrade, and her Master of Fine Arts in Stage Design from Northwestern University. 
Recently, Sanja won the 2019 Michael Merritt Award for the best professional theatre design exhibit. In 2018, she was featured in American Theatre Magazine in the Roll Call Series 6 Theatre Workers You Should Know. Sanja’s drawings, paintings and designs have been seen internationally and across the United States in theatres such as the Writers theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Gift Theatre, Teatro Vista Theatre, Western Stage Theatre, Music Theatre Works, and others.
In addition to her theatre accomplishments, Sanja is also recognized as a fashion designer and educator. She was one of the judges for the 2018 Driehaus Awards for Fashion Excellence in Chicago. 
Furthermore, she is the co-creator of the fashion label KLASA, which received many prestigious awards such as the ELLE Fashion Award. 
Her costume designs and illustrations have also been exhibited internationally. For example, her up cycle multifunctional costume design received the ULUPUDS design award in Belgrade and was exhibited in the Theatre Festival Prague Quadrennial 2015. 
Sanja is also teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University for theatre design at both undergraduate and graduate levels. She also has experience teaching at University of Illinois at Chicago and Hartnell College in California. Some of the classes that she taught are Costume Design, Stage Makeup, Scenic Design, Scenography, Computer Graphics Design, Figure Drawing, Theatre Crafts Class and so on.
She currently works in Hawaii in her art studio on series of paintings and preparing for her solo exhibition.