Teachers' Bios

Teacher Yang

Jianyou Yang (pictured in the center) has been an art educator since 1970. Prior to immigrating to US, Professor Yang taught at Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in China for 21 years. He taught drawing and painting classes to both undergraduate and graduate students. Professor Yang is a world renowned painter, illustrator, muralist and sculptor. He has won many national and international awards and his artwork has been exhibited in China, US, Japan and Hong Kong. Professor Yang’s artwork has been collected by museums, state and city governments, cultural bureaus and private collectors. Professor Yang has also published over 2,000 illustrations. His landscape paintings have been selected for the Biennial Statewide Watercolor Juried Completion and exhibited at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California. Professor Yang has also been commissioned by temples in China and US to design and create Buddhist paintings and sculptures. Professor Yang is an active member of Oil Painters of America, the one of the world's most prestigious art organizations for professional artists. Professor Yang has been teaching art classes to children and adults in the Bay Area since 1992. Professor Yang has helped students to be accepted by Harvard University, Stanford University, Princeton University, Yale University, MIT, etc. by helping students to develop strong art portfolios to showcase students' excellence in creativity and achievements in extracurricular activity in art. Professor Yang has also helped students to be accepted in the most prestigious art universities around the world, such as Rhode Island School of Design, California Institute of the Arts, Art Center College, and Academy of Art University, Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in England, etc. Professor Yang currently teaches art classes to students from 13 years old to adults. He offers classes on art portfolio development for college admission for art and design majors, as well as for non-art majors as supplemental materials on extracurricular activities.

Teacher Wang

Lixia Wang (pictured on the right) worked as a professor and dean of the Visual Arts department at Shenyang Academy of Art Education, an accredited degree program that trains students to become art teachers for school aged children. Professor Wang is an expert in child development and art education for children. Professor Wang has been teaching youth art classes at Visionary Arts since 1995. Her students have won awards in many national and international children's art competitions. Besides teaching art, Professor Wang enjoys painting in watercolor and mixed media. Her over life-sized flower paintings have been selected for the Biennial Statewide Watercolor Juried Completion and exhibited at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California.

Teacher Helen

www.helenyangart.com

Helen Yang (pictured on the right) is an oil painter and a docent at the De Young Museum and the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco. She is the president of Visionary Arts and senior art teacher. Growing up on the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts campus, Teacher Helen started professional art training at a very young age from her parents, Jianyou Yang and Lixia Wang, as well as from other professors of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts. For her undergraduate study, teacher Helen Yang was majored in Oil Painting at Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts. Her drawing of a Michelangelo's sculpture of Guiliano de Medici is collected by Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in its preferment collection of excellent artwork. Teacher Helen received her MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in Oil Painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her portrait drawings have been selected as excellent artwork and exhibited in the Annual Spring Show. Helen Yang also has a bachelor's degree in Marketing from University of Santa Clara. She worked as a product manager at a software company in Silicon Valley for five and half years. In 2005, Helen took over her parents' art school and formed Visionary Arts LLC. Teacher Helen has also completed 33 units of college level child development courses. She utilizes her skills and talents in art, marketing and child development to continue the success of Visionary Arts and to better serve her students.

Teacher Gloria

Teacher Gloria received BFA degree in Illustration and Animation. Teacher Gloria is a professional illustrator with a focus on educational materials in a variety of subjects for school aged children. Teacher Gloria loves teaching art because she enjoys sharing her knowledge and helping children to be empowered and confident through their creations.

Teacher Alicia

Teacher Alicia is a professional Illustrator. As a first generation Asian American woman, she believes in breaking down generational trauma in order to nurture authentic growth. She illustrates stories she wished she could’ve seen as a child Conversations centered in mental health and emotional safety. Teacher Alicia enjoys sharing her expertise in art with young children. She believes in creating space for our youth to practice presence and mindfulness, and experiencing the empowering process of creative expressions.

Teacher Martin

Teacher Martin has a degree in Animation. He is a talented concept artist for the video game industry. Teacher Martin has been working on notable AAA video games such as Uncharted the Lost Legacy (2017), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), Just Cause 4 (2018), The Last of Us Part II and Cyberpunk 2077. Teacher Martin has also worked on a few indie games such as Tactical Haptics and Project Xandata. Teacher Martin specializes in Environment, Weapon and Graphic designs for the video game industry. He is talented in concept art, graphic design, digital painting, and drawing & painting in traditional art mediums. Teacher Martin enjoys working with children of all ages to help students gain skills in both traditional and digital art.