Gina Tripodi DiFilippo, was raised by parents, Anthony & Catherine, but she was nurtured in art by her beloved grandfather, Vincenzo. Around their dining room table, drawing and painting, Vincenzo nurtured Gina’s shared natural talent.  Those loving lessons were the cornerstone of Gina’s art education, and fostered a life-long passion that drove her to pursue a degree in studio art at the University of RI. She continued to pursue her love of not only making, but teaching art by earning a master’s degree in elementary and special education. Gina aims to help children utilize art as a creative outlet of learning and self-expression. To this day, Gina continues her grandfather’s legacy by sharing his loving lessons with as many children as she can beginning in her own elementary classroom. She has also taught children at local summer arts programs, worked with children with autism to incorporate art into their schoolwork, and of course, nurtured her own niece and nephews in art around that same dining room table. She shares her coastal life with Mary’s son Nicholas, and their two dogs, Boomer & Brickley.