April Zay‘s passion for art began at age three, and when April was in 4th grade, her class had a visiting artist in residence. This visit inspired her to pursue her own career as an artist, traveling to schools and working with young students. Living in many parts of the United States growing up, April has fostered a love and connection to many art forms. While living in Seattle, she learned Origami from her Asian friends. She continues sharing this art form in her Origami programs, and occasionally even learning new Origami models from her students. April is currently the owner, and founder of Hummingbird Arts Studio, taking commission work with a specialty in pet portraits. Expanding on her training as a traditional oil painter, she began creating origami jewelry, and experimenting with paper and mixed media. In 2021 April became part of the Princeton Makes artist co-op and has made many lifelong friends and has found new inspiration for her future creative work.

I approach my role as a facilitator in the classroom, introducing students to materials and concepts outside of what they may experience in their daily lives. I encourage students to be independent and creative problem solvers. Learning how to transform ordinary paper into extraordinary 3 dimensional artwork is a concrete example of the art component of STEAM.