About the Teacher

Ms. Jen Cone

I am a K-12 Visual Arts teacher committed to nurturing creativity and self-expression of young artists. I believe in open-ended art projects that are driven by materials and student choices.  

I graduated from Pratt Institute in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design and a minor in Art Education. Later, I earned a Master's degree in Science in Art Education from SUNY New Paltz in 2003. I began my art teaching career in Brooklyn, NY, where I engaged my students in creating chalk murals in vacant lots and organizing various community-based art projects. After graduation, I was hired by The Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford Stuyvesant to teach cultural and environmental art to students. I also oversaw the restoration of the Hattie Carthan Memorial Garden, which is now a landmark site for the community. 

I moved to the lovely Hudson Valley in 1991 and have been teaching for more than 30 years now. Initially, I taught emotionally disturbed adolescents at The Anderson School for eight years and then taught art at Valley Central School District for a year. I was soon recruited by the New Paltz Central School District, where I have been teaching for the past 26 years. For two decades, I had the privilege of being a Media Arts instructor at New Paltz High School and for the last six years, I have had the pleasure of teaching elementary art at Duzine Elementary School.

My favorite person in the world is my wonderful son Zachary who grew up in New Paltz where he became an outstanding Varsity Basketball athlete. I love animals and nature and enjoy spending time with my dogs out on the beautiful hiking trails. I  hope to focus on my making art when I retire in a few years.

I hold dual NYS K-12 permanent teaching certification in  Art and  Technology.