ABOUT

Katie Bretzlaff

Owner | Artist | Teacher
M.A. Art Education, The Ohio State University
B.S. Art Education with English Teaching endorsement, Olivet Nazarene University

Katie Bretzlaff has over two decades of experience teaching Art to people of various ages, abilities, and backgrounds. She taught Art in public schools for over 20 years, specializing in high school Art, Photo, and Yearbook for 17 years, and also teaching elementary and middle school Art. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct professor of Art. Katie was instrumental in developing AP Studio Art classes, the first BBCHS Art Honor Society and Gay-Straight Alliance, Digital Photography courses, and the Art Club at IWHS.

Katie is passionate about professional development in Art Education. She has led numerous workshops for Art and Design teachers on curriculum development, art standards, Digital Photography, and marketing for student publications. She also has extensive experience in preparing artwork for exhibitions, hanging shows, and jurying artwork.

In 2022, Katie founded her own art studio business, Hedgeapple Arts, LLC, to explore a different approach to Art Education.

During the school year, Katie spends each morning in her role as program facilitator for the Kankakee County CEO program (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities), where high school students learn about business and entrepreneurship through experiential learning opportunities.

Katie is dedicated to creating more arts opportunities for people in Kankakee County and beyond and welcomes both experienced and novice artists to explore their creative side at Hedgeapple Arts.