Eli was born in Manhattan, but did most of his growing up in Colorado, Upstate New York, and Massachusetts. He loves and misses the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and the lush green forests of the Appalachians, but he is happy to call Manhattan home for the sake of making art accessible to his community. He studied Visual Arts at Bard College at Simon's Rock with a concentration in Ceramics and Sociology and earned his BFA in 2023. He finds joy in the small moments people share and tries to embody the nature of being human in his work. Eli's biggest passion in life is teaching others how to make and think about art and pushing people to think beyond the boundaries of their comfort. 

 

Eli started at the MAC as a ceramics instructor in August of 2023 and took over the role of Visual Arts Director at the end of May in 2025. He is thrilled to help the MAC visual arts department grow and expand to meet the needs of his community. His goal is to make the MAC a common household name as he believes the arts have the ability to transform people's lives. 

 

In his free time, Eli likes to go fishing, throw pots on the pottery wheel, read a book, and practice meditation. Most days you'll find him covered in clay or making tea for his family and friends.