Elaine Chung
Bay Area Parent & Working Mom of 3
Ms. Merrill was able to take my few words of "narwhal" and "art" and shape a variety of activities for almost 20 kids to celebrate our 5-year old's birthday. From face painting to a structured painting activity, she was able to engage these excited 5 and 6 year olds the whole time. Even our older 10 year olds enjoyed the painting instruction! Ms. Merrill's magic as a previous SFUSD art teacher really comes through in how she considers the age and the way to prepare these art activities so they are fun and age appropriate in skill level. When the 20 kids were all at the table listening and painting, parents mentioned how amazed they were that all the kids were suddenly so quiet and attentive and that the best "goodie bag" was the painting piece they got to take home.
Mariama Wang
Bay Area Parent
I first fell in love with Ms. Merrill during the pandemic when she was my son’s kindergarten art teacher. I love her style of teaching so much and how she incorporates iconic artists into her classes. She makes learning fun and whimsical! Above all she is kind, engaging and patient. I love that she always plays music while her art classes are in session! She makes my heart smile and now teaches my sons privately.
Alice K.
Preschool Teacher
I had Ms. Merrill host a paint party for me and my friends. Ms. Merrill was my daughter's art teacher all throughout elementary school. Having witnessed her engaging art lessons and her encouraging, accessible teaching style, I knew Ms. Merrill would also be great at hosting an art party for grown ups! Ms. Merrill facilitated an acrylic canvas painting with my exact vision in mind. The activity was well structured, and she made each step of the process easy for us to follow, from beginning to end. We all loved how our artwork turned out, and Ms. Merrill made the experience fun for everyone with her friendly and welcoming demeanor. She is always communicative, punctual, and organized. Not to mention, all of her art projects always leave participants with a beautiful end result. I highly recommend her for art classes and paint parties for adults and children alike!
Joanne Sun, MD
SFUSD parent to Quinn and Phoebe, 9yo.
We first met Ms. Merrill as our elementary school's art teacher. Our girls loved her kind and welcoming demeanor. She really fostered a love of creative expression in them. When the pandemic hit, Ms. Merrill quickly pivoted to virtual classes which provided a much needed routine during the chaos of that time period before our school district started their own online classes. Her artwork and face painting are fun and on trend for kids. I appreciate her thoughtful use of materials that are of course nontoxic but also super easy to clean! Her interactions with kids are warm and genuine. I'm so excited to be able to recommend Dana Merrill for her variety of art services.
Lillian
San Francisco Mom of 3
Learning about art and how to do art with Ms. Merrill has been a wonderful experience for my daughters. Ms. Merrill creates an anyone can do art environment, where kids feel encouraged, inspired and proud of their progress. She has a positive, friendly, and approachable personality - that's great for kids and grownups too! I highly recommend engaging with her for art classes for you or your children.
Conor and Joanne
SF Parents of 3 Boys
Ms. Merrill has been such a positive influence on our three boys. We loved Ms. Merrill as our elementary school art teacher because her projects were so organized and fun for the kids. She makes art fun and sparks curiosity and interest in learning more about it. During the pandemic, Ms. Merrill was even able to hold weekly zoom art classes for the boys that allowed them to continue their art education even while working from home. Ms Merrill even allowed the boys' cousin from Seattle to join the art class so they could not only feel connected to their friends, but also to their cousin! She is personally engaged with each student and takes an interest in each students' skills and development.
Since the pandemic, we have reached out to Ms. Merrill in so many ways to organize, from private backyard art lessons to small group summer camps. Ms. Merrill is incredibly kind, patient, and focuses on each child’s strength. We love her explanation of the lesson plan and the group wrap-up she does. Her skills range from complex and challenging art lessons with older, more advanced students to beginners who are just learning about shapes and spatial reasoning. I’ve always called her the Mr. Rogers of the art world. Our family has been truly lucky to have Ms. Merrill as our art teacher.
