Ms. Rupa Shah
Rupa Shah is an M.F.A. by training, artist, animator, curator, entrepreneur, educator, Indian classical dancer, nature lover, humanist, reader by passion, and mother of two by choice. Rupa has studied in India, Edinburgh, Scotland, and U.S.A. She believes in lifelong learning.
After more than a decade as the contemporary Indian Art curator of TamarindArt in New York City, she embarked on a new path when she saw how her firstborn daughter thrived in her Montessori preschool in Jersey City. After moving to Scarsdale, NY, she earned her Montessori Early Childhood credential to facilitate the same learning experience for her second daughter. She worked as a headteacher in a Montessori classroom at Alcott School for many years before founding Yellow Acorn in 2021. With a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Southern California and AMS certification, Ms. Rupa incorporates her expertise and love of art throughout her classroom lessons, including art therapy.
Know a little bit more about Rupa:
When she is not teaching or curating, Rupa enjoys going back to nature, painting, doing yoga, trying new recipes in the kitchen, and experimenting with interior designing. She loves wearing Indian clothes and listening, singing, and dancing to southeast Asian music. She also enjoys watching good cinema with her husband and two children.
Born and raised in the historic city of Ahmedabad, India, she lived in a middle-class, Jain, Gujarati, educated household. She grew up surrounded by doctors with Gandhian ethos and watching her grandfather developing photography prints for his photo studio. While in Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, India, she learned to paint and draw. She also completed seven years of training in Indian Classical dance. Before moving to the U.S.A. in 1998. with her preschool classmate and computer engineer husband, she did summer school at Edinburgh College of Arts. She has taught at Mountain View Community College in CA. and Annenberg center at U.S.C.
She worked as an art curator and worked at a contemporary Indian Art Gallery for many before deciding to work from home for her two children. While raising my children across two cultures, she searched for books to help them understand their heritage. As she grew her children to become ravenous readers, she also realized the power of Montessori Pedagogy and how close the philosophy was to her preschool back home. This realization, the lack of representation, and her understanding of living in the East and West inspired her to embark on her Montessori journey.
While growing up, she knew she would become an artist, but the pandemic led her to open Yellow Acorn Montessori. She is very critical of her work and is constantly working on progress. She is thankful for supporting family and trustworthy friends who are a continual source of inspiration and a grounding strength for her. She is grateful to the parents and children who give her immense joy and purpose in life. She believes that work is her worship and happiness is a choice.
Ms. Rupa Shah
Director & Teacher
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