Meet the Team
Director & Instructor
Jenny Kim
Jenny Kim is the Director and Lead Instructor at Art Village Visual Art School. She holds a BFA in Interior Design from Pratt Institute, New York and has over 12 years of experience teaching and mentoring students in both public and private school settings. Jenny has guided many students towards acceptance into top art universities and recognition in national and international competitions, earning instructional awards from Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and Canadian Youth Visual Art Contest.
She has strong interest in both traditional and contemporary art practices and personally enjoys working with clay as a grounding and expressive medium. In her teaching, Jenny emphasizes a balance between skill building and creative exploration, believing that students grow the most when technical foundations support their personal voice and imagination. She values community building and the ways art can bring people together, and hopes Art Village will continue to be a creative hub where students, families and neighbors can share stories, discover their voice and grow through art.
Instructor & Creative Programs Coordinator
Claire Breedveld
Claire Breedveld is a graphic designer, illustrator, and visual arts educator working in Langley, where, in addition to her role at Art Village, she works as the in-house graphic designer at North Langley Community Church (NLCC). She holds a BA from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), as well as a diploma in Graphic and Digital Design from the same. She has worked as an art instructor at Art Village since 2023, and throughout her tenure has supported students in both traditional and digital media. Claire finds great joy in helping students to find their creative voice as they explore and grow in a wide variety of media through guiding curriculum projects, and loves to see how students can surprise her as they learn to hone and trust their creative instincts.
Starting in Summer 2025, Claire is also taking a lead role in Langley Art Club, the new adult art branch of Art Village. She is passionate about the value of a regular art practice in the lives of adults, and is grateful for the opportunity to create a welcoming space for adults of all skill levels to spend some quality time in social, creative exploration.
Instructor & Communications Coordinator
Grace Chen
Grace Chen is a painter, illustrator, and visual arts educator based in Langley, with over 5 years of experience teaching in post-secondary institutions and private and non-profit arts organizations. She has been an instructor at Art Village since 2023, encouraging discovery-based learning and skill-building for all ages. She holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and is pursuing her MFA at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU). She has received awards from American Illustration, the Society of Illustrators (SOI), and the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles (SILA). She has an appreciation for landscapes and water bodies, and wishes to share her passion for nature with her students.
Assistant Instructor
Peter Kim
Peter Kim is an aspiring animator currently in his second year at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD), majoring in 3D animation. He is a recipient of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Key and a graduate of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
Although experienced in a wide range of mediums, Peter’s passion lies in 3D art and sculpture. Inspired by the stop-motion films of his childhood, such as Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas, he combines technical skill with creative storytelling. At Art Village, Peter supports and guides students, encouraging them to experiment with hands-on approaches to art.
Assistant Instructor
Kaitlyn Yoon
Kaitlyn Yoon is an aspiring animator in her first year at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU), where she is majoring in 3D animation. She is a recipient of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Key and earned 3rd place in the Langley School District Foundation Art Contest.
Her love for storytelling began in childhood, watching movies of every genre with her father—from horror to romance. Kaitlyn admires the art of “show, not tell” and how visual storytelling can leave a lasting impact on audiences.
Having studied at Art Village for over six years, Kaitlyn is excited to welcome students into the world of art. She hopes to guide and inspire them as they grow in their own creative journeys.
Visiting Instructors
Architecture Instructor
Rachel Doo
Rachel Doo is an Architect with over a decade of professional experience in the field. She holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto, where she also served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Masters and Undergraduate students. Her career includes Foster + Partners, where she presented her graduate thesis to Lord Norman Foster, and contributed to landmark projects such as the California High Speed Rail, the Waldorf Astoria, and Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, She is now the founder and principal of her own practice, Foray Works, where she leads design projects within Canada and the United States.
At Art Village, Rachel brings her expertise to guide students in grades 9-12 through the fundamentals of architecture and design thinking. Her goal is to inspire young creatives to explore the built environment through hands-on projects that combine technical skills, critical thinking, and imaginative problem-solving.
Animation Instructor
Irene Kim
Irene Kim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Art: 3D Animation and Visual Effects from the School of Visual Arts, New York and has been working in the professional animation industry for over six years. She is currently a Senior Animator at Atomic Cartoons, where she has brought to life beloved children’s shows such as Spidey and His Amazing Friends, and is currently animating on Marvel’s Iron Man and His Awesome Friends for Disney+.
A lifelong movie enthusiast, Irene especially loves the Transformers series—her drawing of Optimus Prime was even featured in a magazine. While she spends her days as a 3D animator, she continues to pursue her passion for 2D animation in her spare time, making her “a 3D animator by day and a 2D animator by night.” She also enjoys games with strong storytelling, always seeking out new ways that art and narrative intersect.
At Art Village, Irene brings her industry experience and creative energy to inspire the next generation of animators.