James Bartolacci

James Bartolacci is an artist and educator originally from Pennsylvania, USA. Trained as an oil painter, his art practice is rooted in a deep understanding of color theory, creating emotionally charged, vividly saturated scenes of nightlife In 2023, James served as a Visiting Professor of Art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where he taught the foundation course “Light, Color, and Design I” to first-year students. He held positions as a museum educator at the Yale University Art Gallery, helping primary school students engage with the museum collection, and as a teaching assistant in color theory for undergraduate art courses at Yale University. He is enthusiastic about bringing these formative teaching experiences to the classroom at Wetherby Pembridge. James holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking from the Yale School of Art. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows in London, New York, and Los Angeles, and has been reviewed by Frieze magazine. In 2024, he was awarded the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant.

James’s teaching philosophy emphasizes foundational principles of art and design through material exploration, critical thinking, and collaborative learning. He is committed to fostering a rigorous, yet welcoming classroom environment for students of all skill levels, from beginners to those with formal training.