Ben Leyer began teaching at the Creative Workshop at the Memorial Art Gallery in Spring, 2018, but remembers taking classes with John Kastner when he was a child. That class and other experiences fed his creativity and led to a long journey in the arts. Ben earned his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Illustration from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his Master’s Degree in Art Education from Nazareth College. He worked as a long-term substitute art teacher in several local school districts. He is thrilled to be joining the workshop as a teaching artist with a specialty in drawing, cartooning, and sculpture for children and teens.