Zoë Blatt, the new upper school Visual Arts & Digital Media teacher, spent her childhood in her mother’s studio. Mixing paints and playing around with various materials, Zoë developed a passion for making art.

Zoë chose fine arts as her major at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania. After Zoë got her BFA, she came to Friends Select School in 2011 as an after school teacher in the lower school. At that time, she felt a special connection with our school. Zoë’s personal and educational philosophy are in line with Friends Select, so she was eager to return to our community.

Zoë says that one of the best parts of teaching is “forming relationships with students and helping them be their best selves.” She explains that “nothing is more rewarding than helping students to bring their own ideas to life.”

Zoë is both a teacher and a practicing artist. One of her favorite personal pieces is an outdoor installation she made in graduate school. The installation encouraged children to play, explore, and experience different tactile materials. “It is special to me because I was able to work with the community and with young children. Children also made their own artwork in response to their experiences with the installation, which propelled my new work when I returned to the studio,” Zoë says.

When Zoë is not teaching or in her studio, she enjoys growing herbs and vegetables on her rooftop garden, and spending time with her husband and two cats, Ollie and Charlotte.