LEANNA YATCILLA
Los Angeles, CA | PaintSplash4@gmail.com | 570-881-4464 LeannaYatcilla.com | LinkedIn | Instagram @leannayatcilla
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Interdisciplinary artist working across painting, printmaking, and large-scale mural and scenic work, with practice inspired by theatrical design and immersive installations. B.F.A. in Art (Magna Cum Laude, Honors in Art), Ithaca College. Illustration experience includes children's book and university-level acting guide projects, alongside public murals, collegiate theatrical productions, gallery installation, and community-based public engagement.
EDUCATION
Ithaca College — B.F.A. Art, Theatre Minor (concentrated in Theatrical Design) — Ithaca, NY GPA: 3.826 | Magna Cum Laude | Honors in Art December 2020 – May 2024
WORK EXPERIENCE
Children's Programming & Clerk — Scranton, PA Lackawanna County Children's Library | July 2026 – Present
Assist patrons with circulation, library resources, and technology support, maintaining an efficient, welcoming public service environment.
Plan and lead children's literacy and arts programming twice monthly, drawing consistent turnout from families and community members; partner with local schools and organizations on outreach initiatives.
Artist-in-Residence — Waverly, PA Waverly Community House | August 2024 – Present
Serve as sole instructor for the organization's children's and adult arts programming, designing and facilitating classes averaging 12–15 students across multi-week sessions (3–4 weeks) and weekly winter drop-in nights.
Curate and host the Comm Kids Annual Art Show, exhibiting three pieces from nearly 100 young artists and welcoming 150–200 guests, with $1,000–$1,500 in artwork sales.
Guide a weekly children's drop-in program during the winter season, introducing color theory, texture investigation, and sculptural foundations through hands-on prop food projects.
Cultivate strong community relationships through public workshops, demonstrations, and events, engaging over 100 participants annually.
Comm Kids Events Coordinator — Waverly, PA Waverly Community House | August 2024 – May 2026
Organize and execute seasonal fundraising events, managing budgets, logistics, and community partnerships; 2024 events raised over $3,500 combined through ticket and bake sales.
Recruit and lead teams of 20+ volunteers to run events drawing 50–200 attendees each, ensuring smooth operations and a welcoming guest experience.
Art Preparator — Ithaca, NY Handwerker Gallery | August 2024 – July 2026
Support installation and deinstallation of eight exhibitions, including work by Carnegie Mellon artists Susanne Slavick and Andrew Ellis Johnson, executing techniques ranging from wall-applied screenprints to delicate large-scale mulberry paper works to securely bolted sculpture installations.
Collaborate with artists and gallery staff to solve unique installation challenges, maintaining organized, safe, and visually engaging exhibition spaces.
Head Counselor of Art — Waverly, PA Waverly Community House | May – August 2024 & 2025
Lead daily arts programming across a 7-week summer camp, preparing lessons for 90+ students ages 4–12 in sessions of 30 minutes to 1 hour, with class sizes up to 40 campers.
Mentor camper-in-training staff (ages 13+) transitioning from camper to counselor roles, while communicating with families and resolving challenges to ensure smooth daily operations.
Brand Ambassador — Dickson City, PA American Eagle Outfitters Inc. | May – August 2023
Promote loyalty program and store credit card sign-ups, and demonstrate product, sales, and inventory knowledge to support informed customer purchases.
Provide personalized fitting room assistance and styling support, while operating the POS system and processing transactions on a fast-paced sales floor.
FREELANCE EXPERIENCE
Art Instructor & Program Co-Founder — Dalton, PA Earth Art Explorers with Spring Hills Farm Foundation | August 2025 & 2026
Co-developed and founded a nature-based art program for United Neighborhood Centers campers, ages 10–12, at Spring Hills Farm.
Instructed a week-long day camp (9:00 AM–1:30 PM daily) for 12 campers, leading nature-based art activities including leaf rubbing, cyanotype printmaking, collage, and land art using found materials.
Window Painter — Pittston, PA Pittston Tomato Festival | August 2024, 2025 & 2026
Hand-painted custom storefront window art for local businesses at the annual Pittston Tomato Festival across three consecutive years (2024–2026), developing original, site-specific concepts for each business.
Built a growing base of repeat business clients through consistent festival participation, expanding into additional independent commission work.
Featured and quoted in WNEP's coverage of the 2025 festival ("Pittston's Tomato Festival Brings Culinary Tradition to Life").
Children's Book Illustrator — Hybrid/Scranton, PA Remember JEA Foundation | May 2023 – August 2024
Illustrated a 40+ page children's book, Johnny, Elijah, and Andy's Lessons of Grief and Hope, for the Remember JEA Foundation, featuring full-color spreads and original character designs supporting the book's mission around grief and hope.
Worked closely with the author throughout the creative process to develop visuals aligned with the story's educational and emotional purpose.
Prepared publication-ready artwork using Adobe InDesign and the Adobe Creative Suite, in preparation for the author's upcoming self-publication.
Educational Book Illustrator — Hybrid/Ithaca, NY Catherine Weidner | September 2025 – January 2026
Produced educational illustrations and character artwork for Acting Heightened Text: The Basics (Routledge, 2026), authored by Catherine Weidner, former Chair of Ithaca College's Department of Theatre Arts and a professional director and actor.
Shaped visuals to enhance instructional content and reader engagement, working closely with the author throughout the process.
Delivered publication-ready artwork using the Adobe Creative Suite.
Promotional Illustrator — Ithaca, NY The Print Shop / Ithaca College | April 2022
Carved and printed an original woodcut illustration featured across print and digital promotional materials for I See You (IC/CU), The Ink Shop Printmaking Center's annual juried exhibition celebrating printmaking work from Ithaca College and Cornell University.
Scenic Mural Artist — Wilkes-Barre, PA Dance Theatre of Wilkes-Barre | November 2018 & 2020
Commissioned twice by Dance Theatre of Wilkes-Barre to work on large-scale (8 × 16 ft.) theatrical backdrops for The Nutcracker: touch-up and repair in 2018, followed by a complete repainting and redesign in 2020.
Executed scenic paintings durable enough to withstand repeated folding of the backdrop's storybook-style mechanism and repeated stage use.
Featured in a 2020 documentary by Umbrella Bloc showcasing the production process.
PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE
Production Designer — Ithaca, NY Portrait of a Woman | Spring 2026
Designed and sourced production elements on a $500+ budget across four locations within a three-day shoot.
Hand-painted lightweight abstract works for a gallery scene and constructed a front entrance desk piece.
Collaborated with an intimacy coordinator to ensure safe, comfortable sets for scenes involving intimacy, and partnered with set decoration to prep and dress consumable props.
Production Designer — Ithaca, NY CHEATERS | Fall 2025
Designed and sourced production elements on a $300 budget for a 20-scene production spanning 14 locations, 8 shoot days, and a cast and crew of 72.
Developed creative solutions to construct the illusion of a full office environment, including extensive paper and prop dressing, within a limited footprint.
Production Designer — Ithaca, NY Falling Behind | Spring 2025
Designed and sourced production elements on a $300 budget across multiple weekend shoot days, coordinating directly with off-campus locations to secure filming access and schedules.
Solved on-set technical challenges, including covering large mirrors in a dance studio location to prevent camera and lighting interference.
Jury Favorite, A Lyte in the Dark (2026); screened at She/Her Fest, SIFF Film Center, Seattle, WA (2026)
Production Designer — Syracuse, NY / Ithaca, NY Most Likely To | Fall 2024
Designed production elements on a $250–$500 budget on a film set used by American High in Syracuse, NY, featuring actor Tommy Armstrong (140K+ social following).
Recognized with two Official Selections (Tyler Film Fest, NYC Student Film Festival — nominated for Best Narrative, Comedy, Screenplay, Director, Actress, and Supporting Actor), an Honorable Mention (London Women's Film Festival), a Special Mention (1World Comedy Film Festival), and a nomination at the Cine Vista Oasis Film Awards — all 2025.
Props Crew — Ithaca, NY RENT (Jonathan Larson) | Fall 2021
Fabricated food props using carved foam and a custom wood sign for the production, with the sign featured prominently onstage throughout the run.
VOLUNTEER & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Admissions Host — Washington Crossing, PA Washington Crossing Historic Park | July 2024
Assisted with visitor admissions, transactions, and wayfinding during a single-day volunteer shift.
Community Muralist — Wilkes-Barre, PA Downtown Arts | August 2019
Developed and executed an original concept for a public mural at a historic downtown community center, translating an open-ended creative brief into a cohesive visual narrative on creativity and exploration.
Coordinated and supervised a team of seven student artists throughout the design and painting process.
Community Muralist — Wilkes-Barre, PA River Common | September 2019
Partnered with a fellow artist to design and create a welcoming chalk mural for the 10th Annual ChalkFest, a public art initiative celebrating young artists and community engagement.
Featured in The Citizens' Voice coverage of the event ("Annual Chalk Fest Draws Crowd to Wilkes-Barre," Sept. 2019).
Promotional Design Volunteer — Kingston, PA Wyoming Seminary | August 2016 – May 2020
Designed original artwork for school events and productions, including apparel, playbills, and promotional materials for Dance Marathon and theatrical performances.
Created the official 2019 Sem Dance Marathon T-shirt design, supporting an event that raised over $34,000 for charity.
Selected by peers to design the team banner for Florentine during Society Day, a school-wide field day competition; banners recognized for two winning years remain on permanent display in the school gymnasium.
WORKSHOPS & ARTIST RETREATS
Multi-year selected participant in nature-based residencies focused on land, landscape, and immersive creative practice.
Artist Workshop with Lala Zeitlyn & Tim Hawkesworth — Dalton, PA Spring Hills Farm | September 15–21, 2025 Scholarship Recipient | 2025
Art & Nature Retreat with Trinka — Dalton, PA Spring Hills Farm | July 13–16, 2023; July 17–20, 2025; July 24–27, 2026 Scholarship Recipient | 2023, 2025, 2026
ARTS LEADERSHIP
Juror — Clarks Summit, PA Our Town Student Art Exhibit, The Gathering Place | 2026
Board Member — Scranton, PA AFA Gallery | 2026 – Present
Juried Member — Pittston, PA ArtEFeks Gallery | 2025 – Present
EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions
Leanna Yatcilla Solo Show | ArtEFeks Gallery | 2026
Liminal Spaces | Abington Community Library | 2025
Pop-Up Exhibit | Waverly Small Works Gallery | 2024
2002 | Cap ArtSpace | 2022
Two-Person Exhibitions
Liminal Spaces | Cap ArtSpace | 2023
Selected Group Exhibitions
Between the Lines | AFA Gallery | 2025
IMMATERIALISM_ | Handwerker Gallery | 2024
I See You (IC/CU) | The Ink Shop | 2022, 2024
Patch Works | South Hill Business Campus | 2021–2022
Several Utilitarian Chambers | South Hill Business Campus | 2021
December 2021 Juried Show | State of the Art Gallery | 2021
The Longest Day of the Year | The Workshop | 2021
Gallery Members Show | AFA Gallery | 2016, 2021
Emerging Artists Show | King's College | 2016–2019
Rossetti | LCCC Gallery | 2015–2020