Mary Greim-Gallo

Chair

The guiding principle behind her art and her life can be captured in the quote, “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” — Vincent van Gogh. As both an artist and educator, she emphasizes experimentation, revision, and creative risk-taking, encouraging students to move beyond their first ideas and engage more deeply with their work.

She brings over two decades of experience in PreK–12 art education, with expertise in 3D art, jewelry, precious metals, and gemology, and has served the Cranston Public Schools as a Visual Art Teacher since 2002. Her practice is grounded in research-based pedagogy, including Visible Thinking, Thinking is Action and Social Emotional Learning, with certifications from Harvard Project Zero and Yale University. She holds two Bachelor of Fine Art degrees from the University of Massachusetts and a Diamond Graduate certificate from the Gemological Institute of America. Beyond the classroom, she is deeply committed to bringing the arts into the broader community.

Outside of her professional practice, she enjoys spending time with her husband and cuddling with their three furbabies

Sara Porreca

Vice Chair & Treasurer

A long-time Cranston resident, Sara has a background in event coordination and community-focused outreach. Throughout her career, she has specialized in building meaningful connections and organizing inclusive gatherings. Passionate about making the arts accessible and visible in her community, Sara is dedicated to strengthening the city’s cultural fabric through collaborative event planning, creating immersive experiences, and providing administrative support for the Cranston Arts Commission. 

In her free time, she enjoys being creative (especially with clay), reading, stargazing, and reconnecting with nature with her family. 

Danielle Izzi-St. Pierre

Secretary

Danielle is the proud secretary of the Commission, and previously a three-term Chair. A resident of the Meshanticut neighborhood, Danielle is an avid crafter, and enjoys building miniatures, crocheting, macrame, and more. She is an event manager and wedding designer, with nearly fifteen years of industry experience. She received her bachelor's degree in English from Rhode Island College. 

In her free time, she enjoys exploring Rhode Island's hiking trails with her dog, and crafting with found and foraged objects

Shannon Casey

Ex-Officio; Director of the Artists' Exchange

Shannon Casey of Cranston, RI, is an avid ceramicist and fiber artist whose focus is on creating harmonious relationships between the seemingly incongruous mediums. After graduating with a BA in art education from Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA, Shannon began teaching at Artists' Exchange, a non-profit community arts collaborative. 12 years later, Shannon is now the director and oversees the many programs she helped implement. Most notably, and the program of which she is most proud, is the sustainable fiber program and collaboration with Revive the Roots, a non-profit organization with the focus on sustainability and permaculture. The fiber program at Artists' Exchange was created as a means to educate students on not just the fiber arts but animal husbandry and sustainable sourcing for art materials. As director, Shannon remains a teacher, sharing not only a love for her craft, but mentoring young educators to lead and inspire the next generation of artists.

Nancy Vitulli

Nancy Vitulli, a native of Cranston, Rhode Island, studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and received her B.F.A. in Undergraduate Drama from New York University.  With a Masters in Education from Adelphi University, Nancy implemented a dance program and directed plays at Grover Cleveland High School, Queens, NY.  Returning to Cranston in 1990, she soon thereafter co-founded the Cranston Community Theater, a multi generational group, which brought live theater to our city for over ten years.  Nancy joined the faculty at Cranston High School West as theatre teacher and drama director, working for 29 years until her retirement in 2024.  Under Nancy’s direction at Cranston High School West, numerous productions were selected to represent Rhode Island at New England Drama Festivals while earning students recognition for their outstanding work in acting and theatrical design.  For her work in theater education, Nancy is the recipient of awards including the Jenny Klein Teacher of the Year for Holocaust Education by the RI Holocaust Museum and a Golden Apple Award from NBC10/RI Department of Education. In 2019 she was one of 10 teachers recognized nationwide and awarded the Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.  In 2025, Nancy was inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame.  She is the proud mother of John and Joseph Donegan, their wives, Laura and Alexa, and her grandchildren, Luke and Liam.