The Faculty

Christopher Pariano, Principal Teacher is an artist raised in North Carolina, who found a deep appreciation for fundamental drawing and figurative work from a young age. He is a graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a bachelor's in painting, and furthered his education at the Watts Atelier in Southern California for 7 years. His career has spanned the fields of portrait painting, illustration, and concept art, alongside mentorship. 

Christopher's work has won numerous academic and local awards, from Scholastic's golden keys and the Governor's award in high school, to various 1st place and best in show winnings in Wilmington, Mint Hill, and Gaston County. He was featured as an outstanding student in the Art Calendar Magazine, and as an ARC finalist in the Fully From Life category. 

In addition to creating work for himself, Christopher is also passionate in mentoring, and finds fulfillment in helping dedicated students take their work to the next level.

Pascale Ropert, Director and Owner of the school is currently a 2nd year student at the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy, and a member of the teaching group at the North Carolina Academy of Art. She is a retired, accomplished IT business professional and a mother of three who maintains a passion for the arts.

Pascale is originally a trained classical piano musician, having studied piano at the Versailles Conservatory. A world traveler fluent in four languages, Pascale and her family fell in love with Charlotte and made it their home in 2013. She was the first student to join the North Carolina Academy of Art in early 2014. In 2017, when the school's original founder, Osiris Rain, decided to close it, her love for the school, its concept, and its people motivated her to take it over and restore it to its full potential with the help and support of Osiris Rain, Mark Gucciardi and the students.