María Bonilla, an alumna of Queens College, has been teaching visual arts in New York City since 1997. María has created curricula for high school, middle school and the Department of Education’s Summer Art Institute. She has worked as a facilitator for various Department of Education professional development programs and worked with the Office of Arts and Special Projects to expand and redesign the art making section of New York City's Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts. In her free time, María continues to create artwork in her hometown of Jackson Heights. Many of her works depict the historic gardens of the neighborhood, which are an oasis of green in the midst of New York City.