922 Super Women - v2 - FINAL_SL Feature 10 / 5 / 22 2 : 08 PM Page 6 S U P E R W O M E N 2 0 2 2 LynAnn Mastaj , D.M.D . Ashara Shapiro ‘ You have to enjoy helping people . ’ ‘ This is my bravest moment . ’ Dr . LynAnn Mastaj is truly one of a kind . Ashara Shapiro is a beautiful soul . Kind to speak with In her professional career , as the leader of Mastaj Orthodontics in Bryn and keen to share her appreciation of all forms of art , she is a creative force Mawr , Dr . Mastaj finds joy in creating healthy , beautiful smiles for patients of all in Bucks County and beyond . With her newest venture ArtWRKD , an arts ages . Education is essential to her work , not only teaching the patients sitting in consortium in Newtown , Shapiro has created an inviting space where wear - her chair but also educating the next generation of orthodontics ; she provides able , visual , and functional artists can explore their creativity in a supportive continuing education to clinicians in various areas of specialty , and previously atmosphere . shared the wisdom of her experience through her work with the University of “ This new ArtWRKD space has been essentially a dream of mine for many Pennsylvania Faculty Practice . years — about 14 years , around the time my kids were born , ” she says . “ Early “ To succeed in this work , you have to enjoy helping people , and I certainly on , when my kids were younger and I was a new mom , I was focused on my do , ” she says . “ I’ve been a mentor to many students and assistants who have children being offered a space for expression . Now that my kids are teens , one gone on to dental school . ” of the pieces of this new space is to be able to offer the teen population a place In her personal life , she’s a wife of expression , and the adult population as well . and a mother , as well as a world trav - “ This space is not only to support artists and give them a place to show eler , an oenophile ( connoisseur of their work , but to try to create ‘ spiderwebs ’ for them getting to know each wine ) , and a “ phenomenal cook ” with other , what other artists are doing , and what is informing their work , ” she con - some culinary training . She’s also a fre - tinues . “ This is a place of solace for people to come in and create . ” quent visitor to area hiking trails — the The space itself , at 126 South State Street , is the former home of the Pinnacle in Hamburg and Mount Tam - Newtown Enterprise newspaper . Shapiro hopes to carry on the tradition of many on the east side of the Delaware creativity that lives within the historic building’s walls . Water Gap — and has scaled the peaks “ This is different than a gallery of some of the world’s most challenging space , ” she says . “ Sometimes there can mountains , including Mount Fuji in be a sterility to that . This is very experi - Honshu , Japan ; Mount Kilimanjaro in ential . I’ve hand - picked all the artists . I Tanzania , Africa ; and , a bit closer to understand what makes them tick , home , Mount Washington in New their process , and what’s important to Hampshire . Although she has always been athletic , dating back to her days as them , so I can also speak about them . an elite tennis player , she credits her desire to climb to Chris Waddell , a former “ Sometimes as an artist , ” she con - Paralympian who became the first paraplegic to summit Kilimanjaro . tinues , “ it’s hard to speak about your “ I have loved the outdoors and being close to nature all my life , ” says Dr . work because there’s a vulnerability to Mastaj . “ I have met [ Waddell ] several times , and he inspired me to get out that because it comes from a very hon - there and conquer mountains . There’s something so satisfying about reaching est place . There’s a strength for them in the top , being so close to nature . You don’t have to go far from where we live having somebody else be their cheer - to find some beautiful hiking trails and peaks , but I’ve loved hiking in the leader . This is why I love this . ” Presidential Range , in Colorado , and traveling to other places throughout the Shapiro herself utilizes the ArtWRKD space actively while creating for country . ” A.Recherche , her line of wearable art . Dr . Mastaj has prioritized making a difference in the lives of others “ I’ve always dabbled in any and every avenue of expression , from painting throughout her career . In years past , she has supported causes devoted to creat - to woodworking to theater , ” she says . “ In all the different avenues of my cre - ing academic and enrichment opportunities for students from lower - income ative life , there has always been an underlying love of fashion . ” families . More recently , she has championed literacy for children and adults . In addition to crafting eye - catching cuffs , bags , accessories and more , “ Years ago , every kid who came into our office had a book in their hand , ” Shapiro works with reclaimed designs featuring “ little bits and pieces not being says Dr . Mastaj , whose counts the late C.S . Lewis among her favorite authors . used in the larger world , ” such as machine tags and vintage rulers . For Shapiro , “ Then kids started coming in with their Game Boys , and you didn’t see anyone breathing new life into such objects brings history and modernity together . reading anymore . We can’t lose that . People of all ages can gain so much from “ Essentially what I’m doing with repurposed things is finding and reinvent - reading , so I’ve made promoting literacy a big part of what we do here . ” ing so they can have life in a new way , ” Shapiro shares . “ There are a lot of older ey Forexample , she leads efforts to raise money and donate books to organi - things that are really beautiful , down to the font used on a ruler or a ingslnumerical zationssuch as Mighty Writers , a Philadelphia - based nonprofit that every year scale — some things that were very ornate but used every day . Now , Billeveryday teaches thousands of local children how to think clearly and write with clarity things are more consumption - based with less design creativity . ” Kim y as a pathway to success . Also , about this time of year , she and her staff trans - Shapiro’s love for history , community , and the arts extends to her involve - b to formthe Bryn Mawr office into a celebration of the magical universe created by ment in endeavors such as Market Day , Newtown’s artisan festival of phohistory another of her favorite authors , J.K . Rowling . and art , which she apirochairs . Whethershe is prompting a child to pick up a book or giving an adult a “ Before my mom passed , she said to be as brave as I can be in life , ” hShapiro S y . life - changing smile , Dr . Mastaj appreciates the transformative nature of her shares . “ Those were her parting words — no pressure . I asked , ‘ What is raphmy practice . bravest self and what does that look like ? ’ I thought hard about it , and gmy oto “ I love getting to know my patients and having them get to know me as a bravest place is to try to have my dream come alive . This is my bravest Phmoment , ea realperson , ” she says . “ I love making these relationships with people . I love go - youcould say , opening this . ” L na ing to work every day . ” — Bill Donahue ArtWRKDhas many events on the horizon , the first of which will be in NiApril y 2023 in the historic Newtown Theatre . The event will feature wearable art , bas oto wellas work by artists of other genres , including graffiti . — Leigh Stuart ph Mastaj . Dr SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 | 57