ARTSPACE SUMMER ARTS PROGRAM

PARIS ALEXANDER was born and raised in New York City where he studied art since early childhood. Since moving to North Carolina twenty years ago his work has been widely exhibited in galleries, universities, and museums. Paris has also completed numerous public and private commissions. His work is included in the collections of Saks Fifth Avenue, SAS Institute, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and many others. Paris maintains a studio at Artspace.

VIDABETH BENSEN’s original screenprints reflect 27 years of living and working overseas as a professional artist and teacher. She has a BA in Art Education and an MA in Gifted Education. She teaches adults and children in the Triangle and many other locations in the US and overseas. Vidabeth’s work is in many private and corporate collections.

BONNIE BRUNNER has been teaching art in NC for 11 years to children K-12th grade. She teaches art as a process and truly believes learning should be interesting and fun. Bonnie has been a painter for 20 years and received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her paintings tell visual stories.

LUKE MILLER BUCHANAN is a Raleigh painter and art educator. He graduated from the NCSU School of Architecture in 2002 and has been painting Raleigh's lost spaces since 1999. Each spring Luke works with the Moore Square Magnet School/ Contemporary Art Museum project -- "Raleigh: Past, Present and Future." Luke has also worked as a teaching assistant to Lope Max Diaz at the College of Design, NC State University, Raleigh, NC.

JUDITH CARDUCCI has received international recognition as one of today's best portrait painters. Her work has been shown in such venues as The National Arts Club and the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Cahoon Museum of American Art, and the Butler Institute of American Art. She has been featured in International Artist, Pastel Artist International, American Artist, The Pastel Journal, The Artist's Magazine, and several books including Best of Portrait Painting, Best of Pastel (North Light Books), and 100 Ways to Paint People (International Artist). Her work is in collections in the United States, Canada, Israel, and Europe. Judith is a member of numerous organizations including the Portrait Society of America (board & faculty), Pastel Society of America (signature member), Degas Pastel Society, American Artists Professional League, and then International Association of Pastel Societies.

TANYA CASTEEL received her BFA from the Maine College of Art focusing on ceramics and photography. She also holds a K-8 Elementary Teaching Certificate from the University of Southern Maine and currently holds a North Carolina K-6 Teaching License. She has experience teaching in both traditional classrooms as well as teaching private art classes. Tanya works as an artist selling her pottery and stuffed animals at craft shows and local shops. She has won an Artist Development Grant, an Emerging Artist Award, and was in Ceramics Monthly Magazine in 2007.

JAYNE CLUGGISH received a BFA from Ohio University and an MFA from the State University of NY in Oswego. She has taught art at the elementary level for 19 years, currently at Heartwood Montessori School in Cary. Jayne has been a basketweaver since 1977. However, having a life-long interest in clay, she has always kept her fingers in the “mud.” Jayne has exhibited her work in NC and NY.

SONYA LEIGH DRUM is an arts educator, theatrical designer, and studio artist. She received her BFA in Theater Design and Art Education from UNC-Greensboro, and studied at Northwestern University. Sonya has been the resident scenic designer for Peace College Theatre for the past five years and is currently the Lead Scenic Artist for University Theatre at NCSU. She also currently teaches art at Washington GT Magnet Elementary School and has taught several performing and visual art camps in the area.

KERRI ECKES received an MFA in 2005 in Studio Art with a concentration in painting from East Carolina University. Color and Design are important components of her figurative painting. She currently teaches at the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham in Durham, North Carolina.

DAVID EICHENBERGER earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2001. David was Artspace’s July 2009-January 2010 Regional Emerging Artist-in-Residence. His work has been included in numerous exhibitions including most recently at Rebus Works, Raleigh, NC; Designbox, Raleigh, NC; Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, CA; AhPeele Gallery, Raleigh, NC; and Wootini, Carrboro, NC.

SUSAN FENNEL was raised in Japan, so heroic characters like Momotaro (peach boy) and creatures like Kappa (water imp) are never far from her mind! In fact, Susan believes that a Kappa lived in a river that ran along the street of her childhood home. Today Susan lives in Raleigh where, as far as she can tell, there is no Kappa – but one never knows! She studied art at the Maryland Institute College of Art and at Meredith College, and currently teaches various workshops and residencies throughout Wake County.

JOSHUA FLINT received a BFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 2002. Since then, he has had exhibitions and gallery representation across the country from Seattle, WA to Laguna Beach, CA., and most recently in Charleston, SC and Santa Fe, NM. He has previously taught at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. His work has garnered national awards and has been featured in major publications, like Southwest Art and American Art Collector.

OSCAR J. GILLESPIE, Artspace’s 2010 Summer Artist-in-Residence, is a Professor in the Department of Art at Bradley University, Peoria, IL. He is noted for his expertise in monotypes and in intaglio, especially metal-plate engravings. His work has been included in more than 300 solo, invitational, and juried exhibitions. His prints and drawings may be found in more than 2000 private and public collections, including the Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Boston, MA; the Kleven Print Collection, Bemidji, MN; the Kemper Group Collection, Chciago, IL; the Lauren Rogers Museum, Laurel, MI; the Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, MO; the New York Public Library, NY; Queensland University of Technology Art Museum, Australia; National Museum of Posnan, Poland; and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris, France.

TARRAH GOFORTH is a Raleigh artist and art educator. She earned a BA in studio art from Elon University, and a K-12 teaching license from UNC-Charlotte. She currently teaches art at Wakefield High School, and teaches part-time at Sertoma Arts Center. Tarrah is a member of the Visual Art Exchange and participates in juried and non-juried exhibitions, working mostly as a painter and ceramicist.

DAN HOHL is a local stained glass artist with over 25 years of experience. For the past 20 years he has operated the Stained Glass Center in North Raleigh. He has taught numerous classes at his shop, at various community colleges, and in the visiting artist program at Ravenscroft School. Dan has completed numerous glass commissions for homes, chapels, and businesses throughout the area.

EMILY SOLDIN HOWARD is a Raleigh fiber artist and educator. She uses a variety of media in her work such as fabric, paper, clay, plaster, and found objects. Emily utilizes many traditional and innovative techniques to create 2-D and 3-D art such as batik, screenprinting, felting, rusting, and composting. Howard received her undergraduate degree from Meredith College, and graduated from East Carolina University with an MFA in textiles in 2009. She exhibits her work nationally, and enjoys teaching various workshops in and around the Triangle.

TANJA KWIATKISTA is a German-licensed childhood educator and movement therapist. Tanja has participated in several art, music, and dance seminars in Europe and West Africa. In the last 10 years she has been teaching kids and young adults with a focus on art and holistic movement. Her experience working with movement, art, and educational studies with youths helped her to develop multi-arts classes for cultural centers throughout Germany. Tanja has also taught for programs focused on promoting self-confidence in kids and teens. In her holistic courses the focus is not on the result, but rather on one’s experience.

MICHELLE LYON is a self-taught textile artist. After twenty years as a pastry chef, she opened a hand crafted gallery and started making and selling Peculiar Pets. Other gallery owners began to ask if they could sell Peculiar Pets, and now the pets are sold in over one hundred stores across the country. Michelle also hand sews appliqué vignettes and creates large, one-of-a-kind plush sculpture.

PAULA MACLEOD is a mostly self-taught mosaic artist from Durham, NC. Paula has worked in mosaics since 1997 and teaches mosaic techniques for Jordan Hall Art Center (Cary), Artspace (Raleigh), and formerly with the Durham Arts Council. She has exhibited her fine art in juried shows all over the US and in Ravenna, Italy. She is a recipient of the Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant for 2000-2001, holds a degree from East Carolina University, has had work published in art books, and belongs to numerous art associations. Paula was featured on Home and Garden TV’s Crafter’s Coast to Coast in June 2005, and was a guest on the PBS series Paint Paper Craft in 2007.

SUSAN MARTIN is an artist living and working in Raleigh. A graduate of the University of Redlands with a degree in Studio Arts, Susan has been painting, drawing, and pulling prints for over ten years. She currently maintains a studio at 311 West Martin Street in downtown Raleigh.

ERIC MCRAY earned a BFA degree at the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. His work has been widely exhibited, and has been featured on TV, radio, and in numerous newspapers and magazines. The Raleigh News & Observer named Eric one of the Artists to Watch in 2001. and Metro Magazine has called him the Best Local Artist. His work is featured in numerous corporate collections throughout the Triangle, including at the American Tobacco Campus, Duke University Medical Center, NC State University, UNC Chapel Hill, SAS Institute, and Western Wake Hospital. Eric has taught painting and collage to youths and adults throughout NC and currently maintains a studio at Artspace.

SHERRY NICHOLSON began working in clay 37 years ago. She has been teaching pottery for 20 years. In addition to teaching at Artspace this year, Sherry also teaches at Pullen Arts Center and Jordan Hall Arts Center. She works in a studio at her home making functional pottery.

JULIE NISKANEN was born in Greenville, SC. She received her BFA from Iowa State University and MFA in Printmaking from the University of South Dakota. She currently lives in Raleigh, where she works as an artist, leads printmaking workshops, and teaches art courses at several colleges in the area. She is a member of the Artspace Artists Association and Washington Printmakers Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and shows her work internationally.

ELIZABETH NORVAL made her first puppets and put on a puppet show when she was just eleven years old. After performing for her son Keith, Elizabeth Norval created her own Puppetry Company in Zimbabwe in 1985. Shortly after her arrival in the United States in 1990, she established the Zambezi Puppets and performed at fairs, museums, schools, and birthday parties in Gainesville, FL. Since 2000, she has performed at several preschools as well as at Fuller GT Magnet Elementary where she teaches second grade. Last year, the puppeteers from Elizabeth’s Artspace class showed outstanding talent and enthusiasm in their final performance.

KEITH NORVAL received his BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, GA, in 2000. A professional painter who works in his Artspace studio, Keith grew up in Zimbabwe and Gainesville, FL. He draws on this background for the subjects in his oil paintings. Keith exhibits his work throughout NC and is collected internationally. He has taught in the Artspace Summer Arts Program for several years..

SHARRON PARKER received an undergraduate degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from UNC-Greensboro, studying education, art, and interior design. She continued her study in textiles with classes at Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, where she has returned to teach workshops in felting. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US, and through the Art in Embassies program, in Turkmenistan and Armenia. She has been a feltmaker for 30 years.

ANNA PODRIS earned her BFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design, GA. Podris maintains a studio at Artspace where she creates paintings in oil and encaustics. In addition to teaching at Artspace, Anna has also taught at Pullen Arts Center and the Raleigh Girls Club. Her work has been shown in VA, NY, FL, and locally.

TIM POSTELL received his BFA from East Carolina University and his MFA from the prestigious Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Tim now lives in Knightdale and works out of his studio at Artspace. He also teaches art to aspiring local artists.

LESLIE PRUNEAU is originally from Raleigh but has lived in New York City and Berlin, Germany, pursuing a career in the arts. Her passions lie in multi-media works, drawing, and painting. For ten years Leslie has taught adult and youth art classes and camps with the City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department, as well as after-school art programs.

JANE ROBERTS has been an art educator for more than 25 years in Wake and Johnston counties. Her classes are described as low stress and highly successful. Jane has received several awards, including Wake County Secondary Teacher of the Year, Racheem Educator of the Year, and NC Middle School Teacher of the Year. Students of every level enjoy the beautiful projects made under her instruction.

REBECCA ROUSSEAU received her BA in Elementary Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. After teaching for 4 years on the Mexican border she returned to Raleigh to teach and paint in her Cameron Village studio. Rebecca has recently created a large mural of the world with second graders at Bugg Elementary that was funded by the United Arts Council. Rebecca paints and shows her art throughout the country and teaches art extensively in the community, both to adults and children.

GARRETT SCALES, a self-taught artist, has spent the past five-and-a-half years pursuing hand stenciling images on a variety of surfaces, including paper and textiles. A Raleigh resident, Garrett’s work has been showcased at local galleries including Artspace. He has taught in the Artspace Youth Summer Arts Program for two years to students of varying ages.

SUSAN SCHUHMACHER is a professional painter and art educator with more than 20 years of teaching experience in NC, SC, and GA public schools. Susan also has experience teaching adults and art educators. She currently offers artist residencies through the United Arts Council in Wake and Johnston counties. Her work is shown in numerous galleries and is part of many corporate and private collections. Susan is a member of the Artspace Artists Association.

SUSAN SOPER has been a studio printmaker since 1988. Before moving to NC, Susan was an adjunct art instructor in Lithography, Drawing, and General Art at Central Wyoming College in Riverton, WY. She also taught lithography to elementary and middle school students. She exhibits her work nationally, and currently maintains a studio at Artspace.

MEGAN SULLIVAN has been creating photorealistic quilts based on images she finds graphically interesting and humorous since 2000. Wanting to expand her portfolio, Megan recently began exploring new materials and different fiber-based processes, while continuing to communicate through narrative and humor. Megan earned her BFA in Sculpture from UNC-Greensboro, and her MFA in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI. Her work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions, including locally at Lump Gallery, Flanders 311, the Morning Times Gallery, Visual Art Exchange, Glance Gallery and the Greenhill Center for NC Arts. Megan will also be represented in the Fiberarts International exhibit in 2010.

LUANA LUCONI WINNER is a founding member of the Portrait Society of America. Her award winning portraits, paintings, and murals hang in corporate headquarters, universities, and residences both here and abroad. She recently won Best in Show in an international portrait competition. Luana is in demand as a speaker, national workshop instructor, and is on the faculty of the Portrait Society of America International Conference, the International Association of Pastel Societies, and other national organizations. She is author of a series of instructional workbooks and eight DVD’s, and is a contributing writer for national publications. Luana maintains a studio at Artspace.

MARY LOUISE WRIGHT has more than 7 years of teaching experience and currently teaches art at Root Elementary in Raleigh. She earned a BFA from UNC and has studied at Parson’s School of Design, NY; Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC; Lorenzo De Medici Art Institute, Italy; Oxford University, England; and St. Mary’s College, Raleigh, NC. Mary Louise has taught in Artspace’s Summer Arts Program for the past several years.

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