ArtsNow
Spring 2008 Instructors
Juan Aguilera C423
Juan G. Aguilera is an Industrial Designer from the University Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City with a pre-press specialty. He has been involved in digital publishing since the darkroom days. A self proclaimed color nut, he believes color is an independent language, with a specific grammar, spelling and intonation.
Juan is a teacher at heart, having taught geometry and design with students ranging from middle school to adults, he currently teaches Photoshop, Color Correction, Camera Raw, Fine Art Printing and Digital Photography workflow in the Northwest. He is a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and has attended several Photoshop World events.
Meredith Arnold C410, C401, C411
Meredith Arnold is an artist living a little off center in Shoreline, Washington. Her work has been exhibited internationally and continues to be published in books and magazines. Teaching for over 30 years, Meredith has covered an array of programs in the arts, life skills, creativity and even English Literature. Both art and teaching are passions that Meredith found early in life. She is a founding member and on the Board of Directors for the N.W. Polymer Clay Guild, an artist's non-profit organization. As a mixed media artist, Meredith is fascinated by working with polymer clay, precious metal clay, fabric, paint, beads, glass and a variety of metals.
Katherine Billings C702, C804, C805
Katherine Billings is an award-winning director, actor, writer, producer, & Teaching Artist at the Broadway Center Conservatory, Evergreen and South Puget Sound Colleges. Awards include the American Film Festival, U.S. Film Festival, International C.I.N.E., Stage Directing & Acting honors. A professional coach to actors for auditions and appearances on Wonder Years, Bull Durham, X-Files, Millenium, Stargate, DaVinci’s Inquest, Deadman’s Gun, Disturbing Behavior, Nothing Too Good For A Cowboy.
Erin Burleigh C300
Lynne Compton C800, C801
Laura Culberg C200, C201
Barbara DePirro C403
Barbara DePirro says "I am fascinated with the overlapping patterns found in nature and human kind. We create in response to our environment both internal and external." Barbara is a Painter, Photographer, Mixed Media Artist, Teacher and Lecturer, sponsored by GOLDEN Artist Colors® She is a many faceted explorer, finding inspiration from both cultural and natural influences. Bringing together a blend of techniques and influences, she then shares this through her art, workshops and lectures. Barbara's artwork can be viewed on her website at http://www.depirro.com
Jeanne Dodds C405, C406
Colleen Dunlap C407, C408, C409
Haley Green C416
Haley Green, MA. Creativity Catalyst Life Coaching. www.haleygreen.com. Haley offers her clients a rich pallet of coaching, adult learning, expressive arts, wellness, business administration and team-leadership development. She is passionately committed to supporting her clients as they embody their most meaningful and authentic life. With a Master's Degree in Human and Organization Development, Haley brings over 10 years experience in the Transformative Learning and Development field.
Susanna Martinez C600, C601
Jennifer McCord and Roberta Trahan C500
Dan Neish C404
EDUCATION
1992 University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, M.F.A., Ceramics
1986 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine. Summer
Residency Program
1981 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, B.F.A., Ceramics
SOLO EXHIBITS
1993 “Recent Paintings and Porcelain Plates”, Madras, The Upstairs Gallery,
Seattle, WA.
1992 “Thesis Show”, Ceramic Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
1991 “Balls and Shafts, Screws and Rings”, Ceramic Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
1987 “V. Series”, Art Center Gallery, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA.
“New Paintings”, Significant Form Gallery, Seattle, WA.
GROUP / INVITATIONAL EXHIBITS
2004 “Body Politics”, Gallery 110, Seattle, WA.
2003 “Face to Face; Art Department Faculty Show”, Edmonds Community College Art Gallery, Lynnwood, WA.
“Students & Faculty of University of Washington Ceramic Program 1969 – 1996”
The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA.
2002 “Ceramic National 2000”, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA.
“Ceramic National 2000”, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL.
2001 “Ceramic National 2000”, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainsville, FL.
2000 “Ceramic National 2000”, Everson Museum of Art. Syracuse, NY.
“Earth and Fire” Selected Works by Northwest Ceramic Artist. Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA.
“New American Paintings” Juried Exhibition-in-Print, Number 25
COMMISSIONS
1991 American Ceramic Society, Incorporated, “Jim Mueller Plaque”, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
AWARDS
1991 Lambda Rho Alumni Scholarship
1990 Kottler / Noritake Scholarship
1986 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Scholarship
PUBLICATIONS
Mathieu, Paul, “Sex Pots Eroticism in Ceramics”, Rutgers University Press. 2003. Pp 113 – 114
Photos “P. & N. #6”, “M.T.M. #5” (color)
Thomas Piche` Jr. Everson Ceramic Natioal 2000. Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY.
Open Studio Press - Number 25 “New American Paintings”, January 2000, Vol. 4, No. 6, Pp 130-133 (color photos)
Butler, Ruth C., “International Cone Box Show”, Ceramics Monthly, Vol. 45, No. 3, March 1997. Photo “O.B. #1” (color)
Mathieu, Paul, “Erotics and Esthetics: Ceramics and Sexualities”, N.C.E.C.A. Journal.
Vol. 16, 1995
Kangas, Matthew, Exhibition Review from show at Madras Gallery, American Ceramics, Vol. 11, #1, 1993. Photo “G.P.#1”
Brown, Richard L., “Continuing Growth”, Reflex, Nov. 1987. Photo “B.G. #4” 1987
Kangas, Matthew, “Handmade Arts in the Age of Cold Technology”, The Weekly, Dec. 16, 1987. Mentioned
Craig Orback C402
Craig Orback graduated with a B.F.A. in illustration from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 1998. He has taught Children's Book Illustration for four years at local colleges. Children's book illustrations fulfill Craig's passion for telling stories with his art and he enjoys sharing his passion with others. Working primarily in oil, acrylic and watercolor, his illustrations are realistic yet painterly. In his free time he enjoys painting landscapes of scenes around his home. Some of his award winning published books and clients have included "Nathan Hale: Patriot Spy", "Benjamin Bannaker: Pioneering Scientist", "Bronco Charlie and the Pony Express", and "Paul Bunyan", all for Lerner Publishing. Other clients have included Simon and Schuster, McGraw Hill, Scholastic Inc., Houghton Mifflin, and the Seattle Children's Theatre. Craig's illustration website is at www.craigorback.com
Eric Penz C700
Ray Pfortner C417
Claire Putney C422
The foothills below the Flat Irons of Boulder, Colorado were my first home. I soon after began to retreat further into the mountains with my family to explore. We read maps, collected rocks and walked. This is the context through which I came to understand my surroundings and my place within them. Growing up with a mother who is a painter and a grandfather who was a watchmaker/machinist, I quickly learned to communicate through the process of making.
I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Painting, Printmaking and Photography at San Diego State University, although the majority of what I learned during that time was in the open desert of southeast California. Before applying for graduate school, I spent one year as a visiting artist at Hoover High School in San Diego, CA through the Price Community Builders Fellowship and five months as an art instructor at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, while continuing my personal studio practice. In June 2007 I completed my MFA in Studio Art at the University of Washington.
Since my arrival in the Seattle area, I have had the pleasure of participating in a number of group and solo exhibitions, have had my work purchased for the City of Seattle Portable Work Collection, and have contributed to the University District Public Art Project. My work has been shown in group exhibitions around Seattle and San Diego. I am also looking forward to an upcoming solo exhibition at the Haydon Art Center in November 2008.
Patricia Ridenour C412
Patricia Ridenour is an award winning, internationally published, fine art and commercial photographer. She has won multiple awards in The International Photography Awards, done the series posters for The Seattle Opera, a book by Random House, and been published in Vogue, Mirabella, Conde Nast, and Travel Leisure magazines. She is on the faculty of The Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, along with teaching travel photography for Rick Steves Europe Through the Backdoor.
Clarissa Szabados-Mish 603, C604
A native Italian speaker, Clarissa now resides in Seattle. She started teaching Italian at Berlitz School during her college years, and since retiring from the University of Washington in 2000, has been teaching privately as well as at local community colleges. Clarissa offers weekend intensive Italian “language camps” on her property on Lopez Island, Clarissa also leads tours to Italy where participants can enjoy the authentic flavor of lesser known cities and towns.
Oana Tomai C802, C803
Oana moved to Seattle in the fall of 2004 after she received her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature from Eastman School of Music where she served as a graduate assistant. A native of Romania she performed in a ten-concert tour with theater actress Leopoldina Balanuta in recitals of Romantic poetry and music and was broadcast live. Oana moved to the U.S. in 1996. She became an American citizen in 2005. She is a recipient of various scholarships and grants, participated in music festivals such as Aspen Festival and School of Music, Chautauqua Institute, Brevard Music Center and Pecs Summer School of Music and as an accompanist in the International Percussion Competition of Debrecen, Hungary. She played in masterclasses for Vladimir Feltsman, Tzimon Barto, Nemethy Attila, Arkady Sevidov, Gabriel Chodos and Edward Auer. As an opera accompanist and chamber musician she has been coached by Fiora Contino and Malcolm Bilson. Her principal teachers were Rebecca Penneys and Andrew Cooperstock. Among her most recent activities are guest artist appearances for the George Crumb Festival University of Northern Colorado, By Crumb! at the Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle Symphony Made in America Festival at Nordstrom Recital Hall and participation in the U. W. World Series Masterclasses. She is a former faculty member at the Seattle Conservatory where she taught theory and composition. This year Oana is a composition teacher at Music Center of the Northwest for both Adults and Kids. This fall she will play with Cornish College of the Arts faculty members an extraordinary concert of Romanian music presented by Seattle’s own Nonsequitur at the Shepherd’s Center. Oana is a frequent guest in fund raising recitals benefiting various schools of music and colleges in the Northwest.
Michelle Tomyuk C418, C419, C420, C421
Chai Chai Wang C602
Michael Wewer C413
Michael Whitmarsh C414
Mary Willix C400
Mary Willix, M.A. Ct. H. is an Edmonds hypnotherapist, writer and artist with a background in dream work, dance, creative nonfiction, and brain studies. After 35 years as a Spanish professor, Mary redesigned her life to devote time to dream writing, memoir, hypnotherapy training and discovering how hypnosis, dreams, belief systems and daily habits impact well-being and creative flow. Mary is the author of three books and more than a dozen articles. She has taught at Trinity College, UCSD, San Diego Mesa College, Seattle Community Colleges & UW Experimental College. At EdCC she teaches for Arts Now, CRI and BTC.
Kristi Zevenbergen C415
Kristi Zevenbergen teaches beading, wirecraft and metalsmithing in the Seattle Area, designing projects that enable students to learn technique. "I enjoy watching the process of discovery as students begin to imagine and discuss new possibilities. Teaching gives me a chance to impart the joy of creating and to give others the permission to create just for the sake of creating. ". In her own work she uses the process of "responding" to what she sees before her, choosing from a variety of techniques to accomplish a finished piece. Krist says "I'm happiest when I am able to make art freely without the boundaries of marketplace aesthetics". Inspiration for her pieces comes from old things and things in nature.
