June Abbott has a Master's Degree in Music Education from Georgia State University and sings with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and in the Atlanta community. She is a licensed Kindermusik instructor and has taught children in the pre-school classroom setting for many years. June was the recipient of Callanwolde's Dr. Samuel Goldman Award for Outstanding Instructor of the Year in 2005.
Buzz Amato is an independent producer, writer, arranger, & keyboardist with over 30 years in the music industry. He appears on more than 150 CDs (2 received platinum certification) as performer or producer. During the 80s, Buzz toured the world with the legendary Curtis Mayfield as musical director and during that time became staff producer for Ichiban Records. In the 90s, Buzz focused on production & arranging, working with some of music’s finest such as Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, & Ben E King to name a few. He has composed music for CNN, Delta Airlines, The Discovery Channel, the Weather Channel as well as for film and TV. His orchestration skills provided him the opportunity to score 2 songs for jazz pianist Bob Thompson and the WVA Symphony Orchestra. September of '05, Buzz released his debut CD “A Collection” on Blue Canoe Records. Music from that release can be found in both film and TV. Buzz continues writing and producing for various artists as well as composing music for independent film with his scoring partner Rick “Slipp” Hinkle. As if this were not enough, Buzz, along with Slipp and DJ Kiddstar have formed the remix team of Rat Bastardz doing remixes for The Beatles, Adele, Lil Jon, The Doobie Bros. Joseph Patrick Moore and many others. The future holds a 2013 release of new music entitled , “Muse Cafe” along with his upcoming book, "Repeat Offender."
Jennie Ashcraft apprenticed with studio potter, Carol Cooper, then completed an assistantship in the Callanwolde Pottery Department in 1978. She has attended summer workshops at Penland School of Crafts, The Hambidge Center and Valdosta State College. She has been a studio potter and Callanwolde Pottery instructor since 1978. Currently, Jennie is co-owner of Berman Gallery, Inc. (1981 – present). She makes functional porcelain and stoneware pots.
Rita Baker, Ph.D., in Art Education from Georgia State University. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, and the National Art Education Association. Rita is certified to teach in Georgia, and also holds an MCO, Communication/Film and Video from Georgia State University. She also received her BFA in Fashion Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. She currently works as an Art Teacher for DeKalb County Schools.
Bill Buckner is a studio potter who also teaches at the Marist School in Atlanta. Bill works mainly with high-fire porcelain and stoneware and has done extensive work with shinos and soda-fired ware. His work has been exhibited in national and international juried exhibitions and is in private collections as remote as Sydney, Australia. Bill studied ceramics, metals, and enamels. He holds a BA from Florida State University, and attended graduate school in the MFA program at Indiana University.
Joe Cillo is a photographer and an arts educator. Originally from the Jersey Shore, Joe graduated from Marietta College, a small school in Ohio where he earned a degree in Mass Media. He is currently teaching art at an Atlanta private school. In between a busy teaching schedule he shoots freelance assignments and photographs his own projects. “Now I use the medium of photography and a range of subject matter to address and represent my interactions with the visual world. I do not limit myself to one genre but instead draw on a variety of approaches in order to evoke the visual ambiguities and nuances around me. I like that many of my images are open to multiple interpretations, as this matches my own desire to keep my art evolving. I am comforted by non-objectivity and by my continual search for pure composition.”
Mary Cobb graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in art education. She completed the Callanwolde Assistantship program, and has been a professional studio potter and teacher for almost 20 years.
Woody Cornwell is an Artist, Arts Educator, Arts advocate and Founder of Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery in Atlanta, GA. Born 1968 in South Carolina, he grew up in Georgia garnering degrees from Georgia State University and Savannah College of Art and Design. Since emerging as an accomplished abstract painter in 2000, he has exhibited extensively in Atlanta and has had exhibits in New York, Houston and Los Angeles including a solo museum show at the Jacksonville, Florida Contemporary Art Center. Woody has participated as a board member for Art Papers magazine, Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Committee and Public Domain and continues as a board member with Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery, recently awarded a Robert Rauschenberg SEED Grant. Cornwell currently works as a freelance artist, arts instructor and continues efforts to promote, organize and curate exhibits at Eyedrum and abroad. See his paintings: https://www.facebook.com/woody.cornwell.9
Sandy Culp was educated at Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio and Cooper Union School of Art and Architecture in New York City. Sandy Culp's work has been shown nationally with awards of distinction. In Atlanta her work has been shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, The Signature Shop Gallery, Mudfire Gallery and Agnes Scott's Dalton Gallery of Fine Art. Her personal work proves she is proficient in trompe l'oeil, surrealism and figurative work. Culp was also the feature article and cover of the Sept. issue of "Clay Times" in 2006.
Glenn Dair received a master of fine arts from University of Georgia and has been the director of Callanwolde's pottery program since 1980.
David Damon studied Photography at the University of Georgia where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. A lifetime printing enthusiast and camera collector, David leads and participates in workshops. His present work is centered on toning and alternative photographic processes. His work has been exhibited at various venues in Atlanta as well as the Center for Fine Arts Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Debra Davis
John DeDakis, Writer in Residence at Callanwolde
Journalist and novelist John DeDakis is a former Senior Copy Editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis (pronounced deh-DAY-kiss) is the bestselling author of two mystery-suspense novels, Fast Track and Bluff. He is a manuscript editor, writing workshop leader, and has taught journalism at American University in Washington, D.C. and novel writing at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. During his award-winning 45-year career in journalism (25 years at CNN), DeDakis has been a White House Correspondent and interviewed such luminaries as Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. He lives in Washington, D.C. Find out more about John at his website: www.johndedakis.com.
Nat Emerson is an accomplished Atlanta artist who's work includes painting, drawing, photography, video and collage. Nathaniel graduated with a BFA from the Atlanta College of Art. While in attendance, he worked at the ACA Gallery as a gallery assistant. Nathaniel is currently teaching high school level drawing and painting at The Paideia School in a special after-school program designed specifically for the budding artist. Nathaniel's knowledge of many artistic disciplines enables him to teach in a multi-dimensional fashion, bridging the mental gap between artistic mediums. Nathaniel views teaching as its own art form, and sees mentorship as an important part of importing knowledge. He remains committed to upholding the high standards of teaching that he learned from his own mentors.
Suzy Ferriss is a multi-disciplinary artist having worked for over three decades in the fields of visual arts, puppetry theater, film, and writing.
Ms. Ferriss graduated cum laude in 1979 from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in drawing and painting. In 1999, she received her MA from Georgia State University in Communication with an emphasis in film and video. There, she was honored with the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award in Graduate Studies through the Department of Communication.
Ms. Ferriss has participated in numerous group and one woman art exhibits around the southeast, and her drawings and paintings are included in collections around the country. She has also created and directed a number of puppetry performances for adults, and has performed her works off-Broadway at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in New York, at The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, and at Fernbank Science Center's Planetarium. Her puppets have been on display at The Center for Puppetry Arts, The New York Public Library for Performing Arts, and in Europe. In support of her work, Ms. Ferriss is the recipient of grants from local and state art agencies, the NEA and Rockefeller Foundation, the Jim Henson Foundation, UNIMA (International Association of Puppetry), the French Government, and the International Institute de la Marionette. Through her film work, two of Ms. Ferriss's screenplays written for feature film advanced in the Austin Heart of Film Screenplay Competitions, and in 1998, the Southern Regional Emmy Awards nominated Ms. Ferriss for outstanding achievement for her work as a producer and director on a special about the arts in Georgia for GPTV.
Ms. Ferriss lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is currently working on a new series of collaged works on paper, as well as continuing her endeavors in writing.
Norm Ficke is one of the southeast’s most eclectic musicians and educators. As an artist, he has had the pleasure of working with some of the nation’s most interesting performers and ensembles, ranging from Jazz greats Kenny Barron and David Sanchez to roots duo The Wood Brothers and Robert Randolph. As an educator, Norm serves as more than just a private instructor. He is actively involved in the Atlanta area, teaching clinics at high schools such as North Atlanta Center for the Arts, working as a woodwind coach with the Emory University Big Band, and conducting seminars at many local organizations for at-risk children and teens. His teaching style focuses on each student’s own innate abilities, and encourages creativity, expression, and interaction as well as providing a strong fundamental background for students to enjoy music making regardless of their endeavors. Norm holds a bachelor’s degree in performing arts from Georgia State University, as well as five years of teaching experience, both private and in-group settings.
John Paul Floyd is a Georgia native who has been exploring this great state through photography since his formative years. While fine-tuning his craft at Georgia State University, he dove into the local fine art scene and has since participated in exhibits at Beep Beep, Kibbee Gallery and Young Blood Gallery. He genuinely loves the craft of photography and continues to explore the medium through artistic expression and commercial endeavors.
Priscilla Fritsch began silversmithing in 2004 after leaving the corporate world of engineering. She has studied at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco as well as taken numerous classes in silversmithing techniques and design. Priscilla has taught classes at private studios throughout the area and has demonstrated silversmithing techniques at the American Craft Council Show in Atlanta. Priscilla finds great pleasure in helping students overcome their fear of tools and mistakes. She is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, The Georgia Goldsmith Group, and The Florida Society of Goldsmiths, and has a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
Jennilee Garcia-Green has been a dancer for almost 14 years and has taught Jazz and Ballet for 4 years. She graduated in 2004 with a B.A. in Advertising and a minor in Dance from the University of Puerto Rico. She has received awards in 5 disciplines of dance: African, Ballet, Jazz, Flamenco, and Hip-Hop. She has danced with Puerto Rican artists in their concerts, and has taken workshops with Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre, Chris Judd, and others. She choreographed for Miss Teen Puerto Rico two years in a row and has received an award for choreography.
Cat Goolsby Though I’ve been working with metals before 1999, my primary focus during this decade has been the fabrication of art jewelry and small metal sculpture. My forte is designing jewelry in sterling silver with semi-precious and precious stones to create unique, functional artwork that excites and dazzles collectors. I also work in gold and semi-precious metals and work on commission. I also repair jewelry and restore antique metal art and jewelry.
Using some of my studies and skills in Psychology and Photography, I approach metals as a scientist, researching and documenting the impact of Metalsmithing processes; this experience enables me to see the finished product before the final work is complete (just as I saw the final pictures through the lens of the camera before the negatives were developed).
Translating my life into the metal form has given birth to more than one collection of artwork; each piece of art embodies either a concept, passion, memory, thought or experience of my life-each has a special, individual meaning. The Transformed (fold form style) collection is most widely known.
My inspiration for this sought out line of work was to incorporate the free flowing nature of fabric into the metal, successfully creating works that reveal an intentional, non-symmetric and tensionless rhythm. My Ribbon bracelet looks like ribbon elegantly dancing around the wrist. Select art work from my Transformed collection of jewelry is represented at the High Museum Gift Store, Topaz Gallery in Buckhead and by appointment in my studio in Decatur, Georgia. Currently, I am teaching group jewelry and metalsmithing classes at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Midtown, Atlanta.
Carol Gray received a bachelor of fine arts from Ohio Wesleyan University. She is a member of the Atlanta Calligraphers Guild, and teaches calligraphy at many locations in Atlanta.
Barry Gregg is a local clay artist residing in Decatur, Georgia. He has exhibited at Mudfire Gallery, Clay Center West, The Swan Coach House Gallery, The Atlanta College of Art and Hambidge Art Center. He was one of 50 Georgia potters to show in Perspectives 2008 in Watkinsville, Georgia. He has been featured in Decatur Living Magazine, Lark Books Handbuilding Techniques, 500 Pitchers and 500 Tiles.
Mali Harrell A native of Georgia, Mali received a BA in Education from Georgia State University. She was a dancer from an early age through college. She began practicing Wu style Tai Chi in 2000 with Master Mark Warner and subsequently with Sifu Lori Rowe. She has competed and won in many Chinese Martial arts Tournaments and was the 2010 Women’s National Champion in Wu Style Tai Chi Forms in the ICMAC Circuit.
Sarah Hatch is a professional studio artist who has been teaching at Callanwolde since 1993. Sarah has exhibited her work in Atlanta and in various cities along the East coast.
Kate Hinkel grew up in Atlanta, where she studied ballet and modern dance at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and the Atlanta Ballet. She received her BFA in Dance from Florida State University. While at FSU, her choreography was performed at The American College Dance Festival and The Florida Dance Festival. She also received the A.J. Fletcher Foundation scholarship to the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. Kate has performed with CORE Performance Company, Room To Move Dance Company, Duende Dance Company and Coriolis Dance in Atlanta. She's performed nationally and internationally, including Canada, England and Germany. Kate has been teaching and choreographing at Callanwolde since 2001.
Patrick Hobaugh was born in 1978 on a small farm in rural Indiana. He started to teach himself to paint in 2001 after taking an art history course his senior year in college. Later, he went back to school for art and received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin in 2010.
Kate Holland is an Atlanta-based choreographer, performer, and teacher, whose live performance and video works have been well-received both locally and regionally. Her choreography and voice-over work were featured in the GPTV production "Starchild", which was nominated for a 1998 Emmy Award for "Excellence in the Arts." She has been an instructor at Callanwolde for the past ten years.
Carla House with over thirty-five years teaching experience, currently semi-retired, and still loving teaching, has joined Callanwolde for the last six years. Prior to this she was with the Atlanta College of Art for 20 years, and a professor at the University of N.C. at Chapel Hill for eight years. She studied at the University of Illinois, Yale University, and the University of Mass./Amherst, and holds a BFA and MFA in Painting. Carla teaches botanical illustration, watercolor, landscape, still life, color theory and occasional workshops. Represented in numerous collections and widely exhibited, she maintains a studio in Inman Park.
Joe H. K. Hsu is a graduate of the University of Chinese Culture in Taipei, Taiwan. She has studied Chinese painting since the age of 9.
Thomas Key attended The Savannah College of Art and Design majoring in Illustration. Thomas returned to Atlanta after college to work for a talented gentleman who ran a multi-media business producing corporate videos, slide shows and in-house graphics. He also had the pleasure of developing an animated cartoon that, unfortunately, was never produced. Thomas gained experience designing characters, sculpting models, and working on storyboards. Thomas has taught programs at The Atlanta College of Art, The Spruill Center for the Arts, the Roswell Visual Arts Center, The Chastain Arts Center, and Emory University. His roster of classes includes Intro to Drawing, Portrait Drawing, Polymer Clay Sculpting, and Sequential Art (Comic Book Illustration). Please see samples of his work at these sites: www.iconcreationsart.com and www.thomaskeyart.com.
Michael Klapthor has been working in the clay medium for the past 10 years. He graduated from Georgia College & State University with a BFA in ceramics and printmaking. Since then he has been working and teaching in various ceramic studios all over Georgia. Community studios have been an extremely beneficial part of Michael's art experience, affording him the chance to refine his talents with students and instructors of all skill levels and techniques. He is currently working as the Ceramics Studio Coordinator for WonderRoot Community Art Center in Atlanta and featuring his figurative animal sculptures at the Seen Gallery in Decatur.
Assane Khouyate - Assane and Ousseynou Kouyate are talented twins born and raised in Senegal, West Africa, of a family line originating in Mali and Guinea. The name “Kouyate” is very famous in West Africa. They are descendants of a long line of griots known in their native Mandinko language as jelis (djélis). Griots are the poets, genealogists, history tellers and keepers of West African song and dance traditions. Assane & Ousseynou Kouyate were raised and trained in these cultural traditions. They have been singing,dancing and performing professionally since the age of 13 and were lead dancers and choreographers with Le Ballet National du Senegal and the Sinomew Ballet of Senegal. They danced professionally with both ballets for over 5 years, touring internationally throughout South and North America, Europe, Africa and Taiwan. The duo has also electrified audiences, gracing the stage with many renown West African artists including Youssou N’Dour, Ami Koita, Baaba Maal and Kine Lam to name a few. Now residing in the United States, “the twins” as they are affectionally called, are committed to educating people about their culture and sharing the profound beauty of their art. As teachers, they have instructed classes and workshops in Africa, Europe and the United States. They have also developed their own company, Sekhou Senegal (formerly Djialy Kunda Kouyate), which has had members in Hawaii and California, and frequent guest performers from Africa. The group performs as a musical and dance ensemble at world music and international festivals, concerts and educational programs, some of which included: Reggae on the River, CA, World Arts West: People Like Me, CA, Globalquerque, NM, Sumerfest, NM and Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, NM. Sekhou Senegal consists of the twins, their manager and 8 band members playing traditional African instruments including the djembe, dun dun, sabar and talking drums, kora, ngoni, balafon and the added modern flare of the keyboard, percussion and bass.
Rick Lubrant has a bachelor of fine arts degree in photo design. He is a professional commercial photographer, and has been teaching photography at Callanwolde for over 20 years.
Dawn Kinney Martin is an Atlanta-based artist with national and international collectors. Each year she photographs landscapes on her travels, and she paints from these photos throughout the year at her studio. Recognition for her expressive acrylic landscapes includes a Merit Award from Manhattan Arts International Museum in New York from their juried exhibition, Herstory 2004. Dawn has also been recognized for creative contribution and service by the Brookhaven Arts Alliance. Her work hangs in the permanent collection of the Harris Arts Center in Georgia, and can be seen in juried fine art festivals throughout the country as well as in regional galleries.
Teaching since 1998, Dawn is currently on the faculty at Savannah College of Art and Design and the Spruill Center for the Arts in Atlanta. Each year she gives her students a chance to plan, advertise, and hang their own group show in an Atlanta gallery. As part of the 2006 High Museum of Art Louvre Atlanta Summer Teaching Institute, Dawn designed and taught a workshop titled Self Portrait: Fit for a King, creating a lesson plan for students in grades K-12 that is now available for educators nationwide.
Dawn earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting at the University of Georgia and has attended the William Bray Art Academy. Dawn has done numerous commercial and private commissions as well as scenic and film work.
Conner McKissack is a studio potter / educator working in the metro-Atlanta area. Raised in South Georgia, educated at the University of Florida, and somewhat savvy in midwestern culture, Conner's been making pots for just over 10 years now and is genuinely concerned that we don't use our hands enough anymore. He is currently a visiting lecturer at Georgia State University in the ceramics area.
Abbie Merritt is an Atlanta native who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in drawing, painting, and printmaking from Georgia State University. Although she is experienced in all mediums of painting and drawing, her two most recent focuses have been watercolor portraiture and mixed media monotypes. She is excited to enhance students’ connection to art through teaching at Callanwolde this Fall.
Aalia Mujtaba has been a jewelry artist for seven years and has taught adult and youth art classes through the Fulton County Arts Council. She holds a B.A. from Agnes Scott College and studied jewelry at Penland School of Craft and at local art centers. In summer of 2007 she was awarded a metals studio assistantship at Peters Valley Craft School in New Jersey. She exhibits her work locally and has been featured in American Art Collector Magazine. To view her work, please visit her website: www.metaalia.com.
Shijun Munns Born in the province of Guangdong, China, Shijun is a graduate of Guangzhou academy of Fine Arts, 1987. Shijun is a recipient of numerous awards for her artistic achievements in both painting and art instruction. Shijun cares about everything that could touch off an old days feelings; ancient poetry with implied meaning, ancient pottery with rough and simple design, flying faeries on the ancient Silk Road. Indeed, Shijun seems to look back into space-time while her paintings spring forward into our time to bring us images of deep and profound souls glimmering in soft, golden light. In Shijun's art, it is impossible to discern the real from the imagined or the ancient from what is now. It may be that Shijun's quiet life and gentle heart have enabled her to express dreams and emotions lost or hidden to the rest of mankind. She brings forth vivid images of life that draw us deep into thought and wonder and into a realm where we ourselves become lost in worlds full of bright color and soft light. Shijun is blessed with an artist's eye and a poet's heart. Whether painting in oil, water color or mixed media painting, she is forever delighted by the results which seem to spring from a deep and ancient well that forms her artist's palette. Her muse gives her a love for oriental simplicity of form.
Lisa Nall earned a Bachelors in Music degree from Samford University. She is an organist, piano teacher and licensed Kindermusik educator. Lisa has many years of experience working with children in graded choirs and has maintained a private piano studio for over 25 years.
Denise Nogueiras Actress, sculptor, painter & art history lover, Denise never tires of any creative pursuit. Always a lover of art and creative expression in its many forms, her interests span a wide range. Her current creative focus is on her painting which friends describe as whimsical. Her philosophy encompases finding your own truth and uniqueness thru expressing ideas, feelings and philosophy in physical form either thru the use of painting mediums, sculpture or theatre. Inspired by her favorite artists, she learns life lessons. Grandma Moses did not begin painting until she was in her 70s – “it is never too late to discover and explore your talents.” Installation artist Christo works on some projects for over 25 years until seeing it come to fruition where it then lives a very short life before being dismantled - only to remain a memory by those who experience it. Lesson: “never give up”. She believes art is a personal journey, just like life, and that just like in life, there is always something new to learn. A piece of artwork is as unique as the individual who creates it. Discovering your individuality & not judging it is part of the exiting journey. Her enthusiasm for art is apparent in the classroom and with her students. To view some of her work please visit twofrenchgirls.com/_wsn/page3.html
Kelly Oakes-Dent began balletic training when she was 3 years old. Kelly graduated from Virginia Intermont College. She danced with the Modern Dance Collective and taught ballet while living in Mississippi. In Atlanta, she has danced with and taught at the Ruth Mitchell Dance Company. Kelly is certified to teach ballet by the Royal Academy of Dance. She has been teaching at Callanwolde since 1991.
Barbara Padgett has had a lifelong love of music.She obtained her degree in Music Education from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida. She has taught music in public and private schools, and is very excited to teach Kindermusik. Barbara is also a private flute instructor, having taught for the non-credit music program at Jacksonville University. She currently teaches at Suwanee Acadmeny of the Arts and her church in Atlanta.
Erin Palovick holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Georgia State University where she concentrated in drawing and painting. Her own studio work since graduation has explored other mediums including performance and video. Erin has been teaching drawing and painting classes for Callanwolde and their outreach program since the summer of 2010. In the New Year, you can also find her managing Callan Cafe.
Sue Pickens graduated from University of Georgia’s School of Environmental Design, and has been a Registered Landscape Architect since 1989. Professional practice has included the design, installation and management of residential, commercial and public landscapes. She is also a certified arborist and a longtime member of the Georgia Arborist Association and Georgia Urban Forest Council. Areas of experience include the design of themed gardens (bird, butterfly and pollinator gardens are a favorite), the use of native plants and materials, and landscape restoration methods.
Lynn Pollard learned to weave beginning in 1978 and has benefitted from many wonderful workshop leaders and fellow Chattahoochee Handweaver’s Guild members. In the 1980’s, Lynn returned to school to earn a Bachelor’s of Textile Engineering from Georgia Tech. She now produces one-of-a-kind textiles incluing clothing and architectural textiles and does custom work that ranges from the reproduction of historical costumes to high tech textiles. She has exhibited locally and nationally, has won a number of awards, and has been teaching in local craft centers.
Leisa Rich has been instructing art to students of all ages for 36 years. She holds Master of Fine Art, Bachelor of Fine Art and Bachelor of Education in Art degrees. Her own art works are Fiber Sculpture and Installation, but Leisa teaches many art skills in a variety of media. Leisa exhibits internationally and nationally. She has been featured in the PBS "In Context" televised art series, 3 books, numerous magazine and news articles and in a variety of televised interviews. She has won several awards. Leisa is on the Board of Directors for the South East Fiber Arts Alliance and a member of Sixfold Collective. Her website is at www.monaleisa.com.
Ann Ritter As a yoga teacher and therapist, Ms. Ritter teaches at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and Emory University, and practices privately in Decatur. She is a certified as an instructor of Kundalini Yoga at the 200-hour level and is pursuing certification at the 500-hour level in both Kundalini Yoga and Integrative Yoga Therapy. Ms. Ritter's background also includes study in traditional Hatha, Kripalu, Integral and Kali yogas. Her additional certifications include polarity therapy at the associate practitioner level, and Thai yoga massage and bodywork from the Lotus Palm School in Montreal, Canada. She has been teaching yoga for more than 12 years. Also an avid fan of dance and movement, Ms. Ritter has pursued the integration of narration and movement in performance through Fieldwork, a national program co-sponsored locally by Several Dancers Core and Emory University's dance department, for the past two years. She is on the board of Beacon Dance Company, Decatur, and has performed for three seasons with Beacon's Mapping Project. She also sits on the board of the Friends of Theatre Emory.
Lora Rust Currently Lora is an Instructor for all-level pottery on the wheel classes at the Abernathy Arts Center in Sandy Springs. After completing her 2 year Assistantship in the Pottery Program at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in December 2008, Lora has also established her own ceramic studio in in town Atlanta. Lora attributes her passion for her craft to an abundance of ceramic art in her home growing up. An early admiration for artistic elements of design, form, and functionality were incorporated into her everyday life. When expressing herself artistically, the methods were always tactile - sewing and needlepoint at an early age, and then clay in her high school and college years. Returning to clay for the Assistantship program at Callanwolde provided Lora with the opportunity to build a solid foundation and develop her own style, applying innovative techniques for surface textures and glazes. Her stylized technique is a process of striking and moving the clay with handmade wooden tools. No clay is removed or carved away. The designs and patterns found in Gothic Architecture mixed with the fluidity of the Art Nouveau period are strong influences for Lora’s work. Inspiration from fashion design helps capture a certain movement to the texture on the form. Her hope is to create forms with a lush and fluid texture that beg to be touched. View images at www.flickr.com/photos/lorarust.
Chouaieb Saidi is Tunisian-born and Paris-educated. He now lives in Atlanta, where he continues to paint, promote art and teach to art lovers. A passionate soul, a loving heart and an inquisitive mind, Chouaieb Saidi is a full-life artist. "Life itself is a white canvas, it is what we make of it", Said the artist. He adds" I want mine to be a celebration of a diversity unified in a poetic harmony.'' An award winning, international artist, Saidi owes his early diverse talent to a loving, gifted family and a sunny Mediterranean climate. He attributes his broad knowledge in art and design to generations of master artists and great teachers including during seven years of visual arts studies at the world-renowned Sorbonne University in Paris, where he earned a Masters degree in Applied Arts and a Doctorate of Visual Arts. His expertise was developed by 20 years of daily practice in creating art, including a decade in Montmartre; this beautiful, historic art district in Paris, once home to several old masters including Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh and Toulouse Lautrec and where Dr. Saidi was well recognized as one of Montmartre's most distinguished portrait artists. For the past ten years, Dr. Saidi has become a recommended art instructor and renowned artist whose art is exhibited in museums and galleries in the USA and abroad. Saidi's artwork has been featured on major TV channels including CNN, NBC and FOX5. This was primarily because his popular painting, "Universal Godfather of Soul" of James Brown that was displayed next to the singer's coffin at the official Funeral Ceremony in Augusta- Georgia. The painting won "Best in Show Award” at the international artists exhibition, “Visual Soul”. It is currently in the permanent collection of Lucy Laney Museum in Augusta, GA. Saidi has painted thousands of patrons around the world including public and political figures and celebrities such as actor Charles Bronson, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Miss America 2008, Kristin Hugland, and a portrait of former President Abraham Lincoln that is now on display in the Washington DC Historic Society Gallery.
Fanny Santiago-Saavedra has twenty five years of experience teaching and integrating Dance to Somatic (body-mind disciplines) and teaching Pilates since 2001. She holds degrees in Dance/Movement Education, and a Ph.D. in Somatic Education and Wellness Practices from The Ohio State University. Fanny’s life mission is to advocate holistic ways of fitness such as Pilates and other body-mind practices to dancers, performers, athletes and the general public. She used her opportunity here at Callanwolde to integrate her extensive back ground in dance as well as her knowledge of the Pilates discipline to fulfill that goal. Fanny has also designed fitness classes and wellness curriculum for Emory Continuing Education, Emory Orthopedic Center and well as her private practice. For more information about her classes and workshops please go to www.somaenergio.com or contact her through her e-mail: fanny@somaenergio.com
June Akers Seese, the instructor of Callanwolde's Memoir I-IV courses, is a novelist who has also taught "Women and Fiction", "The Fictional Process", and "Style and Politics in the work of Pearl Cleage and Grace Paley" in the Callanwolde writing program. Her novels include: What Waiting Really Means, Is This What Other Women Feel Too?, and James Mason and the Walk-In Closet. She earned a fellowship from Yaddo in 2001. Her novel, Some Things Are Better Left to Saxophones, was published in 2007.
Cynthia Watters Shepherd A Georgia native, Soprano Cynthia Watters received her Master of Music degree in voice at Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music degree at Shorter College. She studied opera at the Aspen Music Festival, vocal chamber music at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and performed as a soloist with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, the National Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Throughout her career, Ms. Watters has taught private voice to students of all ages and levels of vocal ability. An active local recitalist and soloist, Ms. Watters also serves as the Georgia Director of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions.
Vernon Smith received his BFA in Ceramics from University of West Georgia. He then moved to Las Vegas to work with Tom Coleman at his newly opened studio as an instructor and studio assistant. After several years, Smith returned to Atlanta where he completed a residency at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. He teaches ceramics at several local community art centers and recently built the ceramics studio at South Fulton Arts Center.
David Spencer As a Georgia native, David has enjoyed over 26 years of teaching Ballroom Dancing around the metro Atlanta area. His initial training began as a student at the Arthur Murray Studios, and continued at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios. It was there he was examined and certified as an Instructor in all dances- from the Novice level through the most Advanced. He also received Coaching, Judging and Choreography credentials. Not only is David a dynamic Private Sessions Instructor, but he is also quite comfortable teaching an enthusiastic Group Class of any size, age, or level. He attributes continued career success to one simple motto, "Keep It Fun And Keep It Simple!" Please feel free to contact David via e-mail at dtspencer1@aol.com.
Christine Stanton attended the Chelmsford School of Art for Fashion and Design in England. She is a studio weaver specializing in Handwoven Wearables. Her work is seen in exhibits and art festivals throughout the Southeast. Christine has taught classes for John C. Campbell Folk Art School, The Chattahoochee Handweaver’s Guild, and Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
Laurie Steele is a professional studio potter. She completed the Callanwolde Assistantship program and has been teaching here since 1994.
Carol Sutherland is a graduate of Agnes Scott College where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art, elementary education and art education. She continued her studies in fine arts at Georgia State University. Carol taught art for nine years at St. Pius X High School where she served as chairman of the Fine Arts Department. She formed her own Carol Sutherland Studios in 1979 and worked as a professional artist focusing on corporate commission work. She has major works of art across the Southeast that may be seen in offices and major corporate centers. Carol returned to teaching in 1990, teaching art courses at Emory University, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and, since 1997, at Atlanta Botanical Gardens. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and has been drawing botanical subject matter since 1991, when she was inspired by a trip to four of the Hawaiian Islands.
Stephen Sweny has a BA in Media Arts from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He also attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He has worked as an Illustrator for numerous national magazines, advertising agencies, and publishers. Clients include The New York Times, Forbes, Business Week, National Lampoon, Chicago Tribune, Scholastic, Fortune, GQ, NY Daily News, Psychology Today, McGraw Hill, Discover, and many more. Locally, he has worked with AJC, Atlanta Magazine, and has illustrated 18 covers for Creative Loafing. He is represented by Donna Rosen Artists, and has taught Illustration at The Portfolio Center and the Atlanta College of Art.
Penny Treese With encaustic painting, Penny Treese discovered an unrestricted way of working that has led her far beyond her training and experience in graphic design and traditional instruction in the arts. Since, what she terms, her ³revelations,² she has realized a long-held dream to be a fine artist. She has taught encaustic classes for Binder¹s Art Supply, within nationally known artist Michael David¹s Atelier program, Fine Arts Workshop & Atelier, and private lessons within her studio. In a relatively short time, Ms. Treese has been accepted and won awards in a number of juried exhibitions, and her paintings hang in numerous private and public collections.
Memye Curtis Tucker, Ph.D., whose poetry collection The Watchers was named in 2010 one of the “Twenty-five Books All Georgians Should Read” by The GA Center for the Book, in 2007 received the GA Writers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Watchers, selected by Louis Simpson for the 1998 Hollis Summers Poetry Prize, was published by Ohio University Press. She is also the author of three chapbooks: the prizewinning Admit One (State Street Press) and Storm Line (Palanquin Press), as well as Holding Patterns (Poetry Atlanta Press). Her poems have appeared widely in anthologies and such reviews as Colorado Review, Georgia Review, Shenandoah, Southern Review, Oxford American Review and Poetry Daily, and have been set as art song on CD and featured in translation in Korea. In English Literature, Memye holds a Ph.D. from Emory University; an M.A. from Columbia University; and a B.A. from Agnes Scott College, where later she was named its first "Distinguished Alumna Author" and an Alumna Trustee. The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships in poetry, Ms. Tucker has taught poetry writing at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center since 1989 and is a Senior Editor of Atlanta Review.
Ana Vizurraga holds a bachelor of fine arts in painting/ceramics from Georgia State. She has also completed the Callanwolde Apprenticeship in pottery, and attended Penland Craft School in North Carolina. She has been teaching at Callanwolde since the early 1980s.
Will Waggenner is a native of Atlanta. He has been studying with Sifu Mark Warner for over 7 years. He has competed nationally and internationally. Most recently, he won an AAU National Championship.
Mark Walsh was born into an Air Force Family. His first years were spent in parochial Catholic schools. Until he was 12, the only music he knew was Latin hymns and Show Tunes. In 1962 he found out about another genre: classical music. He has not been the same since. Mark attended the North Carolina School of the Arts, West Virginia University and UNC Chapel Hill. He moved to Atlanta in 1975 and lives in Inman Park.
Jerylann Warner has been teaching and choreographing dance in the north and southeast for many years. Her teaching credits for adults, children and professionals include many esteemed universities, studios and performing arts high schools. She has been a presence as a creator, writer and founder for many dance initiatives. Her modern dance class was cited by the AJC as "Top Class in Atlanta". Her company, Gathering Wild Dance, was critics' pick for "Best Dance Company, 2001". Jerylann resides with her family in Decatur.
Megan Reeves Williamson holds BFAs in Drawing & Painting and Art Education from the University of Georgia. She has spent the last six years teaching public elementary school art and summer camps. Prior to teaching, Megan worked as an archivist for a print collection at the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens. Megan is also a working artist, specializing in abstract, mixed-media pieces.
Matthias Young holds a Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University. An avid performer, he heads the neo-classical trio, The Prestige, and is the lead guitarist for the nationally touring band, The Lost Boys. His performances and compositions have been broadcast on stations such as Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters, Cartoon Network, The WB, and WSB Radio. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, and The Guitar Foundation of America. www.MagnumOpusMusic.com
Cindy Zarrilli studied at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota and graduated from Georgia State University. She has exhibited at Callanwolde and at Salt Creek Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her experience as an artist includes drawing for Fay Gold and being a courtroom artist for CNN and NBC. Her work can be viewed online at www.cindyzart.com.
Thomas Zwierlein has a master of fine arts in sculpture/ceramics from the University of Kentucky. He has been teaching at Callanwolde since 1993.