Teachers
Abby Lee
Adah Kanter
Website: www.adahkanter.com
Adah Kanter (she/her) is a maker by nature and loves the process of exploring creative solutions with different mediums. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned her BFA in Craft/Material Studies and her BFA in Art Education.
She has experience teaching the entire student spectrum, from her ten years teaching Art to PreK-12 students in Richmond-area schools to adults of all ages in community art studios including Studio Two Three and Clay Ground.
Adah enjoys creating most with fibers and clay and has discovered that while working with these mediums both become meditative processes. She can’t resist a challenging knitting or weaving project finding ways to make it her own or adding pattern to the surface of her hand built and wheel thrown works – from sgraffito to nerikomi, the influence of her background in fibers finds its way into her ceramics through her use of texture and color.
Al Pellenberg
Al has been been playing and working with mud since he was a kid, his “Play-Doh Fun Factory” was just the best toy Al ever had. Al believes he became an architect and space designer as a result of all those things that he built in my “first childhood.” Over the years he have been in and out of the clay studio. He worked on the wheel for many years making bowls, cups, teapots and the lot, but the move to hand-building has been very rewarding and offering a set of challanges that combine both his architectual training and creative side in new and different ways
newgeorgiaclaywork.com
Alex Foster
Alex Foster is a fiber-based artist, living and working in Richmond, Virginia. Foster uses natural dyes and printing with plants on fabric to better understand the natural world. They received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fibers and Material Studies from James Madison University in 2015. A deep love for fabric has led them to work as a studio assistant for Aya Fiber Studio in Stuart Florida, an internship as a costume stitcher for the American Shakespeare Center, and two work-study fellowships at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Foster has exhibited artwork in cities across Virginia. They recently taught a natural dye workshop at Fiddlehead Farm and Apothecary and an Indigo+Shibori workshop at Studio Two Three in Richmond.
Alex Neckopulos
An RVA transplant from the Midwest, Alex Neckopulos received a BFA in Economics and Studio Art from Grinnell college. After finishing school, she lived out of a backpack for two years, worked in several different countries, and drew all the places she went. Seeking to add color and complexity to her black ink drawings when she returned to the States, Alex took to screen printing. She continues experimenting with the medium and focuses on creating hand drawn designs inspired by detail found in nature. As a teacher and an artist, Alex believes art is one of the best tools for learning. She is excited by every opportunity to bring this enthusiasm to the studio.
Alexandra Barao
Alexandra Barao is a potter and educator from Virginia. She received her BFA in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010, and began working with clay a few years later while living in California. Alongside deepening her own practice over the years, she has taught handbuilding and wheelthrowing classes to both children and adults. She recently returned to Virginia and spent the summer as an artist in residence at Cub Creek Foundation, focusing on wood firing and working with local clays. She looks forward to connecting to others through clay back in Richmond.
Website: www.alexandrabarao.com
Instagram: @alexandrabrao
Alexis Stratton
Alexis Stratton has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of South Carolina, and their short stories and essays have appeared in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Matador Review, and Oyez Review, among other publications. In 2024, they coauthored Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories and Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth with Adam Polaski and Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (Ig Publishing), and in 2025, their book of queer and trans travel essays, Eating Turtle, was published with Small Harbor Publishing. They live in Richmond, VA.
Ali Pfautz
Ali Pfautz is a children’s storyteller, teacher, and author known as The Story Lady. She teaches music and movement, dance theater, and storytelling classes for all ages. When Ali’s not teaching, she’s entertaining at schools and libraries throughout Central VA. Using her original tales, poems, and songs, Ali encourages children to use their imaginations. She is the author of three picture books and a resource book of action rhymes for early childhood educators and parents. In 2022, Ali trained to be a teaching artist for Greater Richmond Wolf Trap. She now travels to area schools helping early childhood educators find ways to use the performing arts to enhance their classroom lessons.
Website: thestoryladyva.com
Instagram: @ali.pfautz
Alicia Dietz
Alicia Dietz served in the U.S Army for ten years as an officer, Blackhawk maintenance test pilot, and Company Commander. She flew combat and peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Egypt, Israel, and in Europe. After the military, Alicia studied traditional woodworking at Vermont Woodworking School and is currently earning her MFA at VCU. Alicia has received numerous awards including the VMFA Visual Arts Fellowship. Her current work is the beginning of a journey to expose the visible and invisible wounds of veterans, and to explore her thoughts about what war does to soldier’s bodies, minds, and to their humanity.
https://www.aliciadietzstudios.com/
Alyssa Salomon
Under the moniker Blue Skies Workroom, Alyssa designs and makes bags, aprons, books, and other delights for everyday living using her own screenprinted fabric and papers, lots of vibrant patterns, glowing colors, and sometimes chickens. You’ll find her work at Quirk Gallery, the ICA shop, Penland Gallery, and online at BlueSkiesWorkroom.com. Alyssa teaches workshops and at VCU where she served as the 2017/2018 School of Business Artist in Residence.
BlueSkiesWorkroom.com
Alyssa Salomon.com
Instagram: @Blue_Skies_Workroom
Amanda Campbell
Amanda Campbell’s passion for sewing and fashion design started when her grandmother taught her at a young age. She quickly fell in love and graduated with a B.F.A. in fashion design and a minor in media studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015. She had her clothing brand, ABLE By Amanda Campbell, for 7 years, selling collections of women’s ready-to-wear and evening looks and creating custom designs for clients. Following that, Campbell was the lead designer at Sassy Jones for 4 years, heading the creation of the brand’s clothing and accessories lines.
She now runs her own freelance fashion design and brand consulting business, Amanda Campbell Couture & Consulting, where she uses her 14-plus years of industry experience to help designers and companies across the country launch and grow their brands.
She has been teaching at VisArts since 2021 and is eager to share her experience and knowledge of sewing and design with others.
Website: https://www.amandacfashion.com/
IG: @amandacampbellconsulting
Amarise Deán Santo
Amarise Deán Santo is a photo based artist and builder. He utilizes photography to observe andallow the land to become tangible. The results are images that harness history, ancestry, altars and still lifes that are alive. The intuitive aspect is referential directly to a gentle and deeply personal connection to passed down knowledge of their elders from the island, Puerto Rico. Each object breathes together. Upon inspection and study, each detail narrates a space that invites the body; trans, queer, and diasporic, to enter. These images document survival while serving as a means to build new worlds the body can be fully liberated in. Piecing together life cycles that directly come from the land their family derives from, becomes a simultaneous practice of honoring their 2spirit body which has existed and will for futures to come.
Deán received their BFA in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2018. They are based in Flushing, Queens, New York and Richmond, Virginia. They have been published in The New Yorker, Aperture Magazine, Nueva Luz, and has shown at El Museo del Barrio, The Museum of New York, and The Center.
Amber Pearson
Amelia Rafle
Amelia Rafle is an American printmaker from Richmond, Virginia. She received her BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021 and her MFA in Art and Ecology from the Burren College of Art in 2023. She has exhibited work in both the United States and Ireland, received grants to study human impact on birds, and her work was commended in the 2023 World Wildlife Fund Climate Creatives Challenge. Strongly rooted in scientific research, Amelia uses an expanded printmaking process to communicate information regarding the climate crisis through visual imagery that is accessible and engaging to the viewer. A love of birds is also prevalent throughout her work, making use of bird imagery to symbolize how human activity affects both the human and more than human worlds. Rafle views birds as an indicator of the looming effects of the climate crisis, and explores their relationship to humans through migration patterns and cultural symbolism.
Social Media: @birdhouseprint
Amie Oliver
Amie Oliver’s artwork is in corporate and private collections including Try-Me Gallery, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Delta State University, The LCVA, The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, Bowling Green State University, Capital One, Media General, VCU, Mississippi State University and the VCCA. Her work has been exhibited across the USA, Europe, China, S. Korea, Tibet and Australia. Fellowship and exchange opportunities at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts and it’s exchange partners abroad, the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris,the Metasenta Foundation and the Vermont Studio Center demonstrate her ability to connect to other people and places as an artist and teacher.
Website: www.amieoliver.info
Ammity Rose
Andrea Pintér
Andrea Pintér is a professional fashion and accessory designer with experience in both Europe and the U.S. Originally from Atelier Budapest, Hungary, she honed her skills in the intricate art of leather craftsmanship. Specializing in creating high-quality leather bags and accessories, Andrea’s work blends timeless design with exceptional craftsmanship.
Explore Andrea’s collection of handcrafted leather goods, learn about her wearable art, and join her educational programs to discover how to create accessories that will last a lifetime.
www.andreapinter.com
Andres Soulas
Andres Soulas is an Argentine-American professional photographer residing in Richmond. His work has been recognized in over 15 countries. He studied Fine Arts at the National Art Museum in Buenos Aires and at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. His work includes portraits, landscapes, travel, architectural and fashion photography.
Website: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/andres-soulas.html?tab=artwork&page=3
Angelique Scott
I have been working with clay for over a decade. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University both in Art Education with a K-12 teaching license and Craft & Material Studies with a concentration in ceramics and fibers. Following my degree, I participated in several national and international residencies including Vermont Studio Center, The Hambidge Center, and Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece. I regularly participate in gallery exhibitions and craft markets. To learn more about my work, you can follow me on instagram or check out my website www.AngeliqueScott.com
Anna Showers-Cruser
Website: annashowerscruser.com
Instagram: @anna__s__c
ASC (they/them) is a non-binary artist, arts educator, and herbalist working across object-making traditions, often in clay bodies and hybrid sculpture. Intersections of disability and queer aesthetics, materiality, neuro-inclusive craft, and ecologies of Appalachia are intrinsic to their work. ASC has been an artist-in-residence with sites including Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, Chicago Artists Coalition, and VisArts Richmond. With a passion for accessible arts programming since first engaging with VisArts as a Dogwood Middle School student, they also teach with museums and universities. ASC earned an MFA in Visual Arts from the University of Chicago, and a BFA in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art.
Anya Groner
Anya Groner’s essays are featured in Guernica, The New York Times, The Oxford American, Orion Magazine and The Atlantic. Audio reporting and production can be heard on Monument Lab’s podcast Plot of Land and WWNO/WRKF’s Sea Change podcast. Her fiction can be read in literary journals such She’s taught storytelling in high schools, colleges, and professional settings, including public health conferences and to immigration lawyers, and encourages students to pursue their curiosity wherever it may take them. She currently lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia and works as a teacher and freelance journalist.
April Sopkin
April Sopkin is the current Writer-in-Residence at VisArts. She was awarded a 2023 Elizabeth George Foundation grant, and her work has appeared in Joyland, MIT Technology Review, Carve, and elsewhere. She was a 2019 Tin House Scholar and her work has won the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest, the Patricia Aakhus Award, and the Frank McCourt Memoir Prize. April’s work has also been supported by fellowships and artist residencies, including the Tin House Summer Workshop, TENT: Creative Writing at the Yiddish Book Center, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Ariana Hamidi
Ariana Hamidi is a filmmaker who combines autobiographical fiction and political satire through performance art, re-photography, animated texts, and 16mm hand processes. Her films have been shown throughout the US and internationally including Anthology Film Archives, Int’l Film Festival Rotterdam, Athens Int’l Film & Video Festival, MadCat Int’l Womens Film Festival, and Beijing Int’l Film Festival. Her film and companion chapbook, Dear Cyclops, was published by Bronze Skull Press. She has an MFA in Performing Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a BFA in Film, Photography, and Visual Arts from Ithaca College. Ariana has been sharing her passion for time-based media with students of all ages for fifteen years.
Arissa Lopez
Ashley Tamber
Ashley Tamber is the owner of Feral Blue, her jewelry brand, where she creates limited production and one of a kind pieces that are sold online, in stores, and at events all over the country. A Richmond native, she received her BFA from VCU in 2013.
www.feralbluejewelry.com
Ashlyn Rudolph
Ash (she/they) is an artist based in Richmond, VA, creating wood-burned illustrations and printed media. She enjoys creating work with bright colors, wild detail, and inspired from the natural world around her.
Instagram: @altargokart
Aspen DeRosa
Aspen DeRosa is a multimedia artist, teacher, and student of life. Their work celebrates play and mindfulness and seeks to create space for curiosity, pause, and joy. Aspen creates multimodal installations that engage all senses. The work is highly collaborative and adaptable for the viewers to engage with. Aspen’s work is based in material explorations, including papermaking, natural fabric dyes, screenprinting, sound, mold-making, video, photography, performance, etc., to address topics related to play, mindfulness, and work/life balance. They received their BFA from VCU in 2019 in Photography and Film. They spent 2 years at the University of Iowa expanding their sculptural skills and teaching experience before coming to VisArts. Outside of VisArts, they have a photography business and primarily capture live events and portraits to celebrate milestones.
Website: www.aspenderosa.com
Social Media: @bevelcut_shawti
August Neuscheler
Avery Nguyen
I’m Avery Nguyen! I am a freelance illustrator and digital artist who has a strong love of fantasy and world building! I spend almost all of my free time working on my own fantasy world, which includes writing stories, designing characters, making maps, and even making my own fantasy languages. At Vis Arts, I am going to be teaching my students how to craft their own original worlds and stories, as well as how to bring them to life through writing, comics, and animation.
Barbara Atkinson
For 46 years, Barbara has been a professional teaching artist specializing in stained glass. She worked and taught in several different studios before becoming a partner in Atkinson-Betts Stained Glass, creating custom installed architectural stained and etched glass for homes, churches and businesses. Since 2008 she has continued her craft studying with international glass artists at The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Penland School of Crafts, and Wheaton Arts. Currently she is teaching stained glass and sandblasting at the Visual Arts Center in Richmond, where she has been an instructor for 18 years.
Bernadette Larimer
Bernadette Frerker Larimer is a ceramics artist currently living in Southern Virginia. Bernadette received her BFA with an emphasis in ceramics from New Mexico State University in 2019. She is known for her psycho-whimsical anthropomorphic sculptures. Her work is the material expression of her deep love for nature, spirituality, and the divine feminine mystique. Working primarily with ceramics (earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain), she employs various slips, underglazes, glazes, and lusters. Her preferred techniques include coil-building and wheel throwing, as well as hand-building to create human and abstract forms. She also creates functional work with images of goddesses and other magical beings. Bernadette lived for nearly seven years in the high desert of New Mexico, whose stark beauty inspired her art. She recently relocated to the East Coast where – although a striking contrast to the high desert – she again draws inspiration from her surroundings, most notably the ocean, swamps, and forests.
Instagram: @ bedazzled_b_daz_
Brad Pearson
Brad Pearson is a professional lamp-work artist. He holds a BFA from VCU, and has taught and exhibited for a decade.
Brigette Newberry
Undergrad JMU Art Ed
MA Art History- VCU
MIS Painting – VCU
Art teacher Richmond Public Schools- since 1980s- Open High School
Director of Visual Arts and Teacher Cat’s Cap 20 years
Brigid Bartels
Brittanny DeRaffele
Website: sunandselene.com
Instagram: @sunandselene
A Radford University Fashion Merchandising and Design alumna with a minor in Metals and Studio Art, I designed my first full collection in 2013 with a vision of classic goddesses and their unique stories, designed for modern day.
Texas born by way of my parents from the Caribbean, and I find myself always feeling that pull to the ocean and sun with all of it’s magic and inspiration. The influence of the glowing energy of our sun and moon, with the added universal connection of astrology and how it manifests in each of our lives, continues to flow through my creative process. Carefully hand fabricated, hammered, polished, and finished; I craft each piece that comes out of our studio in small batches using recycled metals and consciously sourced gemstones.
Caleb Flood
Caleb R Flood is an artist and musician based in Richmond, VA. His work navigates the remediation of identity and embodiment through sound, sculpture, painting, and performance. Caleb holds a BFA in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University, and an MFA in Creative Technologies from Virginia Tech. Since 2005, Caleb has regularly performed live music and recorded albums with a smattering of musicians along the east coast, and has maintained a steady output of material as a solo artist. They currently teach in the Art Foundations program at VCU.
Website: calebflood.net
Candra Parker
Casha Stempniewicz
Casha Stempniewicz is an artist and educator based in RVA. They graduated from VCUarts in 2017 with a double BFA in Art Education and Painting + Printmaking. Their studio art practice resides in the blended world of drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage. Casha believes making art is an essential human experience. As a teacher, Casha encourages their students to quiet their self-doubts, to trust in their senses, to experiment, and to connect with their bodies and minds through hands on experiences. Since Casha’s teaching and artmaking practices inform and enhance each other, it makes sense for them to teach and create in the same space. Casha found this space in the Visual Arts Center of Richmond where they first became involved as a Printmaking Studio Monitor in 2019. Since then, Casha has been teaching through Vis Arts programs such as Artventure, Art After School, Art League, Second Fridays, and Engage Workshops.
Cassie Works
Cassie Works (they/she) is a writer, artist and educator. They are the founder of Fictional Names, a developing experimental theatre project, and teach metalworking to young artists. They hold a BFA in Sculpture + Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University.
contact: [email protected]
website: https://cargocollective.com/cassieworks
Catherine Carson
Catherine Carson has been an avid writer and reader all her life. She graduated from James Madison University with a B.A. in English and a concentration in creative writing, specifically poetry. She is the poet behind the collection, The Land of Opposite Attractions, published in 2022. Currently, Catherine is about to start her MFA journey and is working on a second poetry collection, Loveland, as well as a multi-genre short story collection.
Catherine Southall
Catherine Southall holds a BFA in Fashion Design from VCU and has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. She is currently a local teacher and a professional artist.
Celine Anderson
Website: https://celineanderson3.wordpress.com/portfolio/
Céline is an artist/educator from Roanoke, Virginia! Her work focuses on translation and found objects (in other words, she loves going on long walks and collecting trash). She is currently getting her master’s in art education at VCU. When she’s not studying or making art, she can be found chilling with her gorgeous pet hamster, Dunia!
Christopher Aidala-Turner
Chris is queer artist who centers whimsy and fun in their glass work using bright colors, rounded shapes, delicious imagery and a decent amount of traffic cones. They love sharing the joy of glass with others and helping them bring their most wild ideas to fruition.
Website: bolognasandwichglass.com
Social media: @bolognasandwichglass
Christopher Hibben
Christopher Hibben is a graphic designer with over 20 years of experience. He has worked in a range of design disciplines, including packaging, printed & digital communications, identity & logos, wayfinding, and exhibition graphics.
Portfolio: https://christopherhibbendesign.myportfolio.com/
Cindy Shelton-Eide
Cindy Shelton-Eide is an artist and art educator living in Richmond, Virginia. As a native of RVA, Cindy grew up exploring the backyard creeks that feed into the James River, instilling a love of nature that would later inform all of her artwork. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Painting and Printmaking, and later with a Master of Art Education. After practicing under the great tutelage of ceramic artists at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, she finally realized that clay was her passion. She now teaches ceramics full-time at Goochland High School and part-time at the Visual Art Center of Richmond.
Website: eideceramics.com
Claire Berry
Clara Swartz
Clara is an RVA based artist and teacher. She graduated from James Madison University in 2023 with a BFA in Studio Art painting and drawing concentration and a PK-12 Art Education Licensure. Clara worked as an education intern at Vis Arts in the summer of 2022 and is thrilled to be returning as an educator. Follow along with her and her students work on instagram @claralswartzart!
Instagram: @claralswartzart
Claudia Meyer
Claudia is an artist and object-maker living and working in Richmond, VA primarily working in clay and paper media. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Sculpture + Extended Media in 2020. Her handbuilt works in clay, although they are made of hardened earth, feel soft to the touch. Their colors are as jovial and earthly as bursting laughter. These objects emit energy through their whimsical forms and patterns. She learns from the way that the moon and the trees wave to each other and the deep knowledge rooted in the earth and our bodies.
Through her teaching, she aims to democratize the classroom space, leveling the student/teacher relationship to one of reciprocity rather than authority. Her students learn just as much from the world around them as they do from each other. In her classroom, Claudia exists as a guide for her creative students’ journeys and she endeavors to teach her students limitlessness in their creative pursuits.
Instagram: @ paloma.claudi
Cleve Lamison
Join award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Cleve Lamison in an intensive 8-week screenwriting journey focusing on the core elements of storytelling: Character, Conflict, and Climax. This class breaks down the essentials of a compelling script, exploring how to craft memorable characters, create dynamic conflict, and build tension to a powerful climax. Students will develop their ideas from concept to outline, learn to shape story arcs, and write scenes that captivate readers. Through hands-on exercises, in-depth feedback, and industry insights, Cleve guides aspiring screenwriters in transforming raw ideas into structured, engaging screenplays. All levels welcome—bring your story to life!
Cosima Storz
Cosima Storz is a Richmond based artist and art educator. She is a printmaker and is interested in how printmaking and the arts connects to community and lifelong learning. She has a BFA in Painting & Printmaking and is finishing a Master’s degree in art education.
cosimastorz.com
Courtney Lebow
Hello! My name is Courtney Lebow, I earned my Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology as well as my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from SUNY Plattsburgh in upstate NY, graduated in 2014. I relocated to Richmond, VA in July of 2014, and have been working with vibrant organizations including The Visual Arts Center and ART 180. I’m quite the chameleon artist and love creating projects in many mediums! Teaching and utilizing my love for the visual arts as a vehicle for community connection is my ultimate professional goal, and absolute passion! I recently finished my Masters in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University in December 2018! I am now teaching art full time at Hanover High School and continuing my personal art practice.
All the best,
-Courtney
http://courtneylebow.mystrikingly.com
Instagram: @artist.courtney.lebow
Students’ artworks Instagram: @HanoverHighSchoolArts
Curly Dacs
Dale Jones
Professional artist and educator. I hold a Fine Arts degree from Eastern Mennonite University and a Master of Art Education from VCU. I show work at Sterling Art & Frame and have had solo shows in Richmond and Washington D.C.
Website: dalejonesfineart.com
Dan Kaczka
Dan Kaczka is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in art education. As a professionally licensed art teacher, Dan has an interdisciplinary knowledge of contemporary teaching practices and a broad understanding of various art media including over two decades of experience creating ceramic artworks. Dan believes that art is something everyone can enjoy and that everyone can make art.
Instagram: @djk_ceramics
Daniel White
Daniel White is a Stained Glass Artist and Painter, and has been working in glass for over 20 years, apprenticing as an adolescent and continuing the craft after college. Currently a specialty subcontractor for other major studios across the country, Daniel has many major installations in Virginia including St. Thomas Aquinas Priory in Charlottesville, VA, Hotel Richmond, OSU in Columbus,OH and Doughoregon Chapel in Ellicot City, MD. He specializes in restoration stained glass painting, as well as new work for liturgical and home settings. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the American Glass Guild, serving on that board for over 4 years. Check out his work on his website: https://vitreadei.wixsite.com/website
Darion McCoy
Darion McCoy is a multi-disciplinary creative and software developer with over ten years of expertise. Since graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design, he has achieved accomplishments in various fields, including illustration, product design, and game development. Darion recently relocated from Brooklyn, NY, where he taught at New York University’s game design department. He works as a product designer and dedicates spare time to video game development and personal art.
Website: darionmccoy.com
Instagram: @darionmccoy
Dashiell Kirk
Dashiell Kirk is a illustrator based in Richmond. His work ranges from Comics and graphic novels to playing card games and posters. He teaches cartooning, comic book illustration, and ink drawing at the Visual Arts Center, and has a BFA in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Website: dashiellkirk.com
Instagram: @dashiellkirk
David Camden
David’s been an active ceramics instructor, predominantly at the Visual Arts Center, for over 40 years. He studied at Goddard College in Vermont and relocated in 1977 to launch Camden Clayworks. He co-owns Cross Mill Gallery with Brad Camden and Jeremy Witt, which opened in 1971 by well known Virginia artist, Nancy Camden Witt. He’s placed best in show for ceramics/glass various times (2013, Occassion for the Arts). He has three daughters and is married to Dermatologist, Dr. Sharon Camden. He enjoys relaxing with his family and golden retriever at the beach. His hobbies include kayaking and tennis.
David Rummel
Deb Rice
Deb Rice is a Richmond ceramic artist with degrees in design from ODU and art education from VCU. She taught high school fine art and graphic art, and is thrilled to be teaching ceramics (her favorite medium) at the Visual Arts Center (her favorite place).
Deb incorporates various hand-building techniques and creative surface decoration, combining her love of clay, graphic design and painting.
Her ceramics have been featured in juried exhibits and pop up shops across Virginia. She also sells her work at several local markets as “Muddy Paws Ceramics,” named in honor of her dog Bo, who lived on a short chain for 3 years. Soon after being rescued and discovering freedom, Bo was bursting with joy running full speed, paws-to-belly caked in mud. Deb feels joy and freedom when playing with “mud” herself. Helping students experience those same feelings is icing on the cake.
Website: muddypawsceramics.com
Instagram: @muddypawsceramics
Debbie Quick
Debbie Quick received her B.F.A. from Tyler School of Art at Temple University and her M.F.A. from the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. She was awarded the 2016 Distinguished Faculty Service Award from VCUarts, two Soaring Gardens Residencies, an Artist in Residency from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, a Residency at the Studios at MASS MoCA, a Monson Arts Residency, a Fiskars Residency, the inaugural 2017-18 faculty research fellow in the Arts Research Institute at VCUarts and was an F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship finalist three times. Her work has been shown regionally and internationally, including “Tasmeem” as part of the Tasmeem conference in Doha, Qatar. Recently, she had two solo exhibitions, “Remnant Accumulation” at Sediment Gallery, Richmond, VA and “Errant” in the Up Front Gallery at ArtSpace, Raleigh, NC.
Website: https://www.debbiequick.com/
Dennis Winston
Dennis R. Winston is on the faculty of the Virginia Museum and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and has received honors both locally and nationally as an artist and as an educator. He has been included in an educational multimedia series entitled, “African American Artists: Past and Present,” and recently was included in the textbook publication “Below the Surface; Ethnic Echoes in America’s Modern and Contemporary Art”. Winston’s work can be found in many private and public collections including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the University of Virginia Medical Center, Capital One Corporation, Lynchburg College Museum, University of Richmond Museum, National Civil Rights Museum, Longwood University, and Museum of African American Art of Dallas.
He recently received the 2016 and 2017 award of distinction for printmaking in the Virginia Artists Exhibitions at the C.H. Taylor Art Center in Hampton, Virginia and is included in the VMFA ON THE Road Art mobile.
Website: worksbywinston.com or Look-See.co/DennisWinston
Devin Harclerode
Devin Howell Curry
Devin Howell Curry is a painter originally from West Palm Beach, FL. She recently received a MFA in Painting at The University of Tulsa. Devin’s current body of work investigates personal memories, referencing life in South Florida. She views her paintings as nonlinear narratives prompted by biographical reference points. The slippery nature of memory lends itself to playing with ideas of spatial ambiguity, volume, flatness, elongation, and compression. She currently lives in Ashland, VA with her husband Paul and their son Jude. New to the area, she is excited to become involved in the wonderful art community of Richmond!
www.devinmhowell.com
Instagram: @devinhcurry
Dorian Cohen
Dorian Cohen graduated from VCU where he studied in the Communication Arts department, concentrating on Illustration. After graduation, he went on to gain more knowledge and tutelage from the Illustration Academy, where he learned a multitude of techniques and mediums, from well renowned illustrators. Dorian uses many techniques in his illustration, and does not stick to one medium. He employs the use of digital mediums, such as Photoshop and Procreate, but his love for traditional medium trumps all. He uses pen and ink, oil, acrylic, gouache and printmaking, especially, block printing.
Website: www.doriancohenart.com
Dorothy Ratliff
Doug Jones
Douglas Jones has written and seen produced more than forty plays and screenplays, including the musical Bojangles (music by Tony Award-winning Charles Strouse, lyrics by Academy Award-winning Sammy Cahn), The Turn of The Screw, and his award-winning Songs from Bedlam. His docudrama 1607: A Nation Takes Root is on display every day at the Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center. He was awarded the Virginia Commission for the Arts Playwriting Grant in 2006, the Martha Hill Newell Playwrights Award in 2015, and the Emyl Jenkins Award in 2016. He teaches at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and The Visual Arts Center, and is a voting member of The Dramatists Guild.
Website: www.douglasjoneswriter.com
Edmund Boxley
Social media: @queerintention
Elizabeth Cogar
Elizabeth Schlatter
For more than 30 years, Elizabeth Schlatter has been dedicated to promoting, researching, teaching, and engaging with creativity. As a ceramicist under the label C-Suite Ceramics, Schlatter makes playful, functional pottery designed to brighten everyday life. Working primarily with wheel-thrown forms and tape-resist surface design, she focuses on pieces that are both visually engaging and functional—designed to support small moments of care at home, at work, and in between
In 2025, she became a certified personal trainer, and she now works at the Northside and Downtown Richmond YMCAs. Her interest in body mechanics and pottery-making led her to create The Aligned Potter, a free online resource that explores ergonomics, injury prevention, and sustainable movement practices for ceramic makers.
Ellanor Milkowski Dahlgren
Em Robertson
Em White
Raised in rural Virginia, Em White is a self-taught artist and educator. She specializes in analog photography, specifically large format film and wet plate collodion. She often works with alternative and historic processes, enjoying any opportunity for experimentation and play. When not in the darkroom, she can be found walking along the river with her three hounds or making tintypes at her analog portrait studio here in Richmond. Em has taught at VCU, the Penumbra Foundation and various arts institutions.
www.emwhitephoto.com
@_slowmedown
Emily Okamoto-Green
Emily Okamoto-Green is a half-Japanese essayist, poet, and animal lover. Originally from Shizuoka-ken, Japan’s green tea capital, her family relocated to Richmond, VA in 1998. A 2018 Graduate of George Mason University’s Honors and English Honors College, she graduated from GMU again in 2021 with her MFA in Poetry. Her accolades include the Virginia Downs Poetry Award, the Joseph Lohman III Poetry Prize, The Alan Cheuse International Writers Center 2020 fellowship, YesPoetry Magazine’s Poet of the Month, and inaugural winner of the Berkey Essay Contest. Her life highlights include Arthur Sze once saying her poem had a sense of wonder, bowing on stage at Carnegie Hall as a teenaged poet, and any time a cat or dog has come up to her without her first initiating the interaction. Emily tries to spend as much time as possible with her feet in the Atlantic or dreaming of them in the Pacific once more. She currently serves as the Writer in Residence for the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Instagram: @emi.dori
Eric Rivera
Eric Rivera Barbeito was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, received his BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2017, and relocated to Richmond, VA, where he currently lives and works as a cabinet maker and visual artist. Rivera Barbeito was an Artist-in-Residence at the Vermont Studio Center and ACRE, and has been included in group exhibitions at Towson University, School 33, Terrault Contemporary and Tiger Strikes Asteroid Philadelphia. He is currently an Artist-in-Residence at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Website: eric-rb.com
Social Media: @ea.rb
Erica Borey
Erica Borey is a Richmond-based muralist and portrait painter specializing in watercolor, oil paint, and mixed media photo transfers. She has a BA from the College of William and Mary and an MA in Art History/Museum Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University, but is self-directed as an artist. She paints custom portraits through her website, at www.portraithouseart.etsy.com, and on social media @portraithouseart. She is also available for mural projects large and small.
www.portraithouseart.com
Erin Cross
Erin Cross is an artist, curator and educator, raised in Richmond, VA. They are the founder of The Glass Ceiling, artist studio and class space on Robinson Street.
After taking their first glassblowing class at VisArts in 2014, they majored in Craft and Material Studies with emphases in glass, metal, and fiber from VCUarts in 2018. They earned a Master’s of Fine Arts from University of Nevada, Reno in 2022, while teaching at the Visual Arts Center and local and national institutions.
Their work has shown at State and Lemp in Boise, ID, The National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, PA, Slover Library in Norfolk, VA, and in Richmond, VA at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Singleton Center, the Anderson Gallery, SEDIMENT Arts, Artemis Gallery, Studio Two Three, Iridian Gallery, and The Collegiate School. They have curated at Delia Dante Gallery, the Anderson Gallery and Artemis Gallery.
Find them at theglassceilingrva.com and at 106 S. Robinson St. behind Spacebomb Recording Studio & Rosewood Clothing Company!
Erin Powell
As a child, art gave me confidence, focus, and motivation in school. I spent my free time playing in the woods, drawing, and taking care of my many pets – which included several cats and even a small flock of sheep. My artwork today is filled with inspiration from these experiences, especially nature and animals.
I enjoy sharing my talents with others; to empower the struggling student, include the exceptional, and inspire anyone with an interest in creating. I have a BFA in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. I previously worked as an elementary art teacher in Charles City County. Following the birth of my 2 lovely daughters, my focus changed to Early Childhood Education. I earned a certificate in Early Childhood Education from John Tyler Community College and am currently a lead teacher at a play-based preschool in Bon Air where my days are filled with art, music, and fun with the 3-4 year olds in my class.
Website: http://www.flickr.com/people/erinpowellarts/
Feixue Mei
Feixue Mei, a designer/artist/illustrator/educator from China based in Missouri, challenges social norms through cultural production, focusing on the impact of social media, online platforms, and shared spaces on cultural identities. Her work, recognized by International Design Awards, Graphis, and Indigo Design Awards, explores community building and amplifying marginalized voices. She has chaired and presented at conferences like CAA and SECAC. Her creative works are in the collection of James Branch Cabell Library at VCU and Printed Matter. Featured in Creative Boom, Aesthetica, and e-flux, she exhibits globally and holds an MFA in Design from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Website: feixuemei.info
Instagram: @feixuefeixue
Franchell Brown
Genesis Chapman
A native of Bent Mountain Virginia, Genesis Chapman received his BFA at the Art Institute of Kansas City in 2001 and his MFA from VCU in Painting and Printmaking in 2010. He was named one of the top 100 emerging Southern Artists by Oxford American Magazine in their spring 2012 issue. His work has been recently shown at Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville, 1708 Gallery in Richmond, the Taubman Museum of Fine Art in Roanoke and The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University.
He splits his time with his wife and daughter between their cabin on Bent Mountain and house in Richmond.
On Instagram: genesischapman1
Website: genesischapman.com
Grace Mae Huddleston
Grace Mae Huddleston (she/they) is a multi-media artist and educator based in Richmond, VA. She has taught for 10 years in community centers, schools, and universities. As an educator, Grace empowers adults and teens of all skill levels to deepen their connection to art making. Her teaching emphasizes skill building and creativity, and she loves it when students put personality into their creations! Grace primarily teaches all things 2D, including drawing, painting, and mixed media. She also has experience leading workshops on textile art and creative writing.
In her own art practice, Grace creates colorful drawing, painting, and textiles. Nature is her main inspiration, but art history, film, and comics also influence her work. She has shown and published her art in contexts ranging from zines and academic journals, to punk cafes and formal concert halls, as well as galleries and museums. Grace is a recipient of the Russell Foundation Grant and the VCUarts Inclusive Grant.
Website: gracemaehuddleston.art
Instagram: by.gracemae
Hailee Manipole
Website: www.hmanipole.com
Instagram: @hmportraits
Hailee Manipole is an artist living and working in the Richmond area, known for her realistic charcoal portraiture. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017 with a BFA in Communication Arts and a minor in Craft and Materials Studies.
After graduating, Hailee spent the summer in Washington, Maine, teaching drawing and metalsmithing classes at a youth summer camp for the arts, where she realized her love for teaching. Hailee held a graphic design position in an office for a short while after that; it didn’t take long for her to realize that the 9:00-5:00 life wasn’t for her! In early 2018, she left her office job and started working as a free-lance artist. This initially meant taking on a lot of logo and graphic design jobs, but Hailee’s realistic charcoal portraits quickly gained popularity and became the bread and butter of her practice, now known as HM Portraits.
While she’s most experienced in drawing and jewelry fabrication, Hailee has dipped her toes into just about everything, from needle felting and photography to concept design and animation. She loves clean lines, dirty hands, and beautiful typography, and never passes up the chance to learn something new.
You can see Hailee’s work in portraiture at www.hmanipole.com or on Instagram at @hmportraits.
Hanami Morris
Hannah Larney
Hannah Larney is an artist and educator based in RVA. She graduated from VCUarts in 2018 with a BFA in Art Education, and spent four years as the art teacher at Acquinton Elementary School in King William County. Hannah views art as a means of exploring ideas and making sense of the world, and she encourages her students to take creative risks and express themselves in new ways. When she’s not in a classroom you’ll usually find her reading a book, working in the garden, or running on a trail by the river.
Heidi Reszies
Heidi Reszies is a multidisciplinary artist who holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her visual art is included in the National Museum of Women in the Arts CLARA Database of Women Artists. Heidi is currently a letterpress instructor in the VCUarts Department of Graphic Design, and is the creator/curator of Artifact Press, publisher of limited edition letterpress poetry chapbooks and broadsides. Her poetry collection titled Illusory Borders is forthcoming from The Operating System in 2019, and her collection titled Of Water & Other Soft Constructions was selected by Samiya Bashir as the winner of the Anhinga Press 2018 Robert Dana Prize for Poetry (forthcoming in 2019). Find her at heidireszies.com
Hermie Jackson
Hermie Jackson is a 27-year old nonbinary ceramicist who has been working as an independent artist and business owner in Richmond for the past 5 years.
Holly Zajur
As a potter, educator, writer, and yoga instructor, Holly Zajur is a little bit of everything all rolled into one! Holly traveled to Nicaragua with Potters for Peace and was awarded Best in 3D Visual Art at Trinity Episcopal School for IB Ceramics in 2011. During her college years, she was sad to see that the University of Virginia did not have a ceramics program. After taking sculpture and drawing classes, she made it a priority to have a ceramics program at Uva. Holly co-founded and was president of Ceramics Club at the University of Virginia, which is currently thriving at the University. Holly has studied with Lee Hazelgrove, Amy Chaplin, and “The Clay Lady”, Danielle McDaniel in Nashville, TN. Ceramics has been one of the most grounding, meditative practices throughout her life and she loves sharing this gift with others.
Website: www.hollyzajur.com
Jackie Small
Hi! I’m Jackie! Born and raised in Virginia, I’ve lived in Richmond for ten years. I’m in my second semester of the Art Education master’s program at VCU! I love to make interactive sculptures and take every chance I can get to create wacky costumes for myself. I’ve been sharing my crafting skills informally with my communities for as long as I can remember, and nearly always have a project in my pocket. Sculpture, textiles and collage are my specialties, but I love creating opportunities for people to explore their inner weirdo in whatever form that takes!
Jalen Adams
Instagram: @jalentadams
Jalen Adams is a filmmaker, artist, writer and educator from Dover, Delaware. His work has been screened in numerous festivals and museums; including the Virginia MOCA, Afrikana Film Festival, Film Diary NYC, and Experiments in Cinema. Adams received his BA in English from the University of Delaware, and his MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently living and working in Richmond, Virginia.
Jamie Douglas
Hello! I’m Jamie, an illustrator, cartoonist and obsessive sketch-booker living in Richmond, Virginia. Whether based in personal experience or plucked from impossible dreamscapes, my art is narrative and imaginitive. It’s often full of tiny details and humor. I was born in 1988 and I haven’t stopped drawing since. My go-to drawing supplies are the super thick & juicy 1.6 mm Bic Cristal pens (black ink), and those whiteout correction pen things.
www.jamie-douglas.com
instagram: @jamiedouglasx
more sketchbook stuff at: http://jamiedouglas.blogspot.com/
Jamie Fueglein
Jamie Fueglein holds an MFA in fiction from Virginia Commonwealth University where he currently teaches in the Focused Inquiry Program. He has also taught writing classes through the English departments for both VCU and the U of R. Jamie has extensive experience in leading writing workshops focused on short stories and on novel length works.
Janpim Wolf
Janpim Wolf is an art educator who graduated with a double major in Photography + Film and Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. She has taught in diverse settings, both locally and internationally, enabling her to immerse herself in different cultures and incorporate these experiences into her teaching. As a lifelong learner, she has continued to expand her horizons, exploring various mediums such as flameworking and digital media arts at the Visual Arts Center and E-textiles at Penland School of Arts and Crafts.
Website: www.janpimwolfphotography.com
Jas Ramos
Jasmine Ramos (b. 1995) is an interdisciplinary artist currently living in Richmond, Virginia. Their work considers the relationship between queerness, craft, body image, and domestic space. They received their MFA in studio art from the University of Florida and their BA in studio art with a concentration in painting from Stetson University in 2017.
Jay Crilley
Jay Sharpe
Jay Sharpe grew up in Richmond, VA, attended VCU and graduated in 1990 with a BFA in Fine Arts, with a focus on metalsmithing and fine jewelry. Jay promptly began his career at the Hand Workshop (which is now known as Visual Arts Center of Richmond) that same year. He became on of VisArts’ Master Teacher recipients in 2014 and hasn’t stopped teaching since! His jewelry line, Henléava Jewelry Collection, has been featured in Essence Magazine, Richmond Magazine, and Southern Living Magazine, and worn by several celebrities. Follow Jay on Instagram @jay_sharpellc and Facebook @JaySharpeLLC.
Jazmine Beatty
Jazmine is currently attending VCU’s Art Education Master’s Program and received a BFA in Communication Design in 2020 from Texas State University. As a human-centered designer and artist, passion, commitment, and empathy for others guides Jazmine’s work. She loves working with kids and has been deeply ingrained in the arts from a young age. Through her experiences creating and teaching art, Jazmine realized she wants to help young people utilize their creative talents to explore and expand possibilities in art-related fields. As a teacher, Jazmine strives to give students a space to freely express themselves and engage with one another in order to gain a better understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them.
Website: jazzybdesigns.com
JC Gilmore-Bryan
JC Gilmore-Bryan is a professional artist. In addition to teaching at VisArts, she also teaches at Virginia State University and has taught at VCU. She is a member of the Professional Printmaking group ONE/OFF. In 2011 she received a Fulbright Scholar award to teach mural painting and do her own work in screen-printing for a solo exhibition at the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has done residencies in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and in Paris at the Cite’ Internationale des Arts. She has a MFA from Columbia University, MA from Vanderbilt University and a BS From MTSU. Her work is in collections around the world.
Cité Internationale des arts Paris
2 month Artist Residency.
7e FETE DE L’ESTAMPE Exhibition
Atelier SERIGRAPHIE May 25 & 26,2019
Solo Exhibition June,2019.
You can see her work at: crossroadsartcenter.com (search: J C Gilmore-Bryan)
Jeannine Metzfield
Jeannine’s journey forged a path into metalsmithing in 2002. She has studied Metals at Virginia Commonwealth University, The Visual Arts Center, Arrowmont and Penland School of Crafts. She currently teaches metalsmithing at The Visual Arts Center, as well as to private clients. In her studio she is inspired by the beauty and strength of nature. In her classes she promotes caring for the earth and connection to spirit.
Jeannine can be found on Instagram @jsmartistry_jeannine, or via email, jsmartistry.gmail.com. Her Etsy site is jewelrybyjeannine.etsy.com
Jen Cook-Asaro
Jen Cook-Asaro is the owner of Butchertown Press, right here in Richmond. She graduated Brooks Institute with a BA in Photography but, after taking a class at Visarts, fell madly in love with letterpress. She hopes to pass the letterpress bug along to as many students as possible.
Jennifer Dodge
Jennifer has always loved making things. She has dabbled in clay, writing, playing music, drawing, paper making, stained glass, beading, and most recently sewing. But through all of these she has always been addicted to knitting. Her day job is an occupational therapist working in public schools, where she gets to apply creativity daily too. But fiber arts is pure relaxation. Her hobby business is Tiny Turtle (knits and sews), which allows her to get rid of things she makes so she can fit in her house.
Social Media: @tiny_turtle
Jenny Thomas
Jerry Veneziano
Jerry Veneziano has been a blacksmith for most of his adult life. He began his career doing historic reproductions as one of the smiths at Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg, VA. Today, he produces contemporary and sculptural ironwork that has been featured in galleries and museums along the East Coast. He’s demonstrated and taught numerous classes for schools and blacksmithing associations throughout the Mid-Atlantic. You can see more of his work at http://www.cvbg.org/jerry-veneziano.html
Jess Cullen
Jess Cullen is a ceramic artist living and working in the Fan District of Richmond, VA.
A life-long love of art and creating led Jess to wheel-thrown ceramics in 2001, and a background in education allowed her to begin teaching ceramics in 2016. Jess’s current focus is mainly on functional pieces that are simple and timeless, and maintain the sense of warmth that hand-created work allows. She is inspired by clean lines and shapes, and great colors.
Website: jesscullenceramics.com
Instagram: @jesscullenceramics
Jill Wiedemann
Jill is a multifaceted educator and artist dedicated to nurturing creativity and holistic learning experiences for children and families. Graduating with dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and liberal studies for elementary education from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2016, Jill continued on to earn a Masters in Education and currently holds a Virginia teaching license.
Combining a passion for art with a commitment to education, Jill has cultivated a unique career path. Beyond the traditional classroom, Jill has privately worked with multiple families, developing and implementing personalized programs tailored to each student’s unique needs, emphasizing creativity and self-expression.
Jill previously served as a children’s librarian in the Henrico Library system, where they crafted dynamic programs designed to ignite curiosity and foster artistic exploration. During their tenure, Jill developed engaging programs that seamlessly integrated art, nature, and education, leaving a lasting impact on the community. Jill led a bright and engaging storytime, captivating young audiences and fostering a love for literature and imagination.
In addition to their role as an educator, Jill is an accomplished artist, utilizing their talents to inspire and engage learners of all ages. From painting to printmaking, Jill infuses creativity into every teaching opportunity, fostering a love for art and self-expression among their students.
Jo Patzig
Jo Patzig is a nonbinary illustrator and educator based out of Richmond Virginia, where they graduated from VCU Craft and Material Studies in 2019. They love riding their bike, creating access in creative spaces, and making itty bitty details in their drawings.
Social Media: @zig_zag.drawing
Johnny Fogg
Johnny Fogg is a commercial and editorial photographer, living in Richmond, Virginia. Photography has been at the center of his world since high school in Charlottesville. After attending a Professional Certificate program at the Maine Media College in Rockport, Maine, he worked as a photo assistant in New York City, eventually establishing his own photography career. After twelve years in the city he relocated back to his native Virginia, and is happy to be close to the Blue Ridge Mountains once again. He also teaches traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony which he has studied for more than 20 years.
Joleen Combs
I have been sewing since I was a child. My very first sewing project was an enormous heart-shaped pillow that my mother taught me to make while I was home with the chicken pox. She continued to teach me the basics as I got older and when I was in college, I took more professional instruction.
My passion in sewing is reverse engineering. I love taking an idea and tweaking it, finding ways to either duplicate an existing item or, in most cases, finding ways to make it better. I love customizing solutions to individual needs. Case in point, my Split-leg Apron class is based on an apron I designed to provide better coverage when I was throwing ceramics here at the studio.
I truly believe that everyone should have at least a basic understanding of sewing and construction and absolutely LOVE teaching these skills to newbies. Personally, I learn best by doing so all my classes are designed to teach basic techniques through finished projects.
When I’m not in the Fiber studio, you can usually find me in the Glass or Ceramics studios. I love VisArts and am thrilled to be a part of the team!
Jordan Bruner
Jordan Bruner is an artist and filmmaker whose work encompasses painting, print-making, ceramics and animated films. Her work has been exhibited at CADAF Miami and she’s created multiple installations with MTA Arts and Design program in NYC. Her animated films have been shown at festivals worldwide including Pictoplasma and the LA Film Festival, and her illustration work has been honored by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration. Jordan also works as an art + animation director for clients such as the NYTimes, Google, Eve Ensler, the Atlantic and Warby Parker. In 2013 she was the recipient of the Art Director’s Club Young Guns Award. After spending over a decause in NYC, Jordan currently lives in Forest Hill with her husband Zack, cat Pablo, and whippets Zucchini and Cezar.
Joshua Singleton
Instagram: @joshsingletonceramic
Joy McMillian
Jud Judson
Jud Judson is a multi-medium artist based in Richmond, VA. With a focus in Darkroom practices, they like to explore other mediums through their photography. As a self-taught artist, they have formed a passion, for ceramics, screen-printing, letterpress, and mixed media printing processes.
Jude Schlotzhauer
Jude Schlotzhauer is a full time studio glass artist with a BFA in painting and an MFA in glass working. In addition to teaching glass kiln working at VCU for over 25 years, she has taught as a visiting artist at many universities and art centers throughout the country and in Mexico and Malaysia. Her work is in many private and corporate collections, including Capitol One, Verizon and Chesapeake Capitol Corp. Her public art commissions are installed locally at MCV, Randolph Community Center, Fire Station 16, Childrens’ Museum, and VCU dining center, and as far away as a Marine Officers complex in Japan.
www.judeglass.com
Julia Pfaff
A recent receipt of a Professional Artist Fellowship from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and with an undergraduate degree in art history and a MFA in textiles, Julia has been quilting her entire life. She is a studio artist and has successfully turned a family tradition into a contemporary art form. She teaches at both the community and college level. Julia’s hand dyed and printed quilts have been exhibited extensively and can be found in numerous national publications and collections. During class you can ask her about working in Egypt, Greece, and Jordan as an archaeological technical artist.
Website: http://juliapfaffquilt.blogspot.com/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PRAGMATAbyJulia
Julz Suder
Julz Suder graduated from VCU in 2009 with a BFA in Art Education. She proudly taught elementary and middle school art in public schools for ten years where she developed knowledge of many different types of art media. Her passion is connecting others with their inner creativity and teaching them how to express themselves. She enjoys the stories behind the objects people create, making something from nothing and is a big fan of The Visual Arts Center. When not teaching or spending time with her dogs and husband she loves to felt, collage, sew and drink big cups of hot tea.
Instagram: @julzsuder
Justice Elder
Justice Dwight Is a self-taught visual artist who was born in Plainfield New Jersey but raised in Richmond Virginia. Dwight’s first experiences as an artist stem from watching his father paint. His father’s portraits surged his initial interest in creating art at six years old. Also, his mother, who is an avid doll collector, inspired his use of color theory because she always styled her dolls in cool, color-blocked ways. Besides being inspired by his family, he looks up to Black artists like Barkley Hendricks, Bisa Butler, and Derrick Adams. Even though he’s not formally trained, Dwight kept drawing and painting daily to nourish his skills. He primarily works with acrylic paint and mixed media items such as glitter, fabric, and rhinestones on canvas. Most recently Justice had the pleasure of being apart of the RVA community Maker’s Project, where he painted a portrait to honor, Richmond’s famed jazz soloist, Desiree roots. The painting hung at the VMFA and then was moved to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia where it now resides. In 2020, Dwight completed a collection of work that represented Black people in connection to nature. This project was released online because showcases were not possible at the time. Justice Dwight has had the pleasure of being involved in several group shows at The Well art gallery, Barcode, and Atlas. While also being in group shows, he’s had the pleasure of sharing his art online which has given me the opportunity to create work for the University of Maryland and celebrities such as Issa Rae, Big Freedia, and Azealia Banks.
Instagram: @JusticeDwight
Karen Hull
Karen Hull is a Richmond ceramic artist who teaches both wheel throwing and hand building clay classes at Visual Arts Center. Karen holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MA from Montclair State University. Her interest in drawing and painting is reflected in the surface treatment of her functional ceramic pieces. Karen especially loves creating mugs and bowls. Her work is shown at Shockoe Bottom Clay on East Main Street in Richmond, VA.
Website: karenhullceramics.com
Kate Koconis
Kate Koconis is a weaver and owner/creator of L.B.S. Studio. She been weaving and exploring all that the craft has to offer for the last 16 years. She weaves out of her home studio, in Providence Forge, VA.
“I take in life slowly, so I can focus and be there for it. My weaving practice is very similar. Weaving is a slow craft that forces you to really focus on the moment.” -Kate K.
Kathleen O’Connor
Kathleen O’Connor is an artist living and working in Richmond, VA. Originally from Wichita, KS, Kathleen moved to Richmond to finish her MFA in the Craft/ Material Studies Department at VCU in 2016. Kathleen uses a wide variety of materials, including clay, papier-mâché, drawing, and writing. She enjoys helping students learn about different materials, ways of making, and where things overlap.
In addition to teaching classes at the Visual Art Center of Richmond, she is the Program Coordinator and an instructor at Art on Wheels.
Kathy Calhoun
RVA based painter Kathy Calhoun’s initial foray into art began in her mom’s studio (a.k.a the kitchen table) with that groovy 70s stand-by, tole painting. She then furthered her studies by breaking into her older brother’s room to hand copy his album covers. It was only after two art degrees (JMU and VCU), many solo exhibitions, stints in New York and Paris, and teaching on many different levels that Kathy discovered that this was following in a time honored master teaching technique. The copying that is, not the breaking and entering. Luckily her brother did not press charges.
Kathy’s work now gets awards, occasional press and can be found in private and corporate collections, scattered around the United States and in Europe. She has also expanded from the kitchen table (though it sometimes still comes in handy) to a “real” studio as well as teaching regional workshops (The Art League, Nimrod Hall), at art centers (Visual Arts Center) and on a university level (Longwood).
Philosophy
Her approach to teaching art is a lot like the method she used to get her children to drive…learn how to start the car before planning the road trip! A firm believer in the “You gotta know the rules before you can break them” mantra, Kathy loves using the classical atelier approach to introduce the foundational design techniques needed for realism. She then encourages her students to discover how they want to express themselves and find their voice with these newly developed skills
Website: KathyCalhoun.com
Katie Davis
Katie Pelikan
Katie Pelikan is a graphic designer and visual artist who’s been lucky to call Richmond home since 2013. She has a BFA from VCUarts and an MFA from the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague. She started her small business Pelikan Print Co. to continue the craft of screenprinting and celebrate the calm and mysterious sides of the natural world. You’ll find bold shapes, rich colors and an almost naive simplicity across her work. In her free time she likes to explore state parks, rummage around antique shops and research niche topics over a cup of good coffee.
Kerry Mills
Kerry Mills is an art historian who has brought her life long love of art, material exploration, and making to children for the past 25 years. Kerry has taught at VisArt, VMFA and Sabot at Stony Point. Kerry supports young artists as they learn about materials, explore media, and tap into their creativity – allowing them to realize their own vision in the studio space while supporting their process.
Kimberly Bryan
Kim Bryan is an IT professional with a Liberal Arts degree from the University of Richmond. Originally from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, she has lived in Richmond for over 25 years and has enjoyed the lively culture that this city provides. Kim is a long-time musician and visual artist with an immense passion for expression and education.
Kirk O’Brien
Kourtenay Plummer
Kristi Totoritis
Totoritis completed her BFA at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond,VA majoring in crafts and material studies as well as painting in 2010. She completed a competitive internship residency in 2011 at the Chrysler Museum of Art Glass Studio and has continued to be faculty ever since. Recently Totoritis completed her Masters iof Visual Art with a focus in glass and print media from the Australian National University School of Art. She has studied both nationally and internationally at craft schools including Pilchuck Glass school, Pittsburgh glass Center, The Studio at Corning and Canberra Glassworks.
Website: kristitotoritis.com or heartcoreglass.com
Kristina Hamlett
Kristina Hamlett is a writer, speaker, teacher and blogger. She is the author of two books: “She Lives Here” published by L10 Press and “What I Love About You: A Guided Journal to Writing Your Proposal and Vows.” She is also the creator and host of “From the Page to the Mic: A Poetry Reading Series” with Henrico County Library. She loves her work in the reentry field helping people coming home from incarceration. Kristina lives in Richmond with her husband and can be found in a bookstore, a park or soon training for another Strongman competition.
Website: www.kristinahamlett.com
Kristy Severin
Kristy Severin is a mother of two, a certified art instructor, photographer, painter, and writer. She earned her BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Art Education and Art History and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda, East Africa. Inspired daily by her children and love of the earth, you can find her fine art and writings at kristyseverinartist.com
Laura Chow Reeve
Laura Chow Reeve is the author of the short story collection A Small Apocalypse. Her writing and graphic work can be found in The Offing, Lit Hub, The Rumpus, Catapult, Joyland, and elsewhere. She is a winner of the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize and was a Blackburn Fellow at the Randolph College MFA program. She lives in Richmond, VA.
www.laurachowfun.com
www.radicalroadmaps.com
Laura Mae Lucas
Laura Mae Lucas multi-media artist ranging from painting to textiles. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA, majoring in Craft/Material Studies. She is a now a workshop facilitator for the Richmond Public Library as well as a volunteer for Art 180, a non-profit bringing art programs to Richmond city schools. She values building community and making art accessible to everyone. She is also a competitive powerlifter who strives to inspire other women to stand strong in their power and take up space in the world.
Lauren Miner
Lauren Miner is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where she earned an MFA in creative writing (concentrating in poetry) and an MA in English (writing her thesis about descriptions of photographs in the poems of Larry Levis). She’s led creative-writing workshops at VCU, the UVa Young Writers’ Workshop, and elsewhere. Her creative interests include poetry, nonfiction, photography (both analog and digital), and comics. She currently serves as an assistant poetry editor at Four Way Review, and she is the Artist-in-Residence for the James River Park System.
Lauren Pendergrass
Lauren Ferretti is a fully licensed Art Educator living in Richmond, Virginia. She holds a BFA in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University which includes a minor in Darkroom Photography as well as a minor in Painting and Printmaking.
She loves to teach all ages and dabble in as many art mediums as possible.
Currently, I Lauren hosts Paint Parties, teaches classes, paints murals, practices photography, and takes graduate classes to stay current in the ever changing art world.
Website: www.laurenferretti.com
Instagram: @laurenferrettiart
Lauri Jenkins
Lauri Jenkins started sewing as a young girl. At just the age of 8, she was cutting patterns for paying clients. Today, she creates womenswear that are sold in various boutiques throughout the US. You may view her work at www.laurianda.com.
Leilei Xia
Leilei Xia was born in Guangzhou, China. She is a multimedia artist who works in tactile art, experimental animations, video art, and participatory collective art. As one of the editors of independent science zine Icosa Magazine and the founder of tactile art collective Tactileye, Leilei explores how tactility and bodily feelings are manifested in different medium, and is interested in combining the process and the result of art together to make art not as a noun but as a verb.
Her workshop has been hosted in Institute of Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, The Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, and her films and animation has been awarded or selected in Ann Arbor Film Festival, Stop Trik Animation Festival, Berlin Female Film Festival, Paris International Animation Festival, and so on. Her works has been shown in exhibited internationally in New York, Geensboro, Richmond, Guangzhou, and other cities. She was also one of the speaker in TEDxVCU 2023. She holds an BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and a MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also currently a teaching faculty at VCUarts, University of Richmond and Visart in Richmond.
Website: leileixia.com
Leslie Shiel
Leslie Shiel teaches at VCU, Randolph-Macon College, and holds private workshops. Her work has been published in The Southern Review, The Sun, Poetry International, and other publications. She has been the recipient of a fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Letitia Diggs
Letitia Diggs is an Artist from Richmond, Virginia who has been a part of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond since her elementary school days. She grew up attending Richmond Public Schools and started working as a middle school Art Teacher for RPS soon after college. Since then, she has taught Fine Arts for the Public School Systems for 10+ years. She taught middle school Art for Chesterfield County Public Schools and is currently teaching elementary school art for Henrico County Public Schools. She received her BFA from Virginia State University in 2014 with a concentration in Illustration and Printmaking, but Stained Glass has her Heart since she was a young girl! She learned the Art of Stained Glass while in 6th grade from Master Teacher, Mary McNeil while attending the ArtVenture & Art After School Programs at Visarts. She has been creating stained glass since 2003 (and has over 20+ years of glass experience). She enjoys teaching students and adults alike and looks forward to having you take her class!
Lisa Hutchinson
Lisa Hutchinson started Top Stitch Mending five years ago, to help keep clothing out of landfills and keep family heirlooms in circulation. Top Stitch offers clothing repair services, including visible mending and sewing lessons to spread sustainability. With a goal of zero waste, all scraps from past projects are used for future repairs. Lisa is personally driven by reuse, sustainable practices and low impact living. These ideas are explored in the classes she teaches both at her studio and The Visual Arts Center. She has been sewing for 27 years and received her bachelor’s degree in fashion design from Drexel University.
Website: topstitchmending.com
Instagram: @topstitchmending
Liz Borsetti
Liz Borsetti graduated from VCU Craft/Material Studies in 2012 with a focus in metalsmithing. Resident artist of Mule Barn Craft Studio a collaborative studio located in the fan of Richmond, VA. As well as teaching enameling at Visarts, she is the Facility Coordinator.
Lizzie Brown
Lizzie Brown is a Richmond based artist and owner of From The Core Art Studio. A VCU Alumni and former educator, she holds a dual degree in Painting/Printmaking and Art Education, with a minor in Art History. Lizzie Brown has been displaying her work in galleries and spaces throughout the Southeastern states, D.C., and Maryland, vending at various pop-up markets in surrounding areas, and leading art experiences and camps for youth.
Lizzie’s connection to creating and teaching are a form of ministry. Working mainly in acrylic paints, she creates colorful portraits depicting the beauty, resilience, and vibrancy of African American men, women, and children. Lizzie Brown wants those who encounter her work to leave feeling uplifted and empowered.
Lora Hart
With a life-long passion of artistic expression in all its forms, Lora discovered metal clay in 2000 and fell in love with the endless possibilities of the medium. Teaching since 2003, first in Los Angeles, and then in Richmond since 2012, Lora has enjoyed a well-rounded metal clay education and has been driven to share all she knows with other makers.
Her work has been printed in calendars; magazines; and books, and she has shared her passion for making via many recorded online Craftcast.com workshops, free YouTube video shorts, and through her own accounts on Instagram and Facebook. Lora has taught all around the United States and offers ‘Classes On Demand’ in her cozy studiolo in Richmond, Virginia. Lora says “Anything you’d like to learn from beginner through advanced techniques I’m happy to help you master.”
www.lorahart.com
Instagram: @lorahartjewels
Lyall Harris
Lynalise Woodlief
Lynalise Woodlief is a studio jeweler and fine artist, born and bred in Richmond, VA. She graduated from VCU where she studied design, sculpture and metalsmithing. She combines mediums such as glass and metal to convey a sense of humor, warmth and organic elegance. To minimize the impact on the environment, She uses recycled metal, responsibly mined gemstones, and non-toxic material wherever possible.
Website: http://www.lynalise.com
Lynda Ray
Lynda Ray received a Purchase award from Workingartist.org this year and a Cultureworks Artist Grant in 2018 She has also been awarded artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Colony, the Santa Fe Art Institute, and the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, Woodstock, NY. and as well as fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Program and The Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts, Inc. In 1987 she received a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, MA. That year she also attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in ME where she studied under Agnes Martin and Joseph Campbell. Thoughts she references are “perfection is in the mind” from Agnes and the “work parallels the experience” from her professor Rob Moore. Since 1987 her work has been widely exhibited and collected. Her work is represented by Space Gallery in Denver and Bond Millen Gallery in Richmond.
Website: www.lyndarayart.com
Maddie League
Madison Sterner
Madison Sterner(she/they) recently completed their BFA in Painting and Printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University(2017-2021), where they investigated the intersection of print and fiber. Their work centers around themes of seeking comfort as an adult with relation to childhood memories and artifacts. They recently finished a 6-month residency at VisArts where they continue to experiment with fabric dyeing/printing and quilting practices, with the goal of one day working for a radically accessible art studio. They currently live and work in Richmond, Virginia.
Website: madisonsterner.weebly.com
Instagram: @madssstudio
Marcia Haffmans
Mark Eanes
Mark Eanes is a painter, printmaker, photographer, curator, and educator who currently lives and works in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to living in Virginia, Mark lived in the Bay Area of California since 1970. He holds a BFA in Fine Arts from U.C.Santa Barbara and an MFA from Mills College.
Eanes is Professor Emeritus from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where he taught drawing and painting courses for over thirty three years. Mark also taught at other art institutes in California including San Francisco State University, the Academy of Art University, Dominican College in San Rafael, College of San Mateo, and other community colleges.
Mr. Eanes taught figure drawing at the California State Summer School for the Arts ( a pre-college arts program at CalArts in Los Angeles) for twelve years, and was the Chair of the Visual Arts Department for three years. Mark has also conducted numerous private drawing and painting workshops throughout California and Italy, and has recently created online courses (The Language of Color, Design and Drawing) through the Mark Eanes Academy website.
Eanes has exhibited his artwork throughout California as well as nationally and internationally. His past solo and selected exhibitions include the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, CA., the Parsons School of Design in Paris, the Applied Arts Museum in Belgrade, Serbia, the Cumberland Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee, the Documenta Galeria de Arte in San Paulo, Brazil, Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, CA, Pence Gallery in Davis, CA, Hanford Center for the Arts, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, and the San Francisco Center for the Book, among many other venues.
Mark Peyton
Mark holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Photography and Film. As an undergraduate, he was awarded a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship for a 4×5 large-format film photography series called “Cloth Caves.” A jack of all trades with an interdisciplinary approach to the creative process, he has experience in painting, drawing, photography, woodworking, and digital arts.
Website: www.markpeyton.com
Mark Rickey
Based in Richmond, VA, Mark has worked in wood for over 40 years. His work has included traditional designs inspired by antique furniture, contemporary pieces and furniture using repurposed materials. Mark has built custom furniture for several churches throughout Virginia, including altars, ambos, presider’s chairs and other pieces. In the last several years, a portion of his work has migrated toward natural edge furniture design, exploring the integration of the wood’s innate form with the functionality of art furniture. Most recently, he has been developing his “Twisted” series which incorporates bent and twisted laminations in everyday furniture pieces. He teaches woodworking at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and The John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina. Mark’s studio is in Richmond where he shares his space with talented woodworkers, furniture makers and a luthier. Beautiful furniture and music emanate from his studio as a result.
Instagram: @mark.rickey
Mary Beth Beasley
Matt Cricchio
Matt Spahr
Mauricio Vargas
Mauricio is an interdisciplinary artist based out of Richmond, Virginia. His work spans a variety of topics, from public art and media theory, to ancestral knowledge and climate justice. Often in dialogue with his Colombian-American heritage, the outcome is a practice that dances between fact and fiction through text, artifacts, and community engagement.
Website: mauricio-vargas.com
Megan Ratliff
Melissa Athey
Melissa De Jesus-Akuete
Melissa De Jesus-Akuete is a first-generation Dominican-American interdisciplinary artist and art educator born and raised in NY. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and graduated with Honors from Pratt Institute with a BFA and MS in Art Education. She was trained in a diverse range of art mediums and integrated classroom environments throughout NYC.
As an artist, she reflects on personal narratives and explores how art can educate and create dialogue around critical social issues, particularly those affecting marginalized communities. She lets her concepts guide her material choices working across various mediums and styles, including drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and jewelry design. As an art educator, she believes education has the immense power to liberate. She strives to teach culturally relevant curricula that creates meaningful dialogue, explores complex issues and empowers students by improving their agency, voice, and ability to express themselves.
Her current work incorporates unconventional materials, such as human hair, and examines her personal experiences with motherhood and grief. Through this exploration, she sheds light on the often-overlooked intersections of these experiences, addressing their taboo nature within the Latino community and their relationship to mental health.
Previously, De Jesus-Akuete taught art and Co-Directed two art galleries at Groton School, the #1 private boarding high school in the country. There, she managed an eighth-grade girls dormitory, was the Head of the Art Curriculum Working Group and a leading member of the DEI Committee. She is a five-time recipient of the Pratt Presidential Merit Award, two-time recipient of the Black Alumni of Pratt Award, and a graduate recipient of the Pratt Outstanding Merit Award.
She is a mother to two beautiful toddler boys; speaks fluent Spanish, and recently moved to Richmond, VA to further pursue her art.
Melissa Duffy
Duffy (she/they) is a mestiza Filipino-American cartoonist, illustrator and printmaker based in Richmond, Virginia. They graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Communication Arts in 2012. Duffy has worked with BOOM! Studios, IDW Publishing, Richmond Magazine, AMC, and Dark Horse. Currently, she is illustrating We Walked in Clouds, a full-length graphic novel published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She is also a practicing secular wedding celebrant through the Humanist Society. An avid rollerskater and nature enthusiast, Duffy’s work frequently touches on love, flora and fauna, magickal associations, and more than a few cats.
Merenda Cecelia
Merenda Cecelia lives in Richmond, Va. She is an artist and state certified art educator with extensive experience in mosaic work including several large installations. She has taught for 12 years in a variety of settings including public and private schools, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and The Visual Arts Center since graduating with a BFA in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also works at the VMFA planning large community events, and when she is not doing that you can find her in the yoga studio or playing in creeks with her son.
Website: merendacw.wordpress.com
Michelle Carter
Michelle Selwyn is a textile maker in Richmond, VA. She received her undergraduate degree in Craft and Material Studies at VCU. Since graduating a few years ago Michelle has been setting up her studio practice working towards weaving yardage of fabric that will be used for garment production. She is excited to be teaching classes at VisArts to help pass on the love of weaving to all!
Mike Bartolotta
Michael D. Bartolotta is a photographic artist focusing on digital and historic processes. He holds degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY. Michael works professionally in Williamsburg, VA as an art director and photographer.
Website: mdbart.com
Mira Anniballi
Monika Bierschenk
Monika started taking ceramics classes at VisArts in 2019 and fell in love with the craft. Since then she has started a small batch ceramics company, Coneflower Clay, selling simplistic, functional ceramics ware locally. She just got back from an artist residency with El Sur in Mexico City. In her free time, she loves to bike and rock climb!
Website: coneflowerclay.com
Instagram: @Coneflower.Clay
Nakia Young-EL
Nakia Young is a creative in almost every area of her life. A graduate of Stevenson university with a Bachelor’s in Fashion Design she has worked as a freelance designer, pattern-maker and surface pattern designer in the years since her graduation in 2015. Young has been sewing and designing for over 20 years and also currently works as a paid theater actor.
Social media: @nakiayoungel
Nastassja Swift
Nastassja Swift is a multi-disciplinary artist and owner of D for Dolls. She received her Bachelors degree of Fine Art from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a major in Painting & Printmaking and a minor in Craft & Material Studies. Her current work is reflective of childhood, girlhood and identity through the vessel of her small felted figures. Nastassja has been sharing her love of needle felting with groups of all ages across the east coast through her fun and fury workshops.
www.nastassjaswift.com
www.dfordolls.com
Natalie Kay
Natalie Kay is the owner of Off the Beaten Press. She lives and works in Richmond, VA but plays all over. An avid traveler, she finds inspiration for her designs everywhere she goes. Natalie grew up in the Washington, DC area and has a degree in Graphic Design from James Madison University, where they taught her the difference between a typeface and a font. She has a huge passion for design which translated naturally to printmaking. She loves to letterpress and shares that love with her students through classes at the local art center.
Website: offthebeatenpress.com
Natalie Sullivan
Natalie picked up weaving at the start of 2020 and quickly embraced Fiber Arts as a way to process life and connect with community. She received her BFA from VCU and MFA from Pratt in Painting. Her work explores nature through color, texture, and the amazing, transformative properties of fiber.
Website: nataliecreated.com
Instagram + TikTok: @nataliecreated
Nate Waggoner
Nate Waggoner’s writing has appeared in Electric Literature, Peach Mag, The Hard Times, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Barrelhouse and elsewhere. He lives in Lakeside.
Website: https://linktr.ee/natewaggoner
Instagram: @_funky.realm
Nava Levenson
Nava Levenson is a non-binary farmer, builder, organizer and collaborator based in Richmond, VA. Rooted in ritual and collection, their practice investigates domesticity, objecthood and relationship to land. You can catch them building chicken coops, building woods altars, digging in the dirt, trading veggies, teaching small people to use big tools, and organizing for food justice projects around Richmond’s east end. Nava has been a resident at Elsewhere Museum (Greensboro, NC) and Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria, VA). They are the recipient of a CVPA Research Grant and the 2017 David Diller Outstanding Student in Studio Art Award at James Madison University where they received her BFA in Sculpture.
Nga Nguyen-Weaver
I have been working in clay since 1995 with an emphasis on functional ware. Clay is such a gratifying material for me. To manipulate a blob of dirt into something both beautiful and useful is why I create pottery. The forms and designs of my pieces are derived from observations in nature as well as careful considerations to the utility for which they are made. Although ever evolving, my aesthetic tendency bends towards simplicity. I hope that my work speaks to you as you hold it and use it and discover little quirks, nicks, finger prints… marks of the maker. I hope it brings you joy in your every-day rituals.
http://www.woodlandheightsstudio.com
Nicole Bunting
Nicole Bunting received her BFA in Craft and Material Studies with a concentration in fibers from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014. She previously taught Introduction to Textiles and Intermediate Textiles as an Adjunct Faculty member at VCU. Nicole is the owner and sole instructor of Warped Fibers – a website dedicated to bringing weaving information to anyone and everyone. She is a weaver, paper artist, bookmaker, and printmaker. When not in her studio, Nicole likes to be out exploring and traveling. Her work is influenced by the formation of natural patterns and their correlation to the ongoing inner dialogue from her own journals.
Nicole Velez
Nicole is a professional stained glass artist specializing in modern designs that are rooted in tradition. She fell in love with stained glass as a child when her father discovered a hidden window in her childhood home. She began her career in 2018 learning at VisArts and now works out of her studio in the Fan.
Instagram: @thetinytriangle
Oura Sananikone
Patrick Carter
Patrick Carter is a textile artist and elementary art teacher living in Richmond, Virginia. He teaches weaving and ArtVenture classes at Vis Arts, and his most recent projects include collaging with woven fabrics, machine tufting rugs, and making baskets. Patrick has also taught weaving at Virginia Commonwealth University.
You can find Patrick’s work on Instagram @patrickcarterart
Paul Klassett
Paul has a BFA in photography from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C. He began doing pottery in 2000 and has been teaching ceramics at the Visual Art Center since 2012. Currently he shows at Shockoe Bottom Clay gallery in Richmond, Va. He also exhibits at various art festivals through out the central east coast.
Paul Morris
Pedro Ledesma III
Born in South Dakota and raised in a small town in Texas, Pedro has always appreciated wide, open spaces and small communities. His mixed Korean & Mexican heritage and extensive travel give him great appreciation for culture and family. His education at public schools in Texas, MIT in Cambridge, and Columbia University in NYC have opened the world to him, as have his experiences in investment banking, international development, and teaching.
Forever a student, explorer, and teacher, Pedro now devotes his energy to visual storytelling through photography.
Website: www.pedroledesmaiii.com
Preston Slaughter
Website: prestonslaughter.com
Social Media: @prestons_laughter
Preston is a mindfulness educator and a professional photographer, as well as an outdoor enthusiast, a yogi, a backpacker, a paddler, a biker and a visual artist, among many other things. She discovered her passions for yoga, photography and the natural world while teaching English in Thailand for two years after college. She moved to Denver in 2017 where she began to teach yoga, build a photography business from the ground up, and host wilderness retreats several times a year. She currently teaches mindfulness, art and outdoor education to youth all over Richmond. She is passionate about pathways to health and healing through nature therapy, creative expression and movement, and the powerful foundations these practices hold for human joy.
Raan Brown
Rachel Azzinaro
Website: Razzinaro.myportfolio.com
Social Media: @razzinaro_art
Rachel Maves
Rachel Maves is a freelance illustrator and animator who’s work focuses on nature, playfulness and humor. She previously worked in the entertainment industry where she created work for celebrities such as the cast of Friends, Mr. Beast, Bo Burnham, Nikki Glaser, and The Office. Her animation work was showcased at the 2024 Richmond Animation Festival and at Gallery 5 in November 2023. She is currently a co-director for the local animation group Mograph Meetup, where she helps with event planning, social media, and advocates the success of her peers. In her spare time, she likes to bike, plein air paint, and watch movies with her cats (and fish).
Website: rachelmaves.com
Social media: @machelraves
Rachel Rader
Rachel Rader (she/her) is an artist and educator based in Richmond, Virginia. Rachel creates work that derives from her love of material exploration and her investigation of the enigmatic. In her current project Ancient Truth Investigators, she creates jewelry and sculptural objects that are central to the ongoing narrative delivered by the alter-egoes she personifies during her performances. Rachel is devoted to sharing her passion for the Craft materials that she utilizes in her work by teaching across the country. She has taught at institutions including Arrowmont School of Crafts, Pratt Fine Arts Center, Penland School of Crafts, UrbanGlass, and the Visual Arts Center.
Rachel holds a BFA in Crafts + Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was a 2017 resident artist at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC as a part of the Artists’ Studios Program, and the recipient of a 2016 CGCA Flexible Fellowship at Wheaton Arts in Millville, NJ. She has shown her artwork in various galleries and museums including Alma’s RVA Gallery, The Brooklyn Metal Works Gallery, The Bullseye Gallery New York, Heller Gallery in NY, NY, Quirk Gallery in Richmond, VA, The Racine Art Museum in Racine, WI, The Society of Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, PA, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Norfolk, VA and The Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, OR.
Rae Whitlock
Rae Whitlock is a multimedia artist and educator living and working in Richmond, Virginia. She has an MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she also taught Art History and Writing. She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups through VisArts since 2019 and aims to make art fun and accessible for everyone.
Raven Smith
As a young girl, I loved gliding my scissors through construction paper to create beautifully arranged strips of colors that would then be turned into ringlets and form the longest, most colorful link chains my first-grade class would ever see. Since then, these childhood memories, practices, and habits have shaped my exploration of paper as a new medium.
My paper illustrations explore and take inspiration from observations of the natural world, how we interact with it, the raw essence of the subjects found there, and ultimately allow us to consider and rethink our relationship with natural spaces, flora, and fauna.
Originally from Florida, I moved to Richmond in pursuit of a life of art and the outdoors. I find inspiration when I am immersed in nature, so I have found a deep love for hiking and primitive camping.
Instagram: @Ravenillustrated
Regula Franz
Regula Franz is a Documentary Photographer and Educator who holds a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from VCU School of the Arts in Richmond. She is originally from Basel, Switzerland, where she received a B.A. in English, Linguistics, Anthropology and Art History. Interested in indigenous cultures and adventure travel, she has been photographing all over the globe, mostly in Southeast Asia and Latin America She was awarded several artist-in-residencies at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, where she had in-depth training in Fine Art Digital Printing and Digital Software. In 2013, she received the prestigious Teresa Pollak Award for Excellency in the Arts. Her mid-career monograph ‘Beyond Journey’ was published in 2015 by Herekeke Arts Center, New Mexico, where she has been a Visiting Artist since 2009. https://www.herekeke.org/ In 2015, she started leading Photo Tours and taught photography in Vienna, Austria with VCU Department of World Studies and her own company Viennart. She is now dividing her time between sojourns in Europe, winters in Southeast Asia and Mexico, and teaching in Richmond, VA in the summer and fall.
www.regiatwork.com instagram.com/regi.goes.places/
Richard Bronson
River Maja Olsson
River Maja grew up in Tidewater Virginia. She received her Bachelors in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College and Masters in Art Education from VCU. Inspired by the animators she saw at New York Comic Con, she began taking animation classes at Hostos Community College and later at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Her favorite cartoons include Steven Universe, Princess Jellyfish, Avatar the Last Airbender, and Legend of Korra. Her online portfolio of work is https://hopefuldoodler.myportfolio.com/
Robert Chamberlin
Robert Chamberlin is an American artist based in Atlanta, GA. Over the past 15 years, since receiving his MFA from Tufts & School of the Museum of Fine Art Boston Chamberlin has been deeply entrenched in the exploration of western and personal desire through his exploration of porcelain. During that time he has shown at Pulse Miami, Volta NY, Spring Break. Chamberlin is represented by Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta. Chamberlin’s work has been exhibited throughout the US and been published in Luxe interiors and design magazine, The Boston Globe, Burnaway. Robert has been awarded an Idea Capital Grant, Hughley Fellow, Peter S Reed Individual artist grant, SMFA traveling scholars among other awards.
Robert Snyder
Rosa Castellano
Rosa Castellano recently re-located back to Richmond, VA from Vermont. While living in the Green Mountain state, she lead numerous poetry workshops for adults and children and was an active member of the writing community. She spends the bulk of her non-writing time reading (mostly poetry, nonfiction and graphic novels) and adventuring with her husband and four children. She received an MFA in poetry from Virginia Commonwealth University and currently, is the Emerging Artist Resident in Writing for the 2019-2020 year at the Visual Arts Center of Virginia.
Roscoe Burnems
Roscoe Burnems, also known as Douglas Powell, is a father, author, spoken-word artist, educator, and Richmond, Virginia’s first poet laureate. He is the author of the collections God, Love, Death and Other Synonyms (310 Brown Street, 2019); Chrysalis Under Fire (The Writer’s Den, LLC, 2018); Fighting Demons (Prysmatic Dreams Publishing, 2014), and defyne (Lift Bridge Publishing, 2024). During his time as a slam poet, Burnems has been a three-time Southern regional team finalist, National Poetry Slam Champion, and two-time NUPIC/Undeground Poetry Slam Champion. As a poetry slam coach, he has been a NPS Group Piece finalist and taken Virginia Commonwealth University’s poetry team to rank third internationally. Burnems is a TEDx speaker and the founder of the poetry-based art collective The Writer’s Den. In 2021, he received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. He recently claimed two Telly Awards as a host and producer of “Verses” for VPM.
Rose Szabo
Rose holds an MA in English from the University of Maine and an MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. They teach at VCU, and also offer the class Writing Worlds: Worldbuilding in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Other Genres at the Visual Arts Center. They live in Richmond with an indeterminate number of cats. Their novel, What Big Teeth, is forthcoming from FSG-Young Readers in Spring 2021.
www.roseszabo.com
Rosemary Jesionowski
Rosemary Jesionowski was born in Portland, Oregon. She received her BFA from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and her MFA from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, both with an emphasis in photography. She has exhibited her work most notably in Chicago, IL, New York City, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Cleveland, OH, and Richmond, VA. She currently resides between Richmond, VA with her husband and cats and Lake Charles, LA, where she teaches a variety of courses in Photography and Bookarts as Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at McNeese State University.
Website: rosemarykate.com
Instagram: @rosemarykate_studios
S. Ross Browne
S. Ross Browne studied Illustration & Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, VA. Browne is a professional studio artist with over 27 years experience. With an emphasis on painting, he has exhibited domestically and internationally in over 70 gallery and museum exhibitions and is in many private, public and institutional collections including the permanent collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and The Valentine Museum. An awardee of various fellowships and grants, most recently from the VMFA, the Gotlieb Foundation and CultureWorks. As an educator, Ross was the Art Specialist for the VCU Health System giving therapeutic art instruction to patients. He was art educator for various support groups including Living Well for pediatric cancer support and the Richmond Brain TumorSupport Group.Browne was an instructor for the Resident Associate Program at The Smithsonian Institute. As an illustrator His clients include MacMillan Publishing, The Mcdonald’s Corporation, The ACLU of Northern California, the City of Richmond, Pulp Literature Press of Canada and Jacaranda Books of London.
Website: www.srossbrowne.com
Instagram: @srossbrowne
Salis Dembling
Salis was raised in New York City and Massachusetts and spent formative years in L.A. and South America. She’s mixed/Black and the daughter of Black Historian Sterling Stuckey and granddaughter of poet Elma Stuckey She studied drawing and sculpture at Columbia University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree. She studied painting and illustration at The School of Visual Arts and in the studio of portrait painter John Murray, both in New York as well. She completed the professional four year atelier painting program and teacher training program at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia. As well as being a visual artist she is a musician/composer. She co-founded art and activism collectives and a radical community center called Better than Television.
Sam Christian
Focusing in multiple mediums, Sam’s primary forms are Linocut printmaking, Fiber Arts (sewing and quilting) and Comic Art. Sam is a native of Richmond’s East End who has worked to craft a practice around the beauty and inequities found in the East End and communities like it. Through eco-conscious printmaking that highlights the deep history of the East End community and artistic partnerships
in schools and community spaces, Sam has been instrumental in cultivating light and love in the spaces they call home. Being no stranger to the obstacles facing students of the East End, both academic and social, Sam looks for any opportunity to shift the narrative and make space for young artists.
Sam Skrimpz
I am a trans non-binary muralist and arts educator. I love working with community to make big art together, and especially with queer youth. The art I make in my practice is playful and mystical, and largely inspired by my upbringing in the gulf south, but is now shifting with my trans identity. I work mostly in acrylic paints, and recently collage and gouache, and am looking forward to exploring more mediums.
Website: Www.Friedskrimpz.com
Social media: @friedskrimpz
Samantha Steiner
Samantha Steiner is a writer and visual artist interested in the relationships between text and images. A winner of Best Microfiction 2021, she has received fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Saltonstall Foundation, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Brown University and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She is currently a Ph.D. student in English at the University of Rochester. Find her on social media @Steiner_Reads.
Sarah Galanti
Born and raised in Richmond Va, Sarah has made her way back to the River City after attending a scientific glass program in Salem New Jersey. She is excited to share what she has learned with the community. When not blowing glass she can be found taking photographs at the river with her dog Bentley.
Sarah Grace Cheek
Website: www.sarahgracecheek.com
Instagram: @sarah.grace.cheek
Sarah Grace Cheek is an artist and woodworker based in Earlysville, VA.
She holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Craft & Material Studies where she focused in furniture and textile design.
After leading a production style wood shop for the last 4+ years, Sarah Grace made the leap in summer of 2022 to pursue being an artist full time. Her work centers around nourishment, usefulness and joy. She’s enjoyed venturing into the realms of more representational art and exploring relief carvings. Sarah Grace uses hand carving and power carving techniques to create most of her work. Some of her inspiration includes bones, rocks, salvaged materials and antique textiles including late 19th to early 20th century quilts, just to name a few things.
Sarah Hand
Sarah Irvin
Sarah Irvin earned a Master of Fine of Arts in Painting from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing from the University of Georgia. Irvin’s work across multiple media has been featured in exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad, contributing to the conceptual context of more than fifty group exhibitions and in more than twenty solo shows.
Alongside her work as a visual artist, Irvin is identified as an active contributor to critical theory and practice. Her resume includes a keynote address and featured presentations at prestigious conferences, as well as editor-in-chief of a published anthology, editor, and peer reviewer. Irvin also shares her thought leadership at the higher education level, completing artist talks, critiques, and master classes for students pursuing excellence in paper, painting, drawing, and ink. Her teaching experience includes adjunct faculty roles at Virginia Union University and Virginia Commonwealth University in art history and art appreciation. Irvin’s depth of research and experience continues through her panel talks and forums, guest curatorial roles, artist-in-residencies, and published writing and editing.
www.sarahirvinart.com
Sarah Masters
Sarah Masters is a visual artist living and working in Richmond, Virginia. Her work ranges from two-dimensional drawing and painting to three-dimensional sculpture and assemblage. At VisArts, Sarah teaches adult drawing classes both in the studio and en plein air. She shows her work locally and regionally, and her work is held in public, private, and corporate collections. Sarah is a Virginia Center for the Arts fellow. She holds degrees in Painting and Printmaking from VCU and in Botany from Duke University.
Sarah Parker
Sarah is a metalsmith currently living and working in Richmond. She received her BFA in Fine Arts for Painting at Appalachian State University in 2014. You can view her work online at Sarahparkerstudios.com
Sarah Sallee
Sarah Sallee is the art teacher at Mechanicsville Elementary School in Hanover County. She graduated from VCU in May 2020 with a degree in Art Education and a minor in Art History. Her artistic focus is primarily in oil painting, however she has a wide range of media interests including ceramics, performance art, sculpture, photography, and fibers. She spends her free time working at ice cream shops and traveling when she’s able to.
Check out her website: https://salleese.wixsite.com/mysite
Sarah Tector
Sarah attended East Carolina University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Art Education with a Concentration in Metal Design, in 1993. In addition she has also studied at Penland School of Arts and Crafts for eight sessions. After years of trying her hand at various art related jobs in different cities (gallery owner, jewelry design for a manufacturing company, and studio assistant), Sarah has once again settled in Raleigh, NC. She now splits her time between her studio and teaching. Sarah’s aesthetic when designing over the years is to approach jewelry as small scale sculpture.She creates clean, geometric, and architecturally influenced pieces in sterling silver, cast bronze, powder coating, and other mixed materials. These are mainly one-of-a-kind, limited edition, and production pieces of jewelry and most recently wall installations. She is not abandoning her jewelry roots, rather looking for the opportunity and challenge of artistic evolution and the idea that worn or not they are works of art.
Instagram: @stectormetals
Sayaka Suzuki
Shane McFadden
Shane McFadden (He/Him) grew up in Newport News, VA and now lives in Richmond, VA after graduating from VCUarts with a BFA in Photography+Film. He works in both photography and collage.
Website: shanemcfadden.com
Instagram: @shanemcfadden
Shannon Brady
Shannon O’Neill
Shannon Fara O’Neill is a writer, grief educator and director of Richmond Story House. Her writing has appeared in Seventh Wave, Glimmer Train, Asian American Literary Review (AALR) and Mizna among others. Her recent essays and blog, A Moveable Grief, explore how grief and trauma reshape our identity. She has received fellowships and scholarships to attend the Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA), Eckerd College Writers’ Conference: Writers in Paradise, the Key West Literary Seminar and Workshop. Shannon earned her MFA in Fiction at Virginia Commonwealth University.
https://writingtosaveyourself.substack.com/
Shawn Noroian
Shawn graduated from University of Massachusetts—Amherst studying Printmaking and Graphic Design. In Boston, working as a graphic designer she renewed her interest in metal working at the Museum school, eventually attending Rhode Island School of Design where she received an MFA in Jewelry and Light Metals. Shawn considers herself a lifetime student continuing to improve her skills and craft by taking classes at MetalWerx, Visarts and Penland School of Art and Crafts. She has taught at Rhode Island School of Design, Virginia Commonwealth University—Qatar and currently at VisArts.
Shawn’s current work draws on her discoveries and observations from nature, combining realistic and abstract forms, cast and fabricated, into individual compositions. These pieces are one-of-a- kind, limited edition or production.
Sophie Sallade
Sophie Sallade is passionate about relief printmaking! She was raised in Richmond, Virginia and attended VCU Arts with a BFA focused in Painting + Printmaking and a minor of Craft & Material Studies. Post graduation, Sophie has been busy running her company, Sophie Printmaking. She carves linocut blocks of her hometown and beyond, and has a collection of prints she sells at farmers markets, shops, events all around town.
Website: sophieprintmaking.com
Instagram: @sophie.printmaking
TikTok: @soophiesmmith
Stanley Rayfield
Stanley Rayfield realized his love for art early in life, pursuing his passion before graduating high school. In 2009, Stanley graduated from a nationally ranked fine arts program, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts in Richmond, VA with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Communication Arts. He furthered his study by undergoing intensive training in classical realism through Grand Central Atelier in Long Island, NY. Stanley cites his Christian faith and the likes of Henry O.Tanner and John Singer Sargent as some of his sources of inspiration.
Stanley’s portraits possess a photo-realistic likeness and skillfully capture the soul and spirit of the subject. With this gift, portraiture became central in Stanley’s fine art career, most notably when he entered the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Portrait Competition at age 19. The painting of his father entitled, “Dad”, earned 2nd place in the competition. Currently, Stanley enjoys mainly producing Fine Art paintings and drawings for collectors and museums. He has honed his portraiture skills throughout the years and has been fortunate to have his award-winning fine art portraits acquired by The United States Pentagon, museums, one being Virginia Museum of Fine Art, universities, collectors, as well as featured in prominent art publications. Collectors of Stanley’s artwork include Academy Award-winning director, Spike Lee. In 2022 Stanley painted the official portrait of the 73rd Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam. Stanley is the first African American to paint a gubernatorial portrait in the state of Virginia.
Stanley has displayed his artwork at several solo shows with Glave Kocen Gallery in Richmond VA, regional and national competitions, and group exhibitions. He has painted U.S. Armed Forces Service Members, local county dignitaries, University dignitaries, theologians, CEOs, pets, and a host of other subjects. These subjects and more, Stanley continues to paint with the same passion he discovered at the onset of his career and the same heart he possessed to create his cherished, “Dad” in 2008.
Stefan Gougherty
Drawing upon his industrial design background, Stefan Gougherty creates jewelry that’s both a celebration and critique of human ingenuity. His previous career designing wearable technology informs his metalsmithing process– where practicality, ergonomics, manufacturability and more are synthesized to create highly functional yet unusual art-objects. With a DIY spirit and constant experimentation and prototyping from his home studio, Stefan teaches design and relentlessly tinkers to discover something new.
Stephen Palmer
I received my B.F.A. from Rhode Island College, and continued my study of sculpture in Italy at the Tuscan Renaissance Center. As a member of the South County Art Association in RI and now at City Clay, in Charlottesville, VA, I continue to explore the many forms and function of clay. Through teaching, I hope to share and ignite the same passion and excitement in my students that I have for the ceramic form.
instagram @steve_palmer_ceramics
https://www.facebook.com/Steve-Palmer-Ceramics-426802860805793
Sydney Kay
Tamurlaine Melby
Tamurlaine Melby is a Richmond-based writer, editor and potter. She creates functional wheel-thrown pieces with an emphasis on surface design, and exhibits and sells her work at local markets and regional juried art festivals.
https://www.facebook.com/tmelbypottery
instagram.com/tmelbypottery
Tara Burke
Tara Shea Burke is a queer poet from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia who teaches writing and poetry at VCU and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. Her poetry has recently been published in Screen Door Review, Shenandoah, Southern Humanities Review, Khôra, and several anthologies. She’s interested in layering forms and materials, crocheting little dog bandanas, and pushing film photos printed in a dark room through a letterpress to create a visual, material poetics of the body she can live by.
Website: www.tarasheaburke.com
Tarneshia Evans
Tarneshia has been working in the field of education for over 20 years. She previously worked for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Children’s Education, Richmond Public School Head Start programs, The Goddard School, YMCA of Greater Richmond, and Atlantic Coastal Athletic Club (ACAC) Youth Department. Tarneshia affiliates herself with several worthwhile organizations like National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc & vaaeyc), Virginia Environmental Education Association (vaee) and the local chapter Greater Richmond Environmental Education Network (GREEN). In 2016 she was selected as Virginia Outstanding Educator by Project Learning Tree (PLT) and the following year was chosen as one the five 2017 National Outstanding Educators by PLT. She’s a strong advocate for promoting high-quality early childhood environmental education to children, families, and educators. Tarneshia enjoys seeing children engaged and immersed in nature. When she’s not teaching you can find her at some of her favorite consignment shops, visiting museums or volunteering at community events. Not only is she an award-winning educator, but her joy of teaching is obvious, and her joy is contagious!
Taylor Hanigosky
Tess Wladar
Tess Wladar is a 3D illustrator, animator, and fiber artist from Richmond, Virginia. She uses 3D modeling software to create adorable characters, objects, and environments full of color and whimsy. She also enjoys needle-felting little soft sculptures and accessories from wool. She has a BFA in Communication Arts from VCU and is pursuing a career in editorial and children’s book illustration.
Website: tesswladar.wixsite.com/portfolio
Instagram: Illustration/Animation – @sugar_fig ; Fiber Art – @wool_candy_
Theo Tweeddale
Theodore Taylor
Theodore Taylor III is an artist living in Richmond, Virginia with his wife Sarah and son Theo. During the day he works as a front-end web developer while also maintaining a career as a children’s book illustrator in his free time. His work is inspired by his love of music, comics, animation, video games, street art and more.
In 2014 he received the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award for his work in When The Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Here and the Creation of Hip Hop. In 2015 the book also won the Texas Bluebonnet Award.
Website: http://www.theodore3.com
Twitter: @tedikuma
Instagram: @tedikuma
Tommy Van Auken
Thomas Van Auken decided to be an artist when he was drawing a horse in the first grade. Since then, he has focused on drawing and painting, working and experimenting with a variety of materials, especially oil paint. He studied at the Corcoran School of Fine Art, and has shown in a number of galleries including 2nd Street Gallery in Charlottesville, VA, and Joan Wich and Co in Houston, TX. In Richmond, he has shown at Eric Schindler Gallery several times over the past 20 years. He began teaching at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond in 2003.
Tracy Haines
Tracy began knitting at 12, and has been immersed in yarn since. She has taught adults and children to knit for over 15 years. She loves knit toys and seeks out knitted solutions to all life’s obstacles.
Tracy Shell
Tracy Shell received her Masters of Fine Arts Degree from The School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York state, and Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Montevallo in Alabama. She also apprenticed with Echizen potter, Juroemon Fujita, in Japan for three years.
Ms. Shell was Professor of Art and department chair at Midland University in Omaha, Nebraska from 2007-2018. Currently Tracy is a studio potter at Shockoe Bottom Clay.
“As a maker of utilitarian pottery I feel it is a privilege to make work that will transform routine activities into aesthetic experiences. I am curious about what characteristics of hand-made pottery elevate these objects to treasured possessions while embracing their utilitarian characteristics. My investigative process is fueled by a desire to explore the relationship between engaging form and practical function.”
Travis Robertson
Raised on a tomato farm in Hanover county, Travis Robertson honed his squeegee skills in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley at the art department of James Madison University. From 2003-2007 he served as the assistant editor of The Drama, a quarterly arts magazine for contemporary art, design, and illustration. Today, he is the art director for Spacebomb Records, and sole proprietor of Archaic Mess, a modest printshop located in the Northside of Richmond, VA.
Troi Qualls
Hi, I’m Tori! I love to paint and talk about art! In my work I try to reuse supplies and repurpose old fabrics to give them new life. My subject matter usually leans toward domestic scenes such as the home, and the incorporation of fibers help bring an expressive quality to my work. I love all mediums, but I use a lot of paper in my work in different collage forms.
Instagram: @swimbunny34
Ty Phelps
Ty Phelps’ work has appeared in Blackbird, Poets.org, Barstow and Grand, Streetlight, Zizzle, and elsewhere. He won the 2021 Nancy Ludmerer Fellowship for Flash Fiction, Virginia Commonwealth University’s 2019 Catherine and Joan Byrne Poetry Prize, and The Gravity of the Thing’s 2016 Six Word Story Contest. He holds an MA in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University where he served as VCU’s 2021-2022 Cabell First Novelist Award Fellow. He is the 2023-24 Writer in Residence at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Website: typhelps.com
Unicia Buster
Award-winning artist, Unicia Buster received her bachelor of fine arts degree from Cornell University and her master of arts degree from George Mason University. Currently she is the project coordinator for InLight, an outdoor art installation through 1708 Gallery in Richmond. She was a recipient of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts artist fellowship and she has been featured in various media outlets.
Website: uniciabuster.com
William Okaily
William Okaily is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and writer whose practice bridges visual and performing arts, scenography, and critical research. His work explores perception and the intersections of materiality and myth, often incorporating deconstructive methodologies and oral histories. Influenced by East Asian philosophies of Nothingness, he investigates what he calls “the grandeur in the granular”—how subtle details evoke visceral responses and reveal hidden complexities.
William earned an MFA in Multidisciplinary Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he also pursued a Minor in Curatorial Practice and a Certificate in the College Teaching of Art. He holds a BA in Studio Art with a Minor in Media and Communication from the American University of Beirut and completed his French Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Literature.
His work has been exhibited in Lebanon and the United States, and he participated in the Antioch Recovery Project Research Lab at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, he contributes accessible art criticism to RVA Magazine and teaches Painting and Drawing at the Visual Art Center of Richmond and the Cultural Art Center at Glen Allen. William fosters critical perspectives and innovative pedagogies, integrating radicalism, critical thought, and risk-taking into dynamic learning environments.
Yifei Kong
Yifei Kong is a jeweler, metalsmith, and enamelist based in Richmond, Virginia. She was born on October 26th, 1995, in Beijing, China. She received her BFA in Metal from the State University of New York at New Paltz, NY, in 2022 and her MFA in Craft and Material Studies from VCU, in 2024.
Social media: @yifei_k
Z. Ingram
Z. Ingram is an RVA Calligraphy Artist, collector of old things and all-around nerd. They adore Sumi, their greyhound, traveling the globe and loves sharing all things letters and paper.