Masonboro by Museum School Instructor Kirah Van Sickle

Renato Abbate (renatoabbate76@gmail.com) was born in Italy and transplanted yearly till 1999. He currently lives in Wilmington and loves the port city. He is always looking for ways to push his work further using mixed media and clay. Innovation is his inspiration.

Topher Alexander (alexanderc@uncw.edu) earned a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He currently serves as the Assistant Gallery Director at UNCW CAB Art Gallery. His artwork is driven by experimentation, and grounded in raw materials.

Anne Brennan (execdirector@cameronartmuseum.org) has served Cameron Art Museum in the capacity of Curator for 16 years and Executive Director for 9 years. She received a B.A. in Studio Art from Davidson College and an M.F.A from East Carolina University. Her educational philosophy is to strengthen every possible way that an individual, initially approaching art as a spectator, will become a participant in the making of art and the experience of art itself. Cameron Art Museum has strategically heightened educational interactivity in the curation of exhibitions, the programming of CAM Museum School and the museum's brisk offering of outreach programming to the 8-county region it serves.

Todd Carignan (toddcarignan@yahoo.com) Along with teaching in the Museum School at Cameron Art Museum, Carignan teaches art to children at Dreams of Wilmington. He judged the 2013 Azalea Festival Art Show and the 2014 NC Silver Arts Fine Art Competition, both in Wilmington, NC. He exhibits regularly at Artfuel, Inc., The Occasional Art Gallery and The Wabi Sabi Warehouse, all located in Wilmington, as well as Manifestationz, in Cary, NC, and the Howl Gallery, in Fort Myers, FL.

Janice Castiglione (castigj31@gmail.com) Growing up in Western New York, Janice lived above her family's tavern. While there was a lot of activity around her, she was often bored and would amuse herself by drawing for hours while sitting at the restaurant's dining room table. Over time, this became a passion of hers, and Janice went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Empire State College in Illustration and Graphic Design. While raising her family, Janice taught art classes and freelanced for companies like Random House, American Greetings and Modern Publishing. Later, she joined Fisher Price and created the look of hundreds of Little People figures and play sets, including Disney. She loved her job, but her true passion has always been watercolor. Janice finds the colors and flowing textures exciting. She also likes a good challenge and remains determined to master a medium that many find to be the most difficult. The subjects of her paintings are typically found in the natural world.

Judith Chandler (judith.chandler@gmail.com) A North Carolina native, she earned an MAEd. in Visual Art at East Carolina University and taught in North and South Carolina schools. Ultimately she started a long career teaching in international schools around the world. She credits the International Baccalaureate Curriculum with broadening her knowledge, her passion and skill in teaching. Along the way to retirement, she has participated in joint shows and won awards in large-scale sculpture and recognition for her textile art in batik and weaving. Her greatest pleasure as a teacher is helping students to see the uniqueness of their art and find joy and confidence in their creativity.

Alan Cradick (vufinder@mac.com) is a lifelong photographer. Alan picked up his first camera while in high school, carried it with him through a career in the US Coast Guard and has had one nearby ever since. While in the Coast Guard, he performed Public Affairs work as well as providing news, editorial and documentarian photography. Alan has provided photographic services for several local and national non-profits and worked as a photojournalist. With his own photography business, he has done portraits, weddings, product and industrial photography as well as nature and fine art photography in Southeastern North Carolina.

Glenn Davis (gadavis500@gmail.com) opened up his studio in the attic above his parents garage when he was 11 years old. Taking money he earned mowing grass, he painted his first landscape, and a portrait of his pet cat. A renaissance thinker, his talent took him many other places in music and creative design, throughout his adult life. His passion for the visual fine arts was rekindled 5 years ago by the discovery of new techniques in photorealism with colored pencils. Glenn has taught college courses that included such topics as color theory, perspective, form and value, principles and elements of design for ten years and is now retired and living in Wilmington where he paints every day in colored pencils and water colors. Glenn is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), a nonprofit for artists promoting colored pencil as a fine art medium.

Kevin Dunn, (kevindunn1981@gmail.com) originally from Asheville NC, received a BFA in Painting with a Minor in Drawing from Western Carolina University. For two years after his undergraduate Kevin maintained a studio and managed a small gallery in Sylva, NC. Going on to receive his MFA from Western Connecticut State University, he then became assistant manager of Jerry's Artarama in Norwalk CT, where he developed a teaching relationship with the Silvermine Art Center. He also developed courses at The Washington Art Association and The Rowayton Art Center. In August of 2013 Kevin and his family relocated to the Wilmington area where he continues to paint and teach at Cape Fear Community College and Brunswick Community College.

Carolyn Faulkner, (cafaulkner@hotmail.com) Carolyn attended Ringling College of Art and Design, received her Bachelors and Masters degree from East Carolina University, then furthered her studies in Taiwan, Japan, and France. She was recognized in the Washington, DC area as a surrealistic painter and for her teaching program for both children and adults. She has continued her artistic and teaching path since moving to Wilmington several years ago. Carolyn has been selected to exhibit her work in many juried national and international exhibitions by well-known artists and curators. Her works are in private collections nationally and in France. Faulkner feels it very important to find and nurture the creative side of each student. She tries to help them see things in a different way in order to approach the world with an open and seeing mind. Faulkner believes the combination of a strong foundation in technique and creativity contributes to one’s total art experience.

Joanne Geisel (JQGeisel@yahoo.com) "Most of my paintings reflect a moment in time where the immediate impression captures my emotions and sense of design. I assess the composition, the values, the proportions and color, then I paint, all the while trying to maintain the initial feeling that drew me to paint the particular landscape, person or still life. " She pursued a degree in Art Education, then followed careers in human services and higher education, and received a Masters in Public Administration. Joanne teaches courses in Wilmington, NC and conducts workshops for many organizations. Her paintings have won numerous awards in juried shows and are held in personal and corporate collections.

Amy Gibson (amygibsonart@me.com) Amy Gibson, b. 1976 in Alliance Ohio. She is best known for her rich color and tonal hyperrealistic portraits that portray the complexities of the human condition. Drawing inspiration from people she is closest to; she creates oil paintings that capture their quirkiness, sarcasm, hope, neurosis, and ways they view and interpret everyday life and their environment. Amy earned her B.F.A in Painting at the University of Akron and is currently teaching at the Cameron Art Museum and Cape Fear Community College. She is represented by PoetsArtists and 33Contemporary Gallery in Chicago. Six of her works are archived for the moon as part of the Lunar Codex Project. Her artwork has been featured in American Art Collector Magazine, she has shown in PTFN at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, and is Internationally collected.

Dina Greenberg (greenbergdina7@gmail.com) Nominated for The Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions, and The Millions, Dina Greenberg’s poetry, fiction, essays, and articles have appeared widely in literary journals, anthologies, and peer-reviewed journals, both in the U.S. and the U.K. Her work facilitating creative writing workshops for combat veterans and military families precipitated Nermina’s Chance, her forthcoming novel (Oct. 29, 2021 with Atmosphere Press). Dina earned an MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where I served as managing editor for the literary journal Chautauqua. She facilitates writing workshops here at the CAM, and across expanding avenues of the World Wide Web. Find her at dinagreenberg.com.

Jeri Greenberg (jerig622@gmail.com) After many years as a fashion illustrator and sportswear designer, Jeri turned her love of graphic design towards advertising for a while. Having time to devote herself to painting again - and falling in love with the pastel medium - has led to a new and interesting “next act” as full time painter and teacher. Feeling that "pastels are an immediate tool to express feelings" and the the perfect way to both "make the ordinary extraordinary" and tell stories in her paintings, Jeri works to constantly get a deeper understanding of this wonderful medium. With her background in illustration, Jeri helps her students get a strong drawing foundation down behind their color work. Jeri loves painting still life, urban interiors, figures and fabrics, and the occasional landscape.

Andrew Hayes (a.hayes3dart@gmail.com) born in Tucson, AZ studied sculpture at Northern Arizona University. He left school to learn more about metal fabrication by working in the industrial welding trade. Eventually Andrew sought to develop his artistic voice and applied to the Core Fellowship at Penland School of crafts. During his time as a Core Fellow, Andrew explored a variety of materials and technique; the book became a big part of this exploration. In the fall of 2014 Andrew retuned to Penland as an artist in residence where he plans to continue working with book forms and fabrication. Hayes exhibits nationally most recently a solo exhibition at Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, CA. His work is included in a number of collections including Yale Art Museum, Black Mountain College, and Wingate University.

Liz Hosier (elizhosier@gmail.com) is an artist specializing in abstract art. She has been painting seriously since retiring from UNC Wilmington in 2008, but began painting more than 40 years ago. Hosier studied studio art and art history at UNCW while working as an IT professional in the Information Technology Division. She began as a landscape painter until a trip to Italy without oils, forcing her to experiment with new materials and techniques. Today, Hosier works primarily with oil and cold wax with mixed media sometimes experimenting with encaustics. Her work reflects a love of nature and travel, and an obsession with colors and light.

Fritzi Huber (fritzihb@aol.com) has been an active artist and arts educator, conducting workshops in hand papermaking at locations such as Arrowmont School for Arts and Crafts, Savannah College of Art and Design, the San Antonio Center for Arts and Crafts, and Pyramid Atlantic in Baltimore, Maryland. Her work has been exhibited around the world from Switzerland's Musee du Pays et Val de Charney, Gruyere, Suisse to Brazil's Bienale International de Artes. In 2011 Fritzi had a one person exhibition here in Wilmington at the Cameron Art Museum.

Mitzi Ito (mitziito@gmail.com) has taught all forms of Japanese art, including calligraphy, temari, bonkei, koto, and tea ceremony privately out of her home for over 40 years. Ms. Ito's mother was a teacher of Japanese arts and Ms. Ito has continued the traditions.

Fritz Kapraun (jsakel@aol.com) Without conscious effort, I have discovered a fascination with architectural detail as it impacts human culture. Truly, we design and occupy living spaces that become inseparable from our world-view and life style. The relationship between culture and architecture seems especially strong in the Southwest where Spanish, American and Native American experiences have created a style immediately recognizable throughout the world, a style that is so comfortable in its environment that it seems to grow out of the Earth. My interest in classical architecture has taken me to Greece (Santorini) and Spain. Currently, I travel to Italy every summer where I teach art workshops, sponsored by La Romita. In Umbria we utilize the rich local Etruscan, Roman, medieval and renaissance architecture as inspiration for artistic expression.

Tatyana Kulida (tatyana.kulida@gmail.com) is a figurative and portrait artist with a lifelong passion for the arts. She has received her B.A. in Studio Arts in 2003 from the Queens University of Charlotte and her M.A. in Arts Administration from Winthrop University, SC, USA. During and after her studies, Tatyana was drawn to portraiture and figurative work. She turned to the study of drawing and painting in classical tradition in Italy, at the Florence Academy of Art, a world-known school providing professional training for a realist painter where training is rooted in study from nature, understanding the pictorial language of light and form and extensive training of the eye. Tatyana graduated from the Florence Academy of Art in 2013 and completed her 4th (year) prize in 2014. She taught at the Florence Academy for two years before she moved her family to Wellington, New Zealand. She now splits her time between New Zealand and Wilmington, NC where she paints personal and commissioned work as well as teaches drawing and painting. Tatyana owns and runs Anthesis Atelier, her studio gallery in the heart of Wellington where her art can meet the public at monthly openings when she shares her latest work. Tatyana is a prizewinner of the ARC scholarship and the John F. and Ann Lee Stacey Scholarship; recently she received a 2015 Philip De Lazslow Prize for Classical Draftsmanship at the Royal Society of British Artists Exhibition in London, UK. Her work is in private collections in the UK, USA, Europe, New Zealand and in the Contemporary Collection at the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut.

September Krueger (lifelonglearning@cameronartmuseum.org) September Krueger is the Director of Lifelong Learning at the CAM. She has taught a variety of studio classes and art history courses in higher education, and has worked with youth as a teaching artist in our public schools. Her primary medium is textiles, and she holds an MFA in Textiles from ECU.

Gabriel Lovejoy (lovejoygabriel@yahoo.com) is a native of Wilmington NC. He graduated with a BA in fine art with a studio concentration from UNCW in 1998 and is now enrolled in the MFA painting program at SCAD. Gabriel has been teaching high school art and graphic design classes for the past 10 years while showing and exhibiting his paintings. "I seek to inspire my students by improving their skills while simultaneously discovering meaning in their work and learning more about themselves through the process."

Georgia Mastroieni (education@cameronartmuseum.org) began her love of art education as an intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She went on to study studio art and art history at Bard College in upstate New York. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions in upstate, NY, Montreal and Wilmington. Since moving to Wilmington in 2005, she has been an art instructor at SOLA, the Racine Arts Center and Dreams. She began her work at the Cameron Art Museum as the youth educator in 2006 and is now the Director of Outreach and Family Engagement.

Charlotte Oden (charlotte@charoden.com) is a Freelance Illustrator currently living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2012 with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Fashion Design. The work that she creates as an illustrator combines a variety of her interests such as vintage fashion, flea market shopping, music and tactile materials. The themes that her works express are inspired by her fascination with antiques, trinkets, lifestyle and her dog. Charlotte's style adapts to many different areas of Illustration such as editorial, fashion, advertising film, life style and textile design.

Loulie Key Scharf (lmscharf@bellsouth.net) discovered her passion for art 20 years ago, and has been experimenting with mixed media ever since. She owned an art school and has taught in a variety of settings. Loulie is currently painting commissioned portraits and working toward an MFA in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. A lifelong animal advocate, Loulie uses her art as a way to raise funds and awareness for animal rescue.

Abby Spangel Perry's (abbyspangelperry@yahoo.com) art is inspired by our biological world. Through studio practice and conceptual thought, she gives visual form to current ecological issues. Abby holds a BFA and MFA in Painting from East Carolina University.

Henry Steffens (hsteffens@ec.rr.com) received his PhD degree from Cornell University. He retired Professor Emeritus from the University of Vermont, after teaching cultural history and the history of science for 34 years. He is currently engaged in studying artists within the context of their art, lives, and times

Kirah Van Sickle (kirahart@yahoo.com) is an award-winning artist whose career spans the creative spectrum. Versatile in all media, her work is inspired by nature and a love for travel. Kirah is passionate about the connective power of art. She values and encourages exploration and expression of the individual voice. Kirah's education includes undergraduate study in biology and art, a Masters in Medical Illustration, and an MFA in Painting.

Luc Travers (luctravers@hotmail.com) is the author of Touching The Art: A guide to Enjoying Art at an Art Museum. He received his B.A. in Art History from the University of Memphis. Since 2005, he has taught and created curriculum in art appreciation and literature for students of all levels. Along with teaching in the classroom and online, Luc has shared his passion for art through tours at dozens of museums all over the country.

Catherine Cross Tsintzos is an artist who uses her knowledge and experience with her practice to create within the realms of both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary components for outcomes that focus on environmental and social issues, traditional fine craft and sustainability. She has a clear purpose in building and crossing bridges among the arts with a deep focus and balance between artistic practice, teaching, activism and invitation for participation.
Catherine has spent her life's work developing arts curriculum and arts education opportunities for all ages, abilities and socio-economic backgrounds in all mediums of the visual arts in the Southeast United States. She is honored to have solid experiences rooted in museum education, rural advancement, non-profit arts organizations and community outreach and organization. Experiences with mediums that provide engagement with nature, processes and elements of surprise like ceramics, papermaking, printmaking and surface design techniques for fiber arts and textiles are experiences Catherine connects with during her personal art making most. Catherine is a practicing and exhibiting artist from North Carolina.

Michael Van Hout (vanhoutm@bellsouth.net) is a full time artist who has lived in Wilmington since 1988 following an installation exhibit titled Aquarium at St. John's Museum of Art in 1987. His aquatic creatures can be seen in many public settings including The North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll Shores and Schooling fish at three branches of the New Hanover County Public Libraries. He has spent the last twenty years at ACME Art. In the past few years Van Hout's subject matter has expanded to include large scale animals and the human form.

Antoinette Angela Vogt (aavogtartist@yahoo.com) received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in drawing from the State University of New York at Purchase and a Master of Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology. She worked in Architecture for several years while teaching drawing at night through Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC before transitioning to focus solely on teaching and her personal art. She went on to teach drawing at a small private art school in Norman, Oklahoma as well as college level Drawing and Art Appreciation at Oklahoma City Community College. Her artwork has been exhibited in shows in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Currently a Teaching Artist at Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC; Antoinette has a desire to foster a love for the arts in others while encouraging and inspiring her students to discover and develop their artistic abilities. The artist specializes in drawing, watercolor, and printmaking. Both nature and personal subjects are intertwined in Antoinette’s work.

Melanie Walter (pgb@pinegardenbaskets.com) discovered the lost art of pine needle basketry in the early 1990's, when she bought a house that had over 100 long leaf pine trees on its property. With the development of her work, she started the business Pine Garden Baskets. (Pine Garden Baskets.) She won two Regional Artist Grants from the Cumberland County/Fayetteville Arts Council in 2009 and 2011, and was featured in Our State Magazine's October 2009 Issue entitled, "The Beauty of the Pines," by Liz Biro. She also is a recent winner of a Merit Award from the Buyers' Market of American Craft, and a Finalist for the prominent Niche Award in February 2011 and again in 2012. Her work is currently located in 60+ galleries and shops throughout the country. Melanie is a member of the North Carolina Art Council's Teaching Artist Directory, and the South Carolina Arts Commission's Approved Artist Roster for Arts in Education.

Mark Weber (markweber2@gmail.com) has been a professional illustrator and fine artist for over 30 years. Weber's work has appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He has illustrated numerous children's books and creates custom comics from his ACME Arts, downtown Wilmington, NC, studio.

Heather Wilson (deputydirector@cameronartmuseum.org) Heather Wilson is CAM's Deputy Director. A writer and an arts administrator, Heather holds a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She has a background in the publishing industry and was the founding editor of Ecotone, as well as a senior editor of Chautauqua. She is a certified expressive writing facilitator and has studied writing and health at the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine.

Margie Worthington (marworthington@gmail.com) grew up in northeastern NC and came to Wilmington in 1984 after completing her MFA in Ceramics at ECU. She served as the first Curator of Education at St. John's Museum of Art and then joined the art faculty at UNCW where she taught courses in design, painting and mixed media for 14 years. "After working abstractly in mixed media collage for many years, I have returned to my first love which was painting in oils in a representational manner." Her works are included in public and private collections including the permanent collection of the Cameron Art Museum.

Sharon Wozniak-Spencer (sharon@swspencer.com) is a portrait artist and recent graduate (2017) of The Academy of Art University, San Francisco, with an MFA in painting and drawing. Her most recent body of work deals with people in need in the downtown Wilmington area. As a teaching artist, Sharon emphasizes both the fundamentals and classical methods of art while fusing history and modern concepts into her classes.

Healthy Living Program Instructors

Tina Abraham studied her teacher training as a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher at the internationally acclaimed Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Oasis Institute. She completed professional training with teachings from Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn and Dr. Saki Santorelli and is trained by Mindful Schools Org. to teach the Mindfulness in Schools Project course for children 7-10 years old and adolescents ages 11-17 years old, considered the gold standard curriculum for young people. Other credentials include a BA in Art and Communication and certified Aromatherapist. She offers a unique holistic perspective for integrative and preventative wellness.

Martha Gregory (taichiquita@bellsouth.net) was teaching, performing and choreographing ballet and modern dance before she was introduced to the fluidity and gracefulness that is T'ai Chi. For over 30 years, Martha has taught T'ai Chi and Qigong in Wilmington and the surrounding areas to students of various ages and skill levels. She also provides demonstrations for the medical and educational communities.

Liana Belanich (lianabelanich@gmail.com) is a graduate of the Wilmington Yoga Center 200hr Kunga Yoga & Lifestyle program. She began her interest in yoga while in college in 2003. She realized it was her favorite way to exercise and on top of that began to enjoy meditation and all the wonderful aspects of yoga. Recently she began to crave more and to wanted share her learning's with others. She wants to be able to help others grow and become their best selves through yoga and meditation. Liana enjoys being outdoors, standup paddle boarding, running, and relaxing on the beach. She also enjoys traveling, reading, and photography. She is an entrepreneur creating her own hot sauce business. Facebook Instagram