Don Bradford
Professional Potter
Artist-in-residence in New Jersey schools with "Project Impact." Exhibitions: NJ State Museum, Morris Museum and others; BA in Art Education from Montclair State University. MA in Visual Arts from William Paterson College.

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Diane Churchill
Art Educator and Artist
Ms. Churchill taught art at the Fieldston School (2nd through 6th grade) for 20 years. She was also the Founder and Director of the International Children's Tile Project in Van Cortland Park, Bronx, NY. Her past teaching experience includes Montclair College, Keene College, New Jersey State College, the Art Center of Northern New Jersey and other institutions. Ms. Churchill has a BA in Art History from Wellesley College, a MA in Painting from Hunter College and studied at the Brooklyn Museum Art School.

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Jennifer Cherpock
Professional Potter
She studied under widely recognized potters Susan Beecher and Sara Peterson. She is a current artist member of the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY and a former children's outreach program educator. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at the M.T. Burton Gallery, the Bruce Museum, the Montclair Art Museum and numerous other fine art exhibitions throughout the Northeast.

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John Creagh
Graphic Artist and Instructor
Awarded the Sullivan Award as a graduate student by Lehman College and the Allied Artist Award by the National Club. Currently, he is the adjunct instructor of Graphic Arts at Westchester Community College.

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Stacey Damesek
is an art educator whose past teaching experience includes the Washington Irving Intermediate School in Tarrytown, New York, as well as the Jewish Museum and Metropolitan Museum, both in NYC. She has a MA in Art Education from the University of Arizona and a BA in Fine Art from the University of Massachusetts.

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Sally Lipton Derringer
Sally Lipton Derringer was a manuscript finalist for the Poets Out Loud Prize from Fordham University, a manuscript finalist for the New Issues Press Poetry Book Series, a finalist for the Glimmer Train Poetry Open, an honorable mention in the Pablo Neruda Prize, an honorable mention in the poetry competition of the National Writers Union, a runner-up for the Grolier Poetry Prize, and a semi-finalist for the Paumanok Poetry Award. Her publications include the St. Martin's Press anthology A More Perfect Union: Poems and Stories About the Modern Wedding; The Quarterly; The New York Quarterly; Nimrod; The Denver Quarterly; and Passages North. She has an MA in creative writing from Antioch University, and has taught English at Rockland Community College.

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Dan Dugan
A former assistant to Professor Roger Hendricks at SUNY Purchase, he has been widely exhibited in the NY/NJ area and taught in Montreal, Canada, Cairns, Australia and Eastchester, New York.

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Daly Flanagan
Daly Flanagan is currently the School Director at the Rockland Center for the Arts. She has over 15 years experience in art education and administration including positions as Director of the Craft Studies League/YWCA and Coordinator of School and Family Programs at the American Craft Museum. She has a Masters of Science in Education and Administration with a visual arts focus from Bank Street College of Education and Parsons School of Design and a B. F.A in painting and printmaking from San Diego State University.

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Kathy Ford
Mask and Costume Designer
Credits include Boston Lyric Opera, Yale Repertory and the American Ballet among others. She was an Artist-in-Residence at the Mead School, and she assisted Anti Lavish with costumes, wigs and make-up at Playwrights Horizons, the John Houseman Theater and LA Shakespeare. She has taught at Rockland Community College and schools throughout the northeast. She studied costume design at the Yale School of Drama.

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Harley Goode
Illustrator, Designer and Art Teacher
Received an honorary plaque from the New York Times for his Alvin Ailey supplement, a CEBA Award for a New York Times Magazine insert, an Effie Award for print design, a St. Gordon's Medal for draftsmanship and a New York Magazine Cover Award. His work has been exhibited at New York City Technical College, where he also taught. He currently teaches at Pratt Institute, William Paterson University and Bergen Community College.

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John Grieco
studied at The Reilly League of Artists in White Plains under Mr. Cesare Borgia. He also studied at Parsons School of Design under Mr. Jeff Shrier and received the Elizabeth Greenshields Memorial Grant while studying under Mr. Borgia. He taught at the White Plains Adult Education Program, The Arts Alliance of Haverstraw, and the Rowoyton Art Center in Connecticut. John maintains a private studio in White Plains where he is a practicing Portrait Painter.

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Martha Gradisher
doodled her way out of the small town in Ohio where she was born and went to New York. She became a comic illustrator for Gannett Publications and in addition had a Sunday Editorial cartoon. She went on to illustrate seven children's books and to author and illustrate a feature for Parade Publications. In 1994 she entered the digital world and became in quick succession a game developer and Creative Director. In 2004 after the internet bust she came back to her original love, the gag cartoon.

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Jane Herold
Full-time Potter
Produces wood fired functional stoneware at her Palisades studio. Apprenticed in England with Michael Cardew. Her work is in numerous collections and thousands of homes. Her ceramics have been featured in the New Yorker, Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, and Ceramics, Art and Perception. BA, Sarah Lawrence College.

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Cheryl Jelonek
is a certified art educator (K-12) and has a MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology, with a major in painting and a minor in photography. She also received a BS in Art Education from SUNY Buffalo. She has taught in the Rochester City Schools and various schools and programs in both Westchester and Rockland Counties.

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Brooke Johnson
is a certified art educator (K-12) whose teaching experience includes substitute teaching art in the Rockland County Public Schools and the Art Association of Oswego, NY. She has a Masters in Art Education and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the State University College at Oswego, NY.

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Alison Lee
is an art director turned jeweler. Continually exploring new ways to express her creativity, she studied the art of ancient goldsmithing and lamp worked bead making in both New York City and Umbria, Italy. Now Lee has created a new jewelry collection focusing on color in glass and the energy it can add to our lives. Her education includes Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, CA; Kulicke-Stark Academy, NYC, NY; and Cecilia Bauer, NYC, NY. Her glass training includes UrbanGlass Brooklyn, NY and Glass Orchids, Frankfort, ME. She has appeared on HGTV's  "Crafters Coast to Coast" demonstrating fused glass and jewelry making techniques. She currently teaches glass fusing and silver fusing at Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY and Alison Lee Studio, NYC, NY. Her work can be seen at: www.craftcast.com

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Paula Madawick
CSPA Artist
Apprentice to Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, studied at the School of Visual Arts, Cooper Union and SUNY where she received her BA. She has exhibited her colored pencil drawings at Castelli Gallery, Matthew Marks, The National Arts Club, Silvermine, Blue Hill Corp., and the Hopper House; is in the collection at Chase Manhattan Bank, NA, Rutgers University and the Bergen Museum. Madawick had received numerous awards at the Color Pencil Society of America's 1999 National Convention. She was former Executive Director of Center Gallery, Demerest, NJ.

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Stephanie Maddalena
Professional Jewelry Designer
Uses lampworking techniques to make glass beads and jewelry that she exhibits in galleries and craft shows in the NY, NJ and CT areas, including the Park Avenue Armory show. She has won a bead award at the Embellishments Conference in Texas.

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Sherry Masters
is an artist who creates body ornaments from dreams of heart and spirit. "I enjoy spending too much time in the studio using various hand crafting skills to fabricate one-of-a-kind designs for my ever-expanding jewelry business." She is a full time studio artist and jeweler, working of over 25 years in many different mediums with additional experience as a silversmith, bead worker, cosmetologist, and opera singer. Her expertise also includes teaching and workshop experience with adults and teens; from beginner to advanced and special volunteer programs with charities.   She is certified to teach Precious Metal Clay (PMC). Her continued education includes OCCC and Brookfield. She has studied with Irene Plunkty Goodecke, Elise Winters and Chris Darway, as well as countless other professionals. Her work has been exhibited in regional and international shows, private collections and has shown at OCCC and GAGA. She also mounted a one person show at the New City Library. She maintains a studio in Nyack and specializes in PMC.

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Eleanor Miller
Painter
She received the Best in Show Award from the Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, MA. and the Anna Hyatt Huntington Bronze Medal from the National Arts Club in New York City. She has had numerous exhibits ranging from the Broome Street Gallery to the Fells Point Gallery in MD. She is currently represented by M. Studio Gallery in Cold Springs and the Renaissance Gallery in Blauvelt. She also teaches at the Pelham Art Center.

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Patti Mollica
has been a professional illustrator and fine artist since 1980. Her artwork is licensed and sold as posters and prints in retail stores nationally, such as AC Moore, Pearl Paint, The Hobby Lobby, and many more. It is also featured on book and magazine covers, annual reports, wine labels, calendars, greeting cards etc. Many pieces are held in private corporate collections such as Mellon Bank USA, Societe Generale, Sheraton Hotels, RCA Records and others. Galleries include The Chasen Gallery in Richmond VA, Ruggerio Gallery in Stamford, CT, Elizabeth Kerr Gallery in Sussex, NJ and 21st Century Gallery in Nyack, NY. She has participated in many solo and group exhibitions throughout the tri-state area. Patti's style of painting is noted for its uninhibited use of color and bold brushwork.

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Maria Pia Minichiello
Ceramist and Fashion Designer
She studied at from Parsons School of Design in 1992 and has 25 years experience in the fashion design industry, ten years designing and developing 4-6 major clothing lines each year and launched fashion shows in NYC, London and Japan. Her teaching experience includes Greenwich House Pottery and the NYC School District.

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Eileen Brady Nelson
is a fine art photographer, specializing in alternative processes. After years of teaching adults her focus has shifted to children and teens. She is a recent recipient of a NYS Community Arts Grant and will be working this spring with children from Rockland Country on a Visual Spanish Alphabet. She is represented by the Allen Sheppard Gallery in New York City.

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Mari Ogihara
is a ceramic sculptor based out of Port Chester, NY. After receiving her MFA from Tyler School of Art of Temple University in 2006, she was awarded a year long residency at the Clay Art Center in New York. Currently, Ogihara is a ceramic instructor at Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan, CT and at the Clay Art Center. Her work can be viewed in regional and national exhibitions, and she continues to develop a body of work inspired by female ornamentation and rituals.

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Barbara Pollitt
Designer
Has won a Drama Desk nomination for her design of Caucasian Chalk Circle and an Obie Award for her performance in Epidog. Her masks have been seen on Broadway in The Tempest and Jelly's Last Jam. She recently exhibited her masks at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, CT. Her work was exhibited at Lincoln Center as well as other venues in New York City. She was an artist-in-residence for the past two years at Nyack High School and has also taught at Manhattanville College.

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Elizabeth Sayles
is an award-winning illustrator of over 25 books for children including the bestselling "I Already Know I Love You" written by Billy Crystal. She is an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and at SUNY/Rockland. Her work also appears on book jackets, in various publications as well as in projects for various clients including Disney, Delta Airlines, and Mattel. Ms. Sayles' artwork has been on display at many venues including the Society20of Illustrators in NYC, The New York Public Library, and the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio. See her work at www.elizabethsayles.com

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Jill Santiago
is an artist with a passion for teaching art to children of all ages. She works in a variety of media including ceramics, watercolor, and acrylic. She has been teaching art in Rockland for over seven years. She attained a BS in Art Education from SUNY New Paltz and is currently studying graphic design. She has taught in East Ramapo Schools, Deerkill Day Camp and currently teaches at The Arts Alliance of Haverstraw.

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Toni Sowa
owner of the Colored Window, a specialty glass store in Nanuet, where she also teaches. She has been involved with stained glass design since 1968. She has executed many private and commercial commissions throughout the tri-state area. Besides local exhibits, she has also exhibited in Florida, California and Boston. She is currently teaching stained glass for the Continuing Education Department in Nanuet.

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Jim Shaughnessey
is a potter who has made ceramic vessels and sculpture for more than a decade. He has studied with local as well as nationally known clay artists. His work can be found in a number of galleries in the surrounding area. In 1999 and 2001, his work was selected to serve as the Rockland County Executive Awards given to artists and supporters of the arts. In 2002, one of his pieces was used as an award given to Nobel Laureate author Toni Morrison. In 2003, his work was featured in silent auctions to benefit the American Cancer Society and the Nuyoricans Poets Caf?. In 2004, the Human Rights Commission selected to use one of Jim's sculptures in the annual fundraiser event held at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. Also in 2004, Jim's work was selected to serve as awards for Rockland County Congresswoman Sue Kelly and Anita Lowey, as well as New York State Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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Paul Tappenden
is a painter and mixed media artist that is well-known to Nyack and the Hudson Valley. For several decades, Tappenden explored many different media, styles and subjects. Locally, his mural entitled, "Nyack on Hudson," hangs in the Nyack Village Hall, and "A View from Boxcobel," is installed at Nyack Hospital. He has also produced a series of works to illustrate the 2008 and 2009 Rockland County Tourist Guides. Present work includes representation in the Agora Gallery, W25th St, NY, NY, Behr-Thyssen Gallery, Ny, NY, and Freshman Fine Arts Gallery, Hastings on Hudson, NY. Tappenden's work as a scenic artist for over 20 years includes movies such as: Cotton Club, Trading Places, Sophie's Choice, When Harry Met Sally, and Legal Eagles, as well as Broadway Productions, TV, and regional theater. Awards include the 2003 County Executive's Award in Visual Arts (Rockland), the Pride of Rockland Award for the Arts, and Artist of the Year in 2006 by the Arts Alliance in Haverstraw. Other experiences include Garnerville arts Project, Gatherings at GAGA, GAGA Annual Arts Festivals, and the 24 x 24 project. Many of Tappenden's past students continued onto highly successful careers as artists.

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Thomas Valenti
is President of Allied Artists of America and also an Honorary Member of The Salmagundi Club in New York. Valenti is listed in "Who's Who in American Art" and "Who's Who in America". His work is featured in the January 2007 70th Year Anniversary Issue of the American Artist Magazine. He is the recipient of countless major awards in National and International Juried Competitions. A few of the most recent being, Traveling Exhibition - American Watercolor Society; First Place Award - Salmagundi Club Juried Members Exhibition; Best-In-Show - St Mark's 29th Annual Exhibition, Mendham,NJ; ArtKudos.com online International Exhibition. Thomas Valenti teaches at the Ridgewood Community School and he demonstrates/lectures and conducts workshops in watercolors to well attended art interest groups everywhere. He was guest speaker/demonstrator at the December 2007 opening for Allied Artists of America's 94th Annual Juried The Salmagundi Club has designated Valenti as the annual demonstrator for the opening of their Juried Annual Member Exhibition. His works are in numerous private collections here and abroad. Public collections include, Rutgers University and the Lipton Tea Company, who commissioned the artist to paint a series of watercolors depicting the America's Cup Races in Newport, Rhode Island. To view his work, resume and bio, go to his official website at: www.thomasvalenti.com or Google: Thomas Valenti, artist

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Ruth Waldman
is an artist who has worked a variety of media. Since 2004, her work has been included in many exhibitions and collections around the country and internationally. These include: Headbones Gallery in Toronto, Canada, Annina Nosei in Chelsea, NYC, and the Aldrich Contemporary Museum of Art in Ridgefield, CT. Her recent drawings on paper have garnered the attention of critics as well as curators. Ken Johnson of the New York Times called her work "delicately drawn" and Benjamin Genocchio of the Times referred to her as an "interesting new name." Ms. Waldman has experience working with both adults and children through Gallery 37 and The Latin School in Chicago, The Professional Children's School in NYC, and SUNY Suffolk on Long Island.   She holds a BA in Art History from Oberlin College and an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work and can be viewed at: www.ruthwaldman.net

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Pamela Wood
Ceramist
Received an MFA from CUNY and BFA University of Denver. She has exhibited her work at Jarice, America House, Incorporated, the Streichler Gallery and Greenwich House Pottery. Her teaching credits include Hot Pots in Colorado, Greenwich House Pottery and Earthworks in NYC and the Pottery Studio in New Jersey.

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