Robert Bean: B.F.A. from Mississippi State University and M.F.A. from Louisiana State University. Taught classes in figure painting and drawing at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA and Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL. Currently teaching classes at UAHuntsville in the Department of Art and Art History. His works have been in group and solo exhibitions. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. Artist Websites: www.lowemill.net/portfolio-item/robert-bean-painting-studio-315/ and www.rbeanart.com
Kristy Jane From-Brown: B.F.A. from University of South Alabama. Elementary and secondary art instructor at the Huntsville Museum of Art’s Museum Academy for ten years. She works in all media painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics. Her emphasis is on printmaking techniques. Has displayed works in several group and solo exhibitions. Served as the Gallery Administrator for the University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. Artist Website: www.frombrown.com/
Curt Benzle: Developed and used colored, translucent porcelain for forty years. His signature artworks are translucent, sculptural vessels and architectural lighting. They are represented in major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art/NYC, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Seto(Japan) Cultural Center and Taipei(Taiwan) County Yingge Ceramics Museum. Curt has received Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He is Professor Emeritus and former Chair of Dimensional Studies at the Columbus College of Art and Design (Columbus, OH). Curt is a former Trustee of the American Craft Council and past Board President and Executive Director Ohio Designer Craftsmen. Artist Website: www.benzleporcelain.com
Sheila Cape: B.S. in Art Education from Auburn University and work in Special Education from University of Alabama. Attended graduate studies in art at Troy State University. Elementary and secondary art instructor at the Huntsville Museum of Art’s Museum Academy, Museum docent and outreach program volunteer.
Kay Casteel: Associates in Graphic Design, Calhoun; Bachelor of Art, Athens State University. Institute of Children’s Literature, Connecticut and Art School of Minneapolis. Member of the Southern Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Currently writing and illustrating historical fiction for middle grades. Teaching private lessons and seminars.
Lenore Corey: Painter working primarily in oil paint. Lenore Corey Studio is located at Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo juried exhibits, local galleries, and in publications. She holds a state certification in art education and a M.Ed. from Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL. Artist Website: www.lenorecoreyart.com
Anna Sue Courtney: Attended East Stroudsburg State College in Pennsylvania majoring in visual and performance arts. Coordinated interdisciplinary collaborations at her studio as well as for museums, community centers, schools, universities, and other indoor and outdoor venues. Her puppet company, Squeaking Tribe, is located in downtown Huntsville. She is a part-time puppeteer for the nationally syndicated Kids on the Block Troupe of Educational Puppets; a member of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA and Puppeteers of America. Taught the Museum’s Art for Homeschooled Students Program and other preschool, elementary, and secondary grade level art classes. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill & Entertainment Center. Artist Website: www.lowemill.net/portfolio-item/squeaking-tribe-studios-puppetry-studio-269/
Greg Datcher: Artist and instructor in ceramics. Taught at The Studio in Huntsville. Attended Alabama A&M University, majoring in fine arts. Works in all clay forms from handbuilding to wheel throwing techniques with sculptural qualities.
David Edwards: M.A. in Ceramics from University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa; B.A. in Studio Arts from University of Alabama in Huntsville. He currently teaches at Calhoun Community College as Adjunct Instructor in Ceramics. Managed Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. Served as Program Assistant at The Arts Council, Inc. in Huntsville. Participated in exhibitions, festivals, and shows in Alabama such as the Monte Sano Art Show, Panoply Festival of the Arts, Kentuck Festival of the Arts. His work can be located at The Source (Huntsville) and Kathleen’s (Decatur).
Sara Beth Fair: Her figurative, landscape, and still life works are drawn from such influences as the Russian School of Art as well as American and French Impressionists and the Old Masters. To view some of her artwork and biography, log onto www.sarabethfair.com.
Shanna Graves: M.A. in Art Education from Alabama A&M University. Mrs. Graves is in her 11th year as a secondary art teacher for Huntsville City schools. Mrs. Graves has also taught art in Grades K-8 at the Huntsville Museum of Art. She has taught all grade levels in various art media and art history. Her main focus is mainly on sculpture and drawing.
Melanie Laten: B.F.A. in ceramics and printmaking and M.A. in Art Education from University of Montevallo. Attended Savannah College of Art and Design for additional visual arts continuing education. Taught for over 25 years in art education in Alabama public school system. Currently Huntsville Museum of Art docent. Works in all media particularly ceramics and painting.
Melinda Ortner: Over nine years experience in stained glass. Ortner specializes in lamps, windows, mosaic garden stones, repairs and a variety of unique home décor. She has spent the past five years as an Instructor for Daimler-Chrysler Training Center, Kids Camp, The Studio and Hobby Lobby. Her instruction reflects her great passion for glass.
Gayle Power: Artist and instructor in painting. Artist signature: Herman Gayle. Both formal and informal instruction from University of Alabama in Huntsville and in private study, and served as the art director of a private school. As a Southern impressionist artist, Power has exhibited in galleries and has work in private collections across the United States and around the world; and now exhibits her paintings in galleries in Charleston, SC and Atlanta, GA. As an impressionist artist, Gayle’s style has evolved through her personal journey and growth in all areas of life. She states “art encourages all of us to look deeper into the world. . . It gives us passion for our past and a peek into our future. Art pulls us in and we can see, feel, and touch the artist’s vision and emotion through it.
S. Renee Prasil: Instructor at HAL and Huntsville Museum of Art. Also taught all ages and abilities at the Art Ministry at Whitesburg Baptist Center as well as the after school art program at the Hampton Cove Elementary School (Huntsville City Schools). Her art ranges from murals, portraits, clay vessels, handmade tiles, and sculptures all media. Selected as the 2005 Panoply Arts Festival Poster Artist. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center.
Lisa Roth: Currently Huntsville Museum of Art – Museum Academy Assistant. BFA degree in Art/Education from University of Texas in Austin. She has taught art in Texas and Virginia. She taught art for middle and high school students in the Fairfax County School District, Fairfax, Virginia. Lisa also has experience working with elementary students while in Fort Hood, Texas.
Linda Ruhl: B.S. in Fine Art and Design from Arkansas Tech University. Her commissioned portraits are in private collections throughout the country. She is a member of the Portrait Society of America and the American Watercolor Society. In September 2005 and October 2006, she conducted a weeklong Master Class-Portraits in watercolor, pastels, and charcoal with the Grafton Artfest in Grafton City, Australia. Artist Website: www.lindasartworld.com
Ann Moeller Steverson: M.A. from Alabama A&M University; B.A. in Fine Arts from University of Alabama in Huntsville. She has taught Calhoun Community College, Adjunct Professor, Huntsville Art League, and Monrovia and Hampton Cove Middle Schools. Her works has been exhibited at Huntsville Art League, Gallery on the Square, Sidewalk Art Stroll in Huntsville, and Monte Sano Art Show. Artist Website: www.annmoellerstudios.com
Brett Weaver: Nationally recognized artist who focuses on preserving impressions of the natural landscape as it is rapidly diminishing. After being professionally trained as an engineer, in his late twenties Weaver left his secure career for a more fulfilling life as an artist. He now travels extensively nationally and internationally; painting on location and completing studies to feed his studio work in Chattanooga, Tennessee near where he grew up. Weaver paints in a very bold and honest representational style, hoping to convince but still leave something to the imagination. Weaver’s artistic training was received through workshops with artists including T. Allen Lawson, Ralph Oberg, George Strickland, and Scott Christensen. Significant influences in his work include Edgar Payne, John Carlson, John Twachtman, George Inness, and Emile Gruppé among so many others. Weaver is currently the vice president of the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast, and his work is included in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum and the Booth Museum of Western Art. To view some of his artwork and biography, log onto www.brettweaverstudio.com.
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Instructors’ Bios
Robert Bean: B.F.A. from Mississippi State University and M.F.A. from Louisiana State University. Taught classes in figure painting and drawing at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA and Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL. Currently teaching classes at UAHuntsville in the Department of Art and Art History. His works have been in group and solo exhibitions. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. Artist Websites: www.lowemill.net/portfolio-item/robert-bean-painting-studio-315/ and www.rbeanart.com
Kristy Jane From-Brown: B.F.A. from University of South Alabama. Elementary and secondary art instructor at the Huntsville Museum of Art’s Museum Academy for ten years. She works in all media painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics. Her emphasis is on printmaking techniques. Has displayed works in several group and solo exhibitions. Served as the Gallery Administrator for the University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. Artist Website: www.frombrown.com/
Curt Benzle: Developed and used colored, translucent porcelain for forty years. His signature artworks are translucent, sculptural vessels and architectural lighting. They are represented in major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art/NYC, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Seto(Japan) Cultural Center and Taipei(Taiwan) County Yingge Ceramics Museum. Curt has received Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He is Professor Emeritus and former Chair of Dimensional Studies at the Columbus College of Art and Design (Columbus, OH). Curt is a former Trustee of the American Craft Council and past Board President and Executive Director Ohio Designer Craftsmen. Artist Website: www.benzleporcelain.com
Sheila Cape: B.S. in Art Education from Auburn University and work in Special Education from University of Alabama. Attended graduate studies in art at Troy State University. Elementary and secondary art instructor at the Huntsville Museum of Art’s Museum Academy, Museum docent and outreach program volunteer.
Kay Casteel: Associates in Graphic Design, Calhoun; Bachelor of Art, Athens State University. Institute of Children’s Literature, Connecticut and Art School of Minneapolis. Member of the Southern Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Currently writing and illustrating historical fiction for middle grades. Teaching private lessons and seminars.
Lenore Corey: Painter working primarily in oil paint. Lenore Corey Studio is located at Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo juried exhibits, local galleries, and in publications. She holds a state certification in art education and a M.Ed. from Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL. Artist Website: www.lenorecoreyart.com
Anna Sue Courtney: Attended East Stroudsburg State College in Pennsylvania majoring in visual and performance arts. Coordinated interdisciplinary collaborations at her studio as well as for museums, community centers, schools, universities, and other indoor and outdoor venues. Her puppet company, Squeaking Tribe, is located in downtown Huntsville. She is a part-time puppeteer for the nationally syndicated Kids on the Block Troupe of Educational Puppets; a member of the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA and Puppeteers of America. Taught the Museum’s Art for Homeschooled Students Program and other preschool, elementary, and secondary grade level art classes. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill & Entertainment Center. Artist Website: www.lowemill.net/portfolio-item/squeaking-tribe-studios-puppetry-studio-269/
Greg Datcher: Artist and instructor in ceramics. Taught at The Studio in Huntsville. Attended Alabama A&M University, majoring in fine arts. Works in all clay forms from handbuilding to wheel throwing techniques with sculptural qualities.
David Edwards: M.A. in Ceramics from University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa; B.A. in Studio Arts from University of Alabama in Huntsville. He currently teaches at Calhoun Community College as Adjunct Instructor in Ceramics. Managed Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. Served as Program Assistant at The Arts Council, Inc. in Huntsville. Participated in exhibitions, festivals, and shows in Alabama such as the Monte Sano Art Show, Panoply Festival of the Arts, Kentuck Festival of the Arts. His work can be located at The Source (Huntsville) and Kathleen’s (Decatur).
Sara Beth Fair: Her figurative, landscape, and still life works are drawn from such influences as the Russian School of Art as well as American and French Impressionists and the Old Masters. To view some of her artwork and biography, log onto www.sarabethfair.com.
Shanna Graves: M.A. in Art Education from Alabama A&M University. Mrs. Graves is in her 11th year as a secondary art teacher for Huntsville City schools. Mrs. Graves has also taught art in Grades K-8 at the Huntsville Museum of Art. She has taught all grade levels in various art media and art history. Her main focus is mainly on sculpture and drawing.
Melanie Laten: B.F.A. in ceramics and printmaking and M.A. in Art Education from University of Montevallo. Attended Savannah College of Art and Design for additional visual arts continuing education. Taught for over 25 years in art education in Alabama public school system. Currently Huntsville Museum of Art docent. Works in all media particularly ceramics and painting.
Melinda Ortner: Over nine years experience in stained glass. Ortner specializes in lamps, windows, mosaic garden stones, repairs and a variety of unique home décor. She has spent the past five years as an Instructor for Daimler-Chrysler Training Center, Kids Camp, The Studio and Hobby Lobby. Her instruction reflects her great passion for glass.
Gayle Power: Artist and instructor in painting. Artist signature: Herman Gayle. Both formal and informal instruction from University of Alabama in Huntsville and in private study, and served as the art director of a private school. As a Southern impressionist artist, Power has exhibited in galleries and has work in private collections across the United States and around the world; and now exhibits her paintings in galleries in Charleston, SC and Atlanta, GA. As an impressionist artist, Gayle’s style has evolved through her personal journey and growth in all areas of life. She states “art encourages all of us to look deeper into the world. . . It gives us passion for our past and a peek into our future. Art pulls us in and we can see, feel, and touch the artist’s vision and emotion through it.
S. Renee Prasil: Instructor at HAL and Huntsville Museum of Art. Also taught all ages and abilities at the Art Ministry at Whitesburg Baptist Center as well as the after school art program at the Hampton Cove Elementary School (Huntsville City Schools). Her art ranges from murals, portraits, clay vessels, handmade tiles, and sculptures all media. Selected as the 2005 Panoply Arts Festival Poster Artist. Currently has a studio at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center.
Lisa Roth: Currently Huntsville Museum of Art – Museum Academy Assistant. BFA degree in Art/Education from University of Texas in Austin. She has taught art in Texas and Virginia. She taught art for middle and high school students in the Fairfax County School District, Fairfax, Virginia. Lisa also has experience working with elementary students while in Fort Hood, Texas.
Linda Ruhl: B.S. in Fine Art and Design from Arkansas Tech University. Her commissioned portraits are in private collections throughout the country. She is a member of the Portrait Society of America and the American Watercolor Society. In September 2005 and October 2006, she conducted a weeklong Master Class-Portraits in watercolor, pastels, and charcoal with the Grafton Artfest in Grafton City, Australia. Artist Website: www.lindasartworld.com
Ann Moeller Steverson: M.A. from Alabama A&M University; B.A. in Fine Arts from University of Alabama in Huntsville. She has taught Calhoun Community College, Adjunct Professor, Huntsville Art League, and Monrovia and Hampton Cove Middle Schools. Her works has been exhibited at Huntsville Art League, Gallery on the Square, Sidewalk Art Stroll in Huntsville, and Monte Sano Art Show. Artist Website: www.annmoellerstudios.com
Brett Weaver: Nationally recognized artist who focuses on preserving impressions of the natural landscape as it is rapidly diminishing. After being professionally trained as an engineer, in his late twenties Weaver left his secure career for a more fulfilling life as an artist. He now travels extensively nationally and internationally; painting on location and completing studies to feed his studio work in Chattanooga, Tennessee near where he grew up. Weaver paints in a very bold and honest representational style, hoping to convince but still leave something to the imagination. Weaver’s artistic training was received through workshops with artists including T. Allen Lawson, Ralph Oberg, George Strickland, and Scott Christensen. Significant influences in his work include Edgar Payne, John Carlson, John Twachtman, George Inness, and Emile Gruppé among so many others. Weaver is currently the vice president of the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast, and his work is included in the collection of the Tennessee State Museum and the Booth Museum of Western Art. To view some of his artwork and biography, log onto www.brettweaverstudio.com.