It’s back-to-school time at The Art League — registration for Fall classes started Monday! The classes themselves start the week of September 16. This year, we have a new crew of instructors coming in to teach ceramics, jewelry, painting, and everything else we offer. Meet the new faculty below, and browse the catalog on the School homepage to find your next art class. (See part one here.)
Joann Liu attended the University of Mary Washington, where she received her BA in Studio Arts with emphasis on Painting and Art Education. She spent the last year as a middle school art teacher for DC Public Schools and is excited to be joining The Art League! Currently, she resides in Alexandria, where she continues to create artwork that focuses on storytelling and anthropomorphic animals. Most recently, she has begun marrying her painting skills with ceramics by painting slip on, and carving into, pottery — a technique known as sgraffito. Her other current passions asides from art making and teaching are practicing Bikram and hot yoga, rock climbing, and cooking.
- What Joann’s teaching: Art Fun-damentals (ages 5–8) Sundays in the Fall, Winter, and Spring
Allison Severance makes wood-fire salt glaze pots at Highfield Pottery, her home and studio nestled in the northern mountains of Maryland. Her pots have been included in numerous national and international exhibitions, including Salt Glazed Ceramics in Germany, and the Orton Cone Box Show and the Strictly Functional Show here in the states. Of her pottery, Allison says: “I don’t want the pots displayed on a shelf. I want them pulled out of the cupboard every day for use in the home and kitchen.”
- What Allison’s teaching: Throwing/Handbuilding Ceramics Tuesdays; Woodfiring Workshop (dates TBD)
Rebecca Adams is a multidisciplinary artist and musician returning to teach children’s classes after time away. She studied studio art at Smith College and sculpture at RISD, and has had work exhibited throughout the region.
- What Rebecca’s teaching: Mixed-up Mediums (ages 9–12) and Exploring the Third Dimension (ages 8–12)
Longtime potter Tony Clennell received his MFA from Utah State University and is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts. He has had workshops and exhibitions throughout the United States and Canada. In Tony’s workshop, students will learn to throw 3–5 times as much clay as they’re used to, making large vessels like casseroles, bowls, and pitchers.
- What Tony’s teaching: Large Scale Ceramics
Fiber artist Carol James is the author most recently of Sprang Unsprung. Her weekend workshop next summer will explore simple lace patterns in interlinked sprang (a method of constructing elastic fabric with only warp yarn). Carol is a guest instructor from Manitoba, Canada.
- What Carol’s teaching: Sprang: Lace Patterns
Nicholas Raynolds’ formal studies in art were conducted in Düsseldorf, Germany; Vancouver and Halifax, Canada; Seattle, WA and in New York at the Water Street Atelier and Studio 126. Raynolds has taught in New York at the National Academy School of Fine Arts, The Art Students League of New York and the Long Island Academy of Art. He has also taught at the Gage Academy of Art (WA) and Studio Incamminati (PA). Mr. Raynolds has exhibited nationally and abroad and can be found in national and international collections, including The Forbes Collection (NY). He is represented by the Eleanor Ettinger Gallery (NY) and the John Pence Gallery (CA) and Haynes Galleries (TN). His work has been published in American Artist: Drawing Magazine; The Artist’s Magazine; American Art Collector and on the cover of John Updike’s novel, Seek My Face.
- What Nicholas is teaching: Drawing and Painting Architecture in the Landscape (more on this workshop here)