Faculty
Meet our Art School Faculty
We are incredibly proud of our instructors, including those who have earned recognition both as artists and as teachers. With such a diverse and professional group, your experience in an Art School class is sure to be successful.
AIMEE KANDL is immersed in color interaction and theory daily while hand-dyeing yarn for her brand YarnTrekker. When teaching knitting and crochet, she brings her depth of experience, curiosity, and enthusiasm to every class she leads. Aimée's art combines the exploration of color with abstracted narrative across painting, printmaking, and the building of unsuitable boxes. WEBSITE
ALEXIS HUNTER is an identity-based, multidisciplinary artist currently living and working in Austin, TX. She earned a BFA from Texas State University in Studio Art-Painting, graduating summa cum laude. She has been selected for the third edition of Big Medium’s LINE Residency (2022) and vol. 2 of the George Washington Carver Museum's Small Black Museum Residency (2022). She is also the newest member of the ICOSA Collective. Alexis is the founder of Others, an ongoing publication project documenting the faces and stories of biracial individuals in Central Texas. Her work explores self-image through racial identity, mental health, the female body, and the male gaze. WEBSITE
ALEX TRIPPE is an artist and art educator working in ceramics, glass, and sculpture. Her practice examines objects as remnants of earthly experience to parse out what it means to be touched, emotionally and physically, by the world and by one another. She has exhibited in numerous exhibitions in Central Texas, Columbus, Ohio, and New York, NY. She received her BFA in Photography, Imaging, and Emerging Media from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and her MFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Ceramics from The Ohio State University, where she also taught as Adjunct Faculty in Ceramics. Originally from Coastal Maine, Alex is currently based in San Marcos, Texas. WEBSITE
ADRIENNE HODGE holds a BFA in Visual Art Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Adrienne is an exhibiting contemporary artist and art educator who has been teaching in community arts programs, public schools, museums, and the corporate sector since 2010. Her artwork explores the cinematic quality of life events, landscapes, and dreams. WEBSITE
ARIEL WOOD holds an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Texas at Austin and a BFA in printmaking and drawing from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Ariel is a sculpture artist and art educator whose artistic practice explores the way plumbing and drainage can elicit notions of interconnectedness, liminality, and queerness. Ariel picks and parses out aspects of larger systems that appear strange, silly, or sentimental. They have exhibited their work nationally and internationally in Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, New York, and Florence, Italy. WEBSITE
BECCA BORRELLI is a nationally recognized illustrator, muralist, educator, and speaker based in Austin, TX. Her digital drawings, original paintings, and intuitive art-making courses are avenues for sharing a hopeful and playful representation of the world’s magical sides. Both her work and art classes invite viewers to reflect on the invisible and intuitive aspects of their lived spaces and experiences.
BELLA LEGOSI has been making pots for 9 years, mainly focusing on wheel-thrown pieces. Bella loves the technical side of pottery and glaze making and strives to create a safe space for students to learn, explore, and have fun playing in the mud.
CANDACE BRICENO holds a BFA in Visual Arts Education from The University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in Drawing and Painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Briceno was selected as one of the Austin Museum of Art’s “22 to Watch” in 2005. Her work has appeared in solo and group exhibitions in California, Florida, Texas, and Chicago. She has been part of the Art School faculty since 1998.
CAREY WEST is a ceramic artist and educator with a passion for clay that has spanned over two decades. With 20 years of teaching experience, she has guided and inspired countless students in their artistic journeys. Her expertise lies in both traditional and contemporary ceramic techniques, allowing them to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive education to those under their instruction. She pursued formal training in fine arts with a focus on ceramics during their undergraduate years, building a foundation for ongoing exploration and experimentation with clay.
CAROLYN BROOKS holds a BFA from the University of North Texas and an MFA from The University of Texas at Austin. Brooks works with fiber and paper and teaches creative self-exploration.
CHRISTIAN CHASE holds a BFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Chase has been working with metal for over 30 years. In addition to sculpture, he has received commissions for furniture and lighting and has taught at the Austin Sculpture Academy. WEBSITE
CLAIR GASTON holds an MFA from the University of Houston. Gaston has taught at The Glassell Junior School and has served as a gallery teacher at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. She has been a teaching fellow at UH. WEBSITE
COURTNEY PETERSON has been welding and building sculptures for over 10 years. After receiving her associate’s degree in Architectural & Sculptural Metals from Austin Community College in 2018, she started her career in public artwork and founded her own business. Alongside building her career, she currently works in the sculpture department at Texas State University as their head Shop Technician. When it comes to her own creative practice, Courtney finds it intrinsically important to feed her curiosity of process, meaning, and connection to inspire her creativity.
DAVID THORNBERRY holds a BFA and MFA in Painting from Kent State University. Thornberry has over twenty-seven years of experience teaching art in community programs across the country. His work has appeared in galleries throughout Austin.
DIANNE SONNENBERG is an internationally recognized mosaic and sculptural artist. She is a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists and a board member of the Texas Society of Sculptors and the Austin Mosaic Guild. She exhibits internationally and was awarded the 2010 “Best Architectural Mosaic” at Mosaic Arts International in Chicago, IL. A sought-after instructor across the US and Canada, she has been an Art School faculty member since 2007. WEBSITE
ERIN SERRANO holds a BFA in Studio Art from Texas State University and a K-12 teaching certificate in art education. Serrano is currently an elementary art teacher in Georgetown ISD. She has taught for various art programs such as sculpture for Totally Cool Totally Art and online art courses with ArtSpace. Her students have also exhibited work at the Mexic-Arte Museum. In addition to teaching, Serrano is a painter and sculptor who sells her work at markets and takes commissions.
ERIN SCHWINN is a teaching artist who currently lives and works in Delaware. She holds a BFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MFA in Painting from the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches online art classes covering painting, drawing, and a variety of specialty approaches to picture-making. In her own work, she uses painting, drawing, and everything in between. Her pieces are covered in patterns and bold colors with wonky and distorted figures. "I want my pieces to surprise me or make me laugh, so I create the misshapen and unusual." WEBSITE
HILLARY CUMBERWORTH is a born-and-raised Austinite who received her BA from Southwestern University. Storytelling is a key element in Hillary’s work, exploring the common threads of human connection, both universal and individual. Cumberworth has spent much of her adult life living abroad in Dubai and across the United States in New York and Houston, teaching art and creating her own work along the way. WEBSITE
HR WRIGHT is an Austin-based potter, originally from Western New York. After studying Art Therapy in undergrad, she went on to work in disaster relief nonprofits before returning to the wheel. Her experience working in disaster zones, seeing both loss and excess, has influenced her work by emphasizing the mantra “pottery with a purpose.” WEBSITE
INGA MARIE CARMEL holds a BA from The University of California, Berkeley, with additional coursework at Sätergläntan in Sweden. Carmel serves on the board of the Weavers and Spinners Society of Austin and received a Certificate of Excellence in Handweaving through the Handweavers Guild of America in 2016. In 2009, her article about weaving with wire appeared in the August issue of Weavezine. Since 1994, Carmel has at various times taught garden design, knitting, weaving, and eTextiles at the Art School. WEBSITE
JAIME REYNOLDS holds a BFA from Pratt Institute. Jaime is an Austin, Texas-based watercolor artist who offers artwork and workshops that encourage a deeper connection with your perfectly imperfect nature. Her work can be seen at Canopy East Austin open studios.
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JAM JENKINS blends technical precision with the soul of natural fibers, with over a decade of mastery in menswear. From the structure of tailored wool and leather to the breathability of hemp and silk, every piece is built from a custom-drafted pattern designed specifically for the individual. A career educator with 16 years of experience, Jam doesn't just create—he understands the architecture of style. Jam isn't just a tailor; he’s an educator and an artist who moves in his own bespoke designs.
JEAN LEIDER holds a BFA in Art in Visual Arts Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked as an Art Educator for seventeen years in Austin ISD. Jean has taught art out of the country in Bangkok, Thailand and in Canada where she worked as both a Gallery Educator and as administrator of a school visits printmaking program. Jean integrates collage, printmaking, and book arts in her art practice. Jean contributed animation to the Rick Linklater film “Waking Life” and performs and releases music under the name Jean Caffeine.
JENNIE TUDOR GRAY holds a BFA and All Level Teaching Certification from Texas State University–San Marcos. Gray is a professional multimedia artist and arts educator with over twenty years of experience exhibiting her work and is passionate about community arts education as a method of social change. She has taught for various schools in Austin ISD, Round Rock ISD, and Del Valle ISD and was nominated Teacher of the Year by her peers in Pflugerville ISD. She has also taught with independent schools and various community and cultural arts centers such as the City of Austin's Dougherty Arts School, Mexican American Cultural Center, and the Elisabet Ney Museum. Gray worked for the Austin Museum of Art from 2003 to 2008 and has been a faculty member at Laguna Gloria since 2013.
JOANNA VAUGHN holds a BFA from the Dayton (Ohio) Art Institute and an M.Ed. from The University of Texas at Austin. Vaughn has over 30 years of teaching experience, including at the Austin Waldorf School, as an art specialist in Austin ISD, and most recently with senior citizens in the Mobile Art program.
JOSE ESTRADA is a multi-disciplinary artist with an emphasis in ceramics and printmaking. He graduated with his BFA from Texas State University in 2020. His artwork explores the intertwining relationship of functional ceramics and sculpture, using loose lines and vibrant colors to bring his pieces to life. He draws inspiration from objects connected to childhood memories, aiming to evoke a sense of nostalgia and wonder in his audience. Jose’s goal is to inspire others through his unique artistic vision and encourage them to explore their own creativity.
KATE GIBBS has a lifelong passion for learning through art. Kate is an art history teacher, museum educator, and creative learning facilitator. She connects people with art through her work with MINDPOP, The Contemporary Austin, and other local organizations, and as adjunct faculty at Austin Community College. Before relocating to Austin with her family, she worked at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Kate earned her MA in Art History and Museum Education from City College of New York (CUNY) while working at the Guggenheim Museum and interned at the Whitney Museum of American Art. She loves intuitive, expressionistic practices and makes abstract drawings and mixed media art. Outside of the arts, Kate volunteers in community libraries, supports Keep Austin Fed, and teaches yoga in southwest Austin.
KATHERINE AMMAN VELLARD holds an MA in Art Education and an MFA in Painting/Drawing from Louisiana Tech University. Katherine is a native Louisiana artist and former professor of art at Louisiana Tech University. She has exhibited in 80 national and international exhibitions and has had 13 solo shows, including exhibitions in France and New York City. In 2003, she was awarded the Artist Fellowship Award by the Louisiana Division of the Arts. WEBSITE
KATHERINE K. BRUPBACHER (she, her) holds a BFA from Baylor University with Secondary Art Teaching Certification. Brupbacher has maintained a painting practice for over 20 years and exhibits her work throughout Central Texas. She finds refuge in both painting and nature. Her work is influenced by the Texas landscape, flora, and fauna. Brupbacher is a former high school art teacher and has been with The Contemporary Austin since 2019. In the classroom, she strives to facilitate a love of creating with her students. WEBSITE
KATIE CHANCE is an artist with a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. With a keen eye for detail and a love for watercolor, gouache, and ink, she has mastered a range of styles from bold and vibrant to soft and ethereal. Katie's artwork has been featured in solo and group exhibitions across the United States, including galleries in Provence, Atlanta, and Austin. Her work has also been recognized by publications such as Juxtapoz and Anthropologie, as well as the Austin Studio Tour. Beyond her 10-year career as an artist, Katie is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and passion with others. She has a genuine interest in helping aspiring artists develop their skills and explore their creativity. Katie maintains a studio practice in South Austin. WEBSITE
KEAHI FORBES BROWNis a certified art teacher and has taught elementary art for 30+ years. Keahi graduated with a BA in Studio Art with concentrations in Ceramics & Education from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She makes colorful, textured, functional wheel thrown pieces that she sells at art fairs throughout the Austin area and online. Keahi loves sharing her muddy passion and teaching kids and adults the joy of playing with clay.
KELLY CHAMBLISS holds a BA with an emphasis in Art History from Texas State University. Kelly Chambliss is an Austin-based papermaker and certified art educator. With a background in art education in public schools and community art school settings, she currently specializes in eco-friendly handmade papers. She loves exploring new materials and more sustainable art practices with students. WEBSITE
LAURA GREEN holds a BFA from the University of North Texas. Green is certified as a Generalist and Special Ed educator. She is a teacher with AISD and has previous teaching experience at the Amon Carter Museum, among other schools and institutions. She is the former Program Director at Art Center Waco.
LAURIE CARSWELL holds a B.A. in Theatrical Design from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Laurie is a former Art Educator who has opened her own studio in Austin where she cuts and tears papers to build dynamic art pieces rich with color and hidden visual treasures and stories. She strives for intricacy and movement in her work using scissors, glue, and paper pieces cut from magazines, calendars, and books. She loves sharing her unique "painting with paper" process with students of all ages and backgrounds. WEBSITE
LINDA MONTIGNANI holds an MFA in Painting from American University. Montignani has taught at Maryland College of Art and Design and St. Edward’s University and is a founder of the Creative Arts Society in Austin. Her mixed media and collage paintings are exhibited both nationally and internationally.
LORIN BRYCE is an artist, teacher, and photographer. She holds a BA in Ceramics and English from the University of Colorado and has taught art in the Austin area at the elementary and high school levels. She specializes in wheel-thrown functional pottery. WEBSITE
MARK MITCHELL studied at The University of Texas at Austin. Mitchell has illustrated twenty-five books for younger readers, and his illustrations appear in children’s magazines such as Cricket, Cobblestone, Calliope, and Pockets. He is a contributing editor for the magazine Watercolor. WEBSITE
MATT REBHOLZ is an artist, educator, and graphic novelist from Austin, TX where he is a founding member of the ICOSA Artists Collective and a Lecturer at St. Edward’s University. He received a BFA with a concentration in Drawing and Printmaking from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA with a concentration in Printmaking from the University of Texas, Austin. He has attended artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT) and the Frans Masereel Centrum (Kasterlee, Belgium). His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, recently showing work at Artspace 111 (Ft. Worth), Throughline (Houston), and Big Medium (Austin). WEBSITE
MONIDEEPA DAS holds an MA in Visual Communication Design from Purdue University and an MA in Art History from Stella Maris College, India. Monideepa has over twelve years of experience in advertising, graphic design, illustration, and art education.
PETER ABRAMI is an artist working primarily in painting and drawing with an interest in exploring the connections between human perception, abstraction, and cognitive recognition. He holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin (2015) and a BFA in painting from The University of South Florida (2010). Peter’s paintings and drawings have been exhibited in group and solo shows both nationally and internationally. His extensive teaching experience includes teaching a variety of courses at the high school, pre-college, and university level. Peter currently lives and works in Austin, Texas. WEBSITE
PHILLIP WADE holds a BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and an MFA from The University of Texas at Austin. Wade has been an exhibiting and teaching artist for twenty years. WEBSITE
RYAN SANDISON MONTGOMERY holds a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a painter who was awarded the People’s Choice Award by Mayor Adler and has more than a decade of experience in window dressing and design. Montgomery has also studied at Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist’s Residency in Michigan and interned with the Guggenheim’s teaching artists program. In addition to being a visual artist, he is a writer, musician, and filmmaker. WEBSITE
SEBASTIAN J. STODDART holds a BFA in Sculpture from SUNY Potsdam, New York, and an MFA in Sculpture from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Sebastian is a visual artist who teaches a variety of ages and is the Sculpture Technician at Texas State University. His most recent body of work, “Manic Architectonics,” explores themes involving psychology and architecture with a focus on interpersonal relationships. His artwork has been exhibited nationally, and his large-scale installations are in permanent collections in Florida, Texas, and New York.
SHANNON HOGARTY is a ceramic artist with 8 years of experience, originally from Long Island, New York. Combining traditional pottery techniques with contemporary digital designs, her work features unique surface decorations, vibrant glaze combinations, and atmospheric firing techniques. She enhances her practice by serving as a studio assistant and teacher, sharing her passion and expertise. Shannon's creations blend ancient and modern aesthetics, capturing the timeless magic of clay. WEBSITE
SHEILA FLEMING is a painter, sculptor, and photographer who graduated from The University of Texas in Austin. She has taught art at the Dougherty Arts Program, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, and the Contemporary Austin Art School at Laguna Gloria. Sheila has also been an art instructor at three private schools and has shown her work in the Austin Art Tours. Her colorful acrylic paintings make you ask yourself a lot of questions. WEBSITE
SHELLEY WOOD has work in private and public collections. She has received two Cultural Contracts from the City of Austin as well as a Partners in the Arts and Humanities award. She continues to create and exhibit work while sharing her love for photography through teaching. Shelley teaches many avenues of photography at a variety of schools in Austin and privately. Her work has been published nationally and internationally. She has served as the Director of the DarkRoom Co-op since 1994. WEBSITE
STEPH GRANILLO is an Austin-based textile artist and teacher. Since 2018, she has developed a practice centered on improvisational quilts made from household linens and discarded textiles — finding new life and unexpected beauty in overlooked materials. In the classroom, Steph fosters an intuitive, process-driven approach to textile work, encouraging students to trust their instincts and experiment freely. WEBSITE
STEPHANIE PERRY holds a BFA in Art History and a BA in Art Education from The University of Texas at Austin and is a National Board Certified Art Teacher - Early and Middle Childhood. As an experienced art educator teaching in Austin ISD for over 25 years, Perry loves working with children, exploring a variety of artistic media, and showing her work occasionally in local galleries.
SUE KEMP holds an MS in Education from the University of North Texas. She is a signature member of the Texas Watercolor Society, Southwestern Watercolor Society, and WFWS and has served as President of two art societies. Kemp has been a practicing, award-winning watercolor artist for over 35 years, and her paintings have been published on posters and in seven books. She was the lead painting instructor on five trips to Europe. A native of Dallas, Sue taught briefly in public schools after graduation, then pursued other interests, including painting, and has been teaching at the Art School since 2002. WEBSITE
SUZIE GALLEHUGH has over twenty years of design experience. Graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 1999 with a BBA in Marketing, she also holds an Associate's Degree in Fashion Design from the NYC Fashion Institute of Technology. She is the owner and designer of Suzanna Dai, a collection of high-end beaded and embroidered fashion jewelry. Suzie’s designs have been carried in luxury department stores and boutiques worldwide, including Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie, have been worn by tastemakers such as Michelle Obama, and have been featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. Before starting her line, Suzie honed her skills at various companies in NYC, including couturier Ralph Rucci, Alexander Doll Company, Jones New York Dress, Kim Seybert, and LOFT. WEBSITE.
SYDNEY YEAGER holds an MFA from The University of Texas at Austin. An art educator since 1989, Yeager was a 1996 Mid-America Arts Alliance/National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Recipient and has previously exhibited at Laguna Gloria in Art in Progress: Body/Language in 1997. Her works are widely exhibited in Texas and across the country. WEBSITE
TIMOTHY MCCOOL is an Austin, Texas-based artist and educator. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, McCool received his Master’s of Fine Arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in Boston and Medford, MA. McCool has exhibited his work at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Carroll & Sons Gallery, and Montserrat College of Art, among other locations. He has been an artist in residence at the Boston Center for the Arts, the Studios Program at MASS MoCA, and at the Arteles Creative Center in Finland. During his time in Boston, Timothy taught a variety of painting and drawing courses at Boston College, the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and the Museum of Fine Arts. In Austin, Timothy co-founded the gallery Goodluckhavefun and regularly curates shows highlighting the work of local Austin artists. WEBSITE
TRICIA RUDOLPH is a Houston-born artist and art educator. Ms. Rudolph holds a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts & Design and EC-12 Teacher Certification from the University of Houston - Clear Lake and is a former chef of over 10 years. She loves painting, ceramics, papier mâché, claymation, rock and roll, horror films, and cartoons.