Listed below are permanent and part-time SSAC faculty.

STUART ALLEN is a visual artist working primarily in photography, sculpture and installation. His work addresses fundamental issues of perception such as light, space, gravity and time. He has curated wind and kite-related exhibitions for a variety of institutions and has lectured widely on the connections between kite making and contemporary sculpture. Since 1996, Allen has served on the Board of Directors of the Drachen Foundation, a non-profit kite archive and research center in Seattle, Washington.

PAM AMEDURI holds a B.S. in Ed. and has maintained a production Raku studio at her home for over 15 years, specializing in large vessels glazed in the intense, but elusive, colors of Copper Matte. Her work has been shown in juried shows and galleries from North Carolina to Santa Fe.

ESTEVAN ARREDONDO has an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a BS from East Texas State University. He is an adjunct faculty member at San Antonio Community College in the Visual Arts and Technology Department.

CLAY M. ASTON received a BFA in Metalsmithing from the University of Georgia, and an MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from the University of Texas. For the past six years he has worked as a Creative and Technical Designer for James Avery.

KAREN ZELANKA BAKER received a BFA from Wayne State University and an MFA from Southern Methodist University with an emphasis in printmaking, drawing and painting. She is currently Associate Registrar of Loans and Exhibitions at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

DIANE BANKS is an Associate Professor of Art and Coordinator of Foundations at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She received her MFA in Sculpture from Syracuse University. She has had residencies at Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony and most recently at the Julia and David White Artist Colony in Costa Rica. She is a recipient of an NEA grant in Sculpture and her work is in the collections of the Renwick and the Mint Museum among others.

SYLVIA BENITEZ is a nationally known installation artist whose work has begun to explore landscape painting within the context of a site-specific agenda. She is the recipient of two Pollock- Krasner awards, an AICA award, and two National Endowment for the Arts Visiting Artist Awards. Benitez has conducted over 60 community based mural workshops along the eastern seaboard.

TERI BLOND studied at California College of Arts and Crafts, Penland School of Crafts and SSAC. Her work is featured in the permanent collections of the Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY, and the Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI, as well as in several books.

NATE CASSIE obtained his BA from Hope College in Holland, MI in Studio Art and his MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is a past fellow in the ArtPace Artist-in-Residence Program and the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts’ FIVA residency program in Miami.

NANCY CAVENDER earned her BFA and MFA degrees in photography at the University of New Mexico. She has extensive experience in non-silver processes, hand coloring photographs and pinhole photography. Cavender received the SSAC 2005 Award for Teaching.

JAMES COBB, largely self-taught, worked as a "mail artist", enjoying the networking and global exchange of art and ideas before turning to painting in oils. Cobb veered away from painting to explore digital imagery, as well as musical/audio works created in a digital format. He currently teaches Computer Arts at Our Lady of the Lake University.

LIZA COLLINS, born in London, trained as a painter at Northeast London Polytechnic, and later in tapestry at the Royal College of Art. Her tapestries are in many public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Contemporary Art Society of London.

MIGUEL CORTINAS received a BFA degree from Texas A&M University and an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Cortinas is an adjunct faculty member at Palo Alto College and Texas State University-San Marcos. His work is included in the SBC Collection of 20th Century American Art.

MARGARET CRAIG • PAINTING, DRAWING & PRINTMAKING DEPARTMENT CHAIR received a degree in Biology Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin as well as a BS in Art, followed by an MA with an emphasis in watercolor painting. Craig received an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has exhibited locally and nationally.

CATHY CUNNINGHAM is a full-time studio artist working in stained glass, lamp glass, fused glass and neon. She was a multiple scholarship student at Pilchuck Glass School and has studied with well-known glass artists Narcissus Quagliata, Dale Chihuly, Stephen Paul Day, Sally Prasch, and Bandu Scott Dunham.

JESSICA DECUIR has an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a BFA from Webster University. DeCuir has taught art at Texas State University-San Marcos and is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Visual Arts & Technology Department at San Antonio College.

NICOLE DESCHAMPS-BENKE received an MFA from the University of Michigan. A jeweler and metalsmith, she has taught at several institutions, including the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University and Texas State University. DesChamps-Benke has been active as a lecturer, author and exhibiting artist. She has received juried awards, and her work has been featured in several hardcover and periodical publications.

LINDA DRAPER received a BS in Biology from Arizona State University and an MBA from Our Lady of the Lake University. She has studied art in Arizona, Massachusetts and Texas. Her work has been exhibited nationally and is represented in galleries in Arizona and Texas.

JIL EWING has studied at San Antonio College and University of Texas at Austin.
Ewing teaches with the Mobile Arts Program at The Winston School, Austin Academy, and Nelson Elementary. She teaches many anime classes in Summer
Art Camp.

CAROLINA FLORES received a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio in painting. She has been an Artist-in-Residence for San Antonio ISD and also teaches with the SSAC Mobile Arts Program.

KARL FREY is an editorial cartoonist whose work is currently published weekly and bi-weekly in Los Angeles and Boston newspapers. He also has published his own comics and childrens’ books and teaches comics and figurative illustration. Karl has a BFA in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design, Pasedena, CA and an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

CHERYL GALLAGHER holds a BFA in Furniture Design from California College of the Arts. She designs and produces furniture and mosaics, including work on community mural projects, and has worked with concrete as an art medium for over 20 years.

HOLLY GOECKLER holds a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art, and an MFA in Metalsmithing from Southern Illinois University. Goeckler is an instructor in the Visual Arts & Technology Department at San Antonio College, where she teaches courses in Art Metals.

HEIDI HANDO ? CERAMICS STUDIO MANAGER is a ceramic artist and currently the interim ceramic studio manager at SSAC. She received her BFA from Arcadia University in 2003 under the direction of Paula Winokur. Her recent works are hand-built sculptural forms with a focus on carving and surface design.

ROSE HARMS has been drawing and painting for 30 years and exhibiting since 1985. She received an MFA in Printmaking from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Harms received the SSAC 2006 Award for Teaching.

DEBORAH HARRISON has been weaving rugs and interior accessories since 1986. Her award-winning work has been featured in several publications, including Handwoven, and has been exhibited nationally.

ROBERT HILS ? FIBER DEPARTMENT CHAIR first gained interest in fiber as an undergraduate working toward a BS in Art Education at the University of Edinboro, PA. He studied Historic Preservation at the University of Vermont and received a Master Weaver certificate through the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. Hils’ main area of concentration is weft-faced tapestry weaving.

CLAIRE HOLLIDAY ? METALS DEPARTMENT CHAIR received an MFA degree in Gold and Silversmithing from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Holliday’s work is usually fabricated, but recent pieces reflect her interest in and exploration of the new medium of metal clay. She has received her instructor’s certification from the Precious Metal Clay Guild.

PHUONG-THAO HUA received a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Tennessee, where she was the recipient of several awards.

NAZNEEN HUSAIN was born in India and raised in Columbia, SC. She attended the University of South Carolina where she studied Psychology and Education. Since 2005, she has established her own purse making business, using techniques indigenous to the Middle East and her native India.

DALE JENSSEN has been a full-time studio artist for over 20 years. As a metal worker she is self-taught and has been making sconces, lamps, chandeliers and illuminated sculptures since 1996. Her work is sold nationally through www.Guild.com and can be seen in resorts, restaurants and motels throughout West Texas.

GREGORY JOHNSON ? INTERDEPARTMENTAL STUDIO MANAGER studied art at San Jacinto Junior College before earning a degree in business at Southwest Texas State University. He earned his BFA with a concentration in Printmaking at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and an MFA in Printmaking and Drawing at Texas Tech University.

JO ETTA JUPE received a BS degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Jupe has worked with handmade and decorated paper in various forms. She has exhibited her work locally and at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago.

LISA KERPOE is a fiber artist, primarily self-taught. After working as a corporate trainer and management consultant, Lisa left the corporate world in 1998 to pursue her art full-time. Her main area of focus is art cloth yardage and wall hangings.

DIANA KERSEY received a BFA, magna cum laude from Texas Tech University and an MFA in Ceramics from Washington State University. She served as SSAC’s Ceramic Department Studio Manager from 1997 – 2005. Kersey currently owns and operates Kersey Architectural Ceramics, which specializes in custom architectural ceramics, reproductions and unique clay planters.

NADIA KHAN developed an interest in silk painting in the early 1980s. She is a founding member of Artists Bookworks Houston and has presented workshops on silk painting, marbling, and the design and construction of artist’s books.

JULIE KIPA is an active painter, ta moko (tattoo) artist, multi-media installation artist, designer and writer in her native New Zealand. She has four university degrees and has taught and lectured on Maori art, as well as been a strong advocate for the development of Maori-driven arts. Kipa’s residency is in conjunction with the exhibition Te Tataitanga/Bind Together featuring contemporary works by New Zealand artists.

SONIA KING received a BFA from California College of Arts and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. She is a founding member and Past-President of the Society of American Mosaic Artists. King is an instructor in mosaics at the Creative Arts Center of Dallas, teaches advanced classes internationally, and authored of Mosaic Techniques and Traditions.

RICHARD KLINE ? PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO MANAGER earned his MA in Photography at the University of Wisconsin. He started a photography program with the Housing Authority of Superior, WI, working with at-risk youth, and taught drawing and painting to teenagers through a program developed at the University of Wisconsin–Superior. His own work is based in color photography and mixed media.

RONALD KOLODZIE studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design. He has taught at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and Parsons School of Design. He is a recipient of the prestigious Coty Award.

JIM LAVILLA-HAVELIN ? YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAMS DIRECTOR, received his BA in American Studies from Empire State College and an MS in Education from Bank Street College. He is a published poet and educator, and was founding director of the San Antonio Children’s Museum.

SHANNA LEINO integrates historic binding methods with new book forms; at the moment, her focus is on small books with covers of carved bone. She also produces simple hand tools for binders and craftspeople. Shanna has taught workshops for the Garage Annex School for Book Arts, Wells Book Arts Summer Institute, The Center for Book Arts and Penland School of Crafts.

JEANNETTE MACDOUGALL is a studio artist and arts consultant dividing her time between Texas, California and France. She has worked as an art educator for over 20 years for the San Antonio Art Institute, San Antonio Children’s Museum and SSAC.

ENRIQUE MARTINEZ received his BFA from Texas State University and his MFA from University of Texas San Antonio. He teaches at Palo Alto College and is shown locally in the south Texas region including Sala Diaz and the Institute of Texan Cultures.

GUS MCCLOSKEY received his BFA from Pratt Institute of Art. After graduation, McCloskey moved to Japan where he continued his ceramic education as an apprentice with several Japanese masters. There he established his own studio and wood burning kiln and exhibited his work through competitive and one-man exhibitions along with some of the more recognized clay artists of Japan. McCloskey has recently established a new studio and gallery in Boerne, TX.

SUSIE MONDAY has a Fine Arts degree from Trinity University and works as a consultant, writer, teacher and fabric and exhibit designer. She produces and sells one-of-a-kind and custom table linens, art cloth yardage and wall hangings. She also teaches at the University of the Incarnate Word.

MICHELE MONSEAU earned her BFA from Youngstown State University and her MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is an instructor at Palo Alto College and is founder/operator of Three Walls Gallery in the Blue Star Arts Complex.

ROBERT ‘BOOMER’ MOORE holds his BA from Montana State University, Bozeman and his MFA from Utah State University, Logan. He is currently an instructor and Ceramic Technician at Ohio University, Athens. Recent Visiting Artist Workshops include The St. Petersburg Clay Company, FL; Texas Tech University, TX; Wesleyan University, DL; and NCECA Pre-Conference, IN.

EDDIE MUÑOZ received his BFA from The University of Texas at San Antonio with an emphasis in photography. His current body of work uses alternative photographic processes such as liquid light, van dyke and cyanotype to coat surfaces that are not traditional to the photographic process.

JOHN NELSON received a BS degree in Industrial Arts Education from Brigham Young University and taught in the Bureau of Indian Affairs education system. He is an active member of the San Antonio Potters Guild having served several terms on the board of directors. His art, ceramics and paper casting have been exhibited both nationally and internationally.

PAUL NORTHWAY holds a BFA from Montana State University and a MFA in ceramics from the University of Montana. International Residencies include the International Ceramics Studio in Keskemet, Hungary, and the Listagil Guest Studio in Akureyri, Iceland.

SUSAN OAKS is a longtime artist of the coiled vessel form and has had several one person shows, including the recent show at the Robot Gallery, San Antonio. Her work is also permanently installed at the Dallas National Golf Club and the TX Wesleyan University School of Law in Fort Worth. Her work was also juried into the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft 2006 statewide craft artist show.

VICTOR PAGONA ? PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT CHAIR earned his MFA in Photography and Sculpture at the University of South Carolina and his MA in Art History at the University of Wisconsin. His most recent body of work was created using a combination of digital and silver-based media along with other materials.

KIM PAXSON received a BFA from the University of North Texas with a concentration in Drawing and Painting. Paxson is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society.

NANCY PAWEL, now retired, taught ceramics at the University of the Incarnate Word for 32 years. She participated in the First International Ceramic Artist Workshop and Exhibition in Ichon, Korea in 1999 where she demonstrated at the Chungkang College of Cultural Industries.

MIKE PECEN is a landscape architect practicing with TBG Partners, designing urban and suburban projects for public and private use. He earned a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Texas at Austin. His other creative pursuits include writing, graphic design and gardening.

KATIE PELL is a multifaceted artist based in San Antonio. Among her many projects are a line of ceramic ware, paintings and drawings, and comic/coloring books. She received her BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1987, and she has had residencies at the Pilchuck Glass School, Anderson Ranch Arts Center and Artpace.

CAT QUINTANILLA has a BFA from the University of Texas-Austin and has studied stone carving at the Austin Museum of Art. She has previously taught at The Sculpture Academy in Austin and is a member of the Texas Society of Sculpture. Quintinilla owned and operated a graphic design and marketing business for over 24 years.

RAINEY studied art at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and was the recipient of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Primer Paso Fellowship. She also teaches in SSAC’s Teen After-School Program, Mobile Arts Program and for Summer Art Camp.

PHIL REEDE received a BA with a concentration in metals from Penn State University. He has a decade of professional experience working as a jewelry designer, bench jeweler, and stone setter. Reede is currently a Master Model Maker for James Avery.

MELANIE RUSH-DAVIS earned a BFA and MFA in Photography at the University of Texas at San Antonio and specializes in pinhole photography. Her work has appeared in Texas Monthly and Pinhole Journal. She is a freelance photographer.

REGINA SANDERS • ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAMS holds Associate Degrees in Fine Arts and Illustration/Fashion from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She is a former fine arts instructor for a magnet school in Houston, and coordinates the SSAC Teen Program.

CHRIS SAUTER earned his BA from the University of the Incarnate Word and an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He was a 1999 Artpace Artist-in-Resident, and has exhibited both nationally and internationally.

DEB SHARPEE is a rug weaver from Wisconsin who has taught workshops in the techniques of rag weaving throughout the US, as well as at local and international conferences. Her articles on the subject have appeared in Weavers, Handwoven and Crafts Report.

DONNA SIMON is professional artist and art educator. She has an MA in Art Education from Hofstra University and a BFA from Tyler School of Art. Simon former taught fine art and art history at Brackenridge High School and St. Mary’s University. She founded SeeingArtSanAntonio in 2006.

DENNIS SMITH ? CERAMICS DEPARTMENT CHAIR received a BFA in Ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Montana, with postgraduate work at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. He has exhibited his work in both national and international exhibitions. Smith's work has been featured in Ceramics Monthly, Ceramics: Arts and Perception, and Clay Times.

LEWIS SMITH has been designing and developing websites since 1993. He has created websites for The AT&T Cotton Bowl, Bank of America, the Southwest School of Art & Craft and The San Antonio Museum of Art. He currently is Director of Interactive Services at The Atkins Group and directs all multi-media projects. Smith is also an established painter who has shown in Houston, New York, San Antonio, Barcelona, Spain, and is currently exhibiting at the Florence Biennale in Florence Italy.

GAIL STOUFFER holds a BFA from C.W. Post/Long Island University. She is co-owner and principle artist of Wired Designs. Stouffer maintains a studio for kiln formed glasswork and has received numerous commissions. She is current President of the San Antonio Art Glass Guild.

MELANIE LONG STRYBOS received a BS from Texas Christian University. She freelances as a decorative painter, surface designer and mosaicist, and worked on the restoration of the Empire Theater. Strybos is a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists.

SYLVIA SVEC has a BFA and a MA in Art History from the University of Oklahoma. She has been a Curatorial Intern for The Philbrook Museum of Art and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. She also teaches at Northwest Vista College.

ROBERT TIEMANN received his MFA from the University of Southern California in 1960 and taught in the Harvard Summer Program for five years in the 1980s. During the 35 years he taught at Trinity University in San Antonio, he was Chair of the Art Department for 6 years. Tiemann’s paintings are in the collections of American and European museums.

LARRY WEST owns and operates Dragonfire Hot Glass Studio in San Antonio. West has a BA in Art Education from Kent State University and has studied at the Pilchuck Glass School.

BECK WHITEHEAD ? PAPER & BOOK ARTS DEPARTMENT CHAIR received a BA from Trinity University and an MFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her work was included in the exhibition Contemporary American Paper Artists at the Center for Book and Paper Arts and in a solo exhibition at the Williams Paper Museum. Whitehead has taught papermaking workshops at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Pyramid Atlantic, Haystack and at national conferences.

↑ top