Below is a selection of our core instructors,
we have guest instructor each session…
Clay:
Jules Polk-While she was overseas, Jules worked with indigenous potters in both Sri Lanka and Turkey. Upon returning to the states, Jules apprenticed for a year in Montana with Cheri Long, and worked as a student at the Archie Bray Foundation. While at the Bray, Jules learned to fire wood, salt, and soda kilns, and her work was influenced by her interaction with ceramicists such as Josh Deweese, Chris Staley, Rosalie Wynkoop, Michael Connelly, Matt Towers, and Matt Kelleher. Jules’ ceramic work has been shown in galleries from coast to coast, and recognized in several national juried exhibitions. She volunteers for several community and international organizations in addition to teaching pottery.
Rik Rolla- joined the Shelburne Craft School community in 2004 studying with Loreta Lanquet and Hoyt Berringer . In 2006 he started teaching kids clay classes at Burlington City Arts and became a studio assistant at the Shelburne Craft School. He is now the craft school’s ceramics studio manager, teaches kids clay on the wheel, adult classes and is the community out reach instructor.
Kim O’Brian is a working printmaker, ceramic sculpture artist and studio potter. She received her BFA in studio art from Saint Micheal’s College and has studied Environmental and Aboriginal art at James Cook University in Australia. She has been an art teacher for over ten years working in varied mediums with people of all ages and abilities.
Wood:
Rachel Brydolf-Horwitz-Even before formally studying woodworking at the Vermont Woodworking School, the luster, softness and inherent individuality of wood has always appealed to me. Not only does the variation in each board display the characteristics of its species, it reflects the lived experience of a specific tree. I try to harbor an awareness of where my materials come from, geographically and as objects that were once rooted in time and place. I prefer using responsibly harvested woods native to North America, and I pay close attention to the arrangement of grain and color. My goal is to achieve coherence, simplicity, and balance through good design. Rachel has a B.A. History and Political Science, McGill University, Montreal QC and a Certificate in Woodworking and Furniture-Making, Burlington College.
Chris Ramos- began his furniture making endeavors at the Vermont Woodworking School in 2008, continuing as one of the first students to obtain a Craftsmanship and Design degree through Burlington College. Chris offers a word on his work: “Like any who chooses to offer something unique through craftwork, I find design inspiration from things outside myself. It happens (best) subconsciously. I take inspiration from other woodwork, but I suspect more from architecture than other furniture. I find insight through nature, but less from what I experience up close, and more from what I behold on the horizon.”
Ryan Cocina…coming soon
Visual Art:
Sheel Gardner Anand started his artistic endeavor at the tender age of 7. His initial introduction and schooling has been primarily with a variety of Vermont artists and in a variety of techniques. His formal education to date has culminated with a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Vermont. His artistic expression has settled into a naturalistic style with hints of impressionism featuring an almost lost technique of Renaissance painting, which results in a highly realistic end result! He acquired this style while being mentored by the acclaimed artist Carroll Jones Jr., who mastered this multi-layered process - bringing back to life a technique rarely practiced since the masters of the Renaissance.
Robert Huntoon-is a native Vermont painter. Huntoon has displayed his work in exhibitions and galleries throughout the United States, has been featured in multiple publications. In addition to his classes and workshops taught at the Shelburne Craft School, he has taught for Trinity College, Musika Discovery Program, Community College of Vermont and Continuing Education Programs for Burlington High School, Champlain Valley Union, and The University of Vermont.
Joel Popadics- is considered to be one of the nation’s top landscape artists. He is primarily noted for his traditional style of watercolor painting. He holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York City and has studied painting with John Phillip Osborne and Arthur F. Maynard at the Ridgewood Art Institute. He has been featured numerous times in AMERICAN ARTIST, THE ARTIST’S MAGAZINE,THE BEST OF BERGEN and RIDGEWOOD MAGAZINES. Mr. Popadics is a past-President of the New Jersey Watercolor Society and continues to serve on its executive board. He is a trustee and education director of the Ridgewood Art Institute.
Hunter Eddy was born in 1967 and grew up in Rutland Vermont. He decided to pursue a career in art after years of drawing in his childhood. He attended the Art Institute of Boston and graduated with the honor of an “Excellence in Illustration” award from the College. His career, after graduation, included working for Aesthetics Signage Company, as well as a freelance illustration work for private clients. He spent time in Italy studying landscape painting and drawing with the Boston Visual School under the direction of painters John Lanza and George Gabin. His work has been exhibited and sold in numerous galleries including, Peel Gallery, Rutland Vermont; Grenning Gallery, Sag Harbor, N.Y; Hirshl and Adler, N.Y; Century Gallery, Alexandria, VA; Gallery Americana, Carmel, CA; Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA; Gold Leaf Designs & Gallery, Chattanooga, TN.
Evelyn McFarlane was born in Brooklyn N.Y. and graduated from Cornell University, with a degree in architecture. After working and teaching as an architect she decided to follow her heart into a career in painting and began a three year program of drawing at the Florence Academy of Art, in Italy, under the direction of Daniel Graves.
Metals and Glass:
Ed Demler-is a local artist and craftsman who has been building objects from wood and metal since childhood. Demler discovered the craft of stained glass in 2002 when he attended a Shelburne Craft School class, and has since created windows, cabinet doors, lampshades, lanterns, boxes, and other items from glass. Additionally, Demler has worked in lighting and set design/construction for numerous community theatre productions throughout Waterbury and Stowe.
Sarah Sprague- has been working with art of all mediums for as long as she can remember. Sprague first went to school for art with a focus in black and white photography and graphic design and eventually graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Vermont. She later went back to school to achieve an MFA in Education from Johnson State College. Sarah is certified in k-12 art education and currently teaches classes on a variety of mediums including metal arts, stained glass, ceramics, and more.
Youth Instructor:
Ashley Anne Veselis graduated from UVM in May of 2012 with a degree in Art Education. Ashley grew up in the suburbs of Manhattan and started taking painting classes in the third grade. Since going to college to study fine art Ashley Anne also fell in love with photography and ceramics. She has worked at the Craft School teaching after school programs and summer camps since 2011.
Also see Rachel, Rik, and Sarah
