Contact/Staff

AHLIN: Educated at Boston University, the Corcoran School of Art (Washington, D.C.), and the Smithsonian Institution in Asian brush painting. An international traveler and respected artist, Ahlin has exhibited her watercolor paintings throughout the world.

KENT ARBLASTER: Graduated with a B.A in chemistry from Rollins College. Currently serves on Associate Board of the Maitland Art Center. Teaches bronze casting at the Maitland Art Center.

BETTY BAY: BA, Wayne State University. Studied at Meisenger Art Center and the Arts and Crafts Studio in Detroit. Numerous exhibitions and awards.

NICK BINGHAM: Graphic artist, Fox TV. Associates Curating Committee, Orlando Museum of Art First Thursdays. Work shown locally.

KAYE K. CALLAWAY: MFA East Tennessee State University, Painting and Drawing. BA Florida State University, Design. AA Stephens College, Columbia, MO. 22 years teaching experience, competitions, and professional employment. Achievements include Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and the Deborah Jean Brightly Memorial Art Scholarship.

SUSAN CARTER: Yale University, School of Art and Architecture, B.F.A. & M.F.A. Studied with James Rosati, George Sugarman, Donald Judd, Knox Martin, Lester Johnson and Gabor Peterdi. Rochester Institute of Technology, College of Fine and Applied Arts Adjunct Professor. Exhibition throughout the country and has won numbers awards.

BRIAN DEMETER: Associate Degree, VCC. Professional graphic designer and Illustrator since 2003. Has illustrated articles for Harcourt, Macmillan McGraw-Hill, The Orlando Repertory Theatre, the Audubon Birds of Prey Center, and many more. Has shown his fine artwork at the Lunar Boy Gallery, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, the Orlando Fringe Festival, and the Orange County Library System.

CHUCK DOWLING: Published author of To Keep Our Honor Clean, Grand Prize winner in Gardenia Press novel competition 2001 and The Mad Dogs Prize winner in Military Fiction, Florida Writers Association 2004 and Honorable Mention JADA press international competition 2005. His work has also appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies. Dowling conducts creative writing workshops throughout Florida.

CATHY GATTI: 10 years of experience in stained glass. She has participated in juried art shows and festivals throughout Florida, and her stained glass artwork is found in gift shops and galleries throughout the state.

SUKHADA GOKHALE: is a short filmmaker, MFA in Film and Video from UNC, Greensboro. Her films have been screened at national and international film festivals. Her latest, Dhyaas (Longing) won Best Foreign Film at the Trenton Film Festival, and Best Film and Director at the ICE Digital Short Film Festival in India. Sukhada taught film production and theory at UCF and Full Sail from Fall 2005 - Spring 2008.

JIM HOSNER: Graduated from Central Michigan University. Has worked in jewelry making for a number of years. Also paints and has participated in outdoor art festivals.

CALIXTO O’NEILL: B.S. degree in Graphic Design from Empire State College, also studied at the School of Industrial Arts, and the New York Institute of Photography. 23 years teaching experience, Parsons School of Design, Hofstra University, and Briarcliffe College.

ALBERTO ORTEGA: Recently moved from Philadelphia, where he studied with renowned painter Nelson Shanks. Has won numerous awards. Starred in program on oil painting on Manatee Educational TV, Sarasota.

TERRI MARKLE: BA, Stetson University. Has taught workshops for the Florida Art Education Association conference, and classes at the National Art Education Association. Recipient of Florida Humanities Council’s summer program for teachers. Art teacher/specialist, Longwood Elem. Voted Teacher-of-the-Year, 2005, Seminole County Education Association.

CINDY McDOWELL: 28 years of experience working in clay. Studied at Waubonese Community College, Sugar Grove, IL, Crealde School of Art, and attended numerous workshops nationally and internationally. She also teaches raku workshops in Florida and North Carolina. Works are in personal collections including former President and Mrs. Clinton. Has exhibited across the Midwest and Southeast winning numerous awards.

CHUCK MILLER: Chuck actively models for artists in the Central Florida area. His experience includes classroom work at the Maitland Art Center, The Art League of Daytona Beach, and Full Sail’s Computer Animation Department. He has also worked in Open Studio settings for MAC, St. Augustine Art Association, and private studios. His modeling experience includes drawing, sketching, portraiture, and sculpture. Chuck holds an undergraduate degree in engineering as well as an MBA and works full time as an engineer.

PATRICK V. MCGRATH MUNIZ: B.F.A in Painting Escuela de Artes Plasticas de Puerto Rico. M.F.A. in Painting Savannah College of Art and Design. Has won numerous Awards and Fellowships here and abroad. He has also taught abroad and has been teacher’s assistant at Savannah College of Art and Design in both Life Drawing and Intro to Painting.

DIERDRE PEELER: was raised in New York City and graduated in Fine Art and Education from Temple University, Philadelphia. Started her teaching career at Maitland Art Center, owned a Stained Glass business and Art Gallery, and has taught and exhibited her work through the US and Canada.

STEVEN PISCITELLI: Attended University of Massachusetts at Amherst; SUNY at Binghamton; Broome College, Binghamton; Rutgers University, Newark; and the Ringling School of Art. Numerous art commissions including the “Last Farewell” Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Bristol, Pennsylvania (life-size bronze on granite). Museum exhibits throughout the state and country.

RICHARD T. REEP is a multimedium artist whose found object assemblages and artwork has appeared in solo exhibitions in New York, and other galleries worldwide. His approach combines East and West thinking, and considers science an important foundation for the creative process. Mr. Reep’s background includes lectures, instruction, and demonstrations on art, architecture, design, and urban future studies.

SUZANNE RYAN: Returning to MAC from Cleveland. 25 years teaching experience. An award-winning oil painter, conducts workshops from the Thousand Island and Chautagua N.Y. Studied education and fine arts at C. W. Post College in New York.

BECCA SCHMIDT: RYT: Southwest institute of Healing Arts Yoga Teacher Certification, 240 hours with 60 hours of study in human anatomy/muscle dynamics.

RUTH SCHORER: Universal Studios Costume design, accessories, hairpieces, jewelry and production for the motion picture “Sacred Seal” in 1999, freelance licensing agreement. Exhibitions of artwork, jewelry designs 1994 to present.

BRENDA THIEL: BFA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Interned during study at Maitland Art Center. Numerous exhibitions and awards.

GLEN WARD: Active with local art associations for many years, Ward started painting over 30 years ago, and has studied with leading artists/educators. AS degree, Southern College, many awards and recognitions, as well as works in many private collections.

SHARON DUFFY VERHOEF: MFA, Indiana University, MA Montclair State, BS Skidmore College. Has taught HS and University students at Indiana, Montclair State, Vassar College, and Southwestern University. Her work is in private collections around the country an in New Zealand and Australia.

BRIAN WOODYARD: Has been involved in many areas of art, including 3-D modeling, illustration and jewelry. He has 16 years of experience in designing and making jewelry and continues to further his education in the jewelry making industry.