Learn from Great Arts Teachers

Joan has been teaching art for over 30 years, first at the high school level, and then at Riverrun Center for the Arts. She has offered felt making workshops for 16 years locally, regionally and internationally. “My fiber art workshops utilize a technique I call “pictorial felt-making”, in which the fleece is layered and “painted” to create 2-dimensional art objects,” Joan says.

Barbara, has been working with fibers for more than 50 years. Her work has taken many forms from embroidery, to loom and off loom weaving to various bead weaving techniques, to hitching and Kumihimo braiding. In college, she studied with Virginia West with a focus on pattern weaving on the loom.

Lesley Patterson-Marx is a lifelong visual artist, and a native of Louisville, Ky. who has lived in Nashville, Tn. since 2001. She has exhibited her artist’s books, prints, mixed-media, and textile works in galleries, art centers, colleges and universities across the United States, Great Britain and The Netherlands.

Kitty has always found her closest friends and truest self in the written word. She studied literature and professional writing at Western Carolina University and received a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School. In a yearlong residency as a hospital chaplain, Kitty found her niche in creative nonfiction.

Kellie Nuss will be teaching Finger Knitting at the 2021 MDSWF.

Aleksi Zaretsky is a freelance violinist and teacher based in San Francisco. He is originally from Valley Cottage, NY. Aleksi has performed alongside the San Francisco Symphony, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, New Century Chamber Orchestra, SFJAZZ, the Monterey Symphony, Symphony Parnassus, the Concert Truck managed by Opus 3 Artists…

Cindy Irwin has been hooking rugs since 1983. She is a certified McGown teacher, holds classes in her home, studio, and is a traveling teacher. She is a juried member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen and in Rug Hooking Magazines' Celebration of Fame. Cindy is well known among her students for embellishing rugs with gemstones and hooking with mixed media.

Beth began weaving in 1970. She is a student of Norman Kennedy, has had two extensive stays in Japan to study folk textiles, and holds an MFA in textiles from Georgia State University. A Folk School instructor since 1983, Beth currently lives in western North Carolina, where she weaves and teaches. She completed yoga teacher training through Asheville Yoga Center in 2011.

An Alumni of Berklee College of Music with over 20 years experience playing live, recording, and studying music. **New Students: Please feel free to send me a message about your musical experience and any goals or influences you may have. I'm happy to set up a time to discuss lessons and your goals over the phone as well. **My current calendar is my general availability.

Emily Chamelin comes to farming after two decades as a commercial sheep shearer. Her shearing experience took her around the USA and the world as she competed in multiple American shearing contests and three world sheep shearing championship competitions.