Learn from Great Arts Teachers

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.

Margery has a Master's Degree in Education and taught high school special education for over 30 years. In the early 1990's she took several classes in weaving. One weaving class, one yard of fabric and she was hooked. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsman and is a Master Artisan in Handweaving.

I’m a certified ESL teacher with several years of experience teaching both youth and adults from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. I began my teaching journey in 2020 through platforms like 51Talk and SPTR, where I developed a strong foundation in interactive, student-centered instruction.

Hi! I’m Janet — an award-winning acting instructor, private acting coach, best-selling author, filmmaker, and working actor with over 15 years of experience helping performers grow and thrive in the industry. I hold an MFA in Acting from SUNY Binghamton and a BA in Theater with Distinction from the University of Delaware.

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

Sarah Spillers is an interdisciplinary visual artist living in Johnson City, Tennessee, while she pursues her Master of Fine Arts degree at East Tennessee State University. Spillers’ artistic practice uses sculptural exploration, painting, and printmaking to examine American consumerism, marketing practices, and mass production.

I’m Chris Wineland, a national touring stand-up comedian and comedy coach specializing in clean, high-impact material for both stage and digital platforms. I’ve performed across the country in theaters, churches, clubs, and conferences, and my work has been featured on Dry Bar Comedy, Huckabee, and other national platforms.

Lisa Doherty is a fiber artist in Wake Forest, NC, with a particular interest in freeform crochet and knitting. When she’s not playing with fiber, she’s playing violin or viola for weddings, concerts, and musical theater. Visit her Freeform Yarny Things website at ldoherty.substack.com to see her work and sign up for her free newsletter.

Jo Troll, an aroace trans art-maker and creative coach, has studied Irish dance with Kieran Jordan since they were 11 years old. They are experienced in a variety of percussive dance techniques including sean-nos, Irish step, Appalachian clogging, body percussion, and rapper sword dance, and hold a graduate diploma in dance studies from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Dance.