Learn from Great Arts Teachers

Steve Swinburne was born in London, England. When he was 8, he left England with his family and sailed on the Queen Elizabeth to New York City. Steve holds a bachelor of arts degree in biology and English from Castleton State College, VT. He has worked as ranger in a number of national parks. He loves to travel and observe nature and wildlife.

Allison Maletz is a contemporary large-scale watercolor and mixed media artist. She received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London. She has taught people from age 8-80 and currently leads watercolor, drawing, illustration and professional practices for artists classes.

Hi! I’m Priscilla also known as Ms. P. to my students. I have over 20 years of experience as a certified Music and Art Mentor. Utilizing my passion and expertise in music and visual arts, I have guided many students along their creative journeys, whether it was mastering an instrument, developing vocal skills, exploring abstract painting, or engaging in photography and videography.

Judith MacKenzie is the ultimate textile artist and teacher. She has an in-depth understanding of every aspect of spinning, weaving, knitting, and dyeing. Her teaching career spans the globe from such fascinating places as above the Arctic Circle all the way to Turkey. Judith is the author of Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning and The International Spinner.

I am a TEFL-certified ESL educator currently based in Japan, where I work as an Assistant Language Teacher inside Japanese public schools every day. I serve as the lead teacher across all elementary grades and co-teach at junior high school level which means my teaching practice is active, current, and grounded in real classrooms rather than theory.

Jeanann Dara is a force in modern creation, collaboration and performance. She has developed her own sound with modern viola performance, improvisation and composition. Engaging sounds and manipulating the instrument with extended techniques, she pulls from her strong classical training and invites the listener to participate in the dynamic range from silence to noise and the…

Gail Pilgrim (earlier Ross) has been weaving since 2005, taking many classes at both the Kalamazoo Institute of Art in Michigan and Vavstuga Weaving School in Massachusetts. She currently lives in Northeast Ohio but remains very active in several Michigan guilds and study groups, as well as MLH, HGA, and MAFA. In September 2022 Gail was the MLH Spotlighted Weaver.

TJ King—a.k.a., the Peahen—is a spinner, writer and teacher with nearly 20 years’ experience in helping others find joy in fiber arts. While her passion is supported spinning, she also weaves, knits, felts and crochets. She’s looking forward to sharing her knowledge at the Cedar Springs Fiber Arts Center in the coming years.

Kelsey Wiskirchen is WARP’s Executive Director, a weaver, embroiderer, indigo dyer, and teacher. She has volunteered with weaving cooperatives in Bolivia and South Africa, and has worked in a number of community outreach programs focused on textiles with art educators, underserved youth, and the refugee community.

Heavenly Bresser is the owner and founder of Heavenly Knitchet. She is excited to share her love for knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, and all things fiber related with the world. Not only is Heavenly a well-rounded fiber artist, but she is also a jewelry maker and loves to work with polymer clay.