Instructors
Anna Fetter has been in the culinary industry for over 15 years. She is the Sous Chef at the Gettysburg College Dining Hall. Anna attended the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh, PA where she got her associates degree. One of Annas highlights from culinary school was her externship at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. Where she worked in the Golf Kitchen and cooked for the Senior PGA tournament. Anna teaches a wide variety of classes at the Arts Council. Anna’s cooking style is unique to her, she likes to combine lots of flavors and textures in her dishes along with using fresh herbs and produce.
Anna is an Adams County native, she loves passing her passion for cooking onto her daughter. “I love watching the look on Emily’s face when she completes a dish on her owe.” In her free time Anna can be found practicing softball with Emily, or throwing the ball for her dogs or going to country concerts.
STEVE BLEINBERGER
*BFA: Virginia Commonwealth University
*Continuing studies: Maryland Institute College of Art
*Graphic Design/Film/Creative professional
*As a practicing fine artist he is fluent in a variety of mediums with transparent watercolor his favorite.
The recipient of numerous International, national, regional and local award competitions; his work is also included in several private collections.
In addition to teaching numerous watercolor workshops in Maryland and Pennsylvania the artist is a Film/Animation instructor at The Baltimore School of Art.
When not sailing or scouting paint locations on The Chesapeake, Steve may be found roaming the scenic Adams County countryside -camera and sketch journal in hand looking for inspiration for his next PA landscape or barn painting!
Margery Erickson has earned degrees from Pennsylvania State University and Millersville University in social science and special education. Her interest in T’ai Chi Chih began in 1993 while attending a Life Spectrums conference. She continued to practice T’ai Chi Chih for several years and found it helped her reduce stress, decrease arthritis pain and heal both past and more recent emotional wounds. In 1997 she became an accredited instructor and has taught classes in the Hanover for over 20 years. She is a retired special education teacher.
My name is Linnia Johnson and I graduated in 2014 from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with my Bachelor’s degree in Art Education and a Crafts minor, concentrating in fiber art. Currently, I am pursuing a Masters in Art Education at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. I have been teaching at Fairfield Area School District since 2015 as their elementary and middle school art teacher. My favorite art medium is painting and weaving. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and playing with my dog. I am very excited to work with the kids this summer in my pastel workshop.
Karen Hendricks is an a lifelong journalist of 30+ years and an award-winning public relations and marketing professional of 12+ years. She owns and operates Hendricks Communications which provides compelling freelance writing, marketing, public relations, social media and photography services to clients, corporate and nonprofit, throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region. Karen’s writing is regularly published in numerous magazines; she previously worked in television, radio and newspaper. As a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, she strives to be ethical, accurate, fair and thorough in all she writes. Given her skilled background, Karen is a seasoned consultant and speaker on a wide range of communications topics.
At the ACAC, Karen enjoys teaching workshops focused on journaling, social media and photography. She especially loves helping others communicate through these creative outlets!
Karen earned a BA in Communications/Media Studies, with a minor in English, from Lock Haven University. She is a certified Pennsylvania festivals and events executive, having completed a leadership and social media certificate program at Temple University.
Originally from the Philadelphia area, Karen lived in Gettysburg for 23 years and currently resides near Harrisburg. Professional highlights include working at WGAL Channel 8, working with James Earl Jones on a project and every time readers respond with positive feedback to her magazine stories. Karen is a “foodie” who loves cooking and gardening. Personal achievements include running her first marathon in 2018. But she considers her family and three mostly-grown children her brightest, best accomplishments.
Website: HendricksCommunications.com
Lisa Cadigan is a musician, theatre artist, and graphic designer in Gettysburg, PA. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Theatre from Indiana University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Communications from James Madison University, and has completed coursework in music theory, music education, music history, vocal methods, piano methods and string methods as a guest student of Gettysburg College’s Sunderman Conservatory.
Around Adams County, you will often see Lisa performing with jazz ensemble, Pomona’s Trio. She completed the Music Together teacher training program in 2017, and is thrilled to be offering mixed-age classes through Adams County Music Makers as a program-in-residence at the Adams County Arts Council. She also enjoys teaching summer music camps at ACAC, where she serves as the volunteer chair of the marketing and development committee, a group she brought together while serving on ACAC’s board from 2013-2016.
Stanley F. Gilmore Jr has had a long and varied career in art, teaching in Carroll County Public Schools in Maryland for 38 years. He now teaches adults & children providing art instruction at Adams County Arts Council, and Hanover Artists Guild.
An artist in his own right, he specializes in pen and ink drawings of various buildings and structures, as well as watercolors and colored pencil.
Mr. Gilmore has also illustrated two children’s books for Old Line Publishing, Titles are “The Little Match Girl”, and “The Birth of Christ”. Mr. Gilmore also illustrated a children’s book, “Polly the Polled Hereford”, published by Maple Creek Media Publications, for Trudy Jo Hahn Snader.
Awards
Carroll County Outstanding Teacher & Carroll County Teacher of the Year Finalist – 2004
Carroll Community Television’s Vollie Award for Best Music Entertainment Program “Have a Heart for the Arts” – 1995
Carroll County’s Outstanding Art Teacher with special recognition given by the Maryland Art Education Association – 1982
Mr. Gilmore is a graduate of The Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in Art Education,1970, and Towson University with a MS degree in Instructional Technology, 2000.
Matt Carlson teaches vocal music in the Bermudian Springs School District (York Springs, PA). He is a graduate of Gettysburg College (B.S. Music Education) and Michigan State University (M.M Choral Conducting). In his current position at the Bermudian Springs School District, Matt teaches high school choir, fourth grade general music and choir, and serves as music director for the spring musical. He is an active composer and arranger, whose music has been commissioned and performed by the Gettysburg College Choir, Gettysburg Children’s Choir, the Adams County (PA) Junior High Honor Choir, the Frederick County (MD) Elementary Honor Choir, and the Tucson Girls Chorus. For more information, visit mattcarlson.co.
Jill C Rakowicz
Works in Encaustic
Jill is an art educator in the Littlestown Area SD, Littlestown, PA. She teaches grades K-5 at Alloway Creek Elementary School. Each year, she teaches approximately 900 students and witnesses a multitude of artworks that begin as simple sketches and mark makings.
Visually observing mark makings by her students, she builds upon layers of lines and shapes. In doing so, she discovers shapes and lines that meld into each other across the surface of the canvas. This often results in ritualistic mark making that generates newly invented subject matter.
She holds a BA in Art from Shippensburg University, an Art Education Certification from Kutztown University, and a Master of Education in Educational Program Design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. She has won Awards of Merit and Best in Show for her works in encaustic and has exhibited in Gettysburg, Chambersburg, Shippensburg, State College, Lancaster, and York, PA.
Mark Wesling, Classical Guitarist, composer and songwriter, is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Mark has been living and making music in south-central Pennsylvania since 1996. He teaches classical, acoustic, and electric guitar lessons from his studios located in Hershey and York, PA. He performs throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding areas for weddings, corporate events, festivals, and concerts and composes and publishes music for the guitar. Mark is also an active artist who works with oils and watercolors; his work has found homes in private collections throughout the United States.
Linda M. Toki
Linda is an award winning graphic designer and photographer for the Farm Credit Administration in McLean, Virginia. She provides graphic design, photographic, video, web design and social media services to the agency. Linda has received numerous awards for her publication designs through her job and outside for her photography. She has also been recognized for her diversity leadership skills. Linda is the chair for Asian American Pacific Islanders Special Emphasis Program and Pride at FCA. She has volunteered for Special Olympics of Northern Virginia and Dr. Libby’s World of Medicine at Fairfax Public Access TV as well as a pro bono photographer for the Hungarian Embassy in Washington DC, the Hungarian Language School and Casa Italiana Cultural Center in Washington DC. Currently she volunteers for the Gettysburg Community Theater.
An honors graduate from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she has a BS degree in Education with a major in Art and a minor in Art history. Linda is certified to teach art, K-12.
She is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Artists, Adams County Arts Council, and Adams County Photography Club. She is the founder of the Gettysburg Camera Club, an online FaceBook group.
Now a permanent resident of Gettysburg, she has always been an avid photographer growing up in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania of Cambria/Somerset Counties. Her fondness for nature is reflected in her work.
Linda has been teaching some classes at the Adams County Arts Council: mobile photography, composition for photography, PhotoShop basics, and lighting for difficult situations.
Aside from teaching, Linda’s personal passion is mobile art/iPhone photography. Linda was instrumental in the creation of a traveling quilt showcasing prominent mobile photographers from all over the world. She is also interested in genealogy, language study, and cake decorating.
You can view her photographic work at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-M-Toki-Photography/136356009792254
https://instagram.com/lindatoki/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindatoki/
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/linda-toki/56/b50/47a
Her published book:
As the director of the L.A. Performing Arts Academy, Elizabeth Spicer has dedicated 26 years to dance. While attending Slippery Rock College she majored in dance because her love for the form had goaded her to learn about its varying aspects. Hence, she took classes like choreography, theatre, music, and dance history. As an individual excited about the intricacies and frameworks of all dance mediums she is proficient in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, hip hop and acro. This has led her to work for top choreographers like David Howard and Frank Hatchett. During her time as director of the L.A. Performing Arts Academy her students have excelled tremendously earning awards in best choreography, best technique and best costumes.
Parents and students have raved about her enthusiastic demeanor and her hard work and dedication to her students “My daughter loves going to dance here. She has learned a lot in the past two years. She loves having Liz for a teacher; she works great with the girls!” Therefore, Elizabeth in Coordination with the Adams County Arts Council hope that through Ballerinas and Bears students are able to learn the basics of ballet and divulge themselves into dance’s artistic movement and style.
Erica Werntz is familiar with a variety of mediums but photography was the medium that began this artist’s journey. She worked at a local newspaper, photographed weddings and has always enjoyed nature photography. After working as a photographer the decision was made to broaden her art knowledge and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Shippensburg University. This is where she discovered her passion for clay. After purchasing her own wheel and kiln she is now able to keep busy making various creations in her home.
Currently Erica teaches Intro to Art, Art in 2D, Art in 3D, AP Art, and Publications at Fairfield Area High School. In her free time she also enjoys teaching classes based on clay the Adams County Arts Council. Please feel free to reach out to her if you’re interested in taking a class or maybe just curious as to what other artworks she has for sale.
Marie is an artist and teacher from Hanover, PA.
Her hand painted mandalas and abstractions are experimentations with color, shape and repetition. Painting intuitively, Marie captures rhythm and whimsy.
Sharon Swisher Cooley has been teaching piano, voice and organ for 45 years in Biglerville. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance and piano pedagogy.
Following college, she opened her music studio in the Biglerville area, where she now teaches piano, voice and organ lessons. She has served three churches over the years as organist and choir director. Presently she is the choir director at Zion U.C.C. in Arendtsville and co-organist at St. Paul’s U.C.C. in New Oxford. She also directed and accompanied the St. Paul’s Singers, a local gospel men’s quartet, for over 24 years and organized and directed the New Oxford Community Messiah Choir. Sharon still enjoys accompanying and performing professionally.
Several years ago, she was approached by Wendy Heiges to help begin an adult digital piano class at the ACAC. This has been so much fun for her as she enjoys working with the adults each week and helping them explore piano in a different way than many were used to.
Sharon was awarded the Outstanding Young Educator Award in 1991 by the Bermudian Jaycees, and the Honorary European Citizenship award in 1997 in Norcia, Italy. She served on the Partnership Committee of the American Council for International Studies in Boston, MA where she assisted in developing fine arts performance tours abroad. In her spare time, she and her husband organized Broadway trips and adult group tours for at least 25 years. She is a substitute teacher at Biglerville and Gettysburg High Schools and loves to sing with her talented husband, Kevin.
A major highlight of her career was being able to showcase her best students in Performance Tours abroad.
Sharon is active in the Eastern Star which she is serving as choir director and will be serving as organist, for the state of PA.
Dr. Norman K. Nunamaker is an Emeritus Professor of Music at Gettysburg College where he taught for over three decades. While there he taught courses in music history and theory as well as private lessons on violin and viola and directing the College-Community Orchestra. He is the former Director of the Potomac Symphony, the Maryland Theatre Orchestra, the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra, and Associate Conductor of the York Symphony Orchestra. He is an active violinist and has been a member of the York Symphony for over 45 years, serving as Associate Concertmaster of that ensemble for over two decades. Since retiring in 1996 Norman, and his wife Carolyn, have founded the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra, now in its 23rd year of operation.
Norman does more than make music, as he is an avid fly fisherman, cook, traveler, gardener, and former sailor. Norman and Carolyn sailed “Andiamo”—a 34’ sloop—from New England to the Bahamas and Key West, but are now boatless!
Susan Henry is a member of the Adams County Arts Council and recently received an Applause Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service with the Arts Council. She is an instructor in the Adult Class curriculum teaching Hammered Silver Earrings and Pendant classes. This Summer will be her second Summer Art Camp teaching The Art of Jewelry Making. Both in the classes and Summer Camp, she enjoys sharing the limitless creativity of jewelry making and encouraging self confidence through creativity.
Susan is a self-taught jewelry artist. Twenty years ago she began creating beaded jewely on precious metals with crystals, gemstones, pearls, bone and shell beads. Her work has evolved into forged, textured and soldered precious metal wire and sheet fabrications. She has displayed her work at numerous craft shows in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware and her jewelry is in shops in Lebanon, Myerstown, Gettysburg and Chincoteague Island, VA.
Retiring after 30 plus years in the medical field, Susan began volunteering in the Heirloom Seed Project at the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, PA. She also was a volunteer in the VISOR Program at the Lebanon VA while working part time at Layser’s Flowers in Myerstown, PA. When she and her husband relocated to Gettysburg three years ago, Susan enrolled in the Penn State Master Gardener Program and became a Master Gardener. Susan’s love of gardening and flower arrangements can be seen in the container plantings at the entrance to the Adams County Arts Council and the floral silk flower arrangements around the Center.
Jóh Ricci
Artist Bio
Jóh’s fiber art awareness began at an early age when her Great Aunt taught her how to crochet. It was then that she began creating fabric with the simplest of tools; yarn, a needle and her hands. Self-taught, she has worked in a number of techniques and mediums since then, although she continues to seize the true spirit of her fiber art by creating one-of-a-kind contemporary baskets and sculptural vessels.
A passion for weaving began with an elective course while at Kutztown University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. She continues to weave, incorporating a variety of techniques for her tapestries, wall hangings and wearable art, with endless possibilities to explore. A recipient of numerous awards, Jóh’s work is also included in several private collections, included in a variety of magazine publications and fiber art books. She has exhibited her work at some of the most prestigious juried shows including The Smithsonian Craft Show, The Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and American Craft Exposition, to name a few, as well as invitational and juried gallery shows across the US and abroad.
As an artist and an arts educator, Jóh finds the importance of bringing art to individuals and to nurture the creativity within. She has taught at various art education centers in PA and MD, Healing Arts Programs, Kid’s Camps, The Milwaukee Art Museum, continuing education classes at colleges, after-school art programs, summer schools and as an Artist-in-Residence throughout Adams County and York. ‘Beginning with the simplest element – a thought, an idea, a feeling, one can express themselves in a creative way and find their artists’ voice….’
johricci.wixsite.com/artist
Brenda Insalaco
Yoga came into my life over 30 years ago. At that time I was a full time
speech language pathologist and taught aerobic classes part-time.
When I was introduced to yoga I knew I had found my missing piece.
While I loved the high energy of an aerobic workout I discovered that slow
gentle stretching and breathing awareness in yoga offered so many
benefits.
While working with disabled children I began to incorporate yoga into my
sessions. It was amazing to see how this gentle yoga helped organize
their motor skills, calmed and engaged them.
I moved to Gettysburg in 2016 at which time I retired from private practice
as an SLP. It was the perfect time for me to pursue a long time dream of
becoming a certified yoga teacher. I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher
training at “OM My Yoga Academy” in Camp Hill, Pa. It was one of the
best experiences of my life!
It is now my privilege and passion to share all the benefits that yoga has to
offer. I often hear people comment “I’m not flexible enough to do yoga”.
Flexibility is not a prerequisite, just show up and you’ve nailed it! Yoga is
for all ages, all body types and can truly be the thing that keeps us going.
Judy (Cole) Redding is a native of Adams County and resident of Gettysburg. After 30 years in communications and philanthropy, she pursued her dream of becoming a yoga instructor and earned her RYT 200 hour certification in April 2020. In Judy’s words, “Yoga is a beautiful blend of movement and breath that can bring improved mobility, balance and range of motion.” As a more ‘mature’ yogi, she can attest to the benefits of yoga for one’s mind, body and soul.
Carla B. Long is an award-winning, published photographer, business owner, and teaching artist in South Central Pennsylvania. Creatively she focuses on capturing raw, authentic, organic moments as she sees life through the lens of her camera. Her goal as a photographer has always been to find the things that connect people and capture the pieces that make people uniquely different. Her goal is to capture moments of a journey that tell part of a story. Carla received her first camera at age six and was never without one close. Carla took her first photography class in 2002 from Harrisburg Area Community College and thus growing her love for photography. She spent many years growing as a photographer capturing moments in her own life. In 2011 she began capturing moments for other people, having her first of many family portraits along with senior session. Carla photographed her first wedding in 2013 and thus began a transition from a hobby photographer to a full-time professional photographer. She formed her business, The Journey is the Life Photography, in 2017. Through the years, she has serviced clients from small families to sizeable international biotech conglomerates, sports leagues, numerous couples wedding nuptials, all while continuing to keep the artistic integrity. In 1997, Carla received a Bachelor of Science in History with minors in Accounting, Business, and Political Science from Eastern Mennonite University. In 2017 Carla was accepted as a teaching artist by stARTSomething, which is a regional partner with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Cultural Alliance of York County. Carla is a proponent for integrated arts education within schools. Her collaborative goals in education are and have always been connecting the creative process to a subject area that allows students to construct and demonstrate understanding in another subject area. Carla is also an advocate for arts within her community. She serves on the board of Hanover Area Arts Guild since 2018. Carla was the Treasurer for two years and is currently the Vice President. Before her work at the Guild, she served as a publicly elected official for Gettysburg Montessori Charter School, where she served for two of her three years as Treasurer.
Kara Boehne-Miele
Every so often, I get the urge to just learn something new—usually a combination of pure curiosity and “just to see if I can.” Sometimes, it has a dash of the power of suggestion by social media click bait. That’s how the cookies started. In November 2018, I clicked on a cookie decorating video, which meant that from then on, the algorithms decided that’s all I wanted to see. Hours and hours down the internet rabbit hole later, I decided to go for it. We were hosting a huge Thanksgiving gathering—a perfect deadline for my new venture. The rest, I guess, is history. Luck handed me a delicious recipe, and my stubborn, problem-solving personality figured out the icing tricks. That first tray of turkeys, leaves, acorns, apples, and pumpkins got me hooked. Since then, I’ve created everything from broken legs and Target shopping carts to facemasks and baseball stadiums out of dough and royal icing. I love the creativity of it, searching for pinterest inspiration as well as inventing crazy ideas all my own. I love the solitude of being crouched over the decorating table at 2am watching West Wing reruns for the zillionth time. But most of all, I love making someone’s day when they receive my creations.
Anita Murphy Williams
Daily hikes in the woods inspire Anita to paint. Her Celtic soul seeks to find the magical element in nature, whether it is in trees, flowers, waterways or twisting vines She hopes to transfer this sense of beauty to her audience.
Anita grew up at the southern New Jersey shore between the pine barrens and the salt marsh. She moved to York County, Pennsylvania, 35 years ago.
Anita earned her Bachelors in Art Education at Millersville University. She taught Art to high school and elementary students at the Spring Grove Area School District for 15 years. While teaching, she went on to earn an M.S. in Education from Wilkes University and an MFA in Visual Arts from Wilson College. She decided to retire from teaching in June, 2019 to pursue her art. She has been working as a full-time artist ever since.
Anita exhibits her art at local and regional juried exhibits. She won two major awards in 2020. Despite the limitations of Covid-19 restricting most artists to online exhibitions, she won Best of Show at the Yorkfest Adult Juried Exhibition and an Award of Excellence for the Art of Healing at Manhattan Arts International.
Although she retired from teaching at the public schools, Anita still loves to teach. She has been teaching Landscape Painting at the York Art Association to adults since January of 2020. She also taught an online Art Appreciation class at Wilson College over the summer.
Gail Kollmar has more than 25 years experience teaching fiber arts in many venues including public high school, community clubs, craft stores, fiber farm workshops, and historical demonstrations. She enjoys teaching knitting, crochet, many types of embroidery, needle felting, wet felting, and spinning. She lives with her husband, three homeschooled teens and a variety of furry friends. Gail holds a BS in Family and Consumer Science and is certified to teach grades K-12.
Aurora Bonner is an writer and educator who combines mindfulness and creativity to engage her students. Her work has been published in literary magazines, journals, and elsewhere. She is a certified yoga instructor with undergraduate degrees in art & art history. She holds an MFA in creative writing.
Levato Shaw
I received my Bachelor’s degree from Rowan University in Art Education and taught for three years at the John Fenwick Elementary School in Salem, New Jersey. I then had my own pottery business, Earthworm Pottery for ten years in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I resumed teaching again at Bermudian Springs Middle School, where I taught for 28 years. During that time I received my Master’s Degree from McDaniels College in Westminister, Maryland. I also took numerous post-graduate courses at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pa. After retirement from teaching I took language classes at Harrisburg Area Community College in York, Pa., began teaching at the Adams County Arts Council and lead paint nights for various organizations.
I had a one woman show exhibiting my pottery in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and won numerous awards for my pottery at various crafts shows. My watercolors have been published in the White Rose Journal and I have donated watercolors and acrylics the past several years to the Land Conservancy of Adams County. There are colored pencil and fabric works of mine hanging in the Gettysburg Church of the Brethren and I have done both colored pencil drawings and acrylic paintings for retirees from that congregation.
Linda Fauth taught Culinary classes at Biglerville High School for 25 years. In retirement, she volunteered with Penn State Extension as a Food and Wellness Demonstration assistant. She has also presented demo/lectures on healthy eating choices. She has been an Adams County Arts Council Summer Camp Culinary Instructor, directing “Kids in the Kitchen” , “Fun with Foods” and “Baking” camps. Recently, she has used ZOOM to share and demonstrate pie-baking recipes.
Elizabeth Karsteter Meighan
I am a Human Resource professional with an international contracting company, wife, mother of 4 and former professional chef. Born into a military family, I moved often until my father retired from active duty and settled in Pittsburgh. My mother and grandmother are/were excellent cooks and I started cooking with them at the age of 2. My culinary training is based on using fresh, simple ingredients to create delicious meals from scratch.
I attended Gettysburg College and graduated with a degree in Psychology. After college I lived in DC and Raleigh, NC before returning to Central Pennsylvania. Although many of my culinary skills are self-taught, I have taken cooking classes locally, in Rome, Italy and Tbilisi, Georgia. I love travelling, meeting new people, trying new foods and learning to cook from locals. After meeting my husband, he offered me the job of Executive Chef for Quisine 360. We cooked together for 5 years before retiring our business. Our culinary passion is now dedicated to friends, family and local charity organizations.
Debbie Westmoreland
Originally from the Reading, PA area, Debra Westmoreland received a B.S. in Design and Merchandising from Drexel University and a B.F.A. in Interior Architecture at the New York School of Interior Design. After working in the design field for several years she graduated with an M.A. in Museum Professions from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. Westmoreland was the curator of exhibitions and collections at the Morris County Historical Society at Acorn Hall, a Victorian house museum, in Morristown, NJ. As an adjunct faculty member at Montclair State University, she taught Introduction to Interior Design, Historical Analysis of Costume, Textile & Apparel Industry, and Evaluating Apparel Quality. Since relocating to Gettysburg in 2011, Westmoreland has been active in the Adams County Arts Council as a staff member and instructor. She continues to pursue her love of textiles, design and art as a design consultant and fiber artist.
Sandy Hurtack– I have been doing primitive crafting and painting since moving to East Berlin over 30 years ago. I enjoy taking old pallet and barn wood and recreating them into signs/porch signs with various mediums. I currently have a treasure box where I collect items to be repurposed. I enjoy the challenge of taking something old and giving it new life into something useful.
Acrylic Paint Pouring is a recently aquired skill. Mixing colors of paint with pouring medium and watching the canvas come alive with abstract designs brings satsfaction in knowing your piece is one of a kind.
I love spending time outdoors and most of my inspiration comes from nature.
Adult and Children’s Pottery, Visual Arts and Baking Instructor, Lori Nelson of Gardners, PA
Seeing, teaching and sharing art brings me joy.
I have been teaching over 10 years for the ACAC and have been teaching privately. During that time, I have invested my time in various art mediums including visual, and culinary, but primarily in clay as a production potter.
My formal training in the Fine Arts has given me the ability to explore many techniques and various mediums with my students of all ages.
Sharing my skills and ideas with my students make me feel fulfilled as an artist . It is important for me to help my students to bring art into the different aspects of their life.
Seeings students get excited about art while inspiring those who have yet to explore their possibilities with art is my goal.
Using traditional supplies(paint, pencil, clay, ink) as well as edible items ( candy clay, fondant, icing) and common things found around the house ( bottle caps, old furniture, old toys) is challenging. Challenging myself and my students is why I teach.
J’Amy Graham Thomas
I earned my B.S. in Nutrition from The Ohio State University and it all started because I grew up in a family of “foodies!”
My grandmother was the Product Publicity Director for General Foods during the Depression. My mom was the on-camera food editor, chef and Home Economist for a live cooking show on NBC out of New York City. As far back as I can remember, I was cooking in the kitchen, or talking about food. Cooking with my family, I grew up not only learning culinary skills, many tips & tricks, and exploring different cuisines, but also the importance of nutritious and fesh food. ** All through school, I worked for restaurants and helped start a catering business, plus had training as a chef and caterer in Washington, D.C.
My passion is to share what I learned – that cooking and eating together is what binds us together.
My goal is to improve health and wellness, and the quality of food we eat, by teaching interesting classes to students of all ages, with a focus on fresh and wholesome foods in an approachable style…
Linn Wichowski
After years of admiring stained glass windows in church (when I should have been listening to the minister), restaurants, office buildings and homes, finding myself in awe of the designs, colors and the way those colors changed with the intensity of light both inside and out, I knew I wanted to learn the art of stained/art glass. I’ve been fortunate to have had formal training with excellent instructors in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and at The Studio, Corning Museum of Glass, New York. Nearly 20 years later and many lessons learned, I’m still awed by what glass can do or rather what we can achieve with glass. Creating a stained glass panel, window or a 3-D piece and handcrafted projects created with warm (fused) glass can never quite be duplicated, thus assuring each piece is unique. As an instructor, it’s exciting to be part of the creative process and spark an interest in others of the endless possibilities of stained and fused art glass.
Nancy Whitman
I love architecture and have studied the life and work of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio, in the US and Italy. I’ve given presentations to various groups including the Arts Council and AC Historical Society. It’s hard not to notice the Italianate style in Gettysburg; I’ve been studying it and want to share this with others.
Katie Groomes
I have been teaching for the past four years, ever since graduating from Penn State with a degree in kinesiology. I work full time as a fitness instructor at Homewood at Frederick retirement community, and enjoy teaching additional classes on the side. In the past I have taught spin, body pump, barre and yoga.
Christian (Chris) Parker
I have a long standing interest in stained glass from an early age, however did not take a class until approx. 5 years ago. I am now addicted to stained glass. I took some formal lessons, but have mostly self taught and have made small sun catchers all the way to 24”x36” panels, both for family and for private customers. I was generously included in the 20/21 Annual ACAC Juried Arts show for my piece “Blue Jay Transom”. I love sharing my love of stained glass with others and enjoy teaching all ages as well as collaborating with others to bring their ideas to glass. I have enjoyed getting more involved with ACAC over the last 1-2 years and look forward to teaching my 1st class with ACAC in December.
Sarah Dutton is a self-taught, amateur Gingerbread Artist who believes that Gingerbreading = Joy! She loves working with unexpected and unique themes and her favorite moments are when the magic lights up the eyes of kids young and old as they find all the special little details in her art. In the fall of each year you’ll find her staring intently at architecture of all kinds, and scouring the grocery store for new and unusual construction materials. You can see her work at her website: www.isleofgingerbread.com
Fabio Carella was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily. He is the first born of his four siblings. “Growing up in an Italian household, I enjoyed the cooking of my mother. She always made it a point to prepare home-cooked meals for the whole family to enjoy, and she imparted her love of food to me.”
Fabio arrived in the United States in 1995. In 1997, he married Katie Monteleone, with whom he has three beautiful daughters.
He is the founder, owner, and visionary of Fabio’s Events & Catering, a very successful event planning and catering company, based in the heart of Gettysburg at the Adams County Arts Council, where he also teaches classes and camps in cooking and painting.
Fabio loves teaching cooking classes and taking groups on culinary tours of Italy to share his passion for life, food, culture & wine… and knowledge of the culinary world.
Fabio’s Events caters private dinner parties, corporate events, and lavish wedding affairs.
Jodie Schmidt discovered her love of oil painting while earning a Bachelor of Arts at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. After graduating with honors, she continued studying art on her own and through classes with local artist and teacher, Rebecca Pearl. She studied watercolor, oil painting and pastel for several years before deciding to become a teacher. Also, she has worked at a variety of institutions teaching art courses, since 2019, sharing her love for art and art history.
She joined the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Frederick Community College in 2019, as an art instructor, teaching pastel and drawing classes. In addition, she is also employed as an adjunct faculty art instructor, at the Delaplaine Art Center in Frederick, Maryland, where she teaches drawing, pastel and mixed media courses. Previously, she worked as a short-term substitute art teacher at Buckingham’s Choice, in Adamstown, MD. Currently, she is working on an art portfolio to apply to graduate school, and to seek art gallery representation. Her art focuses on the human condition, as described in psychological theories, such as Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson, and her medium of choice is oil painting with an emphasis on portraiture and narrative.
Here is a link to my Art of Schmidt blog, where I have been posting about the classes, www.artofschmidt.com. To access the blog posts, just click on the blog link on my art of Schmidt web page.
In addition, you can find me on Instagram, as jsjschmidt2, https://www.instagram.com/jsjschmidt2/ where I have been posting about my artwork and the classes. I also have an art business webpage on FB, called Art of Schmidt. Here’s a link: https://www.facebook.com/artofschmidt/?ref=pages_you_manage. I hope this helps to promote the class.
Jen Cole is a hobby potter with approximately 10 years of ceramics experience. She studied under fellow ACAC instructor Erica Wentz and Gettysburg College professor Tina Gebhart. Her focus is on throwing interesting, functional pieces on the wheel. She has taught introductory throwing classes to people of all ages and abilities and enjoys translating the lessons she learns through pottery to all aspects of her life.
Martha Tozzi has been creating Ukrainian Pysanky for well over 40 years. She has conducted numerous hands-on classes and informational programs to enlighten participants on the art of Ukrainian Egg Decorating. Martha lovingly hand-fashions each pysanka she makes with intricate designs, true to the ancient methods and symbolism. Originally from Moorestown, NJ, Martha is a 1985 graduate of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. After moving around the country as an Army spouse for 30 years, Martha and her husband now reside in Gettysburg, PA.
About the Artist/Paula Kravits
When I was a teenager, babysitting a family of five children,I came up with art projects to keep them busy. This continued and when I was a young mother I tried all sorts of things to do with my four children. Macrame, clay sculptures, paper- mache were all included at the kitchen table. After they were grown and I started to work, I put away the arts and crafts. Fast forward to when the first grandchild was born and I was shopping for pictures for the wall of the nursery. My daughter said, “Mom, why are we buying them? I bet you could paint them.” Through the years I have created mixed media art for all nine of my grandchildren, taught Valentine card making in my community, and decorated my home and others with my own creations. Taking classes at Adams County Arts Council (ACAC) in Gettysburg has helped me to improve my skills and learn new skills. I also show my art at the ACAC twice a year. Creating art takes me to another place, where time is forever and I can dream up ideas anytime at all.
My name is Wendy Golden, and I have my bachelor’s degree in art education from University of MD, College Park, although a part of my studies was at Kutztown State University, with some masters level art classes taken at Mass. College of Art and Design as well as other locations through the years. I was a full-time art teacher for 16 years, and part-time for an additional 8 years, including private and group lessons for children and adults. My specialty is watercolor, but I enjoy many media. Style-wise, I lean towards representational art, although I appreciate many styles!
I hope we can have a great time making art together this summer!
-Wendy Golden
Jenn Tarr is an artist and educator from Central Pennsylvania. She graduated from Millersville University with her Bachelors in Fine Art and Bachelors of Science in Art Education. She just completed her 6th year teaching art at Bermudian Springs Middle School where she focuses on teaching her students to think and behave like artists. She specializes in watercolor and ceramics but loves all forms of art. Jenn has been co-director and a teaching artist at the Art Smarts Camp at The Ware Center in Lancaster, PA for the past 8 years. She also teaches art camps at East Berlin Area Community Center and Carlisle Arts Learning Center. She is happy to join the team and bring more art opportunities to the community at the Adams County Arts Council.
Steve Hogan brought his life long interest in outdoor photography with him when he retired and moved to Adams Co. in 2006. The abundant bird life attracted to the fields, forests, and orchards around Gettysburg have been a recent area of special interest.
He has traveled extensively with his camera to destinations in Europe, the Americas, and South Asia. These experiences provided many occasions to photograph landscapes, people, and historic places both inside and outside the US.
After a 30+ year career as an educator in the Baltimore region, Steve continues to enjoy the opportunity to lead interactive learning in small group settings.
Education: B.S. Towson University, Baltimore
M.S. Loyola University, Baltimore
Professional: Elementary Teacher, Baltimore
School Social Worker, Baltimore
Interests: Travel, Cooking, History, Art, Gardening, Distilling, Birding, Mechanical Antiques
Harry grew up in Gettysburg with his eight brothers and sisters. At a young age he began his culinary journey by working in a pizzeria and learned every facet of the business.
At the age of 20, he moved to Boulder, Co and worked at two landmark restaurants: the New York Deli and Antica Roma where he was lucky enough to work under the well-known Chef Carlos Ruiz with a focus on both Northern and Southern Italian food.
When Harry returned to the East Coast, he landed in the kitchen at the Annapolis Yacht Club under Chef Robert Carney. Then he joined the Wild Orchid Café as Head Catering Chef at the Wild Orchid in Annapolis after the Yacht Club.
For over 16 years Harry owned and operated Romeo’s Café in Mercersburg PA. Romeo’s was known as a local favorite for its hand tossed New York style pizza and cheesesteak sandwiches made on fresh bread made three times a day.
Harry is currently a Manager at the Appalachian Brewing Company in Gettysburg and still loves creating in the kitchen.
DAWN BLORSTAD GARRISH
Dawn Garrish has been teaching dance for over 35 years. She started off in the Country Dance Scene and 6 years later was introduced to West Coast Swing. She has numerous Country World Titles to include being the first Master World Champion in 1990. She holds 7 US. Open Swing Dance Titles. In 1991 (her first time) She became the first to not only win the Showcase Division but also the Cabaret Division (doing a Country Two Step). In 1992 she won the Champions Jack & Jill, 1993 Showcase and team division, 1992, 1994 & 1996 teams.
She has coached and choreographed for over 10 US Open Champions, and multiple Country Dance World Champions. Her daughters (Alexis 22 & Taylor 17) are both multiple time World Champions. Daughter Alexis has won the US. Open in the Young Adult Division 3 times and recently daughter Taylor won the US. Open Junior Jack & Jack Swing Division.
In January 2015, the UCWDC (United Country Western Dance Council) inducted her into the “Legends of Dance”. 2016 She was then inducted into the “Hall of Fame”.
In 2018 She was inducted into the Swing Dance “Hall of Fame”
For the last 20 years she has been the main Choreographer for the music department at the Naval Academy in Annapolis.
She has run a competitive Swing Dance team for the past 20 years. 2 of her dancers have been inducted into the Living Legends and two of the couples have won US. Open Masters Division Titles and 5 of her members have been on the team ALL 20 years.
For the last 10 years she can found as the Head Judge at Many NASDE and WSDC events.
She lives in Mt Airy, MD and plans to teach dance the rest of her life!! anuary, 2015, the UCWDC (United Country Western Dance Council) inducted Laureen into
won 8 U.S. Open Swing titles in multiple divisions which include, Classic (1995), Superstar (1996 & 1997), Showtime Invitational (1998), Teams (1993, 1994 & Dance Professional Division) Champion (1995-1998) and has won 8 U.S. Open Swing titles in multiple divisions which include, Classic (1995), Superstar (1996 & 1997), Showtime Invitational (1998), Teams (1993, 1994 & 1996), and Showcase (2003) Divisions.1996), and Showcase (2003) Divisions.
Brienna Richelle Smith is a portrait & wedding photographer located in Gettysburg, PA. She strives to create work that is timeless and joyful for her clients. Brienna grew up loving art class, and in high school found her love of photography in the darkroom developing her black and white photos. She decided to pursue photography as a career, and graduated from Marywood University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography in 2006.
After college, Brienna returned to her hometown of Gettysburg to begin her photography business, Brienna Richelle Photography. Today, she photographs over 300 high school seniors each year and loves creating portraits that capture their unique personalities. She also has the honor of documenting wedding days and special events, family milestones, and first portraits for her littlest newborn clients. Brienna loves being a photographer and using her creativity and knowledge of lighting and posing to capture moments that her clients will treasure.
To view her work and learn more, visit her website at www.briennarichelle.com
Sophi Black has been running line dances as well as instructing since 2018. She has danced her whole life through musical theatre. Sophi has been able to dance in many different places around the country and has gotten the chance to dance with some incredible dancers/choreographers in the line dance community. She loves getting to spend time teaching new dancers so we can continue to grow the amazing dance community we have.
