Our wonderful and inspiring teachers, create a nurturing environment where our talented artists can explore, learn, and grow, making each class experience truly enriching.
Michele Lorraine
Operations Manager Paper Clay Ceramics Teacher
Expanding students knowledge and personal voice in art.
Have a unique technique or creative story to share? Empower our community by hosting a workshop or talk at the Art Center. We're looking for individuals who want to inspire and connect
Whether you have a few hours a month to spare or are seeking a meaningful leadership role, your time and talents can have a significant impact on our mission.
Growing up embraced by nature in the Poconos inspires my work. My art practice thrives on playful exploration with materials like recycled paper, oil stick and paint – seeing things anew. This joy fuels my children's art classes, where play and discovery flourish. Finding our visual voices and making something with our hands is needed now more than ever, there is a joy and necessity in making something uniquely our own. My education includes a Fine Arts degree from Keystone College and a B.F.A. with an Art Education Certification from Tyler School of Art. As a teaching artist, I cherish time with my super creative family in and around the Philadelphia area.
Kel Darling
Artist & Wheel-throwing Ceramics Teacher
Art is my passion. As a wheel-throwing ceramics teacher and home studio potter, a lot of my work is made available at small markets. My craft is rooted in European apprenticeships and a degree from Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. Beyond the studio, my life is fueled by a love of art, my children, a dog, a fish, and a frog. Pottery's usefulness is what captivates me most — come create something functional and beautiful with me!
Bill Ryan
Abstract Painting Teacher
With five decades of creative practice, I am currently dedicated to the pursuit of non-objective abstraction. My approach simplifies complex concepts, centering on essential techniques in painting, collage, mixed media, digital art, and sculpture.
Michele Lorraine
Artist & Ceramics Teacher
For decades, I trained and worked as a Corporate Interior Designer. After becoming a mother, I returned to my first love, ceramics, and pursued art education. I've studied with accomplished Ceramic Artists locally, nationally, and internationally to deepen my craft. Since 2008, I've enjoyed teaching art to both children and adults, meeting them where they are and challenging them to grow their artistic knowledge and unique voice. In my own work, I value porcelain and stoneware fiber-clays (paperclay) to express my artistic ideas.
Ratna Gandhi
Artist & Ceramics Teacher
A sculptor, ceramic artist, curator and instructor with 25+ years of creative exploration. I work with diverse materials: stone, metal, wood, fiberglass, paper mache, ceramics, fabric, plaster and clay. I earned my sculpture degrees in India, B.A. in 2000 and my M.A. 2002. I was honored with India's National Award for visual artists for my sculpture: Family Fun. I've participated in international art camps and taught all ages. As Artist in Residence in Port Coquitlam, Canada (2020-21), I led the Wall of Interactions public art project exploring nature. My works are held by global collectors and organizations across Germany, USA, Canada, Yugoslavia, Paris, Venice, Singapore, Israel and India.
Zach Duncan-Tessmer
Artist & Ceramics Teacher
A sculptor, educator, and father, when I'm not with my family, I'm in my studio or at the Art Center feeding my innate need to create. As an artist for over three decades, I'm still enthralled by shapes, forms, and sharing my passion and expertise with students of all levels. My work often features geometric sculptures made from ceramic shards or mischievous, multi-spouted coffee pots, challenging expectations about form and function and reflecting the inherent fragility of the medium. I grew up in rural Ohio, where I developed an interest in how to make things, and then sometimes destroy them!
