Faculty Bios
Chesterfield Arts instructors are working professional artists from
the St. Louis area and regional area.
Learn about our faculty
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Richard Bernal - Illustration and Drawing Instructor | |
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Richard has been an artist/illustrator for over twenty-five years. He studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and American Academy of Art - both in Chicago.
He illustrates children's educational books and spends his free time doing portraiture and figure studies. He has a passion for art, photography and all creatures, great and small. He lives in St. Louis, MO with his heroic dog, Strider. |
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| Lyubov Briginets - Pottery Instructor | ||
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I am an artist and an art teacher in at Lafayette High School in the Rockwood School District. Art is my life long passion. I love to look at it, I love to create it and to teach it. I have been working with 2D and 3D design over 20 years and love to explore different ways of visual expression and experiment with various art media. | |
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Chris Burton - Art Education Liaison and Ambassador , Fiber Arts & Mixed Media Instructor | |
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I am a working artist and greatly enjoy using a wide varitey of mediums including fiber art, textiles, mixed-media collage, and abstract expressionistic painting. My #1 passion is inspiring others as they learn to explore their creativity through visual art. We can say so much about our true selves with color, shape, texture, and paint. I love my role as a catalyst in this process while working with children and adults at Chesterfield Arts. My artisitic education includes a BFA in Grahpic Art from the University of Tulsa, which led me to a career as an Art Director for 15 years. I have exhibited my fiber art and mixed-media art through my affiliation with ArtFiber St.Louis and the Weavers Guild of St.Louis, and also a former resident artist at the Gateway Gallery in Clayton. Along with my artistic endeavors, I am an educator with the Rockwood School District. |
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| Jenny Donaldson - Children's Art Teacher |
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During eight years of teaching, I have taken opportunities to utilize my K-12 certification. I spent four years teaching art at Festus High School, two years teaching elementary art for Fort Zumwalt, and the last two years teaching middle school art for Fort Zumwalt. I have enjoyed working in each grade level and adapting my teaching style to meet the learning needs of the students.
Early in my career, I spent summers and evenings working with children of various ages at Laumeier Sculpture Park, through the classes and art camps they offered. I have continued to teach classes through Laumeier throughout the years and always enjoy being able to teach art outside a classroom setting, surrounded by art. I have utilized this combination of experience to expand my knowledge of art, as well as broaden my ability to adapt teaching strategies to alternative environments. |
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| Nicole Dutton - Chesterfield Arts Associate Director |
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Nicole Dutton was born and raised in Olney, IL. She attended Greenville College where she received a BA in psychology with a minor in sociology in 2000. In 2002, she married and moved to the St. Louis area. She worked as a clinical interventionist at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center with children suffering from acute behavior disorders. It was through this experience that she became more interested in art therapy and later painting specifically. She worked as a Social Worker for The Division of Family Services while taking general art courses.
In 2003, she began her MA in painting at Fontbonne University while working at Parents as Teachers as a Parent Educator, at Jefferson College as an adjunct art instructor and raising her son. She completed her MFA at Fontbonne University in 2007 and is now working at Chesterfield Arts as the Associate Director after two years as Director of Education and Outreach. |
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| M.J. Goerke - Paper/Book Instructor | ||
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MJ Goerke is a St. Louis based artist and teacher working in a variety of media. Well-known in the Midwest, MJ has been successfully doing art fairs for the last twenty some years. MJ's extensive experience has led to being juried into many of the best shows in the country and has resulted in being the recipient of many major awards in ALL categories. The winner of the Best In Show at The St. Louis Art Fair in 2003 (one of the top five shows in the country) and The Peoria Fine Arts Fair in the same year, Goerke has also won some of the highest awards at the Midwest Salute to the Masters on seven different years! | |
| Heather Haymart - Painting and Drawing Instructor |
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Heather Haymart is an artist who makes textural abstract paintings with depth. She is driven by nature, human emotions and inexpressible thoughts to create. Her paintings reflect this meditative state she enters during creation and the emotion is communicated by the light that comes through her color usage. She is working towards enlightenment, one painting at a time. If you are looking for a fun day with art, take a trip to West County, MO and visit Art Trends Gallery in Chesterfield and then hop over to the Chesterfield Mall at Wood Icing where Heather keeps her studio, teaches and displays her work. You might even catch her painting! If an urban setting is more your speed, check out Heather’s work at The Gateway Gallery in Clayton and grab lunch at Mazara’s next door. Fine art, fine food; what more could you ask for? Heather’s creative interpretation of the Phoenix skyline can be found in pubic collections such as Strongfield Trimco Inc. in Mesa, AZ, or you can see three large pieces made especially for Lechner Reality in Des Peres, MO. If you would like to visit Heather’s past life as a mural painter, visit her large mural of Santa Fara Church at Stefanina’s Restaurant in Troy, MO. Upon graduating from high school, Heather knew that art was in her future. She attended University of Missouri – Columbia and received her BFA and BSEd for Art K-12. She taught high school and middle school art for six years, painted murals for two and then finally, after having two babies decided life was too short to put off doing what she was meant to do. She created two abstract paintings while her two year old and 9 moth old napped. She sold those two paintings that year and so began her healthy addiction to painting. |
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| Emily Hemeyer - Youth and Family Multi-Media Instructor | ||
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Emily Hemeyer is summer camp director at Saint Louis City Open Studio and Gallery (SCOSaG) and Artist-in-Residence at St. Frances Cabrini Academy. Her nearly 10-years of experience is multi-leveled and generational working with diverse populations throughout the country. Previous summer camp experience includes Camp Kinderland (MA), Camp Wicosuta (NH), French Woods Festival for the Performing Arts (NY) and Columbia Art League (MO). Locally she’s worked with Chesterfield Arts, Metro Theater Company, and Viva Vox as a teaching artist. In Columbia, Missouri, Hemeyer ran a ceramics for Parks and Recreation as well as taught darkroom photography through the MSA Craft Studio at the University of Missouri. Early in her career, she worked at a Montessori daycare and taught art at a Morningside Elementary, a multiple intelligence focused school, in Columbia. Both philosophies are integral to her teaching style.
Hemeyer holds a BFA degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in photography and fibers. She also attended the Aegean School for Fine Arts in Paros, Greece and is a 2009 CAT (Community Arts Training) graduate through the Regional Arts Commission. Hemeyer’s creative work ranges from clothing design and reconstruction, Ragamuffin Designs/Wounded Bird, to sculptural and sound installations as Ghosts I Have Been. She’s worked on feature films, has gone on several national tours and often contributes painting to local fundraisers. Her primary interest is community art and collaborations. Hemeyer recently started a mobile gallery- SPORE projects which she took to the West Coast this past Fall. Locally she works often with Cranky Yellow and is a founding member of Arcadia Studios, Open Lot and the Chautauqua Art Lab lecture series. Hemeyer sees art and life as closely intertwined. She enjoys the fluidity of the process and all of the incredible people she has met throughout her journeys. |
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| Jeff Hirsch - Adobe Lightroom Instructor | ||
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A digital imaging specialist with 25 years of experience, Jeff splits his time between graphic design, photography and Macintosh tech support. He teaches Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to individuals and groups. | |
| Beverly Lake Hoffman - Watercolor Instructor | ||
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Beverly Lake Hoffman is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. She has a Fine Arts degree from Principia College in Illinois and has resided in Mobile, Al, and Upper Montclair and Glen Ridge, NJ. She has thoroughly enjoyed the southern charm of the Gulf Coast and the history and culture of the East Coast.
Beverly is a watercolor artist, a graphic designer and co-founder of the Saint Louis Watercolor Society. She is a regular exhibitor in regional and national juried art shows, and she is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the Philadelphia Water Color Society, and the Saint Louis Watercolor Society.
Her interest and intent is to create works that inspire the viewer to visualize the presence of the soul through the inherent qualities of watercolor painting. Her works focus on light and luminosity, and they feature the beauty of color, the interlocking of ordinary shapes to compose a harmony of pattern and design, and the vitality and precision of hard edges combined with the fluidity and diffusion of wet-on-wet washes. She enjoys involving the viewer in the visual experience with a touch of humor and a sense of imagination. |
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| Sherri Jaudes - Metals Instructor | ||
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Sherri received her MFA at SIU-E and graduated Cum Laude with her BFA at Maryville University where she has now taught Metals for 13 years. Sherri's extensive exhibiting resume includes regional, national and international shows. Some show locations include St. Louis Artist Guild, Chesterfield Arts, Gump's Fine Art Gallery in San Fransisco, Washington D.C. Craft Show, Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston, Salon 100% Design in New York and the National Museum of History in Taipei, Taiwan. With Sherri's sensitivity to detail, it is no wonder she has won numerous "Awards of Excellence." | |
| Jennifer Klemp - Painting and Drawing Instructor | ||
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Jennifer Klemp was born in St. Louis Missouri in 1973. She received her Masters Degree in Fine Arts from Fontbonne University in 2001. She attributes most, if not all, of her success to her professors there who taught her all of the right things. Jennifer believes in animal rights, recycling, being good to the planet, biking, and creating things that are aesthetically pleasing, yet thought provoking. Additionally, she would like for her paintings and work to bring about change for the greater good. As an instructor for a local non-profit arts center in St. Louis, she hopes to inspire creativity among others. Jennifer has exhibited in several national juried and invitational shows, and believes that for herself, above all other things, it is most important to be an excellent painter. | |
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Kim Luberda - Children's Art Teacher |
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Teaching art is at the heart of my professional and personal life. Over the past twenty years , I have developed an interdisciplinary hands-on approach to teaching art that emphasizes art history, cultural studies, and diverse mediums. I believe in the power of art to encourage creative thinking and introduce children to the international world they live in. Outside the classroom, I am an avid traveler having visited over 20 different countries and living four years in Australia. I feel I have been blessed with seeing so many beautiful places and my goal is to share my art findings and cultural studies to my student body.
I have a BS in Art Education K-12 (Comprehensive) All Media. I am a continuing student in art and enjoy painting, pastels and collage work. I have always encourages the arts in my own family. My daughter is an Art History major graduating form the University of Chicago and my son is at Tulane studying Archeology. |
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| Sukanya Mani - Youth Art Instructor | ||
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As long as I can remember, I have had a passion for art. All I wanted to do since I was five, was draw. My formal education which was in Chemistry led me away from art when I was in school. I started painting seriously again at 25 and have not stopped. I am a self taught artist. I began by reading every book on art and art instruction at the local library. Many artists inspire me- Modigliani, Van Gough, Frida Kahlo. Among Indian artists, I admire Ravi Varma, M F Hussein and Millind Mullick.
The human figure makes the strongest visual impression on me. I strive for mystery and intimacy at the same time. The use of intense and vibrant colors makes my art sensual and powerful. I enjoy painting the different facets of a woman.
My mother inspires me to see the strength in character and resilience in women. My father motivates me to constantly keep learning. My husband encourages me to evolve and grow. My son emboldens me to achieve anything I want. I hope to continue to grow and evolve. My goal is to create images that capture what I am feeling at the moment. |
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| Barbara McCormack - Jewelry Instructor | ||
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Barbara graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BA in Fine Arts and a BS in Art Education. Barbara has an interest in the design and creation of jewelry as well as watercolor painting. She enjoys creating jewelry for personal adornment and for art shows. She feels that a jewelry piece can make a dramatic statement or be a unique beautiful or intriguing art piece depending upon the purpose and intent of the individual artist. Barbara believes that wearing your own jewelry can be rewarding and fun because, in a sense, you are your own art gallery and you can easily share your art work with the world. In addition, Barbara feels that once you understand basic jewelry skills and techniques you can design and create personal jewelry pieces for family and friends forever. There are many new and exciting materials and techniques to learn and experiment with in the design and creation of jewelry. The more knowledge and skills you acquire the more options you have in the use of techniques and materials to use to create imaginative and creative jewelry pieces. Barbara has taught a variety of art classes to children, teens and adults. She encourages her students to be experimental with different media in order to enjoy the creative process and trigger new ideas. She has won awards for jewelry pieces both in Missouri and Illinois. She is a member of the St. Louis Artist Guild, St. Louis Watercolor Society and Chesterfield Arts. | |
| Angela Mircsov - Children's Pottery Instructor | ||
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Angela Mircsov is a St. Louis native who has a passion for art. She studied art at Millikin University in Decatur, IL to attain her BFA. After attaining her BFA she then decided to pursue a MFA at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. Her main interests in art are painting and drawing, but has a love of doing pottery on the side. The main inspiration of her works come from studying nature around us, mainly looking at plants in their growth stages. From exploring both the two dimensional and three dimensional side of art has allowed Angela to push her works into new direction in both form and color. Angela has been at Chesterfield Arts for the past three years as a Gallery Attendant and the Lead Pottery Instructor. Along with teaching classes at Chesterfield, she makes sure the pottery studio and kilns are in good conditions for all of the camps and classes. As the Lead Pottery instructor at Chesterfield Arts, she pushes the students to explore the clay to the fullest extend to enjoy the fun and the mess of art. <!--EndFragment--> |
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| Annie Nillson - Youth Painting and Drawing Instructor | ||
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Annie Nillson graduated from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO in 2010 with a BA in Studio Art. She is currently an assistant teacher at Hope Montessori Academy. | |
| Barbara Remley-Martin - Pastels Instructor | ||
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I don't know when I began my career as a painter, but that is what I am. I do however, know that I began preparing to be a painter as a child. It was later that I realized how fortunate I was to have been a young mind at that time, in that place. My parents were thoughtful of me and allowed me creative room on a ranch type property created especially for a kid like me. I took advantage of countless days of imaginary play. Here, I would entertain myself climbing trees, riding my horse or pretending to be some sort of explorer crossing unknown lands and discovering ancient wisdom found hiding in enchanted lush settings near a creek or rock outcroppings. It seems almost embarrasing to admit to such high adventure, but it's where my creative reservoir deepened. My intention now as a painter, is to stay closely attached to every part of every day that I lived there on that blessed ground. Now, when I travel to beautiful lands, it's like going home. Education: Jefferson College, workshops with master painters (including: Judi Wagner, Chen Kee Chee, Doug Dawson, Alan Flattmann and Josh Been). My education, of course, does not stop here... Awareness grows momentum. With years of practice and study, and a great deal of moral support from my husband, Kelly, and my daughter, Lauren, I have continued my saga as a professional painter and instructor, entering National and International competitions. Some of the accolades include: Best of Show - Chicago Pastel Painters 2009 Biennial Exhibition; 2nd Place - Degas Pastel Society Members Exhibition; Ridgweood Art Institute Award - Pastel Society of America, Inc., 37th Annual Open Juried Exhibition 2009; and many more! I am currently a signature member of: Pastel Society of the West Coast, Degas Pastel Society and Distinguished Member of the St. Louis Artists' Guild. |
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| Garry Rose - Photography Instructor | ||
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In the past 20 years that Garry has been a professional photographer, he has performed bio-medical photography for a hospital, did scientific photography for an aerospace company, was the corporate photographer for a major airline, and helped design and produce a panaromic view camera.
His list of clients includes such names as American Airlines, President Casino, St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, Trans World Airlines, University of Missouri Press and others. |
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| Carol Savage - Youth Art Instructor | ||
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Carol earned her Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Webster University. Her favorite classes were Psychology of Children’s Art,” plus a Graphic Design course at Washington University. Here she discovered the stylish rhythm of Chancery Cursive calligraphy. Now as a professional calligrapher she specializes in wedding stationery, individual items such as a family gift, and corporate work. Recently Carol developed an interactive word art dubbed Color Collision Water Writing, suitable for group events.
Carol has taught art in private schools and to Homeschoolers for more than 20 years. Teaching is always a thrill for her. Young artists in her classes discover the ability within themselves to express ideas in a variety of media. Older students are challenged with more detailed projects, often combining media and styles. She loves to present materials and ideas to jump start the innate creativity within each child, and guide the artists in a personally satisfying experience to complete the project. |
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| Mary Beth Shaw - Mixed Media Instructor | ||
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Mary Beth Shaw worked in the insurance industry for 18 years before she went crazy one day and quit her job. While exploring her creativity, she re-ignited a childhood love of art. She is now ecstatic to support herself as a full time painter, living a “gypsy” life and participating in fine art fairs nationwide. Her mixed media process utilizes pastel, ink, marker and acrylics layered with various collage materials; she welcomes so-called “mistakes” because they lead to wonderful opportunities and discoveries. She works in series and has several bodies of work which employ her own symbolism of embedded meaning. Living in St. Louis with her husband and 3 cats, Mary Beth is passionate about every moment of life. | |
| Terri Shay - Drawing, Painting & Illustration Instructor |
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Since 1994, Terri Shay has worked as an illustrator for a wide range of clients and publications. Starting as a card designer and illustrator for American Greetings she went on to complete her first children's book, It's Raining Whisper. After relocating to St. Louis, she worked briefly for the May Company as a color technician and illustrator. Most recently she completed a series of illustrations for her second published book, Only on Wish. In addition to being a painter and illustrator she teaches a variety of courses at Saint Louis University and St. Charles Community College. | |
| Annie Spiller - Education and Outreach Coordinator | ||
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Annie Spiller was born and raised in St. Charles MO. In December of 2009 she graduated from Lindenwood University with her BFA in Studio Art. During the summer prior to her senior year she was offered an internship in education at Chesterfield Arts. Annie worked directly under the Director of Education, facilitating the classrooms, working with the instructors, and administrative work. It was a great experience for her. The summer after graduation, she became a painting and drawing instructor as well as the Summer Camp Coordinator at Chesterfield Arts. In August 2010, Annie became the Education & Outreach Coordinator for Chesterfield Arts. She is very grateful to Chesterfield Arts for helping her pursue her career in the Arts. | |
| Dallas Woodson - Painting and Portrait Instructor | ||
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Dallas Woodson is native to St. Louis. He graduated in 2000 from Fontbonne University with his BFA and MFA with a concentration in painting. He has taught at Meramec Community College, Florissant Valley Community College and Jefferson College.
Dallas is also a blues musician in a local band and uses traditional techniques in his art inspired by the old masters. Dallas’ work has been shown at Forest Park Community College, Art Saint Louis, Gateway Gallery and Jefferson College. |
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| Heather Woodson - Ceramic Sculpture Instructor |
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Working with clay gives me opportunity to show my appreciation of the natural world. Natures ability to manipulate its way through fabricated obstacles, to adapt to environmental changes, to transform into new species, to combine and become one with its surroundings, is inspiring. I am motivated to create works that honor the perseverance of life.
More recent works have been focused on the perseverance of human life. Adapting, converging and transforming continually throughout our life cycle. The many personality traits and characteristics that we pick up along the way, are what I attempt to highlight in my work. Focusing on one specific aspect at a time. The type of clay that I work with depends on the prospected outcome and the construction method used. My primary clay bodies are earthenware and a white stoneware. The finishes are a combination of mason stains, oxides, slips, low fire and high fire glazes. The colors on the pit fired pieces are achieved with various organic materials that flash different colors during the firing. My pieces are either thrown and altered or completely hand-built. By adding, subtracting, carving and altering, I am able to animate my imagination. |
