Our Teachers
Click the button to select a specific teacher from the drop down.
Alice Tingley
Alice has been restoring art objects for more than 20 years and has taught many courses on gilding and restoration. She started her work with furniture at Sotheby Parke Bernet in New York where she learned French polishing, japanning and Chinese lacquer techniques. Later she apprenticed with master gilder Nils Johnson in his Boston studio where she studied the art of gold leaf frame restoration. Alice is an artist professional member of the Providence Art Club.
Alyn Carlson
Alice has been restoring art objects for more than 20 years and has taught many courses on gilding and restoration. She started her work with furniture at Sotheby Parke Bernet in New York where she learned French polishing, japanning and Chinese lacquer techniques. Later she apprenticed with master gilder Nils Johnson in his Boston studio where she studied the art of gold leaf frame restoration. Alice is an artist professional member of the Providence Art Club.
Anna Shapiro
Anna is an artist and catalyst. She incorporates metal, textiles and other everyday materials into her sculptures to connect social and ecological issues that have been important to her since her early employment as a wilderness guide and National Park Service ranger. Anna has received awards and residencies in Vermont, New York, Brazil and Latvia, and has spoken on panels and published about iron casting in relation to five-element Chinese medicine and about eco-feminism. Anna is known as the wavelady for her interactive performances making waves. She loves molten metal, and has taught welding and iron casting at The Steel Yard in Providence, Rhode Island. Anna has also catalyzed many creative industries in Boston and Rhode Island, including art spaces, festivals, alternative grocery stores and mobile hydroponic gardens. Her studio is in Providence, Rhode Island.
Anne Huntington
Anne is a Providence-based fiber artist with nearly 40 years of experience devoted to her craft. She is best known as a hand weaver, working on a traditional treadle-style floor loom, and she is also skilled in a variety of other fiber craft techniques, including tablet weaving and coiled basket making. Many people know her work from Po Gallery, which she co-founded and directed for 27 years. Since 2019 she has been teaching workshops in basket making, silk painting and tablet weaving at the Handicraft Club, and she exhibits in a number of local art/craft special events. Samples of her work can be seen at www.pogalleryri.com; at Anne Huntington Handwovens on Facebook; and at Huntington Handwovens on Etsy.
Anne P. Wert
Anne is an artist, educator, volunteer and mother. She studied studio art at Parsons School of Design, in Paris; has a degree in sociology and education from the University of Richmond; and a certificate in Children’s Book Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Anne’s fine-art work is influenced by her time living in Asia and Europe and focuses on landscapes. She works in both oil and watercolor and her recent work is inspired by living in New England. Anne is an artist professional member of the Providence Art Club and a member of the Rhode Island Watercolor Society and the Art League of Rhode Island. Anne’s paintings and illustrations have been shown and juried in galleries around New England. She is a teacher at the Providence Art Club and Hamilton House.
Carol Desforges
Carol has been teaching Mah Jongg since 2005. She was a high school teacher and organized her lessons to accommodate differences in learning styles with some historical perspective to the game thrown in. She runs tournaments for Mah Jongg throughout the year.
Caroline Silverman
Caroline is an interdisciplinary artist focused on the intersection of object, narrative and context. Working predominantly with textiles, she explores how the soft things that people live with reflect the realities and records of their experiences. In the process of exploring what draws people to their objects, she has made quilts, writing, embroideries, tools, poetry, garments, books and paintings to help her better understand this relationship. In her work she contemplates how these objects are often made with the intention of providing comfort and protection, and strives to extend these gestures to her collaborative work and teaching. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2018. She now lives and works in New York City, and travels to Providence often to teach at the Handicraft Club and the Rhode Island School of Design.
Caryl Freedman
Caryl taught herself to needlepoint as a young child. She has enjoyed a lifelong passion for needlepoint and is accomplished in numerous needlework disciplines. Caryl is a member of the American Needlepoint Guild, the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, and the National Academy of Needlearts. She holds a BA in studio art and Communications and an MAin media studies, both from Rhode Island College. She began teaching needlepoint at The Handicraft Club in 2003. Her goal is to provide excellence in needlework education. Caryl’s professional background as a corporate art consultant adds to her expertise. Her Needlepoint School, established over a decade ago, provides needlepoint instruction to students at all levels of proficiency outside the Handicraft Club. Caryl is a veteran URI Master Gardener, and enjoys boating, photography and travel.
Cathy Wilkerson (Indigo Squirrel)
The Indigo Squirrel (aka Cathy Wilkerson) has a passion for dyeing with indigo. She can often be found leaning over a vat with blue fingers, fabric in hand. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, with a BFA in textile design, and has been a teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design, Continuing Education, for close to ten years. A buyer and merchandiser in the home furnishings industry for almost three decades, Cathy has developed products with leading textiles manufacturers in Europe, India and the United States. She is also the territory sales manager for a large global window treatment manufacturer. In her spare time, Cathy loves to sew, knit and weave.
Cynthia Treen
Cynthia’s felt animal designs are classics in the making, with their own stories waiting to be imagined. In her workshops, students explore many handcrafting techniques, from sewing and painting to needle felting, while creating charming felt animals and accessories to delight all loved ones.
Elsie Collins
Elsie is an award-winning textile artist, costume designer, milliner and teacher. She has taught sewing to adults, and children as young as six years old. She has been selling her hats, jewelry, clothing and tote bags on Etsy.com for 15 years. Her hats have found homes in 31 countries, and four of her hats were purchased and used in the Spielberg/Winfrey film The Color Purple.
Students can see her work on Etsy at her shop, Thistle Cottage Studio.
Ida Schmulowitz
Ida has been a professional artist for over 45 years and holds a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has exhibited her work locally and nationally and her work is in corporate and private collections, including the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Newport Art Museum. Ida enjoys challenging returning students and beginners with ideas from her education at the Rhode Island School of Design, pushing them outside their comfort zones. Her main body of work is a series of 6’ x 8’ oil landscapes painted outside from a particular spot in Providence.
Janice Kissinger
Janice seeks to drape the body with the same beauty and grace as the traditional Indian silks she loves. Her pieces are made by hand, using traditional felt-making methods.
She shows her work across the United States, including at the Smithsonian Craft Show, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, and the American Craft Exposition in Chicago. In 2018, she received the Ornament Magazine Prize for Wearable Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. She has received the Award of Distinction in Wearable Fiber at CraftBoston, and her work was shown at the Korean Bojagi Forum in Seoul.
Jenine Bressner
Jenine has been sculpting glass with torches since 1998 and laser cutting textiles since 2009. The quickest way to try to communicate with other people is by adorning ourselves with cultural signifiers. She knows that her jewelry has been and continues to act as an impetus for communication between strangers. Ignitions are sparked when we take risks like wearing something unusual or talking with people unfamiliar to us. Jenine wants to see things she’s never seen before, and she strives to make work that satisfies this wish.
Joan Bartram
Joan has been weaving since Santa brought her a real loom when she was ten. Since then, she has pursued her interest in textiles at the University of Rhode Island, at school in Norway and at various craft schools. Her primary focus has been on tapestry and frame looms.
Karen Graves
In 1974, Karen became a member of the Historical Society of Early American Decoration after submitting two decorative pieces for judging. She then began teaching classes on painting techniques in her home. She was involved in many craft shows, including at Old Sturbridge Village, selling various painted items. In 1994, she moved to Warwick, Rhode Island, which brought her to the Handicraft Club, where she has enjoyed teaching ever since.
Kate Huntington
Kate has been working as a representational painter since the 1970s after attending the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work is now shown in and around New England in galleries and museums, and featured in books, movies and TV shows. Her paintings and drawings are found in numerous national and international private and corporate collections. In 1992, she began hosting a weekly open portrait-painting group that is still popular. In her classes, she can explore new ideas and techniques of her own, and has developed a keen eye for producing a solid portrait as well as a good likeness.
Kathrine Lovell
Kathrine received a BFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is a painter and educator, and has taught painting and color theory at the Rhode Island School of Design, Continuing Education; the Rhode Island Watercolor Society; the Newport Art Museum, and currently through the Handicraft Club where she teaches woodblock printing. She has been a board member, development director and artist member of the South Coast Artists open studio tours, and education chair at the Providence Art Club. Her work can be seen worldwide through licensing agreements with Wild Apple Graphics in Woodstock, Vermont.
Kay Mehls
Kay enjoys sharing her love of knitting and knitwear design. She has designed for Vogue Knitting Magazine, Knit Simple Magazine, Noro Magazine, Quince & Co., Sixth & Spring Books, and Knitting Fever Inc. She has taught at The Handicraft Club for ten years.
Kelly Starke (Starke Art Designs)
Kelly Starke/Starke Art Designs creates innovative needlepoint canvases and teaches finishing workshops. Kelly’s artistic style and finishing expertise, combined with her unique range of products includes whimsical ornaments and one-of-a-kind ornament toppers. She has taught needlepoint finishing workshops nationally.
Kirsten Sorensen
Kirsten has a BFA in painting and art education. She is an artist and art educator who has taught and directed art-based programs for over 40 years. She spent the last 23 years teaching art at Cranston High School East and lives in Bristol, Rhode Island. She currently teaches at the Bristol Art Museum and the Providence Art Club, where she is a member. Kirsten has been concentrating on painting and printmaking, and has exhibited at the Bristol Art Museum, the Providence Art Club and Art League RI.
Mary Emery Lacoursiere
Mary Wojciechowski, a retired visual-arts teacher, received her BFA from the University of Connecticut. She is a signature member of both the New England Watercolor Society and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, where she currently serves as co-president. She is a juried artist at the Cape Cod Art Center, as well as the Wickford Art Association, and has been a longtime member of the Attleboro Arts Museum. Watercolor has been Mary’s principal medium during her painting career, with subjects taken frequently from the natural surroundings of her New England home. Most recently, Mary’s art has often expanded beyond the representational to include a more explorative and experimental approach. Mary’s work has been accepted into local, regional and national juried exhibitions, and has received awards. She is currently represented by Gallery 31 Fine Art, Orleans, Massachusetts; True Grit Art Gallery, Middleborough, Massachusetts; and Fuller Art & Gallery, Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Mary Wojciechowski
Mary Wojciechowski, a retired visual-arts teacher, received her BFA from the University of Connecticut. She is a signature member of both the New England Watercolor Society and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, where she currently serves as co-president. She is a juried artist at the Cape Cod Art Center, as well as the Wickford Art Association, and has been a longtime member of the Attleboro Arts Museum. Watercolor has been Mary’s principal medium during her painting career, with subjects taken frequently from the natural surroundings of her New England home. Most recently, Mary’s art has often expanded beyond the representational to include a more explorative and experimental approach. Mary’s work has been accepted into local, regional and national juried exhibitions, and has received awards. She is currently represented by Gallery 31 Fine Art, Orleans, Massachusetts; True Grit Art Gallery, Middleborough, Massachusetts; and Fuller Art & Gallery, Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Michelle Shevlin
An active member of The Handicraft Club, Michelle is an accomplished weaver and member of the Northeast Basketmakers Guild. She creates out of her home studio located along the Farmcoast.
Joanne Gregory/Seascape Studio LC
Discovering Sailors’ Valentines at the New Bedford Whaling Museum sparked Joanne’s passion for shell art, leading her to explore modern artisans’ creations. Joanne is a self-taught artist who draws inspiration from fellow artists and during visits to Sanibel, Florida, enriching her artistry with vibrant shells from its shoreline. Joanne’s work has been displayed at the Bristol Art Museum, Brownell Library, the Little Compton Community Center, and Westport Art Group and has been featured in local charity auctions. She participates annually in the open studio tour organized by South Coast Artists.
Steve Emma
Steve was born in Rhode Island. He studied agriculture at the University of Rhode Island and received his BA in music (piano) from Rhode Island College. In 1976, his creative direction evolved further and he began to carve sculptures, furniture, functional objects, wooden bowls and spoons. He continues to create his wooden bowls and spoons at his studio and residence in Providence, Rhode Island. They are hand carved and crafted from native New England hardwoods and other unique woods. His work has been shown at numerous exhibitions throughout New England. He’s been caning chairs and teaching caning for over 40 years. He has done all types of patterns and materials that are woven on a chair.
Susana McDonnell (LinoCave)
Susana is a Boston-based printmaker and teacher. She earned her BFA at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Upon completing her own studies, Susana taught art to junior high and high school students. While teaching relief printing, she began to study it herself. Eventually she decided to concentrate on lino printing. She looks forward to continuing to build her home-based printmaking business called LinoCave.
Suzi Ballenger
Suzi received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and has worked in New England as a weaver and teaching artist since 1996. She has invented and trademarked specialized tools for weaving. Suzi’s love of thread and fiber informs her research in weaving and hand paper-making and was supported by workshops at HoMA (Honolulu Museum of Art); and an internship at Dieu Donné in Brooklyn. She is a president of the board of directors for the Handweavers Guild of America, Inc., an organization with more than 3,500 members.
Suzi Cozzens
Suzi’s work consists of a series of small assemblages using fragments, ephemera and relics of curiosity. Additionally, she creates small trinket boxes for others to house their treasures in.
Torin Mathieu
Torin is an artisan jeweler, which she sees as wearable self-expression, armor for the mind and body and a pick-me-up against the world’s disarray. She holds a BFA from the University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, and an MFA from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. She has designed costume jewelry for Swarovski, Swank, Arden, among others.
Virginia Mead
Virginia Mead joined the Handicraft Club in 1973 and is a native Rhode Islander. She comes from creative ancestors who encouraged her to try all her own creative expressions from an early age. Her first, at age ten, was a blouse with gusseted set-in sleeves which she created unaided! She began teaching sewing and needlepoint at other places before teaching decoupage at the Handicraft Club. Before teaching at the Handicraft Club, she taught pediatric nursing at Rhode Island Hospital after finishing her education at Columbia.The Handicraft Club offers new challenges and community.