TMA Educators
Attention Artists & Art Educators!
The Trout Museum of Art is always looking for qualified artists and art educators to lead courses throughout the year. Classes draw students of all ages from pre-schoolers to seniors looking to explore their own creativity in a variety of mediums. Interested educators should contact the Education Coordinator, Valerie Medina.
Cristian Andersson is an artist who works out of Matchbook Studio in Appleton, Wis. While he primarily creates abstract oil paintings, in 2016 he started branching off into installation and performance pieces that deal with contemporary concerns: the overwhelming nature of our news, navigating interpersonal communication as it becomes more abstracted through social media, and the balance between notions of the self and the greater community. He is also involved in community art events: curating small exhibitions of local artists, teaching classes to middle and high school students, and working with students from UW-Oshkosh in an annual off-campus invitational exhibition.
Stephanie Harvey is a Wisconsin born visual artist with a passion for promoting the arts in her community. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. It is here that she fell in love with printmaking and got back to working in the photography darkroom. More recently, she began doing embroidery and some mixed media fiber projects which incorporate her love of crochet, sewing and general love of crafts and weird “is this art?” type of things. Stephanie enjoys the enthusiasm that comes from teaching, exploring and engaging the community in art. She owns her own photography business, Boomerang Portraits, which specializes in black and white journalistic, storytelling portraiture of children and families.
Irineo Medina is a working artist currently residing in Kaukauna, WI. Irineo enjoys working in a wide range of media including but not limited to printmaking, drawing, painting, and photography. He is a strong believer in restorative justice and community advocacy. He uses art as a vehicle to share life experiences, to teach, and to uplift as part of that journey. He is interested in the relationship of people and their environment. He explores how the environment we exist in molds our mindset. Irineo uses this analytical approach of humans, both in studying others and introspectively, to form the basis of his creative ideas.
Amy Rieder is a visual artist and educator with a passion for teaching a wide variety of art media, techniques, and history to all ages. Amy has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Art Education) from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and has been teaching art for 15 years. Being a visual art teacher has allowed her to use and teach a wide variety of art media but her passion is woodcut or linoleum printmaking and paper collage. Along with teaching painting, drawing, 2D, and 3D art techniques, Amy also teaches Graphic Design at the high school level.
Andrew is an artist and musician residing in Madison, Wisconsin. He was inspired to begin drawing and painting at a young age by his grandfather and uncles. His music and art blend his love of fantasy and science fiction with his personal experiences. His works often explore the theme of mortality and the relationship between humankind and technology. He works primarily within the mediums of drawing and painting, but has recently delved into graphic design and video editing. Andrew’s work can be found on the album cover’s of obscure metal bands and in the hallways of local breweries.
Jessica Lomena is a self-taught watercolor artist and small business owner of Jlowatercolor. A Wisconsin native, her artwork is often centred on the natural world and rooted in themes of balance. She is passionate about supporting local artists and is the creator of the Oshkosh Art Collective.
Alyssa Burke is a macrame artist and painter. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and currently resides in the Fox Valley. Art has always been a way for her to practice mindfulness. She believes that everyone can benefit from diving into the creative process and is passionate about making art accessible to all.
Tracey holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is an art director, graphic designer, illustrator, and muralist whose work has been recognized nationally by Archive magazine. She believes everyone has an artist within and finds great inspiration in helping others express their creativity.
Tyler Helfrich is an Appleton, Wisconsin artist focusing on sculpture, collage, sound, writing, and collaboration, but works in painting, multimedia, photography, glass, fashion design, and film. Tyler is currently a full-time artist and entrepreneur, creating art and events of many expressions in and around the Fox Valley. Influence of his recent art and events include archaeology, language, science, and philosophy of the human body, mind, and spirit. He received his BFA with an emphasis in Printmaking from UW-Stout. His current mission is to shake up the Wisconsin culture through art!
Valerie Medina is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of Oshkosh Wisconsin. She is a working artist residing in the Fox Valley. She pulls inspiration from life around her to create work that connects reality with narrative that offers a space for ideas and imagination to live. Her thoughtful use of realism allows the viewers to connect and delve deeper into her work.
Hannah Darling Fenn is an Oregon born poet now living in Appleton, Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in creative writing from Southern Oregon University. She is fascinated with the wordless language of art poets somehow catch with words and the mysterious realm in the psyche where poems are sourced. Much of her work is inspired by the human spirit’s connection with nature, meditative states, and mythology. Hannah sees poetry as an anchor to intuition and wholeness of the self. She also likes to meld mediums, pairing her poems with paintings, dried floral art, and photography. Her poems have appeared in various publications.
Hannah is an independent artist, small business owner and an Art Educator for the Kaukauna Area School District. She has a Bachelor of Fine arts with an emphasis in figure drawing and art metals from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Her current focus is botanical illustrations combined with contrasting geometric shapes. Her philosophy is that art is an intrinsically natural human experience whether a creator, explorer, or observer. The creation or enjoyment of art plays an important part in the mental and emotional wellness of our communities. Her art is inspired by the contrast of our experience of nature (represented by the botanicals in her art) and the restrictions in society(represented by the geometric shapes in her art). Her goal is to spread beauty and the joy of art making in her community.
Emily Spence is a local, passionate seamstress who was taught by her loving grandmother before building on her skills at UW – Eau Claire in their Costume Shop for the Theater Department. After graduation, she became an alterations specialist at David’s Bridal to gain more technical experience. Her initial interest in sewing originated from her love for cosplay – most often characters from anime – but she has designed and created her own and others’ clothing in addition to doing alterations out of her home.
Kari is the nature artist & educator behind The Seed Guild, a local business that strives to lead others back to a connection with the Earth. Blending the arts, sustainability, intentional living and community collaboration are currently fueling her creative endeavors. Kari holds a BA from UW-Milwaukee in Studio Arts, this has led her on an eclectic artistic journey blending environmental art, ceramics, sculpture, photography, eco printing and herbalism. Kari believes that some of the most profound teachings and healing come from working in reverence with the world all around us.
Nick has been involved in photography since taking one free class available to staff members while working at UW Stout in the ‘70’s. He taught in the Art Department at Knox College from 1977 to 1985, where he started working with pinhole photography after arranging a workshop with Ruth Thorne-Thomsen, an internationally exhibited pinhole photographer. In 1992, working in instructional technology at UW Oshkosh, along with a chemistry professor, he received a grant to develop a set of lessons for elementary schools that used pinhole photography to illustrate numerous principles of chemistry and physics. That eventually led to offering summer pinhole photography classes in the University’s GOAL program for kids in 2000. That rekindled his obsession with creating photographs, since then almost exclusively practiced with a pinhole camera.
Elyse-Krista Mische is a mixed media artist residing in Appleton Wisconsin. She is currently pursuing an MS degree in Thanatology (Death Studies) with the goal of providing creative death education and resourcing. She promotes community engagement through collaboration, teaching, and residencies. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally. Elyse-Krista serves as the acting chair of the Appleton Public Art Committee where she advocates for inclusive and diverse public art while creating her own small and large scale works for Appleton area residents, businesses, and celebrations.
I am from the Milwaukee, WI area and I moved to Madison, WI to earn my undergraduate degree in marketing. In 2000, I earned a master’s degree in management, training and organizational development. But besides a mother and wife, what I really am is a life-long artist who found myself in a non-creative career for over 25 years.
After a potentially terminal cancer diagnosis in 2006 permanently sidelined me from my 25 year management career, I decided to follow my creative heart and began to explore a new medium: metal clay. This medium is easy on my sore hands and joints and I feel a sense of accomplishment every time I complete a piece. The uniqueness of this material allows me to add fingerprints, paw prints and even handwriting directly into the silver. Most of my sales are to people who have lost someone and want to capture a piece of him or her within the silver of an heirloom piece. I now believe it’s my calling to help these people through a particularly difficult time.
I love working with silver…it’s my Zen place.
Leah Huff graduated from UW Oshkosh with a Bachelors of Science degree. She began photographing close friends as a hobby her sophomore year which has now become her full time profession for the past 10 years! She mainly photographs growing families, engagements, maternity, newborns, senior portraits and weddings. She also commissions various types of art with special emphasis on pet portraits. She enjoys spending her free time using her creative brain doing anything Harry Potter related, whether that be making themed home decor or dressing up as characters and photo editing magical content within! She has been teaching painting classes for the past 6 years and loves sharing techniques on how to blend acrylic paints, hold your brushes, different brush strokes, and more! Creating is good for the soul.
Debra Morningstar, professional storyteller, fiber artist, and Oneida Tribal citizen has presented Native storytelling performances, Keynotes, and Earth-based healing workshops across the US and Canada for the past 28 years. Some of Debra’s past work includes cultural residencies in Elementary and Middle schools throughout Wisconsin and beyond, Cultural sensitivity trainings for Educators, Librarians, University Diversity programs, Department of Corrections, Mental Health, Sexual/Domestic Violence organizations, AODA services, Veterans Services, Native American Urban Indian Centers, National and regional Storytelling and Art organizations. Additionally, Debra’s CD, Tales From the Lodge, a collection of Native American children’s stories, was nominated in 2008 for a Native American Music Award (NAMA).
Jeff Zdrale is a self-taught artist using watercolor and water-mixable oil in his work. The winner of numerous awards, his work and is exhibited by several galleries in the Fox Valley. In addition to years of teaching students of all ages, Jeff has recently focused on teaching watercolor classes for special needs adults in the area.
Kay Kobussen is a self-taught artist who used trauma to begin her creative journey. In 2015 she began weaving sculptural pieces with metal and sinew. The process helped her focus on the present moment and provided a healing environment to explore her emerging artistic ability. In 2021 she created a large piece for a Trout Museum community art event. Her
transition to weaving baskets has opened up a new process that incorporates her desire to continue using new media in the construction of three-dimensional shapes. She also plays piano and considers music an essential part of her creative process. Kay is a graduate of UW-Oshkosh (2016) with an MA in English. She is an Appleton native who also lived in Vancouver BC and Arizona. She welcomes the opportunity to share her skills as TMA educator. More of her work can be seen on Instagram under “Redbird Creatures”. She is also available for
commissioned work.
transition to weaving baskets has opened up a new process that incorporates her desire to continue using new media in the construction of three-dimensional shapes. She also plays piano and considers music an essential part of her creative process. Kay is a graduate of UW-Oshkosh (2016) with an MA in English. She is an Appleton native who also lived in Vancouver BC and Arizona. She welcomes the opportunity to share her skills as TMA educator. More of her work can be seen on Instagram under “Redbird Creatures”. She is also available for
commissioned work.