TMA Educators
TMA’s art education workshops and camps are all taught by local, professional artists! TMA contracts with each artist, making each class offering unique and mediums diverse.
Attention Artists & Art Educators!
TMA 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.
Neo Medina is a working artist currently residing in Kaukauna, WI. Neo 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. Neo uses this analytical approach of humans, both in studying others and introspectively, to form the basis of his creative ideas.
Gretchen Wood holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and is currently a graduate student at Edgewood College in Madison, WI pursuing a MA in Art Therapy. Gretchen works out of Soulflower Studio in Appleton and her paintings tend to focus on nature themes and animal subjects with bold colors, organic shapes, and floral motifs. Her passion is to spread a message of hope and healing through the arts. She loves both teaching and creating, helping others to develop skills they can use to enrich their lives.
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.
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.
Alyssa Burke is owner and maker at Songbird Spirals. She creates unique macramé art, plant hangers, wall shelves, and other fun accessories.
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.
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 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.
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.
Craig holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University Long Beach and a Masters of Fine Art degree from Louisiana State University. He is an Associate Professor of Art at UWO where he has been teaching ceramics for the last thirteen years. He has also taught ceramics and art at California State University Long Beach, USC, Mississippi Valley State University. He exhibits his work nationally and internationally and has been included in the 2007 and 2009 World Ceramic Biennial in South Korea as well as, Ceramic Top 40, and is a past artist in residence at The Archie Bray Foundation, in Helena Montana and c.r.e.t.a. Rome, in Rome Italy. He is currently in the studio working for a number of group and solo exhibitions.
Shelby Siebers is a member of the Oneida Nation who currently resides in Appleton Wisconsin. Shelby has been beading for 9 years after learning from her mother and other community members along the way. She is continuing to learn, grow, and find love and passion for beadwork. She uses beadwork as a means to feel connected to her culture, to share her culture with others, and to spread love and joy to people who wear her beadwork. The most important thing she has learned in this art form is to bead with a good mind and heart. Shelby creates projects such as beaded wristlets, beaded lanyards, earrings, hoop earrings, and keychains.
Shelby is passionate about teaching the younger generation of Native youth and others how to bead. Seeing others learn the cultural significance and practice their culture brings so much happiness and pride to Shelby.
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.
Mel Kolstad is an artist, speaker, instructor, and arts advocate who makes her home in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She is a printmaker, collagist, fiber artist, and papermaker, specializing in tiny art. She is also delighted to be a Certified Papermaker for Arnold Grummer, Inc.; a member of Wisconsin Visual Artists – Northeast Chapter; a member of ArtSpace Collective in Oshkosh; and curator for the Langdon Divers Gallery, located inside the Fond du Lac Public Library. She has also given a talk for TEDx Fonddulac about her artwork.
Mel has participated in many artist residencies throughout Wisconsin and also teaches various classes all over the state.
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.
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.
Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ray attended UW – Green Bay & UW – Oshkosh where his field of study was the fine arts. His main focus being classical drawing & printmaking.
For 10 years he worked inside the comic book industry, working full time as the Art Director for Kitchen Sink Press, where he worked with artists such as Will Ebner (Spirit), Harvey Kurtzman (Mad Magazine / Playboy), Milton Caniff (Steve Canyon), Mark Schultz (3 Time Best Artist), Kevin Eastman (Ninja Turtles), Pete Poplaski, Denis Kitchen, and Charles Burns.
His Freelance client list includes Dark Horse, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Fantagraphic Books, Eclipse Comics, & CPM LTD.
Currently, he has focused on his freelance career, displaying his drawing and paintings throughout Wisconsin.
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).
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”.
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”.
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.