Heading 5
Heading 5
ARTS CATALOG OF PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS
Jennifer Aquirre
Jennifer Aguirre’s love of puppetry began as a child and blossomed through her own children~ experience of Waldorf Education. She performs puppetry throughout our greater community and teaches the art to both adults and children. She teaches a curriculum-based “Puppetry Through the Grades” program for Sierra Waldorf School.
209-532-5098
aacorngarden@gmail.com
Kandi Angermiller
Kandi Angermiller taught kindergarten at Curtis Creek Elementary for 31 years. She had great success with this program in her classes. She attended the Institute of the Arts workshops held at the University of the Pacific. She believes everyone is an artist, and that this program gives children an opportunity to experience the artist within.
209-928-3742
Sifu Berchtold
Sifu Berchtold grew up in Switzerland and has been teaching pottery to groups of children and adults for many years in her studio, in classrooms, and at Amazing Glaze, now Out of Hand Creative Arts Center in Sonora. Her work is sold commercially throughout the local area.
209-586-6271
sifuberchtold@hotmail.com
Molli Cantrall
Molli Cantrall holds degrees in Fine Art and Child Development. This combined training allows Molli a unique capacity to teach the fundamentals of art to children and youth of all ages. She has also been designing and painting murals for 18 years, and has worked on numerous private, commercial and community projects in the area.
209-432-8076
missmollijoymc@gmail.com
Lucas Michael Chandler
Born in Clovis, Lucas graduated from a top acting conservatory, then moved to Sonora to Work for Sierra Repertory Theater. He acted in 11 shows, designed props for 4, and had his hands on 20 plus other shows. He was the Assistant Director of the SRT Jr Program during his tenure at SRT. Lucas Is a well rounded enthusiastic actor and teacher who thrives in all environments. He has a gift for teaching those students who want to learn about all aspects of theater. With an extensive dance and music background, he can offer a comprehensive theater curriculum. One of his specialties is the ability to make Shakespeare fun and accessible to most any age group! Some of his other class offerings are: juggling/clowning, improv, voice and speech, movement, musical theate and choreography. Prices vary depending on the number of students, duration of the session, and what will be taught. Note: There may be an additional Travel cost.
Captainlucaschandler@gmail.com
Joslyne Chapman
Joslyne Chapman is a local artist from Tuolumne County. She began her artistic journey as a student of Sierra Waldorf School, were a deep love for watercolor painting was nourished. She developed a deeper understanding of art, as Dianne Stearns became her art instructor and later mentor for several years. Joslyne went on to study several mediums at Columbia college & Cabrillo College. Her favorite subject is watercolor portraits. She has been featured internationally in online artist blogs, and continues to share her work at local businesses.
209-352-8397
Dianna Craig
Dianna Craig holds a BFA from Humboldt State University and has been making and performing with masks for more than 20 years. She performed with the Constance Street Stage Company, based in New Orleans, for three years, and has taught for the Davis Art Center and Davis Waldorf School in California. She is currently a member of the Voice of the Wood, a storytelling, music, and mask movement performance group.
530-753-8435
dedecraig@yahoo.com
Sarah Cuthill
Sarah grew up in Castro Valley in the Bay Area and attended 10 years of ceramics classes at Adobe Art Center. She attended Rhode Island School of Design majoring in Animation. She hasalso spent the last 15 years teaching ceramics and pottery wheel at Jamestown Elementary and 13 years as a visual art teacher and assistant director for Summer Arts Camp in Columbia and Sonora.
She has instructed grades K-8 in acrylic painting, watercolor, drawing, cartooning, and more at several schools: Soulsbyville School, Columbia Elementary, Belleview Elementary, Jamestown Elementary, and Chinese Camp School. Her artistic passion lies in ceramics and painting, but like most artists, her interests are mercurial and so she is well versed in many visual arts mediums. The sky is the limit on art lesson ideas and mediums.
(209)286-9767
sarahmelisse@gmail.com
PO Box 133, Mountain Ranch, CA 95246
Lisa Folsom Delacy (Smithson)
Lisa holds a BFA in Printmaking and painting from the University of Texas. She has maintained her printmaking/painting studio in her many moves over the years. As a teacher for grades 1 through 6, she has taught basic book making. In 2005, she started another new life, moving her printing press and painting studio back to remote Northern California and began working as a Museum Curator for the State of California. She is a working musician, and full time mother currently residing in Columbia, California.
(209) 206-3569
Mark and Bear Dyken
The Dyken brothers have been playing music together since childhood, touring steadily since 1987 with their band Clan Dyken. They have released six albums on the Forward Productions record label and are considered a local treasure here in the Sierra foothills, performing in both large and small venues, as well as teaching in schools. Their work is influenced by a wide variety of music including Native American, African, Latin and Reggae.
209-559-0802
mark@clandyken.com
Marilyn Hobbs
Marilyn Hobbs holds a BA degree in English from Portland State University and has taught in California for 35 years. She has had a career-long interest in introdUcing students to art and great artists in the classroom, and she has assisted in the development of programs and teaching tools for arts education projects at both Sonora and Soulsbyville Elementary Schools.
209-532-6538
mmhobbs@gmail.com
Patrick Karnahan
Patrick Karnahan has been playing music for more than 30 years. He is a professional musician and painter whose instrumental repertoire includes banjo, guitar, concertina, melodeon, and trumpet. He is a master storyteller through his vocals and songwriting, and his Black Irish Band is included in the California Arts Council’s Touring program.
209-532-8375
blackirish28@hotmail.com
Tracy Knopf
Tracy Knopf was born in Turlock, California. She Graduated from California State University at Stanislaus in 1992 with a degree in Fine Art. Tracy is a quilter, mosaic artist, sculptor and muralist, and created the mural at the Tuolumne County Childrens’ Library. She loves working with children and is hoping to share her art with the children of Tuolumne County. “Protecting wildlife and preserving our clear streams and alpine lakes is of utmost importance to me. From found hubcaps to broken fine china, making art from recycled items helps me, in a small way , to give back to nature.”
209- 459-0244
Ivanthe1@att.net
Louise McPeeters
Louise McPeeters earned her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance and theater and has done graduate work in music and visual art. She is a certified Orff-Schulwerk Instructor. She was a teacher of the Visual and Performing Arts at Curtis Creek School for 33 years. Since her retirement in 2008, she has been teaching various arts classes including Orff-Schulwerk, a music education technique, voice, piano, guitar and visual art. She also teaches teachers through the California Arts Project and is involved in advocating for the arts in education.
209-928-1515
louisal@frontiernet.net
Ian Nandhra
Ian Nandhra and Jolene Alquist run the “Steps To Dance” studio in the tranquility of Sonora in the California Gold Country foothills. We are fortunate enough to have a 1500 sq ft purpose-built facility in a very tranquil area – “its like dancing in the trees” commented one couple.
DVIDA Certified in American Smooth, Latin and Rhythm styles, we continue to study and certify as Professional Instructors under the mentorship and instruction of Diane Jarmolow, the founder and director of the nationally acclaimed Ballroom Dance Teachers College. Diane is widely regarded as the nation’s premier expert on dance teacher training.
We aim to make our classes fun, entertaining and instructional in a supportive and nurturing environment. Our results speak for themselves.
209 533 2384
http://www.stepstodance.com
Lisa Nelson
Lisa Nelson, Native American artist, owns and operates Crow Girls Beads in Sonora where she teaches beading. Lisa’s Blackfeet heritage is evident in all of her creations, and she is one of the few artists who continues the authentic Northern Plains beading technique. Lisa has contracts with Doth Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks.
209-536-9010
Shelley Oeverndiek
For close to 40 years, Shelley Oeverndiek has used music as an educational tool to help children discover and love the world around them. A longtime resident of Tuolumne County, Shelley works towards involving others to love and encourage the understanding of music. She helps children discover three basic fundamentals of music — beat, rhythm and pitch — which enables them to develop basic music skills, reading music and to make their own music. Shelley loves to share her passion of music with the next generation and her mantra is simple: “Making music makes me happy!”
cell 209 352-2826 home 209 532-5021
shelleyoonbighill@msn.com
David Rainwater
Dave takes everyone on an exciting musical journey back to the days of the California gold rush and historical times of the 19th century. Using a variety of folk instruments Dave includes songs from the mining days, frontier favorites and adds important historical anecdotes which complement 3rd, 4th and 5th grade curriculums. In addition to presenting lively, musical history, Mr. Rainwater’s class repetoire includes a participatory show for grades 3 through 8, that will inspire young students to pursue learning to play the instrument!
Download a pdf of Dave Rainwater’s 2015 Arts in Schools Programs HERE
209-743-9352
www.huckleberryfiddler.com
strumbug@aol.com
Cynthia Restivo
Cynthia Restivo combined her love of tales with her dramatic flair to become one of the most cherished treasures of both children and adults in Tuolumne County. She has taken her stories to festivals, libraries, social and professional gatherings, campfire circles and schools. She received a Parent’s Choice Gold Award for a CD she released with the Story Quilters. Cynthia performs regularly throughout the Western States and in 2005 performed at the National Storytelling Festival. She conducts storytelling/theatre residencies throughout Central California.
209-533-8624
restivo@mlode.com
Dominick Restivo
Bio coming soon.
(209) 743-1456
Peg Reza
Peg Reza is the youngest of ten children. Her mother, a school teacher, immersed her own kids in a life filled with imagination, artistry and delightful fun. As a result, Peg was born to create! She has been playing music professionally for 37 years. In 1990 she founded the Blue Shoes Band, and shortly after she picked up the ukulele and made it a star of the band. Together the Blue Shoes Band toured throughout Central California, Florida, Hawaii and was featured at the Strawberry Music Festival. In 2005 Peg started teaching private and group ukulele lessons. Very soon she founded the Blue Shoes Auxiliary Ukulele Orchestra, a community ukulele performance group with 15 performers giving shows extensively year-round. Peg teaches for the Asilomar Ukulele Retreat & West Coast Music Camp in Pacific Grove, CA, California Coast Music Camp in Auburn, CA, and Camp ookoolaylay in Pinecrest, CA.
209-532-8799
BlueShoesUke@gmail.com
Dianna Sanders
Diana Sanders is an enrichment teacher who believes in delivering concrete and aesthetic experiences to kids. Knowing that she has helped increase the development of sensory perception in children of all ages is the most rewarding process imaginable for her. Children learn to express their ideas and share their knowledge in her classes. She uses C.R.I.S.P.A. elements in all lesson plans; Connections, risk-taking, imagination, sensory experience, perceptivity and active engagement. These elements, when consistently applied to classes, ensures that classes are memorable, which improves a child’s ability to learn. Diana tailors the learning experience to the student’s ability and creates a very positive environment in her arts and craft classes. She is currently the director of Learning With Crafts, whose mission is to bring the joy of crafts and hobbies to children.
209-288-8163
director@learningwithcrafts.com
Gini Seibert
Gini Seibert’s focus has been on pottery for over 30 years. She owned and operated Pottery Plus, a retail pottery shop, for 21 years, and developed a successful line of wholesale pottery while teaching both children and adults in schools, camps, and hospitals. Her focus is to serve community groups by integrating innovative clay experiences into programs and curriculum.
209-533-1309
gseibertarts@gmail.com
BZ Smith, Storyteller
BZ grew up sharing stories with friends. At 27 she became one of California’s first professional storytellers. Storytelling guided her to become a librarian, a teacher, and even a puppeteer. This year she marked her 10,550 storytelling program! Today she feels right at home with any size or age audience: From 2000 people at a festival to a handful of toddlers. Her stories range from folktales, historic pieces, personal stories, and original tales, that she has written. For each program she selects the best stories for each audience. BZ received a 2011 National Storytelling Network Oracle Award, the 2018 Storytelling Association of California’s “Regional Gem Award,” a 2005 Tuolumne County Teacher of the Year Award, and numerous national awards for her storytelling recordings. BZ has a deep respect for the rich stories that weave images of the world’s cultures, and honors the immense healing power of stories. “From laughter to tears, stories connect us and encourage us to find out common ground.” Give your students the chance to hear this National Treasure, who lives in our own backyard.
CLASSROOM PROGRAMS FOR UP TO 60 STUDENTS: $180
SMALL ASSEMBLIES, 75 TO 200: $350
LARGE ASSEMBLY, UP TO 300: $400
209.559.7697
bzsmith@me.com
Dianne Stearns
Dianne Stearns has been a Fine Art Instructor in Tuolumne County for twenty-two years. She is well known for her watercolor paintings shown in galleries and private collections around the United States. Dianne’s initial career of being a nurse was changed by the skill of Calligraphy. The art allowed her to change her professional focus to become a graphic artist and freehand glass engraver. Designing business cards for hospitals, Doctors and many other businesses, it met her objective of creating a home based business so she could raise her son at home. Her artistic career blossomed and finally led to her passion of teaching. Although Dianne still creates and shows her paintings in galleries, she is devoted to teaching children and adults how to truly See this beautiful world through the arts.
Cell: 209 559 1324
StearnsDesign@gmail.com
Mark Stoltenberg
Mark Stoltenberg released “Tuolumne County Fathers and Sons” in October of 2005. This 80 minute radio play on CD features local actors and musicians and has been received with enthusiastic acclaim. The educational show is a 40 minute version of this radio play and includes three of the original songs.
209-928-3436; 768-3441
stoltenberg@mlode.com
Ilene Tassano
Dancing is a great way to exercise, stimulate the brain and learn social skills. Students of all ages will learn dance steps, including frame, technique and styling.
The instructor, Ilene, has had 18 years of dance experience and has taught the Ballroom and Swing dance classes at Columbia College for 10 years, danced in showcase performances and judged at local events. Ilene teaches with her husband, Jim, so both leader and follower parts can be observed in relationship to the dance.
209-532-1859
wingstodance@yahoo.com
Vicki Vermeer
Local horsewoman Vicki Vermeer specializes in creating fun, funky, unique gemstone, metal and natural jewelry and embellishing horseshoes.
209-298-1184