Chattanooga-area teaching artists

Not all children are lucky enough to have access to art lessons through their schools. For other children, the hour a week they may spend in school art class just isn’t enough to satisfy their creative spirit. And then there are the children who want to learn something a little different from what’s taught in a traditional classroom setting: storytelling, for example, or sitar.
Chattanooga is blessed with a number of talented artists who help perpetuate their art by teaching others. Below is a list of some teaching artists in and around Chattanooga. (Their names were supplied courtesy of Allied Arts, the Association for Visual Arts and the Rivoli Arts Mill; the artists themselves supplied further information.) All of these artists teach children—and many will teach parents and grandparents, too!

DANCE

Jessica Laliberte Bowman
The International Arts Exchange
IArtExchange.com
423-505-2563
Choreography and master classes and workshops in modern, jazz, tap, musical theatre dance styles, creative movement and BrainDance
Over 15 years’ experience in choreography and teaching modern, jazz, tap and musical theatre dance. Available for master classes, workshops and choreographic residencies. Resume upon request.

Lindsay Fussell
Chattanooga Theatre Centre
TheatreCentre.com; LFussell@comcast.net
423-267-8534
Dance for preschool through adult individuals and couples
Choreography Lindsay Fussell’s classes begin with movement for the youngest students and move through tap, hip-hop, jazz, salsa and more.

Ann Shea, PhD
Barking Legs
AnnShea@peoplepc.com; AnnKShea@yahoo.com
615-631-3551
Ballet, modern dance, creative movement, BrainDance for K–12 and special populations.
Residency explores the tools of making dances with warm-up material, BrainDance.  Movements based on eight developmental patterns humans go through to reach their full potential.

Cinnamon Halbert Smith
Flutterby Dance Theatre
FlutterbyDanceTheatre.com
423-593-1461
Creative movement and modern dance for all ages
A Dance Theatre to create and learn dance techniques, with opportunities to perform throughout the community. Instills discipline and commitment to the arts, while teaching fundamentals.

Lisa DeBoer Tuggle
Sequatchie Dance Theatre
(Dunlap Ballet School & DBS Student Dance Co.)
SequatchieDanceTheatre.org
423-949-3273; 423-554-3746
Classical ballet, pre-ballet and creative movement, modern dance, jazz, preparation for movement, choreography, private coaching
SDT founder and program manager, Lisa teaches and choreographs for Dunlap Ballet School and her award-winning student dance company, both in residence at Sequatchie Dance Theatre.

DRAMA, STORYTELLING

Janis Hashe
Shakespeare Chattanooga
JHashe@earthlink.net; ShakespeareChattanooga.com
423-622-2862
We are available for Shakespeare workshops and presentations with middle- through high-school students.

Colleen Laliberte
Skwalking Heads Productions, Mountain Arts Community Center
Skwalking@hotmail.com; SkwalkingHeads.com
423-544-6534
Storytelling, theatre, puppetry, masks, mime, improvisation
Skwalking Heads makes every performance dynamic and interactive. Storytelling, festivals, parties, parades, masks, mime, improv and puppets teach and entertain.
Professional artists for 25 years.

Jim Pfitzer
Allied Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, Southern Artist Registry
JimPfitzer.com
423-987-0003
Storytelling, writing, communication skills
Using personal stories and fun exercises, Jim unlocks students’ creativity and brings them out of their shells, leaving them eager to write and tell their own tales.

Garry Lee Posey
Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga
GarryPosey@yahoo.com; EnsembleTheatreOfChattanooga.com
423-987-5141
Theatre arts, playwriting
Local theatre professional starting up Chattanooga’s first independent professional theatre company, housed at the St. Andrews Center.

Chuck Tuttle
Chattanooga Theatre Centre
TheatreCentre.com
423-267-8534
Acting and theatre
Comprehensive training for actors at beginning to advanced levels. Young actors begin with puppetry and storytelling and advance through improv, developing characters and beyond.

MUSIC

Christie Burns and Matt Evans
Mountain Music Folk School
MMFolk.com; Christie@mmfolk.com
423-827-8906
We offer group classes for families as well as private lessons in traditional stringed instruments, such as fiddle, banjo, dulcimer and guitar.

Ed Huey
Independent teaching artist
EdHuey1@comcast.net; EdHuey.com
423-903-7621; 423-821-2601
American roots music specializing in early blues guitar and harmonica styles
Interactive lessons include work songs, hambone, women in the blues, jug band, hokum, railroad songs, and regional blues played on guitar, slide guitar, mandolin and harmonica.

Stephen Humphries
StephenHumphries.com
803-237-1422
Percussion, hammered dulcimer
Lessons from a classically trained percussionist and National Hammered Dulcimer Champion for hammered dulcimer, drum set, snare and mallets. Lessons available in
Chattanooga and Cleveland.

Joe Ridolfo
Rahini@comcast.net
706-820-0275
Music of the Cumberlands, music of India with sitar, K–4 life skills on various topics and place-based education about where one lives, Project BASIC
Joe Ridolfo is a performing artist with Allied Arts. He has played folk and East Indian music for school children since 1970.

Shaking Ray Levi Society
MySpace.com/TheShakingRayLevis
MySpace.com/DennisPalmerMusic
Drum workshops

MUSIC/DANCE

Anne Hendrix, Sheri Melton and Maria Mitchell
Kindermusik, Cadek Conservatory
UTC.edu/Kindermusik
423-425-4651
Early childhood music and movement
A music and movement program for children 0–7. Combining methods from Orff, Kodaly and Suzuki, Kindermusik is dedicated to the development of the whole child.

VARIOUS

Kofi and Rebekah Mawuko
Mawre & Co.
Mawre_Co@yahoo.com; MySpace.com/OgyBand; SouthernArtistry.org/MawreAndCompany
423-698-3873
Performances, workshops, residencies, lectures/demonstrations, private and group lessons in traditional and contemporary African dance and drums, African customs and resources; multicultural storytelling, creative writing, arts-n-crafts.

VISUAL ARTS

Larry Bullington
The Masters Studio
LarryJudyBulling@bellsouth.net; TheMastersStudio.com
423-870-5763
With my masters in secondary education I teach all ages and all mediums. My studio in Red bank also offers an Adult Christian Fellowship class.

Katie Coblentz
Allied Arts
KMCSquared97@yahoo.com
423-883-2864
Basic art and intermediate art, fiber arts, papermaking
I have a BFA and an MEd. This enables me to design lessons and projects that follow any curriculum. I teach kindergarten to adults.

Matthew Dutton
AVA member, Hunter Museum studio instructor
MDuttonArt@msn.com, MySpace.com/MDuttonArt; FaceBook.com/MDuttonart
423-544-1163
Painting, drawing, sculpting, mixed media, anything related to visual art
I have taught at the Hunter Museum for four consecutive years in multiple art disciplines. Ages range: 5 years old and up.

Robin Howe
Robin Art
RobinPaint@comcast.net; RobinHoweTownsend.com
423-762-0751
Art teacher, grades 8–12
Specializes in coming to homeschool student groups: painting, mosaics, printmaking, batik, collage, clay workshops, six-week sessions and semester programs. Optional incorporation of literature. .

Frances McDonald
Mark Making
MarkMaking.org
423-266-3041
Mark Making seeks to enhance our community through the creation of public art which are collaborative works with non-professional artists, such as children.

Jas Milam
Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, Rivoli Art Mill
JasMilam.com
423-322-2514
Private and group art lessons and therapeutic art experiences for children, teens and adults
Twenty years’ experience designing and implementing curriculums for Hunter Museum, Parks and Recreation, Hamilton County schools and others. Finishing a master’s in art and art therapy.

Judith Mogul
Studio Arts
StudioArts1.com
423-645-3418
Classes focuses primarily on painting, drawing and sculpture; other projects may include bookmaking, puppetry and collage. Classes for ages 5–12, teens and adults
Classes designed to meet the needs of each student. Emphasis is placed on developing the student’s potentialities, native talent and the ability to see.

Lynda Pritchett
KidzArt Chattanooga
KidzArtTN.com
423-847-6880
Drawing, using mixed media
KidzArt is a fun, drawing-based visual arts program designed to help children become creative thinkers and problem-solvers and expose them to a variety of art mediums.

Steve Terlizzese
The Rivoli Art Mill
MosaicGuy.com; Steve@MosaicGuy.com
423-883-7825
Collage mosaics
Weekend mosaic classes: Nov. 14–15 or Dec. 12–13, for parents with children 12 years and older. Complete three projects. Includes materials and meals.

Evelyn Marie Williams
Art by Evelyn Marie
ArtByEvelynMarie@aol.com
423-605-7235
Create a landscape, still life or animal painting
The fundamentals of light, perspective, paint applications. Emphasis on having fun while learning. Adults/teens, beginning & intermediate students. Materials list available. Soddy Daisy area.

Jane Jones
Allied Arts of Chattanooga, teaching artist
JaneJones007@comcast.net
423-843-1240
Literary and visual arts, grades K–5
Integrating art into language arts, primarily using art prints and works by several famous illustrators of books for children. Mediums: crayons, watercolors, collages and modeling clay.

Claire Vassort
ClaireVassort.com
706-398-9175 or 423-243-7699
Silk painting
Silk painting classes for individuals or small groups. Classes are adequate for children aged 8 and up or adults. No experience necessary. Gift certificates available.

WRITING

Laurie Perry Vaughen
St. Andrews Center
LaurieVaughen@gmail.com
423-629-9872
Poetry and creative writing
Poetry reading of original work; poetry workshops use visual art and historical photographs to engage students in creating original poems; journal writing workshops also available.