VISUAL ARTS INSTRUCTORS

Leigh Pawling has taught art privately, in group studios, colleges, and special art programs for over thirty years with a focus on drawing and painting.

Gina Rice holds a Master of Fine Arts and has spent the past 30 years teaching at levels ranging from kindergarten to college. Gina is best known for her free-form expressive wearables in crochet wire jewelry and felted garments, as well as hand-built ceramic sculptures.

Earl Lehman conducted residencies statewide since 1982 in schools K-12, community settings, in Veterans’ Homes, senior centers and hospitals. “I love what I do and people can tell. The music parts project I did with third graders, hundreds of them, was a blast!”

Lindsay George is an awardwinning children’s book writer and illustrator. For the past 35 years, she has lectured and presented at national literacy conferences and events.

Stefanie Colarusso is an interdisciplinary visual artist who works with educators and community organizers to design STEAM-based curricula. Additionally, she is a folk art practitioner with over 30 years of experience as a traditional Pysanky artist.

Mark Ciocca has an extensive background in art education at local, state, and national levels. His printmaking work has been exhibited and published both nationally and internationally.

Sunday Olaniyi is a Multi-Award winning Nigerian born contemporary multimedia visual artist, and fine art instructor. He is exploring in various painting techniques, craft, sculpture, and the use of beads as a craft oriented medium.

Debra Dick is a visual artist and designer with thirty years of experience specializing in calligraphy, lettering, book arts, and illustration. She uses letterforms, hand-made books, and paper arts in her workshops to help people of all ages discover world cultures, historical periods, and personal heritage.

PERFORMING ARTS INSTRUCTORS

Erin Malloy has performed in musicals across the country and even at sea. She is currently a freelance singer and guest vocalist and teaches private voice lessons.

Quin Hemphill a Scranton native, earned her BFA in Acting from Syracuse University. Select theater credits include Bank of America Tour, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With on screen credits including Lifetime Network’s “Killer Competition” and “Gothic Slayers.” as well as most recently shot as a principal character in “Bad Boys 4,” starring Will Smith produced by Columbia Pictures.

Billye Kubiak has performed on Broadway, in regional theatre, in commercials, and on television. She has directed and choreographed over 30 musicals and show choirs for students of all ages, and conducts lectures and motivational workshops for children and educational professionals.

Matthew Lynady is a professional dancer/ choreographer living in NYC. He has performed across a variety of stages including The Radio City Christmas Spectacular and The Femuline World Tour starring Todrick Hall.

Jessica Cadden Osborne has performed as both a professional dancer and actor on stage and in film since 2006, including as a Radio City Rockette from 2008-2015. Jessica holds a BFA in Jazz Dance Performance.

Jennifer Cadden LaFrance, a professional ballet dancer, is a graduate of The University of The Arts and danced professionally in NYC as a Soloist for The Metropolitan Opera Ballet.She performed in Billy Joel & Twyla Tharp’s Broadway Show Movin’ Out and danced in Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular in Nashville, Tennessee at the Grand Ole Opry.

Jessi Teevan holds a B.A. in Theater and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. She has participated in several local theater projects in a multitude of capacities, including most recently directing Morning’s at Seven (Actor’s Circle).

Conor Kelly O’Brien is an actor, theatre-maker and arts advocate. Conor has performed Off-Broadway as well as a few small TV roles. Conor has performed or seen his original works performed on stages across the country and Great Britain.

Julio Alegria has danced for companies and choreographers in Mexico, Canada, Europe and the US including Dance Theater of Harlem, Alabama Ballet ,Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Gelsey Kirkland Studio Co , Merce Cunningham etc. He is currently on staff at Ballet Theatre of Scranton.

Tara Middleton is a 2019 and 2022 Pew Fellowship nominated vocalist, violinist, and lyricist, and a 2021 Doris Duke Foundation/NYC Community Trust Grant Recipient.

Conor McGuigan is an actor and writer from Scranton. He performs throughout the area and off-Broadway and has written and directed several of his own shows.

Stephen Murphy is a composer, performer, and music director based in NYC. He is also the frontman for the indie pop/rock band Modern Ties.

Jesse Pimentel began acting at a young age. First as a hobby, then later in life as a profession. Acted in multiple Film, TV, Theater and Motion capture projects such as: Resident Evil Bio Hazard, Resident Evil Village, Law and Order, The Endgame, Marvel, Pledge, and Hara Kiri.

Jenny Hill is a professional circus artist with skills in multi hoop performance and clowning, and she is a published poet. She’s been a rostered teaching artist for 23 years. You may find some of her work online at actsofjennius.com.

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