Faculty
mike berlinski
Mike Berlinski has been drawing and painting since childhood, primarily with oil paints in the plein air tradition, focusing on the Farmington Valley, Cape Cod, and Cape Ann. MA. He has taught and exhibited in Connecticut and beyond. In addition to teaching, Berlinski paints commissions for those with a special scene they love.
brian colbath:
Colbath is an accomplished artist working in greater Hartford for over twenty years with numerous commissions for artwork and murals. In 2003 he won the Connecticut Watercolor Society first place award. Colbath is represented by the David James Gallery in Glastonbury, the James Stephen Gallery in Farmington, and Vanderbilt Gallery in Nantucket. He was one of three artists to paint the Ed Johnetta Miller murals on the Art League grounds. colbathcolors.com
jenni freidman
An East Hartford native and West Hartford resident, Freidman earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford in West Hartford, and a Master in Fine Art from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She has taught at Naugatuck Valley Community College, Trinity College and Hartford Art School, where she was an Assistant Professor for 13 years. Teaching Printmaking, Drawing and Book Arts she instructed students in Intaglio, Monotype, Relief, book binding/book arts, and all kinds of drawing. Freidman attended workshops in woodcut in the U.S. and in Florence, Italy, and is the recipient of scholarships, fellowships and grants.
carol ganick:
Ganick is a Connecticut artist and painting teacher. A graduate of Boston University, she was a Connecticut Watercolor Society Award Winner in 1999, 2001 and 2004. She specializes in teaching traditional beginning and intermediate watercolor technique. Ganick is actively involved in organizations such as the CT Watercolor Society, the West Hartford Art League and the Farmington Valley Arts Center, and she has taught watercolor, mixed media and abstract painting and has given painting demonstrations through various arts organizations. carolganick.com
elena gibson:
Gibson has been a practicing artist and educator for over 15 years. Her work is represented by galleries in Connecticut and Massachusetts. As an experienced art teacher, she has run numerous workshops in CT and MA in a variety of institutions including the West Hartford Art League, Farmington Valley Arts Center, Mandell JCC and New England Felting Supply. Originally from Slovakia, Elena has a background in graphic design.
zbigniew grzyb:
Grzyb graduated from the Academy of Fine Art in Krakow, Poland. He was the 2001 winner of Pollock-Krasner award, and 2001 winner of an individual artist grant from the GHAC. Grzyb has been widely exhibited including one person exhibits at New Britain Museum of American Art. zgrzyb.com
karen israel:
Dynamic composition and a unique viewpoint are the hallmarks of Israel’s pastel paintings. Stylistically she strives for agility and lets the mood and form of the subject dictate her approach. These subjects are rendered with a strong appreciation for the rigors of formal design coupled with a fearless array of color choices. Israel is a nationally recognized, award winning artist. These many honors include Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America, Master Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies, Signature Member and past President of the Connecticut Pastel Society, Artist Member of the Catharine Lorillaird Wolfe Art Club, and Artist Member of the Salmagundi Club, NYC.
deanna johnson:
Johnson is a ceramic artist living and creating in Bloomfield, CT. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Ceramics from the University of Hartford Art School. Her work has been shown in different places throughout the country such as the Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven, CT, the LUX Art Center in Nebraska, at the 18 Hands Gallery in Houston, TX, and the Lorton Arts Foundation in VA.
kelly kelly
Kelly is a stained glass and mosaic artist with over three decades of experience in the craft. Much like Louis Tiffany, Kelly specializes in the stained glass copper foil technique, and you may have seen her mosaic dog "Blossom" in the WeHa Dog Walk. She is passionate about sharing her art and skills with others. You can find her work in local art galleries, markets, shops, and online at artbykellykelly.com
mike laiuppa
Mike is a Connecticut born and based artist who specializes in human and animal portraiture as well as still life. While he has owned and operated NuMi Fitness, LLC since 2014, art has always been an integral part of his life. At an early age, Mike could be found with a pencil and pad of paper in hand. In his teens, he played with oil paint, then moved on to 2D and 3D digital art after college, dabbled in sculpting in his early forties, and finally passed through acrylic paints only to settle back into oil painting once again. His work has been juried into several exhibitions at The Lyme Art Association, Hudson Valley Art Association, as well as sold at The Finer Line Gallery in Mystic, CT. Mike is also an active member of the Portrait Society of America.
joe nicorici:
Nicorici grew up in the Greater Hartford area. He graduated from Kingswood-Oxford in 1999 and went on to study at the University of Rhode Island. More recently he graduated from the Hartford Art School with a BFA in painting. His work has been in exhibitions and galleries in Connecticut and New York. His current work focuses on the figure, the everyday and time — drawing influence from classical Renaissance, the history of painting and his own family history.
bob noreika:
Noreika is a national award winning artist and graduate of Paier College of Art. He is a member of the Salmagundi Club (New England), Connecticut Watercolor Societies, and Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts. Noreika was the 2004 second prize winner of the New England Watercolor Society Show in Bennington, Vermont. He is also a childrens book illustrator whose work includes Marsh Morning and Off to the Fair. robertnoreika.com
beth reynolds:
Reynolds graduated from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with degrees in Art History and Studio Art. She studied painting and ceramics at workshops and colleges in the United States and England, and has previously taught at Renbrook School, TASIS in England, Groton, and Norfeldt School in West Hartford. Her work is exhibited in galleries in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and England.
mary bramble scott
Mary received her BFA in Ceramics from the University of Connecticut. She has taught ceramics classes to students of all levls at Wesleyan Potters since 2017. See more about her and her work on Instagram: @brambleceramics
shauna shane:
Shane has been a professional painter for over 35 years, a former resident artist at Yellowstone National Park, and was selected in 2008 to be a resident artist at the New Britain Museum of American Art. She has commissions and paintings in collections around the world, including the official portrait of the governor of Montana, completed in 1990. Shane maintains studio in a former button factory located on the Fenton River in Storrs, Connecticut. shauna-shane.com
martha simpson
Martha Simpson is a textile artist who has worked for many years exploring various forms of fiber. Martha”s work has been shown in juried gallery shows in Connecticut and around New England. More recently she has been in the West Hartford Art League’s Fine Art Festival and New Member’s Show. During the past eight years she has taught classes at nearby museums, galleries and community groups.
william simpson
With a BFA and MFA in Painting, Simpson has been represented by galleries in Maine, Connecticut, and Cape Cod, and has won numerous awards in juried shows across Connecticut. He is an Elected Artist at the West Hartford Art League, and CT Academy of Fine Arts, and has placed large scale corporate commissions through CT, NY, and Washington DC. wmsimpson.com
heather neilson:
Heather Neilson is an artist and art educator primarily in abstract painting, collage and art journaling. She has pursued the study of art history and direct art making for the last 25 years, studied at the New York Art Students League and with several master artists. She received her B.A. in Communications from Rutgers University. She is a certified GOLDEN Arts Educator and teaches art workshops to adults and teens in her studio at Whiting Mills in Winsted, CT and throughout the region.
mo myra:
Painting plein-air is Mo Myra’s joy, and watercolor is her favorite medium. When she’s not painting outdoors, she’s working as a full-time commissioned painter and watercolor Instructor for various institutions such as the Farmington Valley Arts Center and the Southington Community Cultural Arts Center. Her work has been included in both local, and national juried completions; most notably as part of the Society of Illustrators Student Competition in New York City. Her paintings can be found in numerous collections throughout the US and worldwide. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Hartford Art School and furthered her exploration of painting and education during a residency at the Farmington Valley Arts Center in 2018. She’s passionate about bringing art to the community and she’s currently an active board member at the Art League of New Britain and a member of the Connecticut Plein Air Society.
melissa meredith:
Melissa Meredith is a professional printmaker/painter with a studio at the Farmington Valley Art Center in Avon, CT. She is represented in both private and corporate collections and has exhibited extensively throughout the U.S. She has a MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY and lives in Bloomfield, CT.
william mccarthy:
An award winning artist, William attended the Columbus College of Art & Design, in Ohio, and took courses in printmaking and Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. He has had solo exhibits in CT, Ohio, Pennsylvania, MA and FL. His work is in collections at Wesleyan University, The Mayo Clinic, Yale art Gallery and the New York Public Library.
edjohnetta miller:
Ed Johnetta Miller began her artistic career as a weaver. Twenty-five years later, in frustration, she destroyed one of her weavings by cutting it into pieces. She then sewed the destroyed weaving back together, stuffed it, and hung it up for display. The result was a transition from one art form to another. After viewing this piece, Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network, suggested Ed try quilting and offered to show her how.
amanda surveski
Amanda is a full-time freelance artist and graphic designer creating wildlife art based on native and local Connecticut species. She works in a variety of media including graphite, watercolor, colored pencil and acrylic. Amanda also develops collections of work inspired by her travels, including places like Iceland and Alaska. She has a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design, has worked for a number of years as a wildlife rehabber, and serves as a wildlife naturalist for Holland America Cruise Line in Southeast Alaska. Amanda teaches drawing and natural journaling privately and in groups for various institutions including the West Hartford Art League
deborah velaquez
Deborah is a graduate of the Colorado Institute of Art and the University of Hartford Entrepreneurial Business program. She has studied textiles and fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, where she received her Millinery Certification, studying under hat legend Ann Albrizio. Her original artworks have been exhibited in numerous galleries and juried shows, and she teaches workshops in her Connecticut studio. A career highlight was when she was invited by The Smithsonian in Washington to speak and facilitate a workshop from her published book
antony zito
Hailing from the woods of Northern Connecticut, Zito has spent 30 years on New York’s Lower East Side. Zito ran a gallery and portrait studio on Ludlow Street through 2006. To New Yorkers, his portraits of the local characters illustrate a sweeping line through the legendary period after the dust settled from the 80s East Village art scene. The New York Post has called his portrait paintings “sensual” and his renderings of people on recycled materials other than canvas have prompted The Village Voice to refer to him as “a master of the found object”. His work has been exhibited and collected throughout the US, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium and Japan. Zito’s portraits and other artwork appear in Jim Jarmusch’s films, “Coffee and Cigarettes” and “Broken Flowers”. Zito is currently working on a documentary film illuminating his corner of the East Village & LES in the 1990s early aughts. www.zitogallery.com
c. dianne zweig:
A contemporary mixed media abstract artist whose artwork is influenced by the organic shapes and abstract designs of 1950s textiles. She is a member of Connecticut Women Artists and a founding member of Mixus, a group of women artists who work in mixed media. Zweig enjoys teaching art classes and workshops to all ages. Also a retired psychotherapist, Dianne is interested in the psychology of the creative process and creative aging. She holds a Master's Degree from Rutgers University and recently was recognized with a Pat Rosoff Award for Abstract Art. cdiannezweig.com
Irene Zytka
After 35 years in education, I’ve discovered my love for abstract art especially mixed media. Opportunities arose to study visually with artists from Australia , Sweden England, Germany and Canada . I love the mixture of collage and paint and am conscious to use recycled materials whenever possible in my artwork. I was honored to place second for at the West Hartford Art League Fine Art Festival in 2022.