Arts & Culture Outreach Instructors

Jessica Anderson (Cooking)

Jessica is a 2003 graduate of SDSU and also teaches Family and Consumer Science at Wausau East High School. Jessica teaches the sequence of Foods courses offered for college credit through Nicolet Area Technical College.

Jane Barnard (Painting)

Jane is a professional artist, a member of the Wisconsin Watercolor Society, the Door County Art League, and the Northwoods Plein Air Painters. She is represented by galleries in Stevens Point and Door County. Jane has a degree in French including a Diplome Annuel from the Sorbonne. http://www.barnardstudio.com/

Carol Bender (Rosemaling)

Carol’s painting experience started locally with "Rosemaling" classes (which is a Norwegian decorative painting) at Midstate Technical College with Norma Splitt and then branched off to the Vesterheim-Norwegian American museum in Decorah, Iowa, Concordia Language Village and the Scandinavian Folk Art School at Scandinavian Marketplace both in Minnesota. She has also studied "Dalamalning" (Swedish decorative painting) at Norskedalen's Heritage Center in Wisconsin, and also in Sweden with Klas Hansper of Nusnas.

She has taught classes in Norwegian Rosemaling, Swedish Dalamalning, and Decorative Furniture painting at Midstate Technical College, Central Wisconsin Cultural Center, Chestnut Avenue for the Arts in Marshfield, Lake Pepin Arts and Design Center, and at Stockholm, Wisconsin’s Swedish Midsommer Festival. She has also been the Rosemaling instructor at the Sons of Norway District 5 Youth Heritage and Language camp in Falls Creek, Wisconsin since 2003.

Amanda David (Tutor)

Amanda is a freshman majoring in English at UW-Stevens Point. She began tutoring as a high school student and is now a math tutor through UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education. She has also worked with students in Kindergarten through Sixth Grade, via a youth outreach program at her church. She first participated in a Life-Size Clue Game while serving on student council.

Elizabeth Fakazis (Cooking)

Elizabeth Fakazis is a professor of culinary journalism and communication & culture at UW-Stevens Point. She is a first-generation Greek-American who has lived in Thessaloniki and Athens, and has traveled throughout Greece. Currently, her work is exploring the historical development of food journalism and the place of food writers in the world of professional journalism.

David Farmbrough (Photography)

After a 20-year career as a property lawyer, David returned to school and earned his M.A. in the History of Film & Visual Media from Birkbeck College, University of London in 2002. He emigrated from England in 2009. Currently, David does photography and promotional work for local newspapers and radio stations.

Cheryl Geske (SoulCollage®)

Cheryl has a Master of Social Work degree from UW Milwaukee, with an emphasis on systemic and structural family therapy. She is a school social worker in the Stevens Point school district. Her responsibilities include individual and group counseling, parent education, collaborative problem solving, and coordinating staff development. She also works as a liaison for community resources.

Gus Hartigan (Tai Chi for Seniors)

Gus has been a Physical Therapist for 15 years. He has undergraduate and doctorate degrees in physical therapy and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and as a Personal Trainer. He is also a licensed by the State of Wisconsin in massage therapy and bodywork.

Spyros Heniadis (Photography, iPad workshops)

Spyros Heniadis has been teaching introductory and advanced photography throughout central Wisconsin for over 7 years. Spyros says, "I love photography. The ability to express yourself creatively through photography is an amazing thing." Topics of expertise include SLR, Photoshop Elements, camera and gear selection, composition, and flash photography. He also began teaching the very popular "iPad, I'm Confused" class in 2012. He lives in Wisconsin Rapids with his wife and two cats. You can visit his website at www.selfhelpphotographer.com

Jeannie Hill (Point Tap Festival)

Jeannie joined the UW-Stevens Point faculty in 2004 and teaches Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre Dance, Beginning Ballet and Composition. She is also an associate artistic director and principal performer with the Chicago-based company Jump Rhythm Jazz Project. As a tap soloist Jeannie has danced with Brenda Bufalino, Jeni LeGon and the late greats Jimmy Slyde and James Buster Brown as part of the Hoofer’s Weekend in New Orleans. She has had incredible opportunities to perform with numerous great tap colleagues and jazz musicians at festivals and venues like the Discover Jazz Festival, Sculler's Jazz Club, Zinno’s, New York’s Tap City at the Joyce Theatre and the Duke Theatre, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, St. Louis Tap Festival, Southern California Tap Festival and The Saco River Grange Hall. For seven years she worked with Manhattan Tap and was introduced to the ever-expanding international community of rhythm tap dancers.

Eileen Kelz (Feng Shui, Clutter Control)

Eileen is Master Teacher through the International Institute of Interior Alignment and the owner of Dynamic Environments. Eileen coaches people to "thrive in their own environment." Her interests include feng shui, clutter coaching, and space clearing.

Beth Krolikowski (Sign Language)

Beth is a nationally certified sign language interpreter with more than 20 years of experience. She is a Lecturer in Communicative Disorders with the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Susan Leschke (Textile Arts)

Susan Leschke is a textile artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and published in Fiber Arts, Surface Design Journal, and Handwoven. She holds a BFA in Textiles from Virginia Commonwealth University and has taught various classes in her field.

Yan Liao (Chinese Cooking & Culture)

Yan Liao is an Assistant Professor in UW-Stevens Point's library. She is fluent in Mandarin and also speaks some regional dialects. She grew up in Sichuan (Szechuan), has traveled extensively in China, and is active in promoting cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. Yan received her B.A. in English Language and Literature and her M.A. in American Studies from Sichuan University in Chengdu. She taught English at Sichuan University before obtaining two additional graduate degrees at the University of Hawaii in Library and Information Science and Teaching English as a Second Language. She is the author of two recently published books, Food and Festivals of China and Famous People of China.

Pamela Luedtke (Brain Gym)

Pamela was a soloist with the modern dance company Mary Anthony Dance Theatre for nine years in New York City. She also worked with choreographers Agnes de Mille, Anna Sokolow, Ernestine Stodelle, Ellen Margolis, Sophie Maslow, and Berthram Ross. In New York Pamela taught at the Mary Anthony Dance Studio, the Herbert Berghoff School of Acting, and Dance Theater Workshop (DTW). Her choreography has been performed in New York, Washington D.C., California and Wisconsin. Pamela is currently instructing dance throughout Central Wisconsin and is an Associate Lecturer instructing ballet with UWSP's Dance Program. She is the founder and artistic director of Point Dance Ensemble, a non-profit dance company in Portage County consisting of dancers ages 11-18. Pamela is also certified in Educational Kinesiology (Brain Gym) as an instructor and a consultant for schools in Wisconsin, assisting in integration of neuromuscular movement curriculum. Pamela is currently an instructor for UW-Stevens Point's Dance Department.

Linda Medsker (Music Classes)

Linda has 25 years of experience teaching piano. She an active member of the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association and former president of the Oshkosh Area Music Teachers Association. Linda frequently teaches Instant Piano for Hopelessly Busy People and How to Play by Ear through Arts & Culture Outreach.

Tom McComb (Music Classes)

Tom McComb is a guitarist specializing in Jazz and Brazilian music. He performs solo, with his own quartet and with many other ensembles in the central Wisconsin area. Tom has 30 years of teaching experience. Besides teaching UWSP's jazz guitar majors, he teaches fretted instruments and harmonica for UW-Stevens Point Arts & Culture Outreach and the Wausau Conservatory of Music. Tom has a B.M. in Music Education from UW-Stevens Point.

Bill McKee (Studio Arts)

Bill has worked as UW-Stevens Point's Art Shop supervisor since 1998 and has taught Introduction to 3D design and Carving and Assemblage. Bill's work includes carvings in stone and wood and collages/assemblages of mixed media. He has had work shown at various galleries in Portage and Waupaca counties in Wisconsin as well as in Washington.

The Rogue (Magic & Juggling)

The Rogue has performed over three thousand shows throughout the U.S. He is the past president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Silent Mora Ring 122. He is also amember of the Society of American Magicians. Recently, he was inducted into the Order of Merlin. The Rogue has also been juggling since the age of 10. Currently, he juggles hatchets, torches, and 16-pound shot puts.

Richard Schneider (Native American Crafts)

A member of the UW-Stevens Point art faculty for nearly 30 years, Schneider was known for his strong commitment to students. A widely known ceramist, Schneider has continued to do pottery and tile work since his retirement 13 years ago. Schneider has also written several books and teaches Native American craft classes.

Trisha Sirny (Cooking)

Trisha, a 1998 graduate of UW-Stevens Point, teaches Family and Consumer Science at Wausau West High School. She also teaches the sequence of Foods courses offered for college credit through Nicolet Area Technical College.

Julie Sittler (Glass Art)

Julie Sittler, a UW-Stevens Point alumnus. In 2010, she earned her BFA, specializing in sculpture and graphic design. As a student, Julie was nominated for the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award by the International Sculpture Center. She also received the Chancellor's Leadership Award. She currently in the Creative Director at the UW-Stevens Point Graphic Design Center.

Kristen Thielking (Glass Art)

Kristin received a B.A. from Brown University, and an MFA from UW-Madison in sculpture with a concentration in glass. Before coming to UW-Stevens Point she taught kiln casting and fusing at UW-Madison, 2D and 3D Design, and glass intensive workshops at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. She has been an artist-in-residence at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center Arts/Industry Foundry Residency program, and has also served twice as an artist-in-residence for educational community collaborations at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. See more at: www.thielkingbrunett-artstudios.com

Shayna Thomas (World Languages)

Shayna is a senior at UW-Stevens Point majoring in Elementary Education and Spanish with a minor in ESL. Her extensive experience with young children includes working as a dance teacher, birthday party host, teacher’s assistant, and nanny. She has studied abroad in Valladolid, Spain.

Elizabeth Wellso (Drawing & Painting)

Elizabeth chairs the Board of the Stevens Point Sculpture Park and is a member of the Stevens Point Arts Council. Elizabeth has most recently taught painting and drawing workshops at UW-Stevens Point's Studio Art camp offered to high school students. She has also worked as a Gallery Consultant and Teaching Assistant. Elizabeth earned her BA from Hampshire College, Amherst, MA in 1986.

Ryan Weisenfeld (Illustration)

Ryan directs and instructs the Student Art League’s community life drawing sessions, and is the head counselor for Camp COFAC: Studio Arts. He is pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree at UW-Stevens Point, majoring in art with an emphasis in 2-dimensional work.

Flannery Wilson (World Languages)

Flannery Wilson is a lecturer in the History Department at UW-Stevens Point. While earning her Ph.D. from the Univeristy of California, Riverside, she received the Teaching Assistant Award for French. Throughout her career Flannery has taught a variety of French, Italian, and ESL classes and workshops.

Kaylin Wornson (Spanish Tutoring)

Kaylin earned degrees in Spanish and Communicative Disorders from UW-Stevens Point, and recently completed her certification in Secondary Education and ESL Teaching. She has studied abroad in Spain, and has tutored high school and college students studying Spanish.

Karen Zach (Chorus)

Karen earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Dominican University in California. She has performed in community choruses and operas, as well as recitals of art songs and opera arias while in California. Karen sang with Vox Caelestis, a semi-professional women’s chorus based near Chicago in Illinois. She studied voice with Cary Cedarblade and Blanche Thebom in California and with Mary Hofer in Wisconsin.

Anita Zerbe (Music)

Anita Zerbe is pursuing a degree in Instrumental and General Music Education as well as Philosophy with an emphasis in Environmental Ethics at UW-Stevens Point. She has studied viola privately with Professor Dee Martz since 2007. She currently performs with the UW-Stevens Point Symphony Orchestra, and will join the viola section of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra beginning in the 2012-2013 season. Anita has been the Music Lesson Coordinator for UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education since September 2011.

Sasithorn Zuge (Cooking)

Sasithorn was born and raised in Thailand and now lives in Stevens Point.

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