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Staff
Board
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Faculty

BAYarts Staff

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Nancy Heaton

Executive Director

Nancy Heaton is the Executive Director of BAYarts, an art campus on Cleveland’s west shore in Cleveland Metroparks. Heaton has been the director since 2006 when she started as a volunteer to save the organization founded in 1948. She is a graduate of Kent State University with degrees in Marketing and Art; later supplementing fine art skills at Boston Museum of Fine Art and SF Institute of Fine Art. After living in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Washington DC and England where she was engaged with various art groups, she returned to the Cleveland area finding a home with the arts community at BAYarts. She is a member of the Collective Arts Network (CAN) where she serves on the board of the CAN Journal, a quarterly publication for greater Cleveland’s visual arts. She is a member of Executive Directors Who Lunch, a collaborative exchange with visual arts leaders. She is an active participant in arts advocacy efforts in northeast Ohio.

nancy@bayarts.net
Beth Milli BAYarts

Beth Milli

Director of Operations

Beth brings her experience in retail management, marketing and fundraising to oversee the general operations of the BAYarts campus, including the Playhouse renovation. She is also responsible for human resources. She has a BA in Communications from Cleveland State University, with a strong background in marketing and public relations. Beth serves on the board of The Bay Village Foundation and is active in community area events. Beth is a Certified National Geographic Educator and her interest in environmental education is a perfect fit for the BAYarts motto Artistic by Nature.

beth@bayarts.net

Karen Petkovic

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

As Artistic Director, Karen develops ways to support and promote regional artists via exhibition, consignment and artist-centered events. An avid believer in collaboration, Karen actively connects to other art venues throughout the region, participating in events and fundraising with sister organizations, to seek out fresh ideas, emerging artists and promote the mission of BAYarts. She continues to hone her skills as an artist and is a passionate art collector of local art.

Linda Goik

EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Prior to joining BAYarts as a teacher, Linda was the owner of the popular Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood – for art education, exhibition and selling the work of local artists – where she created a myriad of art-themed fundraising events for special causes such as Juvenile Diabetes, Adults With Disabilities, Domestic Violence and The Cleveland Clinic Starry Night, just to name a few for over 10 years. At BAYarts, she uses her artistic sensibility to develop and teach children’s programming while simultaneously managing BAYarts’ Gallery Shop which supports regional artists; Linda also creates the winter wonderland that is BAYarts popular Holiday Shop.

Kristin Olsen BAYarts Accountant

Kristin Odell

Accountant

As Accountant, Kristin is responsible for managing and maintaining the financial health of BAYarts. Though her formal educational background is in English and Creative Writing, she brings many years of experience as an Office Manager with her. Having grown up in Bay, she is very familiar with the support the community and its members share with BAYarts as well as the impact BAYarts has on the community itself.

Kelly Winzenread

Rental Manager

Kelly was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Ohio University and spent 10 years in marketing, advertising and corporate event planning in Columbus, OH. As Rental Manager, Kelly oversees all private event rentals on the BAYarts campus.

Marissa Siebert

Education Assistant

Marissa joins the Education Department at BAYarts with over a decade of education experience ranging from high school teaching to nonprofit arts programming. Formerly the Program Director at Upcycle Parts Shop in Cleveland, Marissa is particularly passionate about creative reuse and sustainability as it relates to the arts. At BAYarts she assists the Education Director and supports both kids and adult programming.

BAYarts Faculty Mallory Tulcewicz

Mallory Tulcewicz

Mallory Tulcewicz was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Bachelor of Arts in sculpture and ceramics from Xavier University in 2014. Since graduation, Mallory has interned and assisted Gina DeSantis with her ceramics studio and has joined BAYarts in the Fall of 2019 as the ceramics assistant studio manager and an instructor for children and adult classes. When Mallory is not in a ceramics studio you can find her spending time with her boyfriend and their dog Cici.
Shay Casey BAYarts Artistic Assitant

Shay Casey

Artistic Assistant

Shay is from Holmes County, Ohio, and received her Bachelor of Arts from Cleveland State University in 2022. She is a printmaker and a portrait artist who creates work pertaining to social and environmental issues. Shay was previously employed at the Galleries @ CSU and has interned with Zygote Press.

BAYarts Board of Directors

Mary Conway Sullivan

President
Mary Conway Sullivan has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2005, serving as Development Chair, Moondance Benefit Chair, 1st Vice President and Capital Campaign Committee Chair. Mary has BAs in both English and Spanish from Marquette University. She has many years of experience in public relations, event planning, marketing, and fundraising. She has volunteered for numerous non-profit organizations around Greater Cleveland, including Saint Raphael School, Magnificat High School, Saint Joseph Academy, The May Dugan Center, Fill This House and OROC. She has served on the board for The Northern Ohio Branch of The International Dyslexia Association and currently serves on the Advancement Committee of Saint Martin de Porres High School in Cleveland. Mary enjoys writing her blog, whathefarmblog.com, traveling, gardening, practicing yoga, dancing, cooking and entertaining. She lives with her husband, Sean in Bay Village, has 3 grown daughters and a very popular Doberman pinscher dog.

Andrea L. Richards

Vice President
Andrea has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2017, serving on the Development committee, Board Governance committee and Co-Chair of Moondance. Andrea received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work, University of Maine, Orono 1978 and a Master Degree in Social Work Administration from the University of Tennessee in 1992. Her career led her to a variety of positions in the non-profit sector. Andrea’s philanthropic involvement includes serving as Board President for Hartley House of Frederick, Maryland, President of the St. Jude Research Hospital Women’s Club, Memphis, Tennessee, President and co-founder of Diane’s Voice, Inc., of Jupiter, FL, Board of Trustees, Lighthouse Art Center, Tequesta, FL. Andrea was honored in 2004 as a recipient of the Sheryl K Nienhuis Volunteer of the Year award from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the 2012 Volunteer of the Year at El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center of Jupiter, Florida. Andrea currently lives in Avon Lake, Ohio., where she enjoys gardening, kayaking, creative writing and time with family.

Lisa Napoli

Secretary
Lisa Napoli has been a member of BAYarts' board since 2015. Lisa holds a B.S. from The Ohio State University, a law degree from the University of Akron and has practiced transactional and bankruptcy law in both Nevada and Ohio. She also currently serves President of the Bay Village Education Foundation. Lisa is a consignor in the BAYarts' shop selling handcrafted wares under her "FaithMatters" and "Driftwords" brands. As a member of the BAYarts' grant writing team, Lisa is able to use her legal expertise to support an organization she loves and finds invaluable to the community. Lisa lives in Bay Village with her husband (David Honicky) and her two sons who keep her very busy with myriad sporting events.

Karen Brill

Karen Brill has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2014 and is on the development and finance committees. Karen holds a B.S. in Industrial and Operations Engineering as well as a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Michigan. Now retired, she spent her career in various operations management roles, including logistics management and production planning. Karen is also on the board of the West Shore Chorale, a community choir on the west side of Cleveland, and is the treasurer of her neighborhood association. Karen lives in Bay Village with her husband David, and they thoroughly enjoy traveling and exploring new places together.

Analía Nanni Dimit

Analía Nanni Dimit has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2020. She is a native of Azul, Buenos Aires- Argentina and a co-founder or Dimit Architects in with her husband, Scott Miles Dimit. Analía graduated with honors from La Plata National University in Argentina in 1998 and gained valuable experience with several noted architectural and planning firms in her homeland. In 2001, Analía relocated to Cleveland, and worked for two noted area firms, before launching Dimit Architects as a return to a more direct and architecturally rewarding experience. In addition to interior architecture, Analía is fluent in both Spanish and English, and in February of 2011, she achieved her life-long goal of becoming a US citizen.

Gary Ebert

Gary Ebert has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2010. He is a Co-Managing Partner of the Seeley, Savidge, Ebert & Gourash law firm, located in Westlake. Gary is the Director of SSEG’s Estate Planning, Business Succession and Probate practice group; Municipal and Public Law practice group; Real Estate, Environmental and Land Use practice group; and our Sports and Entertainment practice group. He was a Bay Village City Councilman, Interim Mayor, and now retired after 37 years from the role of Law Director. Gary currently serves as special counsel for the City of Bay Village. Gary is a Founding Trustee for the Bay Village Foundation, a Trustee for Bay Arts and Wigs for Kids, Board of Directors for International Municipal Lawyers Association and for Cedar Hills. Gary lives in Bay Village with his wife Pamela and has three children, Caroline, Amanda and Brian and five grandchildren.

Michael Gleydura

Michael Gleydura has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2017. He also sits on the Cleveland Clinic Velosano Steering Committee. He is the Manager at Metro Lexus where he oversees and manages and coaches the sales team. He is also the voice of the dealer and does radio and TV advertising. Michael has been a Bay Village resident for over 15 years. He has three daughters and 2 Coon hounds. He is an avid Cyclist and also loves Hiking, Kayaking and of course Art. Michael also volunteered at the Ohio City Bike Co-op and the St Ignatius Arrupe Neighborhood Partnership.

Dana Hastings

Dana Hastings has been on the BAYarts' board since 2020. She is Vice President for Business Development at C2P Advisory Group/Prosperity Capital Advisors. Dana holds a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Finance and Psychology from Mount Union College and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. She lives in Bay Village.

Thomas M. O'Brien

Thomas M. O'Brien has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2020. He is principally a private investor, and founder of commercial and non-profit entities engaged in youth sports training and fitness, both in northern Ohio. He held various executive roles at The RMR Group (NASDAQ: RMR) and its public company clients from 1996, and was the Chief Executive Officer and President of TravelCenters of America LLC (NASDAQ: TA), from 2007, until his retirement from those positions in 2017. Since 2007, Mr. O´Brien has served on the board of directors of VirnetX Holding Corporation, a public company principally focused on internet communications security software. Since 2008, Mr. O’Brien has served on the board of directors of Christian Relief Services Charities, a multinational group of non-profit entities concerned with helping those in poverty. From 1988 to 1996, Mr. O’Brien was with Arthur Andersen LLP where he served a number of public company clients. In 1988, Mr. O’Brien graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, with a B.S. in Economics.

Marianna Orro

Marianna Orro has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2010. Marianna holds a B.A. from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin, and a special education degree from Cleveland State University. Her teaching experience is varied including posts in inner city schools, a treatment facility in Anchorage Alaska, a private school in Guatemala, and ultimately concluding her teaching career with 25 years as an intervention specialist in the Lakewood City School System. Prior to coming to BAYarts, she served on the board of the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center for 10 years. At BAYarts, Marianna currently serves on the Governance Committee in the capacity of recruitment chair; she also serves on the Development Committee. Serving on the Board has given Marianna the opportunity to nurture her creative spirit, to use her problem-solving skills to forward the mission of BAYarts, and to make a difference in an organization about which she is totally passionate. Marianna Orro lives in Bay Village with her husband Peter. Traveling, tennis and sailing are pastimes that the couple shares with much gusto!

Shana Samson

Shana Samson has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2018. Shana began her career as a Staff Attorney in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. As an attorney with the law firm of Matty, Henrikson & Greve, Shana handles litigation matters on a variety of issues, including workers compensation, labor and employment and municipal law. She received her B.A. from the George Washington University in 1997, and her J.D. from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2000. Shana lives in Bay Village with her husband John Schriner and two children. Her non-profit efforts include serving on the board of the Anti-Defamation League, volunteering at St. Augustine Hunger Center and with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

Michelle Schrock

Michelle Schrock has been a member of BAYarts’ Board since 2017 and serves on the Finance and Planned Giving Committees. She is currently a Private Bank Regional Director at Huntington Bank. Michele holds a B.S. in Accounting from Case Western Reserve University.

Chris St. Marie

Chris St. Marie has been a member of BAYarts' board since 2019. He is a partner in the litigation practice group at Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP. Chris holds a B.A. in English with an International Studies concentration from John Carroll University and a law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. He lives with his family in Fairview Park.

Emeritus

Ray Young

Ray Young is a former BAYarts Board President and a longtime volunteer. Ray is semi-retired after a 40+ year career in sales, merchandising, industrial design, research, product management and marketing with American Greetings and Pat Catan's Craft Centers. Ray is a resident of Avon OH.

Jim Schrantz

Jim Schrantz has been involved with BAYarts (previously known as Baycrafters) for over 25 years serving on the board. His responsibilities have run the gamut from board president, to event coordinator, to fund raiser, to grill master. Jim is married to Susan Walsh and they live in Bay Village. Jim is self-employed as VSOP (very senior operating partner) at Thomas James Assoc. His current favorite hobby is racing sailboats.

Peter Winzig

Peter Winzig has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2006, serving on numerous committees and as Vice President and President. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in providing creative energy, strategic planning, financial stability and project management on BA campus buildings, including the renovation of the Irene Fuller House, John Huntington House, The Huntington Playhouse and construction of the Karen Ryel Center for Ceramics Arts & Education. Pete holds a B.A from the State University of New York at Geneseo, enjoying a 30+ year career in advertising and marketing, working on dozens of Fortune 500 brands. He is currently the owner/CCO at Ignition Idea Group and represents his community as Ward 4 Councilman for the City of Bay Village. Peter lives in Bay Village with his wife Kathy, stays active as President of the Fireland Soccer Referee Association, past-President of the Bay Soccer Club and is the recipient of the Bay Village Citizen of the Year and twice the Bay Village Project of the Year Awards. Peter and his wife Kathy are our 2022 Moondance honorees.

John “JJ” Jefferson

John “JJ” Jefferson has been a member of BAYarts’ board since 2007 and is a marketing professional with over 45 years of experience in strategic planning, marketing and advertising. He has worked with numerous national, local, consumer, non-profit and B2B clients. He spent 15 years with Wyse Advertising, initially as an account executive, then as Director of Marketing Planning & Research and later as an account supervisor responsible for the execution of advertising programs for various clients. Since 1990 he has run his own marketing agency, Jefferson & Associates. He is a former board president of Beck Center for the Arts and has served on several non-profit boards. JJ holds a B.S. and MBA in marketing from Miami University.

Advisory Counsel

Scott Pohlkamp, Dan Galli, Jim Walborn, Carlos Fuentes, Sharon Smith, Tara Tonsetic, Don Nigro

Volunteers

BAYarts volunteers are an integral part of BAYarts mission. Use your skills, discover new ones. Flexible schedules to suit you.
Contact Kerry York
"I took Chris Benevides Alla Prima oil painting class, which just ended this past weekend. The class was great! Chris clearly prepped educational material that would grow our painting skill set, shared experiences and ideas he's developed or learned from other artists, gave us helpful feedback to advance us, was very welcoming to questions, patiently worked with each of us while providing individualized support,... I'll take what I've learned from him to each of my next paintings. Can't wait to take another class from him!"
Nina

Faculty

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Mike Adams BAYarts Teacher

Mike Adams

Mike studied art at Washington University in St. Louis. He graduated with a B.F.A. majoring in illustration / visual communication with a minor in both printmaking and painting. Mike has worked as a designer and art director for Hallmark Cards, Zak Designs, American Greetings and Koroseal Interior Products for the past 37 years. He has been working digitally in design for the last 28 years, he is proficient in Adobe Creative Suite.

Moira Beale

Ceramics Dept. Head

Moira Beale was born and educated in England. As a graduate from Farnham School of Art/Surrey Institute of Art she was a Ceramics Major and a Printing/Etching Minor. She has been Head of the Ceramics Department of BAYarts since 2000. Each year she curates the annual Ceramic Exhibit in the Sullivan Family Gallery. She has over 30 years of teaching experience in the USA, including at Orange Art Center and Hathaway Brown. Moira coordinates Youth, Family and Scout programs at Playhouse Square.

moira@bayarts.net
BAyarts Faculty Chris Benavides

Chris Benavides

Chris is a representational painter who loves painting people and images that inspire and point to the beauty of creation. He works in oil in the direct method and can usually be found at BAYarts open studio, happily painting from a live model every Friday. Chris graduated from Cooper School of Art and enjoyed a forty year career as a designer and illustrator with American Greetings before retiring to pursue his own artistic goals. He is an associate member of the Oil Painters of America, and the Portrait Society of America. His paintings have been juried into numerous local and national exhibitions, does private commissions and has paintings included as part of American Greetings permanent corporate collection.

BAYarts Faculty tina benavides

Tina Benavides

Tina Benavides enjoys many forms of art, but after retiring from American Greetings as a Vice president in the Creative Division, she decided to focus on Copperplate and Spencerian calligraphy for gifts, weddings and special events. She is a member of IAMPETH (International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers & Teachers of Handwriting). She has studied under Martha Erickson, Barbara Close, Bill Kemp, Sheila Waters, Suzanne Cunningham, and Master Penmen Harvest Crittendon and Jake Weidmann. She has recently been studying pictorial flourishing with Master Penman Connie Chen and Engrosser”s Script with David Grimes. A graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, she studied Fashion Illustration and Commercial Art and completed 9 years on the Board of Trustees of the college. In addition to calligraphy, she enjoys drawing, watercolor and beading. She lives in Avon Lake with her painter husband Chris Benavides.

Deanne Conley

Deanne Conley

Art Teacher Deanne Conley returns to teach classes at BAYarts. ” I helped teach ceramics with Sally Hudak twenty years ago as a volunteer then taught a summer of children’s ceramic classes. Just out of high school, I loved the creativity of BAYarts.” Deanne pursued her love of Art and studied Art History and Art Education at Cleveland State University. Natural Wonder Design is her Jewelry design and creations that are in the BAYarts shop. She also teaches swim lessons to preschool and school age kids year-round. She enjoys gardening, painting, and photographing flowers. She is often seen with her sidekick, her dog Marley.

BAYarts Faculty Audra Costello

Audra Costello

Audra Costello began teaching at BAYarts in the summer of 2010. She especially enjoys teaching children hand sewing and how to make wonderful creations using a needle, thread and their imagination. Audra is a 1997 graduate of The College of Wooster where she majored in English. She lives in Rocky River with her husband and two daughters.

BAYarts Faculty Amy Coursen

Amy Coursen

Amy teaches preschool pottery and “mommy and me” classes at BAYarts. She has worked with clay since childhood and taken classes at Orange Art Center, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland State University, and BAYarts. She earned her bachelor degree from CSU in Ceramics, as well as Environmental Planning. Outside of the studio, she is a mom to her sons, native plant enthusiast, and a very happy camper. Amy has had the joy of introducing children to clay since 2011.

BAYarts Faculty Gail Crum

Gail Crum

Gail Crum has been a professional artist for over 25 years. Even without formal training, Gail always had a creative side to her. It wasn’t until she took her first art class at 40 years old that she became inspired by the art forms of collage and assemblage. She started collecting unwanted and discarded objects from antique shops and flea markets with the idea of transforming and repurposing them into a new story. Gail has exhibited in over 80 art shows and juried exhibitions and has received awards for her art from shows at Valley Arts Center in Chagrin Falls, BAYarts, Stella’s Gallery, and the Westlake/Westshore Annual Juried Shows, winning first and second place awards in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Gail won Best in Show for her assemblage piece “Bingo Betty” at Stella’s Art Gallery Juried Show in 2018. In 2017 she was in a three woman exhibition at the Beck Center in Lakewood. In 2018 “Claiming Our Place and Space” was a three woman show at Article Gallery in the Waterloo District in Cleveland. In 2020 Gail was in a three woman show “Women in Conversation” at the Stocker Arts Center at Lorain County Community College. Gail was in the Wothington Yards exhibition “Art Made in the Shutdown” and had work in the “Wallflowers” Show at BAYarts and was accepted into the BAYarts Juried Show in March 2021. Gail was in a three woman exhibition at the Playhouse Gallery in the BAYarts Complex in April and May of 2021. She has also been featured at the “Skull & Skeleton Show” every other year at Lakeland Community College. She has exhibited work in the Good Goat Gallery in Lakewood, the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, FAVA Gallery in Oberlin, and Lakeland Community College. Gail has also done workshops for The Art Continuum- Westlake, The North Ridgeville Kiwanis, The Agape Gallery in Ohio City, The North Ridgeville Arts Council, The Split Winds Gallery in Port Clinton, North Ridgeville High School, the Porter Library in Westlake, and “Enshrined” at Small Studios in Westlake. Gail also exhibits every year in the Holiday Show at FAVA in Oberlin and has shown her work in art festivals during the summers. She has also judged exhibitions for the Cleveland Institute of Art, The Westlake/Westshore Arts Council, and Firelands Area Art League.

Amanda DiLisi

Amanda DiLisi

Amanda DiLisi was raised in Bay Village, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Baldwin Wallace University, where she majored in Studio Art with an emphasis in painting and printmaking and minored in Psychology. She graduated summa cum laude and her artwork won “Best in Show” in the 2021 BW Art Exhibition. Her artistic style is realism, which is depicted through detailed paintings and intricate linoleum prints. Amanda believes art is not just about the final product, but is also about the therapeutic benefits gained in the process of creating art. She enjoys teaching art to others and explaining how to do things in a way that all students can understand. At BAYarts, Amanda teaches aspiring artists of all ages, from preschoolers to adults. You can see her current work on her website.

amandadilisi.weebly.com
Patty Flauto BAYarts teacher

Patty Flauto

As a working color creative Ms. Flauto has worked as: textile colorist, textile dye expert, national and international color educator, product designer, color and trend consultant and contemporary fine
artist. Currently as an abstract contemporary painter, color plays a major role in her painting process. Ms. Flauto has exhibited nationally. Her work has appeared in The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Butler Institute of American Art and countless galleries. She is an active exhibitor and supporter of the arts in Northeast Ohio.

pattyflautofineart.com
BAYarts Faculty Nicole Fraley

Nicole Fraley

Nicole is a recent graduate from Baldwin Wallace University with a BA in Business Administration and Studio Art (focused in Ceramics). As our recent addition to the BAYarts pottery studio, Nicole comes to us with over 5 years of pottery experience and passion. She manages our adult pottery open studios, has become a Pug-master, and instructs/assists with kids workshops. You can see her current work by visiting her website below.

frayedandfragile.com
BAYarts Faculty Jim Giar

Jim Giar

When he’s not busy thwarting alien invasions, local artist Jim “Rev” Giar is huddled over his drawing table pursuing his passion: drawing comics. Referring to himself as a pop culture brat, Jim was raised on healthy doses of westerns, film noir, grindhouse cinema, horror films and comics. These influences are sprinkled and peppered into his single illustration work. Jim attended CCAD, studying illustration and photography. There is where adopted advice from his illustration instructor as a lifelong mantra: “every illustration should tell a story.” Recently he has contributed to several anthologies, including the Harvey Award nominated Once Upon A Time Machine published by Locust Moon & Dark Horse Comics, as well as the New York Times best seller FUBAR: Empire of the Rising Dead. He shares his love of comics with kids, looking to motivate the young storytellers of the future to continue telling stories through the use of sequential images… A talent, Jim feels, exists in all children.

chelzostudios.com
BAYarts Faculty Susan Gray Be

Susan Gray Bé

Susan Gray Bé has taught Oil & Acrylic Painting at BAYarts since 2010. She has a MA. in Painting from the State University of New York at Albany, a Certificate of Completion from the National Academy of Design, and has taken summer courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and the University of Vermont while in college. Susan received an BA. from Hamilton College in 1980, majoring in Art & a minoring in Psychology. Alongside teaching at BAYarts, she teaches drawing and painting to adults at the Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Cleveland Museum of Art (since 1997).

BAYarts Faculty Yuki Hall

Yuki Hall

Yuki Hall holds a signature membership to Transparent Watercolor Society of America, as well as Ohio Watercolor Society. Her approach to watercolor painting emphasizes simplicity, effective use of tonal value patterns, fluidity and execution of confident brush strokes. After leaving her career as an engineer in 2006, Yuki extensively studied the medium with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists such as David Taylor, Eric Wiegardt, and Alvaro Castagnet. Yuki’s work has been accepted into various prestigious national & international level watercolor juried competitions including the National Watercolor Society Annual Members’ Exhibition, International Exhibition of Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and Watercolor West International Exhibition. Her works also have been published by highly competitive national art/watercolor publications such as Watercolor Artist Magazine and Splash, the Best of Watercolor.

 

yukihallfineart.com
BAYarts Faculty Susan Mangan

Susan Mangan

Susan began teaching writing at BAYarts during summer 2015.  She holds an MA in English from John Carroll University and MA in Education from Baldwin-Wallace University. A former Power of the Pen writing coach and Bay Middle School Language Arts teacher, Susan currently publishes a monthly column for the ianohio:Irish-Amercian News Magazine. Susan is also a private reading and writing tutor who works with students of all ages.
BAYarts teacher Beth Martin

Beth Martin

Local jewelry designer and author Beth L. Martin spends the summer months walking the beaches of Lake Erie in search of glass and other shoreline findings. A lifelong resident of the North Coast, Beth arrived at BAYarts as a jewelry instructor in 2013, using beach glass from Lake Erie exclusively in her jewelry classes. Beth guides each student through her step-by-step instructions, whether it’s Wire Wrapping 101 or more intricate pendants, bracelets or earrings. Beth’s gift is inspiring our students to incorporate beach glass in new and unique ways. Part of BAYarts “dynamic duo”, she co-authored a book with Eva Sherman, another one of BAYarts’ noted jewelry instructors. Beth’s designs are also available in our shop.
Linda McConaughy BAYarts teacher

Linda McConaughy

Linda recently returned to the Cleveland area after a career as an art educator and art program supervisor in Baltimore, Maryland. She creates artworks that reflect her desire to attend to and decode her dialogue with place, particularly with the natural world. The natural environment is full of opportunities for decoding – even the smallest, most humble elements hold vast potential for investigation. Linda considers her work to be a visual record of an unscripted dialogue between the constructed and the natural world. Her work includes many media including acrylic paint, wood, and collected/found materials.

lindymcconaughy@gmail.com
lindamcconaughy.com
BAYarts Melissa Metzger

Melissa Metzger

Melissa Metzger began working at BAYarts in 2016 as an assistant and instructor for our children’s classes and camps. Some of her favorite experiences as a student herself were taking classes at the Cleveland Institute of Art and studying plein air painting in Giverny, France. For Melissa, seeing a child’s eyes light up at their own artwork is very fulfilling. She believes art brings confidence, creative outlets and independence to children. Melissa enjoys many mediums and styles including watercolor illustrations, drawing and hand lettering, beading, screen printing, metal stamping and silver clay. Melissa lives in Lakewood with her husband and three children and is always looking for a creative way to connect with those around her.

 

BAYarts Faculty Jill Milenski

Jill Milenski

Jill Milenski studied art in Paris and New York City before moving to Cleveland. A prolific creator, she has participated in a number of collaborative art projects and exhibitions, and has shown her work widely throughout Northeast Ohio. Jill’s work has been featured at the Stocker Center at Lorain County Community College, Article Gallery in Cleveland, The Beck Center and Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood, Pentagon Gallery in Cleveland Heights, FAVA in Oberlin, and Bay Arts in Bay Village, to name a few. Jill has always been attracted to color and making artwork. She loves all types of art: painting, drawing, fiber, printmaking, bookmaking, every iteration of art there is, really. She lives in Lakewood with her family.
Beth Milli BAYarts

Beth Milli

Director of Operations

Beth brings her experience in retail management, marketing and fundraising to oversee the general operations of the BAYarts campus, including the Playhouse renovation. She is also responsible for human resources. She has a BA in Communications from Cleveland State University, with a strong background in marketing and public relations. Beth serves on the board of The Bay Village Foundation and is active in community area events. Beth is a Certified National Geographic Educator and her interest in environmental education is a perfect fit for the BAYarts motto Artistic by Nature.

beth@bayarts.net
BAYarts Faculty Melissa Moon

Melissa Moon

Melissa Moon began her career at BAYarts as a child, growing up on the campus as a student and volunteer in art classes of all kinds. While pursuing a degree in Art Education at Bowling Green State University, Melissa returned to BAYarts in 2012 as an instructor bringing with her an excitement for teaching. At BAYarts you can find Melissa instructing anywhere from the pre-school to the adult 2-D classes, Art Academy and the Summer Girls Camp dressed up alongside her musical husband, Tim Moon, dancing with the 250+ girls in attendance. Currently, Melissa teaches at Strongsville High School where she instructs a variety of classes focusing on Ceramics and Art Exploration for Special Needs Learners. On the side she is a professional photographer and working artist. Her recent work is inspired by the newer medium of “Zentangle Art”, where she can produce pen and ink drawings with repeated artistic marks and patterns. You can check out her latest work on her instagram below.

 

instagram.com/melmoonart
BAYarts Faculty Tara Murdoch

Tara Murdoch

Tara teachers Mini Mosaics: Art & Music. She is a Music Therapist and the Music Class Coordinator at Music Therapy Enrichment Center (MTEC) in Westlake. Tara received her Bachelor of Music Therapy degree from Western Michigan University, with voice as her primary instrument. She then completed an internship at The Pioneer Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, where she worked with children and adults ages 0-21 with developmental disabilities. Tara grew up in Canton, Ohio and in her spare time she enjoys  spending time with family and friends, going to baseball games, watching movies, and cooking. Music as has always been part of her life and she’s eager to continue using what she loves to help others.

Lisha Nasipak

Lisha Nasipak

I’ve been working with watercolors since 1992 and being self-taught has brought many challenges to my watercolor journey. I love watercolor and paint many different subjects including florals, landscapes and still life. Painting in a tight controlled manner using a very fluid medium has its challenges.  Watercolor like the world around us can be very unpredictable.  Trying to control it is exciting and provides hours of enjoyment and satisfaction. My work has been sold in local co-ops, gift shops, art shows and festivals and has been printed in several poetry magazines. I’ve been teaching watercolor for about six years.

BAYarts Yoga Teacher Jen Nebraska

Jen Nebraska

Jen Nebraska has been passionate about yoga for 15 years. She has been teaching kids yoga for three years. A graduate from Siena College, in 1990, with a marketing degree, Jen decided to switch careers and go back to school for yoga. She completed her 200 hours YTT training at Cleveland Yoga in March 2019. Jen teaches a variety of classes with us during the summer and school year. She also teaches teen yoga, senior yoga, and chair yoga around the area. Jen’s classes are upbeat and fun. Her goal is to teach the children to calm their mind and their body while having fun with yoga.

Hilary Nemecek

Hilary Nemecek

Hilary Nemecek has been teaching Art in the Cleveland area since 2010. Her experience ranges from years in the public school systems, time as an artist in residence, and working with after school Art enrichment programs. Hilary holds a BA in sculpture and photography from Xavier University and MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Cleveland State University. She enjoys dabbling in all mediums and providing her students a safe, comfortable environment to explore and express themselves. In addition to teaching, Hilary also runs a portrait photography business. Hilary loves spending time with her three young daughters and husband.

BAYarts Faculty Angela Oster

Angela Oster

Angela Oster grew up in northeast Ohio and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in digital media from the Cleveland Institute of Art. After a life-changing Creative Workforce Fellowship from Cuyahoga County Arts & Culture in 2009, she found the confidence to do what she truly loved – draw cartoons. Angela’s work explores the tearful yearnings and joys of childhood, and she also enjoys drawing odd and spooky characters. She lives in Rocky River with her husband Tom Stevick, also an artist, and her daughter Sylvie. Angela’s grandmother and father were both teachers, so she is thrilled to carry on the family tradition as a teacher at BAYarts.

angelaoster.com
Cass Penegor BAYarts teacher

Cass Penegor

Cass Penegor (They/Them) is a nonbinary artist currently located in Lakewood, Ohio. They received their BFA from The Cleveland Institute of Art in Drawing and Printmaking and their MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Print Media. Their work has been exhibited at H-Space Gallery, Cleveland (OH), The House of Blues, Cleveland (OH), The Progressive Corporation, Cleveland (OH), Prospect Gallery, Cleveland (OH), The Beck Center for the Arts, Lakewood (OH), Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti (MI), and Forum Gallery, Bloomfield Hills (MI). Cass Penegor is a recipient of the Gund Family Scholarship, the Francis J. Meyers ‘51 Scholarship for Excellence in Drawing, the Frank N. Wilcox Memorial Prize, The Cleveland Institute of Art Printmaking Departmental Award, The Northern Ohio Art Dealers Association Award, and The Cleveland Institute of Art Board Honorable Mention Award.

John Plymak BAYarts teacher

John Plymak

John Plymak grew up in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood, and first became interested in art and graphics by collecting comic books and drawing superhero characters.  He graduated with a BFA in art from Ohio Northern University, and works as a package design art director, with accounts such as McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.  John is a colored pencil/drawing instructor and is currently illustrating his third book.

BAYarts Faculty Gayle Pritchard

Gayle Pritchard

Every life has a story, just waiting to be told. No one else can tell it. I have always loved art. I was lucky as a child to have the time to explore my world and take it all in. I was also fortunate to have supportive adults along the way, especially wonderful art teachers who encouraged me. I started creating art quilts more than 30 years ago, but I have been making art for most of my life. My work continues to evolve as my life experiences expand and are integrated into contemplative expression. It doesn’t matter what materials are used to that end. To find the deepest voicing of my soul, I create with my hands. My mind and my hands are my most important materials, and I hope I never lose the use of either. From small, intimate drawings to altered and transferred photographs, from collages to three-dimensional assemblages and shrines to gigantic wall quilts, I tell my story. I invite the viewer to contemplate my experiences as they are presented in my art. Viewers are necessary participants for artists. In my work, I hope to touch you on a personal level, making an immediate connection by the familiarity and accessibility of the materials I use: cloth, paper, photographs, thread, words. I invite you into my world, hoping you will be lured to linger by the textural sensuousness you find there.
BAYarts Faculty Jessica Ramage

Jessica Ramage

Ceramic Studio Manager

Jessica Ramage is a professional photographer/ceramicist/artist living and working in Cleveland. She received her BFA in photography from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2003 and her MA in Art Education from Case Western University in 2004. She is currently the Ceramic Studio Manager and a ceramics instructor at BAYarts. Jessica also owns her own business, Ramage Arts where she specializes in child photography, invitations and party décor, murals and more. Her biggest achievements in life are her two adorable daughters and one very lucky husband.

Cara Romano

Cara Romano is a Cleveland-based artist and jewelry designer. She has been part of the art faculty at Cuyahoga Community College since 2009 and is affiliated with Negative Space Gallery in Cleveland. Cara received her BA in Visual Arts from The University of Chicago in 2002 and her MFA in Sculpture from Ohio University in 2007, along with an MA in Art History. She is a life-long artist who works in many different styles and media but is best known for her paintings that incorporate light and shadow patterns into colorful, abstract compositions. She loves community, art, music, nature, and animals. Her work can be viewed on her website.

caralynnromano.com
Andrea Serafino BAYarts teacher

Andrea Serafino

Andrea Serafino joined the BAYarts ceramic department in 2008 and teaches both children and adult classes. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, Andrea has been an active participant in the Cleveland Art Community as a ceramic artist, teacher and supporter of the arts. She, along with fellow artists, coordinated and performed Spaces Gallery first benefit, “Eat at Arts.” She then spent six years as a Spaces Gallery Board member. She has curated several ceramic exhibitions in the Cleveland area and was a member and then director of East/ West Alternative Gallery. As a teacher, she draws on and shares her expertise as a wheel-thrower and ceramic sculptor, often encouraging students to combine techniques in their work. Her 18 years of teaching in the children’s program at the Cleveland Museum of Art, has made teaching art history fun for the many children she has taught over the years. As well as teaching for us here at BAYarts, she works and teaches at her east side studio, Beachwood Ceramic Guild.
Shannon Timura BAYarts Faculty

Shannon Timura

Shannon Timura is a mixed media artist who dabbles in Feminine Alchemy – the ability to transform the mundane and ordinary into something delightful. Upcycled textiles, and discarded books are my art materials of choice. They are handstitched, glued or “concrete-mached” into whimsical pieces designed to give a feeling of empowerment to the viewer.

Camille Tulcewicz

With over 30 years of experience as an art educator, Camille is ready to help you move along your own artistic journey. After discovering her love of making art for others as a young adult, she went on to a formal fine arts education (B.F.A. with a specialization in oil painting). Although she enjoys working in and teaching a variety of mediums (watercolor, gouache, acrylic, pastel chalk, etc.), oils are still what she loves and works with the most. Within these mediums, portrait painting is her deepest passion. When teaching, Camille tries to meet students where they are in terms of experience, technical skill, and personality.

BAYarts Faculty Janet Wade

Janet Wade

Janet Wade has taught art classes and workshops for over 30 years. She started her art career in Bay Village teaching at Baycrafters from 1980-1997. Janet rejoins BAYarts faculty after moving back into the Cleveland area from St Louis, Missouri. She continues to exhibit her work both nationally and regionally, has been the recipient of Juror Awards in Excellence and her work has been published. She is an active member of several national and regional art organizations such as Women’s Caucus for Art; where she served on the St. Louis Chapter Executive Board. Janet looks forward to teaching a variety of fiber based classes at BAYarts.

Katy Wilson BAYarts Faculty

Katy Wilson

BAYarts Faculty Kathy Winzig

Kathy Winzig

Kathy is a graduate of Buffalo State College with a B.S. in Business. After teaching preschool at Bay Nursery School for ten years, Kathy brought her experience to BAYarts beginning in 2007, teaching preschool summer art classes. When not at BAYarts, Kathy works with young children at Providence House year round and during the school year teaches preschool at Pembroke Kids in Avon Lake.
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Friday: 9am to 3pm
Saturday: 10am to 3pm
Sunday: Closed

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Sunday: Closed or by appointment

Phone:

440-871-6543

Email:

info@BAYarts.net

Address: 

28795 Lake Road
Bay Village, Ohio 44140

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