Haliburton School of Art and Design

Suzi Dwor

Suzi Dwor has a Master's in Art Education and has studied in the US, Paris, and Mexico. An accomplished artist and teacher, she taught Fibre Design at Buffalo State University and is currently working in a program called "Learning Through the Arts" in the Niagara public schools. Her students describe her as extremely creative, intuitive, knowledgeable, and energetic. Suzi makes paper of incredible colour and quality that is used for collage and three-dimensional works of art. She trained in paper-making and fibre design at Kent State, Ohio; Cleveland Institute of Art, Fleming College, and Buffalo State University. Suzi also runs workshops for Wellspring Cancer Centre and Niagara Mental Health, as well as private retreats. Her achievements are many and include juried exhibits and workshops at the Albright Knox Gallery, Buffalo; Canada Koffler Gallery, Toronto; Rodman Hall, St. Catharines, Jordan Art Gallery; 100 American Craftsmen, NY; as well as across the US and southern Ontario. For More Information: suzidwor.com

Todd Jeffrey Ellis

Instructor for:

• Drawing and Rendering
• Jewellery Forming I
• Jewellery Forming II
• Media Explorations II

Todd Jeffrey Ellis received an arts diploma from Niagara College in 1970 and completed his degree at OCADU, attaining his Bachelor of Design. He has worked extensively in various areas of the arts: teaching, directing, and set, prop, and furniture designing. His love of metalwork took hold when he discovered chasing, repousse, and the moving of metal in 1995. Since that time he has studied at OCAD U, George Brown College, the Haliburton School of Art + Design and through extensive studies with such renowned masters as Lois Etherington Betteridge, Brian Clarke, Charles Lewton Brain, and Don Stuart. In 2000 Jeffrey was awarded 'Best Holloware Award' in the Metal Arts Guild's 'Under Glass' Exhibition. In 2003 he participated in a group exhibition at Metalurge in Toronto, which showcased his expertise in the decorative form. He has taught at Niagara College, York University, Toronto Teacher's College, and the Haliburton School of Art + Design, and served on the executive of the Metal Arts Guild of Canada for seven years. In 2008 he was published in 500 Metal Vessels. In 2010 he had an exhibition with Susan Watson Ellis at the Ontario Craft Council Gallery, and Jeffrey and Susan created the window display for the Guild Show during the 2010 Film Festival. For More Information: silversmith.ca

Michael Flaherty

Instructor for:

• Ceramics Project II
• Ceramics Sculpture

Micheal Flaherty was born in St. John's and continues to call Newfoundland his home, while his work, research and studies in ceramics have taken him across Canada and beyond. He earned a diploma in Visual Arts from College of the North Atlantic, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Regina. Michael has previously taught sculpture and ceramics at NSCAD, University of Regina and Memorial University of Newfoundland, and worked as ceramics technician at Red Deer College. Spanning the past fifteen years, Michael's studio practice has explored diverse themes including politics in art, interdisciplinary craft, and human and natural geography. In 2011 Flaherty's work was recognized when he was a semi-finalist for the prestigious Sobey Art Award. Flaherty was a finalist for the RBC Peoples' Choice award and won the Large Year Award from Visual Artists Newfoundland and Labrador in 2013.

Helen McCusker

Helen McCusker is a graduate of the Sheridan College Illustration Program and has been a practicing artist for more than 40 years. A member of the Etobicoke Art Group, she has work in private collections, and exhibits in solo, juried and group exhibitions. For over 20 years, Helen has taught art classes throughout the GTA, specializing in drawing, figure drawing and painting, portraiture, and paper sculpture. Helen's teaching is based on a solid understanding of drawing and design principles and personal attention to each student. She is enthusiastic about helping students discover their potential and encouraging artistic exploration. For More Information: @helen mccusker | eaglewoodstudios.blogspot.ca

Wendy Ladurantaye

Wendy Ladurantaye has enjoyed an eclectic art journey. After graduating from Sheridan College in general fine arts, she studied the glass medium under Jim Schnick and Clark Guettel and joined the faculty of the Haliburton School of Art + Design over 30 years ago. Her commissioned glass has found homes worldwide, with her favourites being the church windows installed in St. George's Anglican Church, Haliburton, and St. Margaret's Anglican Church, Wilberforce, Ontario. Wendy developed strong solution-focused problemsolving skills, and enjoys supportive teaching techniques which build upon the learner's strengths. She has found inspiration in many of her successful students, as well as her mentor, Mary Intven Wallace, fellow author and paint media artist. Wendy believes strongly in the journey and the importance of making time to discover joy in the process of art-making in any media.

Heather Vollans

Heather Vollans explored many pursuits - paper-mache sculpture, furniture restoration, acrylic and oil painting, quilting, collage, and decoupage until eventually mosaic became her passion. She has been teaching indoor and outdoor mosaic for a number of years in her studio and at venues including Mohawk College in Hamilton, Glenhyrst Gallery in Brantford, schools in various school boards, as well as locations in Mexico, her native Australia, and Ireland. Heather created public art for the Children's Memorial Gardens, Brantford and has spearheaded a number of community and large-scale school projects. In her studio practice, Heather's mosaic work is mostly abstract. The combination of textures, working either harmoniously or disparately, is what fires her interest. She finds the process of experimenting with materials to be the most enjoyable and important part of the process. The value of using discarded or found objects for art is an essential tool in her teaching and her art practice. For More Information: @heathervollans | dawningdecorstudio.com

Hope Thompson

Hope Thompson is an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter, most recently picking up best feature screenplay at Toronto's Female Eye Film Festival, with co-writer Patricia Chica. As a writer, Hope is passionate about crime and true crime genres. She has written extensively for the top-rated podcasts Crime Hub and Whereabouts Unknown. Her crime fiction has been published in anthologies, including in the Crime Writers of Canada's 2022 collection, Cold Canadian Crime. Her television credits include Iceland's Tulipop (Serious Kids) and The Fabulous Show with Faye and Fluffy (Wild Brain). She also wrote on two seasons of CBC's Baroness Von Sketch Show. Hope has two series projects in development. For More Information: @hopethompson70 | hopethompson.net

Janine Marson

Janine Marson is a graduate of the Design Art Program at Georgian College and received a BFA from the University of Guelph. Her 30-year career has established a strong sense of direction, garnered several exhibitions and awards, and has provided the opportunity to influence hundreds of students with her calm, encouraging spirit. Janine loves to inspire others with art, teaching private art lessons in person and online via ZOOM. A trained, professional picture framer, she has provided her services with a keen eye for colour and design for over 25 years. Her commission work includes painting on a canoe for the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and painting a paddle for the Algonquin Outfitters Paddle Art Contest. She is one of the muralists for The Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery in Huntsville and has painted six murals to date. Janine received a Woman of Distinction Award for Arts, Culture & Creativity in 2018. For More Information: @janinemarsonartmuskoka | janinemarsonart.ca

Jan Anderson

Jan Anderson became a committed fabric artist-quilter after taking her first course at the Haliburton School of Art + Design. After experimenting and creating with glass, wood, stone, paper and wire, she is addicted to the texture, diversity and colour of textiles. Jan manipulates wax, wool rovings, rust, paint, dye, pigment, canvas, cotton, origami, embellishments, and more to produce unique wall hangings. She has over seventeen years of teaching experience at colleges and universities in Ontario and is recognized for her passion, creativity and innovation, touched by humour and motivation. For More Information: bytheriverstudio.com

Miranda Britton

Instructor for:

• Digital Media
• Marketing/Portfolio Development

Miranda Britton is a jeweller, multi-disciplinary artist and gallery owner based in Muskoka, Ontario. As a jeweller, Miranda creates pieces that explore the multitude of ways that humans converge with the natural world. Using abstracted and simplified representations of organic motifs, her pieces celebrate many facets of the natural world, reminding the wearer of their place within the natural order of things. Together with her father, Miranda opened the Britton Gallery in Bracebridge in late 2019 and the experience has re-invigorated her love of art in its many forms. For More Information: @mirandabritton | mirandabritton.com