Haliburton School of Art + Design

Jessica Steinhauser

Jessica Steinhauser is a Master potter on the wheel and continues to share her talents to students at the Haliburton School of Art + Design. Jessica's passion for the Kachelofen (wood-burning ceramic stoves) has had her travelling to clients worldwide installing over forty custom designs for the past ten years. She has won a major award at the Masonry Heater Association of North America's annual design/build contest for 8 consecutive years. Recent honours include: solo exhibition at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery (2014); Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award (2016); winner of the 40th Anniversary Ontario Crafts Council Award (2016). Jessica is a graduate of the State school for Art and Design and the State School for Ceramics in Germany and resides in Guelph, Ontario. http://www.facebook.com/KachelofenArt

Elise Muller

Instructor for:

• Stone Sculpture Open Studio

Elise Muller has been sculpting stone since 2001 and her large public sculptures can be found in Dorset, Fergus, and Kingsbrae Garden. Elise's granite sculpture 'Attunement' won the 2018/9 Canadian Sculpture Competition at Kingsbrae Garden in St. Andrews, NB. Elise has been teaching stone carving to both adults and children for 19 years, and enjoys nurturing her students' individual creativity. Elise lives and works at Stone Tree Studio in Muskoka with her partner, furniture maker Cirvan Hamilton. For More Information: @elisemuller_art | stonetreestudio.ca

Jane Lewis

Jane Lewis has been leading vocal groups since 2008, from "finding your voice" and "how to sing harmony by ear" workshops to various choirs, Circle Singing, and community singing events. She has been studying improvisational singing with Rhiannon, and during the pandemic, attending Musica do Circulo music improv training workshops online. As a singer-songwriter, she is often compared to Carole King, playing piano-based music that draws on her strength as a lyricist and singer. She performs most often with the folk duo Gathering Sparks (with Eve Goldberg), nominated for a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. Jane has released two solo recordings, and Gathering Sparks released their newest album on Borealis Records in September 2019. For More Information: @janelewismusic | janelewis.ca

Nancy Newman

Instructor for:

• Watercolour Painting for Absolute Beginners

Nancy Newman is an artist, teacher and juror. She is a Director of the Toronto Watercolour Society. Nancy has exhibited her work in many solo and juried shows including TWS Aquavision, International Watercolour Society Canada (IWS), Art Aurora, Society of York Region Artists (SOYRA) and Blue Mountain Foundation of the Arts (BMFA). She has received several first place, award of merit, honourable mention and people's choice awards. A guest instructor for many art societies, she has taught at the Aurora Cultural Centre and the Blue Mountain School of Landscape Painting. Nancy is a long-time instructor at Haliburton School of Art and Design. Recently, she has been sharing her expertise and support via Zoom courses and workshops. For More Information: @nancynewmanart | nancynewmanart.com

Ken Murray

Ken Murray is a novelist, playwright, short story writer, and essayist. In 2015, Globe and Mail called Ken's novel, Eulogy, a "powerful, poignant debut." In 2017, Ken's adaptation of his short story The Exception was performed at the Roy Bonisteel Studio in the Old Church Theatre. His work has appeared in Prairie Fire, Globe and Mail, Mendacity Review, Brooklyn Rail, Ottawa Citizen, Canadian Business, and Maclean's. Since 2009, he has taught creative writing at the University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies and has taught at Haliburton School of Art & Design since 2014. While earning his MFA at The New School in New York City, Ken also trained as a teaching artist with Community Word Project and taught with the organization Poets House. For More Information: kenmurray.ca

Mathieu Grodet

Mathieu Grodet is a glassblower, flame worker and illustrator born in Orleans, France. Current work brings the past of glass together with themes of the present, using traditional techniques with a modern twist. Ideas around contradiction, power, duality and the absurdity of life are explored as he marries and reconstructs form, function and design with a unique style to provoke discussion. Recent workshops, lectures and classes delivered have included cities in China, Japan, Turkey, France, Canada and the US. His work is in private collections across Europe and North America and can be seen at the Corning Museum of Glass, the Art Institute of Chicago, and various galleries in Canada. For More Information: @mathieu_grodet_glass | mathieugrodetglass.com

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

Lisa Barry

Instructor for:

• Ceramics - Pottery II

Lisa Barry is a graduate of Sheridan College's Ceramics Program and has also achieved a BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Lisa has a broad range of experience with various pottery techniques as well as kiln firing processes. An artist of note, she has exhibited nationally and continues to develop herself as an artist through workshops and learning opportunities. Lisa brings a passion and energy to her teaching that ensures a lively and creative atmosphere for her students. For More Information: @homesteadpottery | homesteadpottery.ca

Paulus Tjiang

Paulus Tjiang graduated from Ontario College of Art in 1988 and continued his studies both at Pilchuk Glass School and as a resident at the Harbourfront Craft Studio until 1989. Utilizing primarily Venetian techniques with remarkable skill, he brings intense colour, precise detail, and an elegant disposition to his work. Paulus owns and operates Frantic Farms Clay and Glass gallery in Warkworth, ON. www.franticfarms.com.