Instructors

Troy Becker
Ceramics

Troy Becker is head of the ceramics department at Mark Arts. He received his BFA from Wichita State University in studio Art with an emphasis in ceramics. His ceramic styles vary from artistic hand-built forms to highly crafted thrown pottery. He has shown his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Wichita. Becker was also the 2009-2010 Artist in Residence at Mark Arts.

Doug Billings
Printmaking & Acrylic Painting

Doug Billings graduated with the BFA in printmaking from Mankato State University in Minnesota and received an MFA in printmaking from Wichita State University, where he studied under respected printmakers, professors David Bernard and John Boyd. He established a new printmaking program at Mark Arts in 2002, and founded and directs the Tallgrass Press Printmakers Association, established in 2013.

He is currently a member of the American Color Print Society and a member/regional representative of the Society of American Graphic Arts. He is also a member and former president of Gallery XII in Wichita and a former president and board member of the Wichita Artists Guild.

He has exhibited works in seven international and over 20 national juried exhibitions and has been published in the Journal of the Print World, Icon Magazine, the Wichita Times, The Wichita Eagle, the El Dorado Times, the Shocker alumni magazine, Kansas.com, College Hill Commoner and the F5 weekly publication.

Mark Birchfield
Drawing & Oil Painting

Mark Birchfield is a Kansas native who has classical training in drawing and oil painting from Wichita State University, Wichita Center for the Arts, and City Arts. He has also received private classes in Seville, Spain, and attended workshops with David Leffel and Sherri McGraw. He is a commission portrait artist and creates representational portraits, figurative and still life drawings, and oil paintings with a direct alla prima method and focus on chiaroscuro lighting. Recent works are alla prima en plein air figurative paintings with a contemporary Impressionism style. His work was recently featured in the Oil Painting National Exhibition at Mark Arts. His passion for teaching comes from his desire to inspire artists to improve their techniques and pursue a personal journey of growth in their artistic practice.

Gayle Clayborn
Watercolor, Pastel, Adult & Youth Workshops

Gayle Clayborn is an energetic, passionate artist who has been teaching private and group lessons for more than 12 years. A handful of her youth students have received national awards.

Elizabeth Corbett
Pastel Instructor

Long before her formal education, Elizabeth Corbett was an artist in the making. Growing up poor in rural Missouri there were no art classes and no museums. At a very early age she was enthralled by the play of early morning light and shadows, dew on the grass, and even the refraction of light on ice cubes. Her excitement for the visual world has not waned! Many years later she entered college with plans to major in English. However, she switched to painting, earning a BFA in painting and drawing from the University of Kansas, and continued her studies at Wichita State University receiving an MFA. Her plans to teach were derailed by the opportunity to be a flight attendant. It was after her retirement that Elizabeth had the opportunity to take workshops and spend the time necessary to mature as an artist. Her proficiency in oils and pastels has enabled her to participate and win awards in many shows.

Nick Denny
Youth Instructor 

Nick Denny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Air Force parents and spent his childhood living overseas. Exposure to many different countries and cultures fostered an appreciation for the arts. After moving back to the U.S. in 1995, he attended Wayne Community College in 1996 where he was inspired by his first college-level art instructor, brick sculptor Pat Turlington. Upon his father’s retirement from the Air Force, the family relocated to Wichita and Nick enrolled at Wichita State University where he went on to earn a BFA in fine arts, painting and drawing in 2002.

Nick worked as a designer and fabricator of advertising and signage for 20-plus years while also teaching at Paint the Towne starting in 2013. He continues to produce art and illustration work in his home studio while teaching part time.

Jim Gross
Abstract Painting

Jim Gross earned his teaching degree at Friends University and his MFA degree from Wichita State University. He is a member of American Abstract Artists. His works are in the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in Fine Arts from Friends University and was named Artist of the Year by the Wichita Arts Council.  Gross has had three one-man shows in New York City.

Matthew Hilyard
Mixed Media & Abstract Painting

Born in Wichita, Matthew Hilyard maintains his home and studio in Andover, Kansas. He is a curator, studio artist and art instructor at Mark Arts. He was commissioned to paint a Keeper of the Plains Statue that can be viewed at the Urban Park in downtown Wichita. His work has been included in numerous local, regional, national and international juried competitions. His work has been included in New American Paintings.

Tracie Lyn Huskamp
Mixed Media & Watercolor

Tracie Lyn Huskamp received her BFA in graphic design with a minor in studio arts from Wichita State University. Her art has appeared on ABCNews.com in an AP Interview, on the cover of Somerset Studio Magazine and with the release of her book, “Nature Inspired” (Quarry 2009). She also has licensed her artworks to manufacturers for retail products.

Bill C. Koch
Couples Dance

Bill Koch has been teaching dance styles, privately and in classes, since 1988. His instruction and experience range from country & western, to popular ballroom, Latin, tango and various swing styles. Bill has taught numerous classes at Mark Arts, the Derby Recreation Center, Bethel College’s Fine Arts Academy (Newton), Amira Dance Productions, Newton High School, Wichita State University’s Heskett Center, wedding choreographies, theme parties and private lessons. Bill has had multiple performances at River Fest, Autumn and Art, and was a recent dance competition judge.

Rachel Lewis
Youth & Workshops

Rachel was born and raised in Leavenworth, Kansas, and has degrees in graphic design, multimedia-video production and art education. She loves working with illustration markers and watercolors because of the unique, almost magical result. She enjoys watching young artists work on big projects one step at a time until a masterpiece is the final result. Rachel’s favorite artist is Camilla d’Errico because she has the craziest ideas and the coolest works she has ever seen.

Lori Martin-Price
Jewelry & Metalsmithing

Lori Martin–Price earned her BA in metalsmithing from The University of Kansas. She is a professional artist who also teaches K–12 art at Elyria Christian School and noncredit silversmithing at Hutchinson Community College. She is also a member of the Hutchinson Art Association with work in its gallery.

Roger Mathews
Jewelry

There is wonderment in beginning with a simple flat form of silver sheet metal and plain, unornamented silver wire and crafting the two with the force of heat and the power of a hammer, into an object of beauty. Roger Mathews has been mesmerized by the making of this phenomenon for over 50 years. A long-time instructor at Mark Arts, he has been fortunate to mentor and tutor students in the process of silversmithing, for over four decades. Roger Mathews first began teaching jewelry in the early 1970s. His first class had only three students: Mary Robinson Koch, Olive Ann Beech and Mrs. Coleman. During the next 40 years, Roger taught jewelry at the high school level and then 35 years at Butler Community College. He owns Mathews Gallery on Central as well and has exhibited in juried art shows across the nation. Roger earned a master’s degree from Wichita State University. As an artist, he competes and exhibits artwork in glass, wood, and metal, but the area of silversmithing was his first and greatest love affair. Working with sterling silver is his metal of choice. Roger’s pieces are recognizable by their distinct style with texture and oxidation. Using semi-precious stones, kiln formed glass, and natural rocks found in and around the landscape offer a focal point to his designs.

Mary Binford Miller
Oil & Acrylic Painting

Mary Binford Miller received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and a Bachelor of Science in art education from Kansas State University. She worked as a fashion illustrator for The Oklahoma Publishing Co. and The Wichita Eagle newspapers. Mary has studied with Everett Raymond Kinstler, official portrait painter of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, as well as David Leffel, Daniel Gerhartz, Jeff Legg and Daniel Keys, all world-renowned classically trained painters. She is a multiple Addy Award winner in the graphic arts field. She has also won awards for her fine art paintings, the most recent being an Honorable Mention in the 2018 Mark Arts Oil Painting National Exhibition, juried by internationally known painter Daniel Keys. Mary is co-winner of the Koch Cultural Trust Enabling Grant for 2018. She is represented by SouthWind Gallery in Topeka and Reuben Saunders Gallery in Wichita.

Adyson Mikesell
STEAM & Youth Workshops

Adyson Mikesell was born and raised in Wichita. She is on track to graduate with a BFA in Graphic Design in Spring 2022, from Wichita State University. Her favorite mediums include paint, oil pastels and colored pencil. She enjoys calligraphy and would love to sell her own greeting cards someday. Her favorite artist is Jessica Hische because she shows typography is more than just words on a canvas. Adyson loves working with children and watching their imagination come alive on paper.

Caryl Morgan
Watercolor

Caryl Morgan is an internationally recognized contemporary realist watercolorist whose primary interest is in vivid, highly saturated watercolor. Through teaching, she passes on her enthusiasm and belief that anyone can successfully create art to express his or her own creativity. Morgan has a diverse educational background gained by attending colleges and universities in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois. These educational opportunities aided her growth as an artist. She taught art at Ark City High School and adjunct art history at Cowley College.

Jack Norris
Ceramics

Jack Norris has a master’s degree in microbiology from Wichita State University and worked for many years in engineering at Boeing. In addition to his art practices, he enjoys the outdoors through camping and canoeing.

Charlotte Patterson
Sculpture

Charlotte Patterson is a native Kansan who credits her junior high art teacher, Jack Boge, for encouraging her artistic talents. Charlotte considers herself a multifaceted artist and enjoys working with youth and adult students alike.

Don Praseuth
Drawing 

Don Praseuth studied classical art, drawing, and painting at Watts Atelier in Encinitas, California. While at Watts, his main focus was studying portraiture, figurative works, anatomy, and illustration. Don’s hope is to bring the old method of classical education and ways of teaching to Wichita. He has been commissioned for oil paintings, portrait drawings, digital works, and works as a local tattoo artist. Don also created and runs the local art group Wichita Sketch Club; a local art group opened to the community for networking, educating, and inspiring each other. He hopes to continue his education in other methods of classical art in the pursuit of creating more efficient ways of teaching and learning.

Casey TZ Smith
Sculpture 

Casey TZ Smith is a professional sculptor and ceramic artist. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Metropolitan State College of Denver and her Master of Fine Arts degree at Fort Hays State University. Casey taught art classes for nearly a decade at Crowder College. Her artwork can be found in permanent collections including The Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute in The Peoples Republic of China. Her sculptures have been juried into publications including Cast: Art and Objects Made Using Humanity’s Most Transformational Process, written and curated by Jen Townsend and Renee Zettle-Sterling, sold at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Casey’s Etsy shop was featured in Berlin based Sleek Magazine, an international art magazine. While living in Denver, she was an active member of EDGE gallery. Currently, Casey is a working artist at Decorative Potatoes Studio, an art instructor, and a certified Therapeutic Arts Life Coach.

Jennifer Walterscheid
Enameling

Jennifer Walterscheid is an artist living and working in Wichita, Kansas. She is a graduate of Wichita State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and a Certificate of Ornamental Painting and Design. Jennifer teaches art classes at Holy Cross Lutheran School and enameling at Mark Arts. She enjoys cultivating creative energy in the enameling classroom, where she works alongside her students as they paint with fire. Enameling has become her passion since she discovered it nearly fifteen years ago at the Wichita Center for the Arts. Her work was included in The Wichita National All Media Craft Exhibition 2013 and 2017, at The Wichita Center for the Arts. She has received four enameling awards in the Wichita Center for the Arts Student/Faculty show. Galleries her work has been shown in include the Steckline Gallery at Newman University, the gallery at Exploration Place, Visual Arts Alliance in McPherson, the William J. Reals Gallery of Art and the Mercer Gallery at Garden City Community College. Her work can be found locally at Karg Art Glass and Gallery XII.

Melinda Weis
Oil Painting

Melinda Weis is an award-winning artist represented by Gallery XII. In her former life, she was a graphic artist, but can now devote all her time to the joy/agony of painting. She loves sharing her knowledge with others, especially making technology “make sense.”

Addie Wise
Drawing

Adelia Wise had mentors in both art and education starting at an early age, though she may not have realized that would be her path until she had already started college. Adelia, known by most as Addie, was born in 1988 in Michigan then grew up primarily in Wichita, Kansas. She attended Kansas State University and graduated with a bachelor’s in education in 2010. Addie used her degree to teach K-12 visual arts for the public school district back in Wichita for the next five years. Then in 2019, she completed the graduate program at Wichita State University and received her master’s degree in studio art. Addie’s work primarily focuses on the human figure, using two-dimensional media and drawing processes to describe the complex relationships between nature and culture. Many of her recent pieces have been exploring personal experiences and the challenges of becoming a mother. She maintains an active exhibition record by showing work in local and regional galleries and juried shows. Currently, you can find Addie shuffling between Butler Community College and Wichita State University as an adjunct instructor or teaching youth and drawing classes at Mark Arts. Her passion for teaching is matched only by the drive to create, Addie hopes to maintain the delicate balance between both as she navigates her career path.

Elizabeth Yeremin
Youth

Elizabeth Yeremin was born and raised in Wichita. She is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree in art and art education at Friends University. She loves being able to use her hands while painting and working with ceramics. She adores working with young artists because they are so open to new ideas. Elizabeth’s favorite artist is Cayce Zavaglia because of her realistic embroidery portraits.

Gigi Gonzalez
Culinary Arts 

Chef Gabrielle Gonzalez earned her culinary degree from the Mariano Moreno Institute – Medellín, Colombia, which is partnered with internationally renowned schools such as the Paul Bocuse Lyon Arts Institute in France. She earned her Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts in 2018, then went on to become the head pastry chef’s assistant at the luxurious five-star hotel, Dann Carlton, in Medellín. She excelled in the cake decorating field and discovered this was her passion along with pastries and innovative desserts. Chef Gabrielle returned to the East Coast, her birthplace, and was hired by the prestigious Lobster Club in New York City as a pastry chef. Now Chef Gabrielle is ready to bring to Wichita her expertise and culinary skills in the making of beautiful edible art. She is committed to using her natural talents and training to teach even the most inexperienced bakers about the pastry world.

Kristina Grappo
Culinary Arts 

Kristina Grappo is the Owner and Executive Chef of Viola’s Pantry—an Italian marketplace based here in Wichita. She has over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry in Los
Angeles, Dallas, Austin, and now Wichita. Kristina has a passion for Italian cooking and “la dolce vita”! Named after her paternal grandmother, Viola “Vi” Grappo, Viola’s Pantry uses influence from Kristina’s Italian roots in Calabria and Rome, and her mother’s time in a village outside of Modena to create various classic pastas, flavor packed sauces, and other stables of Italian
meals— giving you more time back with your family. Kristina is a recent transplant to Wichita after her husband’s job with the Air Force brought them here. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University, and currently working towards
a Culinary Degree from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts (graduating in August 2021).

Chef H
Culinary Arts

Harry Pape, known as Chef H, is a local cooking instructor and cookbook author who has been teaching at the Mark Arts Culinary Arts Program since it began in 2018. Chef H credits his practical rather than classical training to his ability to relate to all students participating in his workshop. He and his wife, Janet, have traveled extensively since retiring over 10 years ago. He returns home each time with new recipes from his travels to share. His approach to food and cooking is simplicity. He had a regular cooking segment on KAKE TV for 3 years in which he emphasized the importance of cooking with ingredients that are easy to find in local stores. Chef H encourages students to have fun while learning new recipes. Most importantly, he wants his students to enjoy a wonderful meal with their fellow classmates. His cookbook “Simple Cooking” can be found in the Mark Arts gift shop.

Jamie Stratton
Wine Tastings

Jamie has been in the wine business for more than 20 years. He is currently the wine director at Jacob Liquor Exchange.  In 2005, he became Wichita’s first Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators and passed the Certified Wine Educator exam in 2006. He has also passed the first of three tests in the Court of Master Sommelier Program and was accepted to and studied with the Master of Wine program in London, England.