Arts Faculty

Allison Allen received her B.S. in Art Education from Skidmore College, and studied at Syracuse University, Instituto Acuapulco, Prospect School Archive Center for Education and Research, and at the Ed Levin Arts Workshop. She worked with all types of children, inculding special needs children, throughout the country, and ran her own art program, "Art for Kids," out of her studio in Green Cove Spring, Florida. Ms. Allen has been teaching youth art classes for 21 years, and has experience in everything from basket making to silver smithing and papermaking. We welcome her as a valuable new addition to our arts faculty.

Lisa Argenta received her B.S. degree from Plymouth State College in New Hampshire, obtaining a degree in Art Education. Soon after graduating, Lisa began teaching middle school art in Bolton, CT. She has been teaching various artistic media and ttechniques to children ages 8-13 for 7 years in Bolton, and received her M.S. in Art Education from Central Connecticut State University in 2006. It was at CCSU that she focuses her thesis in the medium of Ceramics and began to display her work in Connecticut galleries. Lisa has shown her ceramic works in Avon, Farmington, and New Britain art galleries.

Heather Bunnell received her B.F.A. from the University of Connecticut with concentrations in Ceramics and Printmaking. She has taught pottery, early childhood, and mixed media classes at the Community School for the past five years, as well as group and private lessons for seven years. She exhibits regularly in shows and galleries throughout the state, and in the Open Studio Tour. Ms. Bunnell is a potter and the Arts Coordinator for the Community School of the Arts.

Emine Cichowski was born in the ancient village of Gemlik, Turkey, on the shores of the Sea of Marmara. As a teenager, she worked ceaselessly to persuade her uncle, in New York, to help her emigrate to the United States. She completed a degree in pharmacy and has worked with her husband, also a pharmacist, for many years in Storrs, near the University of Connecticut campus. At present, she has become a full-time artist. Through the years, Emine studied and worked to develop her art. Among her mentors she counts Susan Gerr, whose Birch Mountain Pottery is in the adjacent town. She is a juried artist and her wares are sold at the Benton Museum Gift Shop at the University of Connecticut.

Nancy Cooke Bunnell has a M.Ed. from Southern Connecticut State University, is certified in both High School Art and Special Education, and teaches at Bolton High School. She has been a professional artist for the last 10 years and shows regularly in the Artists Open Studio Tour at Lion’s Mouth Studio in Willington, CT. Ms. Cooke Bunnell exhibits watercolors, oils, and pastels throughout the state and is the former president of the Quiet Corner Artists. Her work has been on display at venues throughout the state, including the Quiet Corner Artists Juried Outdoor Show, the Arts 300 Festival, and the Tolland Art Association. Nancy enjoys finding her compositions while kayaking, hiking or biking and creating her works on site.

Anne Cubberly has over 20 years experience as a professional artist, specializing in mixed-media painting, graphic arts, silkscreen printing, papier-mache sculpture, masks, and giant puppets. Some of Cubberly's more recent projects include creating giant puppets for the premiere of Fog and Shadow at the Wadsworth Atheneum; designing and constructing ensemble pieces for the Cleveland Museum of Art's Parade the Circle; and an artist's residency at the New Britain Museum of American Art, where she taught students to sculpt with recycled materials.

Kimberly Gilmore received her B.S. in Art Education from the University of Vermont, studying a wide range of artistic mediums including drawing, painting, ceramics, fine metals, and printmaking. She has had additional training in ceramics at the Community School of the Arts. She is developing her skills as an artist while teaching art at Griswold Public Schools, working at the elementary and high school levels. She has a variety of experience working with students of all ages and ability levels.

Teri Herel of ESPPottery.com has been studying pottery and establishing her own studio in Ellington, Connecticut since 2005. She brings to clay a long history as a visual artist combined with formal education in physics and music performance. All of these elements are combined in her work to bring vessels of high quality, functionality and aesthetic beauty. Carved and glazed in unique designs, her work ranges from classic vases, bowls, and teapots to jewelry and musical instruments. 

Shauna Shane has been painting professionally for 25 years. A former Resident Artist at Yellowstone National Park, her paintings can be found in numerous collections and several countries around the world. In addition to workshops and master classes from artists such as Robert Bateman, Charles Reed, Clyde Aspevig and Raymond Everett Kinstler, her educational background includes Lyme Academy of Fine Art, University of Connecticut, Banff School of Fine Art in Alberta, Canada, and Montana State University in Bozeman. Shauna has exhibited in international competitions around the country, including the Knickerbocker Exhibit, Oil Painters of America, and the Salmagundi Exhibit in New York City. Shauna is an experienced teacher with 25 years of teaching students the pleasure of seeing and understanding the artistic concepts that open like windows when they begin with a strong foundation. In addition, Shauna has given more than 50 demonstrations to Connecticut and Massachusetts Art Guilds as well as to public school art classes, and she is represented in galleries in Connecticut, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Montana.

Michele Sinkez received her B.S. Physical Education from Springfield College and her M.S. Art Education from Central Connecticut State University. Ms. Sinkez taught in the public school system for 31 years. After retiring in 2004 and restoring her farmhouse, she established a studio and gallery where she works in monotype and primitive ceramics. Ms. Sinkez regularly participates in shows throughout the state, and was awarded First Prize-Mixed Media, CT Academy of Fine Arts Annual Exhibition 1993; Honorable Mention, ArtWorks Gallery “Images of Summer” 1992; Wadsworth Athenaeum Award, ArtWorks Gallery 1991.