Winter/Spring 2012 Center Instructors

Doug Billings received a MFA in Printmaking from Wichita State University. He is a member/partner of Wichita's Gallery XII; member of the Boston Printmakers, the American Color Print Society and the SAGA (Society of American Graphic Artists)

Gayle Clayborn is an energetic, passionate artists that has been teaching private and group lessons for over 12 years. A handful of her youth students received national award.
Richard Crowson served as The Wichita Eagle's editorial cartoonist starting in 1987. His work has been reprinted in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, the Washington Post and USA Today.
Conan Y. Fugit graduated from Wichita State University with a BFA in Studio Arts and again with a BA in Anthropology. Since 1999 he has worked in the photo-industry in sales, processing, repair, and naturally as both an artist and photographer. His work often displays a variety of media spanning traditional film as well as state-of-the-art digital processes.

Jim Gross earned an MFA from WSU. He is a member of American Abstract Artists. His works are in the Whitney, the Guggenheim, the Met, and in a memorial exhibit of the World Trade Center.

Matthew Hilyard is active in the local art community in exhibiting his work and curating shows featuring Local, National and International artists for the Wichita art community.  He has been included in numerous local, national, and international juried exhibitions. Most recently his work was chosen to be in the Studio Visit Volume 12 2011  A National publication.

Brian Hinkle earned his MFA in Painting at WSU. He has been teaching at the Center since 1996 where he previously served as the Gallery Director. Brian's artwork is represented by Artworks, Inc. and Bob Schwan Studios in Wichita, KS, Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS, and Leopold Gallery in Kansas City, MO.

Anne Horton Anne Horton is a native of Wichita, Kansas. In the early nineties, she started painting in watercolor, then pastel and quickly began winning awards. Much of her subject matter is taken from her travels.  Her painting expresses her perceptions of the people and places she has traveled. She is a member of Wichita Women Artists and Artist Guild of Wichita.  She is a signature member of Mid America Pastel Society, Oklahoma Watercolor Society, Kansas Watercolor Society and the Missouri Watercolor Society. She is also a board member of the Kansas Watercolor Society and is chairman of the Art Show at the Garden Show Art Show.  She was chosen for the Garden Show poster in 2005 and 2008 and was awarded Botanica Poster for 2006 and 2008. “I like many subjects and all are a challenge, which is what my work is about.  I also like to share the things that are beautiful and hope someone else will feel and see as I do.

Jennifer Larsen received her BFA from Wichita State University and her MFA from the University at Buffalo. She is a working artist and teacher at (USD 259 Wichita) Northeast Magnet and Allen County Community College. She has traveled and studied in Italy as an Artist in Residence and most recently studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. She  is participating in various group exhibits locally and currently scheduled for a solo show at the E.B White Gallery in Eldorado, Ks. and Mercer Gallery in Garden City and has also arranged a 2 person show with her husband who is also an artist at The Percolator in Lawrence KS. Visit her at jenniferlarsen.wordpress.com/.

Andy Patton is a classical sculptor who has studied under several masters such as Bruno Lucchesi, Babs Mellor, and Vincent Aniano. He has also attended the Wichita State University School of Fine Arts. Andy is currently president of the Wichita Sculptures Guild.

Michael Potts travels the country offering unique experiences to all types of audiences as a live performance painter. He uses his artistic gift to raise money for various charities and in the process he provides audiences with quality entertainment and a glimpse at the fundamentals of painting.

Lori Martin-Price earned her  BA in Metalsmithing from the University of Kansas. She is a professional artist who participates in various art fairs and has her jewelry in several galleries.  Lori currently teaches K thru 12 art at Elyria Christian School.  She is Vice-President of the Artists - Visual Arts Alliance of McPherson.. Her website is www.llmpsilverworks.com.

John McCluggage received his training at multiple colleges and universities around the state. He has been an intern at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana and a crew leader at the Odyian Retreat Center, in Northern California, where he built monumental bronze sculptures.

Babs Mellor is a professional sculptor. She has studied with many world prominent sculptors in the United States and Italy. Her sculptures can be seen at Century II, Newman University, Friends University and many more. Babs’ works have also been featured in museums, art publications and have received many artistic awards. She has been teaching full classes at The Wichita Center for the Arts since 1974.

Mary Binford Miller received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas State University.  She has been trained as a classical oil painter and uses that approach in her teachings. She is an award winner in both commercial and fine art fields. Mary is represented by Southwind Gallery of Topeka and The American Legacy Gallery of Kansas City, Missouri and Artworks of Wichita. http://www.marybinfordmiller.com/

Kathleen Shanahan graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA and the University of Arizona with an MFA in drawing, painting and printmaking.  She has shown her work nationally, internationally and regionally. Kathleen has been an Art Professor at Wichita State University. She also taught full time at Lane Community College  in Eugene OR, Columbia College in Columbia MO, Eastern Arizona College  in Thatcher AZ, and was adjunct faculty at the University of Kansas. 

Virginia Grass Simmons has won multiple awards in teaching and oil painting. Virginia is a professional painter who’s work is regularly in national and regional level painting shows. Once being named teacher of the year for Sedgwick County, she now puts all of her talents into oil painting.

Sally Strand is a Master Pastelist whose paintings celebrate familiar scenes of everyday life. A native of Colorado now residing in California, Strand has been exhibiting professionally as an artist for over 30 years. Strand was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, the highest commendation of the Pastel Society of America, NY. She is the recipient of numerous top awards, including the PSA Master Pastelist distinction, and most recently the Master IAPS Circle Honor. Her solo exhibitions in galleries and museums include a 2006 one-person retrospective of pastel and oil paintings at the Bakersfield Museum of Art in California.

David Vollbracht is a signature member of Oil Painters of America; he is a representational landscape painter of the West. David travels around the Mid-West and the Rocky Mountains to gather references material via plein air studies for realistic impressions created primarily with oil paints in his studio.