Vermont Arts Council

Teaching Artist Roster

Artists on this roster are eligible to lead residencies supported by Artists in Schools Grants. Each has been vetted by the Council based on these criteria: artistic excellence, teaching ability, and collaborative planning skills.

Additions to the roster are made through an application process conducted every other year.

Learn how to apply to join the Teaching Artist Roster

Read More about: Alexandra Turner

Alexandra Turner

Location: Essex Junction
Counties Served:
Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Washington

Alexandra works in a wide variety of media, including glass, photographic processes, fabric, print, clay, and paint. Her work combines arts integration, Universal Design for Learning, mindfulness, and collaboration to develop curriculum that engages many types of learners. Her glass fossil residencies combine fused glass art with ecology, integrating science skills such as using hand lenses, microscopes, plant identification, and principles of working with glass.

Education Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Early Childhood
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Alexandra Turner

Read More about: Alexis Kamitses

Alexis Kamitses

Location: Burlington
Counties Served: Bennington, Chittenden, Essex, Windham

Alexis is a dance and movement educator and performer living in Burlington and teaching at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans. Alexis has a bachelor’s degree in biology, environmental studies, and dance from Oberlin College as well as a master’s in teaching from The University of Vermont. She is currently working toward a master’s in dance at Montclair State University.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Camps
  • Private lessons
  • Adult Workshops

More about Alexis Kamitses

Read More about: Alia Thabit

Alia Thabit

Location: Saint Johnsbury

Alia is a dancer and choreographer of Lebanese and Palestinian descent who incorporates traditional and contemporary influences, colorful costumes, and dynamic music to present a wide range of Middle Eastern dance styles (also known as raqs sharqi, danse orientale, baladi, or belly dance).

More about Alia Thabit

Read More about: Brendan Taaffe

Brendan Taaffe

Location: Brattleboro

Man of many hats, Brendan Taaffe is a musician, dance caller, and crankie artist who loves working with students to have fun and create community with traditional New England community dance and, more recently, creating “crankies” (scrolling paper images that accompany songs or stories) as group projects. Brendan has been working as an artist in schools for many years, and is comfortable engaging kids from kindergarten through high school with music and dance and stories.

More about Brendan Taaffe

Read More about: Christine Mix

Christine Mix

Location: Weston
Counties Served: Addison, Bennington, Chittenden, Essex, Rutland, Windham, Windsor

Christine Mix is a published children’s illustrator/author, PAL Member of SCBWI, and a member of CBIG-NYC. She is also a teaching artist in schools and camps, introducing illustration and cartooning to youth.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Private lessons
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops
  • Library and Community Programs
  • Non-Profits

More about Christine Mix

Read More about: Circus Smirkus

Circus Smirkus

Location: Greensboro
Counties Served: All

Circus Smirkus is Vermont’s own award-winning international youth circus. Since 1987, they have promoted the skills, culture, and traditions of the traveling circus, inspiring youth to engage in life-changing adventures in the circus arts. The Ringmaster Residency Program brings the joy of circus into schools, camps, and other youth organizations while teaching and developing social and emotional learning. Professionally trained residency artists provide expert instruction in body movement, juggling, diabolo, flower sticks, plate spinning, balance exercises, human pyramids, and more. These activities have been observed to support building life skills such as resilience, self-confidence, collaboration, teamwork, and creativity for students of all ages.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Adult Workshops

More about  Circus Smirkus

 

Read More about: Courtney Reckord

Courtney Reckord

Location: South Burlington

Courtney is an arts educator with a decade of experience teaching a wide variety of visual arts. Her specialties include arts integration, social issues and STEAM, as well as projects that involve the community, school community, and beyond. She has a background is in science that she believes to be a natural fit with art. Her previous experience as both educator in residence and as maker in residence at the Generator maker space gives her firsthand experience with teaching the tools of technology, and with designing units that are project-based, meaningful, and relevant.

More about Courtney Reckord

Read More about: Dan Gottsegen

Dan Gottsegen

Location: Hartland
Counties Served: Orange, Rutland, Windham, Windsor

Dan Gottsegen lives and works in rural Vermont; he has been an Arts Council Teaching Artist for over ten years. His work is influenced by wilderness wanderings and meditations and he often derives images from video that he shoots. Recently he was selected from artists across the country to be the single Artist in Residence in 2017 at the Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. In 2016 he completed a two-month artist residency at Stiwdeo Maelor in Corris, Wales, U.K. He has a B.A. from Brown University, and an M.F.A. in painting from California College of the Arts.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)

More about Dan Gottsegen

Read More about: Elissa Campbell

Elissa Campbell

Location: Montpelier
Counties Served: Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Rutland, Washington, Windsor

In a studio in beautiful Montpelier, you will find Elissa hand binding journals, photo albums, and guest books using traditional bookbinding techniques. She offers a range of bookbinding workshops appropriate for either students or teachers. She has worked in both traditional and nontraditional educational settings, art centers, community festivals, and online. Her training as an art therapist has given her invaluable tools that she uses when teaching and workshops are easily adapted to make them accessible to a variety of populations.

Educational Settings:

  • Private lessons
  • Adult Workshops

More about Blue Roof Designs

Read More about: Erik Nielson

Erik Nielson

Location: Brookfield
Counties Served: All

Erik is an experienced teacher/mentor in composition. He has been a senior mentor with Music-COMP, a program that helps young people create their own music, since 2003.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • Camps
  • Private lessons
  • Adult Workshops

More about Erik Nielsen

Read More about: Evie Lovett

Evie Lovett

Location: Putney

Evie is an artist and photographer. Much of her work has been in the area of documentary portraiture. Photographing people has been a way to connect with, hope to understand, and share the experiences of others.

More about Evie Lovett

Read More about: Fuá Nascimento

Fuá Nascimento

Location: South Burlington
Counties Served: All

Fuá shares with energy and enthusiasm his wealth of knowledge around the fascinating art of Capoeira. In his master classes or visiting artist residencies, he invites students, staff, teachers, and all community members to step out of their comfort zone and embark on a cultural journey. This immersion is done through Capoeira’s traditional music, movement, and emphasizing these key principles: faith, positivity, respect, bravery and “I don’t know it.” (vs. “I can’t do it.”)

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Adult Workshops

More about Fuá Nascimento

Read More about: Geof Hewitt

Geof Hewitt

Location: Calais
Counties Served: All

Geof is the author of four books of poems and Vermont’s reigning poetry slam champion. He offers readings of his poems, serves as slammaster/host for school and community-wide poetry slams, and leads writing workshops for all ages above third grade.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Geof Hewitt

Read More about: Jeh Kulu Dance and Drum Theater

Jeh Kulu Dance and Drum Theater

Location: Burlington
Counties Served: All

Vermont’s premier West African dance and drum theater, founded in 1993, is a nonprofit educational and performance ensemble based in Burlington. This large multicultural ensemble offers traditional rhythms and dances from Guinea, Senegal, and Mali, West Africa.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Early Childhood
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Jeh Kulu Dance and Drum Theatre

Read More about: John Hadden

John Hadden

Location: Londonderry

John was born in Berlin and spent his childhood overseas. He is a founding member of Shakespeare & Company, co-founder of Counterpoint Theater, artistic director of the Hubbard Hall Theater Company, and associate artist with We Players.

More about John Hadden

Read More about: Judy Dow

Judy Dow

Location: Essex Junction

Judy is an Abenaki educator who teaches science, history, and math through art. In the recent past, she worked with Gedakina and the University of New Hampshire through a National Science Foundation grant documenting sustainable land use practices with Indigenous youth in New England.

More about Judy Dow

Read More about: Kristen M. Watson

Kristen M. Watson

Location: Colchester
Counties Served: Chittenden

Kristen loves to teach all kinds of art and has experience teaching book arts, altered books, hand-built and wheel-thrown ceramics, digital stop motion animation and claymation, digital and analog (darkroom) photography, and 3D sculpture and assemblage.

Educational Settings:

  • Camps
  • Private lessons
  • Adult Workshops

More about Kristen M. Watson

Read More about: Kyle Saulnier

Kyle Saulnier

Location: Monkton
Counties Served: All

Kyle Saulnier is a dynamic ensemble clinician and composer specializing in Jazz and Contemporary music. His high-energy approach and expertise can address the technique of performance, confidence in improvisation, and a wide scope of other topics in most contemporary genres. He is a highly-acclaimed composer whose works are an intense blend of jazz, modern classical, and rock music styles.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Private lessons
  • Collegiate Faculty

More about Kyle Saulnier

Read More about: Linda Whelihan

Linda Whelihan

Location: Brattleboro
Counties Served: All

Linda has a special knack for providing workshops that tap into each individual’s creativity. She excels at integrating the arts into the classroom curriculum and designs engaging, art-full activities that reinforce learning while building community. She specializes in creative recycling, puppet and bookmaking, and large-scale mural and mosaic projects.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Linda Whelihan

Read More about: Marv Klassen-Landis

Marv Klassen-Landis

Location: Windsor
Counties Served: All

Marv Klassen-Landis tells stories, performs poetry and leads written and spoken word residencies and workshops, as well as one-to-one coaching.Marv is a poet, storyteller and theatre artist who was the founding creative writer at Dartmouth Health’s Arts and Humanities Program from 2009-2023.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Camps
  • Early Childhood
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops
  • Healthcare settings

More about Marv Klassen-Landis

Read More about: Matthew LaRocca

Matthew LaRocca

Location: Burlington

Matt is a composer, conductor and educator. He is on the composition and theory faculty at the University of Vermont and is the artistic director of the Champlain Philharmonic Orchestra. Matt is also the executive director of Music-COMP, an organization that teaches composition to students throughout the country and facilitates live performances of their music by professional musicians. Committed to new music and innovation, Matt is the chair of creative projects and artistic curator for the Vermont Symphony.

More about Matt LaRocca

Read More about: Meredith Holch

Meredith Holch

Location: East Hardwick

Meredith is a stop-motion animation artist, puppeteer, and crankie-picture-show maker specializing in socially relevant themes. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in film/video from Bard College. Meredith has over fifteen years’ experience teaching stop-motion animation and puppetry at elementary through college levels. Her workshops are easily incorporated into K-12 curriculum and promote communication skills, collaboration, patience, and self-esteem. Students engage quickly with the hands-on approach. Workshops culminate in short animated videos, performances, or giant puppet parades. Music and sounds play an integral role.

More about Meredith Holch

Read More about: Michael Caduto

Michael Caduto

Location: Reading
Counties Served: All

Michael uses story, song, dance, instruments and a cast of humorous and dramatic characters to present dynamic and powerful performances for all ages. He is known as much for his entertaining, humorous and poignant programs for children, as for his award-winning children’s books, including the Keepers of the Earth® series. His presentations focus on Earth stewardship, cultural diversity, indigenous peoples, science and the arts. More about Michael Caduto

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Adult Workshops
  • State Parks
  • Nature Centers
  • Museums
  • Conference Keynotes

More about Michael Caduto

Read More about: Michael Kin

Michael Kin

Location: Middlebury
Counties Served: Addison, Chittenden, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Washington, Windsor

Michael Kin is a visual artist, illustrator, muralist, and educator. His colorful and playful illustrations and his work as an educator are informed by his experiences as a naturalist educator for the Audubon Society and as the Art Director of Aqua Vitea Kombucha. Michael is most interested in the open ended storytelling capabilities of illustration and painting and the benefits of imaginative play.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)

More about Michael Kin

Read More about: Michele Choiniere

Michele Choiniere

Location: Shelburne
Counties Served: All

Michele is an award-winning Smithsonian Folkways recording artist with a radiant, compelling voice. Her music and artistry capture a delicate sensibility, overlaying a raw authenticity. Her concerts transport audiences to another time of wistful cafe-cabaret culture, with riveting rhythmic melodies or a wistful lament, which stay with you long after the concert has ended. Born into a musical Franco-American family in northern Vermont, Michele began performing traditional Franco-American music at an early age with her father Fabio, an accomplished harmonica player.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Private lessons
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Michele Choiniere

Read More about: Miriam Block

Miriam Block

Location: Starksboro

Miriam is a teaching artist with a background in textile design and weaving. Her goal is to gently guide children in the creative process as they explore new materials, carefully observe, problem solve, discover, and make their own connections.

More about Miriam Block

Read More about: Mollie Burke

Mollie Burke

Location: Brattleboro
Counties Served: Bennington, Rutland, Windham, Windsor

Mollie has a master’s degree in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College, with extensive experience teaching in public and private schools. She is founder and director of Art in the Neighborhood, an organization that provides tuition-free visual art classes to children in low-income housing communities. She also serves in the Vermont Legislature, representing the town of Brattleboro.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Mollie Burke

Read More about: Muddy Creek Pottery (Heather Stearns)

Muddy Creek Pottery (Heather Stearns)

Location: Wolcott

Heather is the founder and owner of Muddy Creek Pottery in North Wolcott. She has been working in clay since 1991 and teaching since 1993 in numerous capacities. Heather learned to make pots at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

More about Heather Stearns

Read More about: Rachel Sargent Mirus

Rachel Sargent Mirus

Location: Duxbury
Counties Served: Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Washington

Rachel is a nature illustrator who uses art to teach life sciences. She has a background in biology and has worked in research labs and museums across the country; currently, she is a practicing artist as well as a freelance nature writer and illustrator. She believes that drawing is always about looking deeper and learning more about a subject.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Private lessons
  • Early Childhood
  • Adult Workshops

More about Rachel Sargent Mirus

Read More about: Rebecca Mack

Rebecca Mack

Location: Burlington
Counties Served: Chittenden

Rebecca is a composer who specializes in voice, harp and drums. As a teaching artist, Mack works with adults and children, with a special focus on early education.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Private lessons
  • Early Childhood
  • Adult Workshops

More about Rebecca Mack

Read More about: Rick Agran

Rick Agran

Location: Worcester
Counties Served: Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Washington

For the last two decades, Rick made his way in the world as writer, poet and image maker, college professor, photographer, radio producer, humanist and educator, social justice advocate, multimedia journalist, and arts reporter specializing in fine art and theatre. Rick’s work encompasses the fine and literary arts, language and literature, history and culture, and the interpretation of the fine and performing arts.

Educational Settings: 

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Adult Workshops
  • Libraries
  • Community radio

More about Rick Agran

Read More about: Sandglass Theater

Sandglass Theater

Location: Putney
Counties Served: All

Sandglass Theater is driven by a dedication to artistic excellence in the productions of the core ensemble and by a spirit of inclusivity in the presentation of diverse guest artists and community events.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Camps
  • Adult Workshops

More about Sandglass Theater

Read More about: Sarah Frechette

Sarah Frechette

Location: South Hero
Counties Served: All

Sarah Frechette is a touring puppeteer, arts educator, and stop-motion animation fabricator. She has over twenty years’ experience teaching the various forms of puppetry to all ages. Sarah has toured internationally as both PuppetKabob and Night Shade, with an original repertoire of shows. She is the producer and hostess of Vermont’s first ever Creemee Dreemee Puppet Slam!

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • Private lessons
  • Adult Workshops

More about Sarah Frechette

Read More about: Steve Ferraris

Steve Ferraris

Location: Norwich
Counties Served: All

Steve is a percussionist trained in West African hand-drumming with 30 years of experience presenting Arts-in-Education residencies. Drumming for Success is an engaging hand-drumming experience with social-emotional skills (SEL) development embedded in the drumming curriculum. Steve’s residency programs are known for energizing and galvanizing the entire school community during and after the culminating performances.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Adult Workshops

More about Steve Ferraris

Read More about: Susan Haefner

Susan Haefner

Location: Chester

Susan Haefner is an actor, director, choreographer, educator, and owner of Little Yellow House Studio, an educational and solo performance studio. She is a Broadway veteran (State Fair, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and 42nd Street Revival)and is now proud to call Vermont home. As a teaching artist, Susan works with schools and theaters across the state such as Maple Street School, Rutland High School, Castleton University, Northern Stage and Weston Playhouse.

More about Susan Haefner

Read More about: Susan Palmer

Susan Palmer

Location: South Burlington

Susan has worked as an actor, theater director, and teaching artist locally and abroad for the last 17 years. She currently teaches improvisation at the University of Vermont, and and is a teaching artist at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

More about Susan Palmer

Read More about: Susan Rosano

Susan Rosano

Location: Brattleboro
Counties Served: Bennington, Rutland, Windham, Windsor

Susan has been a master teaching artist for the past 15 years, bringing visual and expressive arts projects to schools, libraries, hospitals, museums and other venues for people of all ages, from Pre-K to senior citizens.

Educational Settings:

  • Private lessons
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Susan Rosano

Read More about: Swing Peepers

Swing Peepers

Location: Starksboro

The Swing Peepers, a vocal-harmony and multi-instrument duo, perform inventive, earth-friendly, and interactive songs and stories. The Swing Peepers are lively, improvisational, and endearingly goofy.

More about the Swing Peepers

Read More about: Trish Denton

Trish Denton

Location: Burlington
Counties Served: Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille

Originally from Detroit, Trish is fascinated by cultural expression born from extremes. She put herself through school as a street performer, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goddard College. She went on to receive an advanced degree from Dartmouth College. Trish designs and directs stage productions for theater, dance, and music; crafts folktales and story-based works; and produces community productions. With her freelance practice In Tandem Arts, she works with museums, schools, and other cultural institutions to produce interdisciplinary projects with a pedagogical twist.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Adult Workshops

More about Trish Denton

 

Read More about: Troy Wunderle

Troy Wunderle

Location: Rockingham
Counties Served: All

Troy Wunderle is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of art, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. For the past twenty-six years, he has toured throughout the United States as a freelance performer and employee of Vermont’s own Circus Smirkus. His antics have been featured on the Disney channel, The Today Show, Martha Stewart, Chronicle, Fetch, Fox and Friends and Americas Funniest Home Videos. Troy is the founder of Wunderle’s Big Top Adventures, an interactive circus arts organization. He spent 6 years as Director of Clowning for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Troy is the 2022 recipient of the American Circus Educators Excellence in Circus Education Award.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Camps
  • Private lessons
  • Early Childhood
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Troy Wunderle

Read More about: Verandah Porche

Verandah Porche

Location: Guilford
Counties Served: All

Verandah works with the nonprofit Art in the Neighborhood, an after-school arts program with children who live in public housing. She has presented poetry for Vermont Humanities’ Poetry in the Woods project and offered an online workshop called “Poetry Without Tears” for them. Verandah has done online workshops for the Rural Assembly. She created an interdisciplinary residency for previously unhoused people at Great River Terrace in Brattleboro. She continues to write and create poems with community elders.

Educational Settings:

  • K-12 School Residencies (multi-day)
  • K-12 School Enrichment (single day)
  • Afterschool programs
  • Private lessons
  • Creative Aging
  • Adult Workshops

More about Verandah Porche

Read More about: YES! Theater (Brent and Maya McCoy)

YES! Theater (Brent and Maya McCoy)

Location: Greensboro Bend

Vermont-based vaudevillians Brent and Maya are professional variety entertainers who perform and teach their unique brand of physical comedy all around the world. In YES! Theater residencies, students learn new ways to communicate, imagine, problem-solve, and support one another as they create their own comedy and learn a broad range of circus skills.

More about YES! Theater