2016 CraftSummer
Instructor Bios
Katy Abbott
Katy Abbott has been making glass beads since 1998 and her work has been widely published in books and
magazines. She has demonstrated her work on TV shows including HGTV and PBS and was selected to represent
the State of Ohio and create an ornament to hang on the White House Christmas Tree in 2002. Her alien beads
were selected to take a trip on the Space Shuttle as part of Beads of Courage.
Kathy Baxter
My background in art started very young with working with my mother sharing the love of crafts, this drew me
to simply loving the process of expressing myself through my artworks. Papermaking has remained to be the
process that satisfies that process along with keeping me challenged with new experiments and techniques. The
integrity of handmade papers lends itself to inspiring functional crafts such as bookbinding, printmaking and
collage.
Vanessa Graham
Vanessa is currently an adjunct professor at Miami University. She presently teaches metalsmithing and jewelry
design, but also loves working with wood and clay. Vanessa is also the owner/operator/maker for Old Hills Design
Company, a small artisan based company out of Middletown, Ohio. She values community, excellent
craftsmanship, and unique approaches to traditional objects, which all inspire the work created at Old Hills. Old
Hills sells work online, to retail store and also at craft fairs such as Winterfair Cincinnati.
Bill Griffith
Bill Griffith, a ceramic artist has also worked as an administrator at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (TN)
for 28 years. His artwork is included in international and national juried exhibitions and featured in several
national publications. Bill is a recipient of an Individual Artists Fellowship awarded by the Tennessee Arts
Commission. He is active as a juror for national exhibitions and craft shows and continues to lecture and
demonstrate as a visiting artist for conferences, universities and art guilds nationally.
Debbie Jackson
Debbie Jackson is an artist and educator who has over 20 years of experience in teaching and working with
polymer clay. She graduated from Miami University where she majored in Art Education. She is retired from the
Columbus (OH) Recreation & Parks Department, where she taught art classes for 30 years at the Columbus
Cultural Arts Center, Community and Senior Centers. She currently teaches polymer clay workshops and gives
presentations at conferences, to guilds and other art-related venues. Debbie manages a business, Debbie’s
Adornments, as an avenue to sell her original, hand-crafted creations. Her works have been displayed and sold in
numerous galleries, juried art shows and exhibitions throughout the country. She wrote her first book, ‘Polymer
Clay Jewelry’ which was published in 2004, and appeared on the ‘Carol Duvall Show’ on HGTV. Debbie resides in
Columbus, Ohio, and is currently a member of the Columbus Polymer Clay Guild, International Polymer Clay
Association, and the Ohio Designer Craftsmen. Her love of beautiful fabrics, rich colors, textures and patterns
lead her to discover new and innovative ways to alter the surface of polymer clay. She developed a way to make
polymer clay to look like Shibori, a centuries-old art of stitched and tied-resist-dyed textiles. Another surface
application she originated was to make polymer clay have an appearance of fabrics that have been discharged,
where the color has been removed. Debbie frequently continues to visualize new ideas with polymer clay, so
there’s rarely a dull moment in working with this medium. A partial quote from Henri Matisse says, “An artist
should never be a prisoner of himself or style.” For anyone who is new, or even experienced with polymer clay,
try not to back yourself into a corner, but take time to enjoy your journey with exploring, discovering and having
some fun.
Jim Killy
Jim Killy has an MFA from the University of Notre Dame, and is Professor of Art in Sculpture at Miami
University. His work has been included in many regional, national and international exhibits, one and two person
shows, and private collections.
Leah Tuscany
Leah Tuscany is an accomplished lampwork glass and PMC artist, specializing in the creation of functional and
sculptural glass beads and art objects. Leah participates in gallery and art shows regularly and teaches
workshops specializing in beginning to advanced lampwork design. Additional area of specialty incorporates PMC
(Precious Metal Clay) into the design of lampwork projects.
Emily Momohara
Momohara grew up near Seattle and earned a BFA in Photography and BA in Art History from the University of
Washington. She received her MFA from the University of Kansas. Momohara has exhibited internationally. She
was a visiting artist at residencies including the Center for Photography at Woodstock, Headlands Center for
the Arts and Red Gate Beijing. She worked on several documentary projects and is currently creating a
documentary film.
Joe Paushel
Joseph Paushel received his BFA from West Virginia University in Sculpture and Intermedia and recently
received his MFA in Ceramics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He has exhibited across the United
States, participating in exhibitions at First Street Gallery in New York, NY, New Hampshire Institute of Art in
Peterborough, NH, and Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. Joseph was recently awarded the
Emerging Craftsman Award at the Ohio Craft Museum’s Best Of 2015 Exhibition.
Ginger Seiple
Ginger Seiple has spent the past 35 years exploring metal. She has studied with many masters, giving her the
wonderful skills she enjoys practicing and perfecting in her studio, as well as sharing in her workshops. In 2000,
she was commissioned to design and replace the Presidential Ceremonial Medallion worn by the newly inaugurated
president of Hiram College, a medallion once worn by President Garfield when he was president of the college.
She has published 7 articles, won numerous awards at art venues, and recently has been the TA for Michael
Good in his Maine Workshop in May and October of 2014.
Shawn Sheehy
Shawn Sheehy's interest in paper engineering grew from his previous experiences in sculpture, graphic design
and book arts. Working from his Chicago studio, Sheehy editions pop-up artist books and creates commercial
pop-up books (Welcome to the Neighborwood, 2015). He teaches paper engineering workshops all over the U.S.
His work has been collected by special collections libraries at numerous universities. Much of Sheehy’s work
explores the relationship between humans and nature.
Regina St. John
Regina St John has been a marbler for 30 years. She and her husband, Dan, are co- owners of Chena River
Marblers, a bookbinding/marbling business based in Western Massachusetts. They teach widely and are
committed to inspiring future marblers.
Dan St. John
Dan and Regina St.John have been co- owners of Chena River Marblers, a bookbinding/marbling business based
in Western Massachusetts for 30 years. Dan brings an extensive background in chemistry and physics to the
marbling tray and has had the honor of studying with many master bookbinders. The St. Johns teach widely and
are committed to inspiring future marblers and bookbinders
Leah Tuscany
Leah Tuscany is an accomplished lamp work glass and PMC artist, specializing in the creation of functional and
sculptural glass beads and art objects. Leah regularly participates in Ohio and Wisconsin gallery and art shows.
She also teaches workshops specializing in beginning to advanced lamp work design. She also incorporates
Precious Metal Clay into the design of lamp work projects.