Teaching Faculty

Bev Aroh

Bev Aroh worked as a studio potter in California for 20 years before she came to Craft Alliance. She creates wheel-thrown pieces in porcelain and stoneware. She teaches handbuilding and wheel thrown ceramics. She has exhibited her work throughout the United States. Bev is a huge asset to our ceramic studio and keeps it fine tuned.

Dan Barnett

Dan Barnett, is Craft Alliance’s Facilities/Studio Manager and Head of our Ceramics Area. He earned a BFA in Ceramics/Sculpture from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. His work is in many private collections and he exhibits nationally and internationally. His knowledge of clay work and kilns is known throughout Missouri and Illinois ceramic artists.

Grant Benoit

Abby Bennett

Abby Bennett is a community artist and educator from St. Louis, MO. In her art practice, she uses book arts and fibers to explore personal and collective storytelling. Bennett has organized community arts initiatives and taught visual art to students ranging from preschoolers to adults in a variety of settings in Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Ghana. She has exhibited work in group and solo shows in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, and St. Louis. She is currently an elementary art teacher in St. Louis City.

Beverly Brandt

Beverly Brandt focuses her work in fused and stained glass. She also has a background in photography, and printmaking. She has taught art with all ages. Beverly was a high school art teacher, and has been an instructor at Craft Alliance for many years. Beverly has her Masters in Teaching, as well as a Masters in Art.

Meri Ellen Brooks-Taylor

Meri Ellen Brooks-Taylor holds a Master's Degree in Education and has been a metalsmith for over 30 years. In addition to teaching, she has shown her work in various parts of the US at Fine Art and Craft shows. She is passionate about teaching, especially metalsmithing. She is enthusiastic about sharing knowledge and skills with her students, so that they can create and design their own unique works.

Chris Carson

Chris Carson holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2001) with a focus in Ceramics. Chris also holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Lindenwood University (2005.) She also owns, and operates, her private studio and business, Carson Clayworks Company (est. 2010.)

Cullen Curtis

Cullen Curtis (b. 1994) is a multidisciplinary St. Louis artist working in printmaking and sculptural painting. He developed his passion for printmaking in Tom Hücks Woodcut Bootcamp in 2015. Cullen studied at St. Louis Community College - Meramec and transferred to the Kansas City Art Institute in 2017. His Meramec work won first place in Speedball's national printmaking contest and "Best in Show" at the school's year-end exhibit. He switched from printmaking to painting due to dissatisfaction with the curriculum, exploring the reductive process of carving and researching decomposition and entropy in the built environment. This inspired him to create abstract sculptural panel paintings. Cullen's art has been featured in New American Paintings and shown at various galleries, including Dodge Gallery, The Kansas City Artists Coalition, Art St. Louis, Utah State University's Projects Gallery, Pärnu Town Hall and Gallery (Estonia), and more. Curtis' work has also been featured in Koch Arts Center, Bedford Gallery, Meramec Contemporary, Parkside Gallery, Museum of New Art, and more, as well as in The Hand and Under the Bridge magazines.

Stephen Da Lay

Stephen Da Lay is a printmaker, pattern designer and educator. He received his BFA in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute. He formerly taught for 17 years Drawing, Design,Watercolors and ran the wood shop at University of Missouri Saint Louis.

Kelly Draper

Kelly Draper earned a BA from Webster University. Her metal and glass work has been exhibited nationally and locally, including the Craft Alliance Gallery Shop. She is also featured in the book "Cast: Art and Objects Made Using Humanity”s Most Transformational Process.

Melissa Eagan

Melissa Eagan has been a quilter for over 20 years. She also knits, crochets, 3D prints, and dabbles in many other crafts. She owns her own business, Loops of Gray, where no project is too weird or silly! In addition to making, Melissa is a mental health advocate, supporting organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Peg Fetter

Peg Fetter is a native Charlestonian. She moved to Saint Louis to attend Washington University and received her MFA studying Metalsmithing with Heikki Seppa. She has taught metalsmithing at several institutions:Craft Alliance, Saint Louis University and at Fontbonne University, where she started the small metals/metalsmithing program and was the 2010 adjunct instructor of the year. Fetter also teaches workshops around the country focusing on a technique utilizing steel and precious metal.

Zoe Finkelstein

Zoë Finkelstein is a printmaker, painter, mixed-media artist and fiber artist based in St. Louis, MO. She came to St. Louis in 2016 to pursue her BFA in Studio Art at Washington University, which she completed in May 2020. Since graduating, she has maintained a rigorous studio practice, and in early 2022 she began experimenting with fabric marbling, which reignited her love for fiber arts. In her work, she explores themes of comfort, nostalgia, memory, home, anxiety, and the passage of time through repetitive action, pattern, and the layering of labor-intensive processes. Recently she has been making hand-sewn quilts with her marbled fabric, and considers every stitch to be a labor of love in service of her craft.

Carlene Fullerton

Carlene Fullerton enjoys exploring art history, nostalgia, faces and figures in her work, which is focused primarily on stitching. Carlene was a high school art teacher for thirty years, and then a museum educator at the Saint Louis Art Museum for ten years. Now she enjoys volunteering and teaching at Craft Alliance.

Alexis Giger

Alexis Giger is the owner of Little Cliff, a clothing repair and vintage restoration studio in Tower Grove East. Alexis graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a BFA in Fashion Design and Art History in 2017. Post-grad, she worked in a variety of local fashion institutions, until being laid off in March 2020. Her early pandemic mask making led to mending and dyeing experiments, which grew into Little Cliff by October 2020. She loves the challenge of bringing damaged textiles back to life and creating with limited resources. She currently also works at Soft Surroundings as an associate designer.

Mike Gleason

Mike has a BFA degree in Design-from the University of Kansas. He uses a variety of traditional and non traditional materials in his custom/one of a kind jewelry, which can be purchased in the Gallery Shop at Craft Alliance. The quiet intricate work of drawing, designing and the usage of the tools is a special part of a jewelers process. This practice of craft gives Mike’s life balance, which is what he loves about his artwork.

Kevin Heard

Kevin began his lampworking/flameworking journey over 10 years ago as a student at Craft Alliance. He has always been fascinated by the versatility of glass and is continually expanding his knowledge of the medium by taking classes from masters in the craft. His work highlights the colors, depth, and transparency of glass, specializing in blown hollow beads and the use of reactive glass for mesmerizing and unique effects.

Mary Henderson

Mary Henderson earned a BFA in ceramics from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She has been part of the Craft Alliance community since 1995 and in love with clay for much longer. Mary is a full time potter and travels with Ash & Griffin Pottery to medieval events and Renaissance fairs around the country to market her work.

Joy Hitchcock

Having grown up in the Ozarks, Joy's creative world expanded as they earned a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute with a focus in community arts and woodworking. After several years of teaching arts and crafts with adults and children, Joy went back to school to earn their MA in Art Therapy Counseling from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. At the core of Joy's personal artwork, teaching, and art therapy practice, is discovering the potential for insight, delight, and a sense of mastery through materials and processes. Joy loves, but is not limited to: woodworking, quilting, ceramics, stained glass, alternative photography, paper arts, and mixed media. When not dabbling in a shop or studio, Joy can be found tending plants and spending quality time with their partner, dog, and cat. You can view Joy's work at www.theresajoystudio.com

Jeff Hornung

Jeff Hornung has been an artist and maker for over 37 years. He began woodturning as a therapeutic endeavor. That evolved into a creative outlet as well as a business and teaching platform. Jeff demonstrates nationally and internationally as well as live virtual demonstrations and classes. His work can be found at the Craft Alliance Shop. He has also been an Artist In Residence at Craft Alliance.

Cindy Howenstein

Cindy Howenstein received her BFA from SIU-E in 1989. There is a little bit of what Cindy loves reflected in her metal pieces that are generally fabricated but also include castings and stones from her garden. She has enjoyed teaching at Craft Alliance for over 20 years.

Erin Johnston

Erin Johnston is a multidisciplinary artist whose material interests lie within the fields of printmaking, painting and paper sculpture. An early academic background in conservation biology informs her artistic inquiries, which aim to explore the intersections between the living and the built world. Johnston graduated with her MFA in Visual Arts from the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in 2022, after receiving a Post Baccalaureate in Studio Art from Eastern Washington University in 2020, and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from The Evergreen State College in 2013.

Laura Klaus

Laura Klaus took my first class almost 30 years ago and was hooked. As a member of both state and local guilds she still takes classes as often as possible. Laura began teaching over 15 years ago and for the last 10 years has been a regular teacher at St Louis Community College and The First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site. She and her husband regularly dress in period costume for historic demonstrations.

Brian Lathan

Born in St. Louis, Mo, Lathan received his BFA from St. Louis University. Afterwards, he spent several years studying Printmaking at St. Louis Community College-Meramec before receiving his MFA in Printmaking from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Lathan recently received Luminary's Futures Fund award for his Free Press Project, a collaborative print experience. Lathan is an adjunct professor in Printmaking at St. Louis Community College and St. Louis University.

Erin Luna

Erin Luna is a grower, gatherer, and artist based in St. Louis, MO. She received a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas in 2016. Erin currently works with the medium of natural dyeing - the practice of using plant based material to dye fiber and textiles. She began this work in 2019 when her passions of growing and foraging combined with her formal arts training. Her work aims to inspire creativity and an intimacy with nature in her audience.

Denise M Mandel

Denise M Mandel expanded her BFA at KCAI in 1983 by a pilgrimage to Santa Fe, NM as assistant weaver to Alice Parrott on Canyon Rd. In 1989, Barb Simon entrusted her to be Craft Alliance weaving instructor. By 1998 the Archdiocese of STL commissioned the Papal tapestry for St Pope John Paul II to be woven by Denise. You are able to see other achievements & work at www.denisemmandel.com

Kimberly Mayden

Kimberly Mayden creates animal forms. She grew up with a love for animals and a fascination with biological systematics, and no matter the media, the inspiration is always centered in the animal world. Kimberly currently works here at Craft Alliance as the Marketing Coordinator & Designer where graphic design has influenced her sculptural work.

Cathy McBride

Cathy McBride is a painter, photographer and textile artist. She graduated from Missouri State University where she earned her BS in Art Education and began her studies in fiber arts. Her work is made of many layers which reflect on her life experiences. Cathy continues her studies in fiber arts while teaching classes, summer camps and working in Community Outreach. She also has shown her work at numerous art shows.

Tom McCarthy

Tom McCarthy (b. 1960) has been making jewelry for over 35 years. He teaches fabrication workshops in craft institutions throughout the Country. He has authored the chapter, “Reimagining Technique” in The Penland Book of Jewelry. He has a MFA from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. In 2006 he was awarded a Fellowship in the Arts from the State of Florida. He currently lives in St. Louis, MO with his wife and two cats.

Kristen McMillion

Kristen is a skilled printmaker and painter living in St. Louis. She has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting from Missouri State University and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Maryville University in St. Louis, MO. Within the eight year gap between the two universities, she took numerous printmaking classes at local community colleges and became obsessed with everything printmaking. She learned lithography and serigraphy from a Tamarind graduate. Her knowledge of etching began at MSU and developed further with additional classes. She took a workshop on engraving and participated in the famous Tom Huck’s Woodcut Bootcamp where she learned the history and technique of woodcut relief prints. She also taught herself how to make and tone cyanotypes(and is currently working on an instruction book on printing and toning cyanotypes). She continues to work feverishly on creating as much art as she can for as long as she can.

Robert Thomas Mullen

Robert Thomas Mullen is from a small town in Southern Illinois. He received his BFA in metalsmithing from SIUE and his MFA in metalsmithing from Edinboro University of PA. In the past few years, he has been a part of several national and international exhibitions. Robert has been an Artist in Residence at Craft Alliance and is currently the Registrar as well as an instructor. He resides in St. Louis where he maintains a studio and his work is featured in our Gallery Shop.

Lauren Nall

Lauren has a BFA in Metals/Jewelry from MSU & 23 years of experience in the studio. She operates a small business in Crestwood where she creates original works that are distributed through local retailers and regional art shows.

Suzanne Oberholtzer

James Ojascastro

Michele Reichlin

Michele Reichlin has taught in a variety of school and Non-profit settings since 1999. She obtained her Art K-12 certification through Webster University after having earned an MSW from Washington University. Michele has exhibited her found object and ceramic sculpture locally and regionally since 1992, and has pieces in local private collections.

Mary Rhein

Mary Rhein is from Belleville, Illinois; a town about 15 miles outside of St. Louis. She graduated recently with a BFA in ceramics and a minor in psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). While at SIUE, Mary honed her skills in wheel-throwing, hand-building, mold-making, and slip-casting. She enjoys making slip-cast work and spending time with her partner and their three dogs: Opal, Ippo, and Guts.

Mary Lou Ryan

Mary Lou Ryan earned her B.A. degree in English and History. She started her love for glass at Craft Alliance about 20 years ago. With that introduction to flame working, she continued her passion for glass and specifically flame working under artists such as Loren Stump, Karen Woodward, Michael Barley, Dustin Tabor, Kim Fields and Astrid Reidel. She loves teaching and introducing people to the magic of glass!

Libby Scobee

Michele Siler

Michele is a St. Louis based Costume Designer and an Adjunct Faculty member at the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts. As Resident Costume Designer for New Jewish Theatre, Michele has designed many productions in the past twenty-one years as well as four seasons of Educational Touring shows for the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. Michele was also named “Best St. Louis Costume Designer '' in the 2016 Post- Dispatch GO! List. Michele holds a BFA from Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts and an MFA from the University of Missouri- Kansas City. Michele is an active community volunteer, and a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth where serves on the Board of Trustees, Chairing the Keshet Committee for LGBTQ+ issues.

Kate Snyder

After growing up in the Midwest, Kate Snyder has eagerly explored and learned the craft of metalwork/jewelry from one corner of the United States to the other. From CWU in Washington state, to New Approach Jewelers in Tennessee, to SCAD in Georgia. She has worked for a variety of small jewelry companies. Kate is happy to have returned to her hometown and join the wonderful art community that is Craft Alliance.

Kim Stahl

Kim Stahl is a BFA graduate from Indiana University Bloomington who has worked for 12 years in the NYC jewelry industry under renowned names like Vass Ludacer, the Phoenix Roze, and Alexis Bittar. Specializing in the designing, silverwork and metallurgy of jewelry. Mesmerized by a princess-style canopy bed at a retail shop in Williamsburg Brooklyn in 2007, she found inspiration to try blacksmithing. She learned under Marsha Trattner at She-Weld in Red Hook, Brooklyn through classes at the School of Visual Arts, eventually becoming Marsha's apprentice. She finds equal passion in creating jewelry and larger scale steel projects, enjoying hands-on work and creatively solving problems. She competed on History Channel's Forged in Fire after moving to St. Louis in 2015. Kim was the first woman on the show and she lives in South County creating and selling various items. "She volunteers at the Arch Reactor makerspace and has previously served on its board. In her free time, she enjoys riding her 96' Harley Davidson Sportster around town. Watch for Motorcycles!"

Pam Stanley

Pam Stanley studied ceramics extensively earning a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and MFA from Louisiana State University. Pam teaches all aspects of working in clay to different levels of adults, teens and children. She has taught at the university level as well as through community outreach programs. Her work is exhibited nationally.

Yoko Suga

Yuko Suga earned an Intense Minor in Metals at Washington University in St. Louis, studying with Heikki Seppa. Yuko also has a Masters in Occupational Therapy from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Her work in metals and glass reflecting community and social issues are in private collections and national museums. She exhibits her work both nationally and locally, including the Craft Alliance Gallery Shop.

Sarah Walters

Sarah Walters received a BFA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in photography where she ultimately discovered her passion for craft. Her work uses jewelry to explore the idea of contemporary heirlooms that are meditations on grief, family health history, and medical ailments. Sarah currently lives and works in St. Louis, Missouri where she can be found hyper focused in the studio, baking, or tending to her many plants.

Thomas Wiggins

Thomas Wiggins studied for six years in South America before returning to the US to complete his BFA at Kent State University. Thomas is a recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship and a NEA/NEFA artist. He has been teaching for over 20 years for Craft Alliance and currently teaches wheel throwing and furniture design.

Christian Xandersmith

Christian Xandersmith completed his bachelor’s degree in studio art from the University of Southern Indiana in 2017. Since then, he has continued his education through Marc Adams School of Woodworking where he has completed classes in various specialized woodworking techniques. Throughout his practice, he has built furniture and sculpture but recently has focused on traditional spoon carving and lathe turning. Christian has taught several workshops in woodworking, sculpture, and construction.