FLINT - Key Persons
Alice has taught at the FIA since 1982. She earned a degree at Michigan State University and studied under several renowned fiber artists. She has exhibited her work at numerous art venues.
Alla has an MFA and BFA from the Moscow Pedagogical University in Moscow, Russia. She is a freelance illustrator and also teaches at Mott Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint.
Anita holds a BA in Art Education from Eastern Michigan University. She taught K-6 in the Lapeer Public Schools for 30 years and exhibits fused and lamp-worked glass regionally.
Job Titles:
- Founders Society President
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers & Trustees Team
- Second Vice - President
Job Titles:
- Director of Visitor Experience
Barbara has a BFA from Kendall College of Art in painting and surface design. She specializes in botanical watercolors and art quilts and has exhibited her paintings nationally.
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Glass Programs Manager
Brent Swanson is a working artist as well as an educator. Swanson infuses his passion for glass working into both the pieces he creates and his classroom approach, in part because he sees glass as a magical medium, one that holds a special place in his heart. His work experience-which ranges from glass factory production to demonstrating glassblowing at Dearborn, Michigan's Greenfield Village to teaching at his alma mater, College for Creative Studies-is as vast as what he fashions from molten material: elegant stemware, upscale lighting, and indoor/outdoor sculpture, some of which mix in other media, underscoring his education in craft of all kinds. Swanson's unconventional, innovative approach defines not only his art, but also his attitude toward teaching, leading gallery owners nationwide to display his work.
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Coordinator
Craig has a BS in art education from Ball State University, and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. He has been teaching elementary art in Michigan schools for 30 years.
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Dean Yeotis / Trustee
Job Titles:
- Art School Office Manager
Job Titles:
- Trustee / Dean Yeotis / Trustee
Job Titles:
- Assistant Facilities Manager & Preparator
Job Titles:
- Art School Administration
- Director of the Art School
Donovan holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His undergraduate concentration was painting and printmaking; and graduate studies painting and sculpture.
Prior to joining the Flint Institute of Arts, Donovan served at Interlochen Center of the Arts for seven years, most recently as Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Aid. In addition to his administrative work, Donovan has exhibited, lectured and taught art at summer camps, community centers, and universities.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of the Officers & Trustees Team
Ellyn holds an MFA in Photography from George Washington University and also studied at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Her experimentation includes the artistic potential of smartphones.
Job Titles:
- Instructor & Art School Technician
Guy has an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and is the FIA Ceramics Studio Fire Master. Guy has been a studio potter and ceramics instructor for more than 25 years. He exhibits his work throughout the midwest.
Igor has a BA in graphic design from Moscow Art College of Design and an MFA from Moscow State Pedagogical University. He is a full-time practicing graphic designer.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer of the Officers & Trustees Team
Job Titles:
- Instructor & Art School Technician
Jeff has a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in ceramics. Jeff specializes in teapots and sculptures constructed from thrown parts.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Education
Job Titles:
- Essenmacher - Docent & Program Coordinator
Jim has taught watercolor for 35 years and is a member of the American Water Color Society. He is the author of Color Theory Made Easy and has lectured on color theory at many leading U.S. Art Schools.
Karen holds an AGS with honors from Mott Community College and is studying Art Education at University of Michigan-Flint. She was a para-professional at Clio Area Schools and has participated in Bridges, a multi-cultural arts program.
Job Titles:
- Instructor & Art School Technician
Karyn holds a BFA in ceramics and drawing from Sienna Heights University. She has taught at the Creative Arts Montessori, Ann Arbor Art Center, and was an assistant moldmaker at Pewabic Pottery.
Job Titles:
- President of the Officers & Trustees Team
Job Titles:
- Director of Donor Relations & Special Initiatives
Job Titles:
- Early Childhood Education and Accessibility Specialist
Job Titles:
- First Vice - President
- Member of the Officers & Trustees Team
Job Titles:
- Director of Development & External Relations
- Development & External Relations
Marissa Pierce received an MA in English Language and Literature and BA in Communications, with a minor in Africana Studies from the University of Michigan Flint. She has worked in Public Relations and Marketing for over 20 years, in a number of industries. She has served a number of non-profit organizations as a volunteer and a Board Member including the Board of Governors for the University of Michigan Flint. She was also named the 2014 Young Professional Leader by The Flint & Genesee Group (formerly known as the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce). Marissa is a lifelong resident of the Genesee County community.
Job Titles:
- Digital Media / Marketing Manager
Job Titles:
- Director of Education
- Education Department Administration
Matthew has a BFA from Columbia College in Chicago and teaches art at Mott Middle College High School. His studio practice is focused on drawing and painting. He exhibits throughout the region.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance & Administration
Paul has a BFA in Jewelry Design from Buffalo State College in Buffalo N.Y. and an MFA in Metalsmithing from the Cranbrook Academy. Paul teaches at Mott Community College and works summers with the Chautauqua Institution in New York.
Philip received a BFA & MFA in painting from Kendall College of Art and Design. Ruehle's artistic output ranges from wildlife to abstract painting to sculpture, with recognition for miniature figurative painting.
Job Titles:
- Communications / Marketing Manager
Rachel holds a BFA from the College for Creative Studies and earned an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She exhibits throughout the region.
Rich Tesner has a Graphic Communications degree from Baker College and a MPA from University of Michigan. He is an associate member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters' Society (NOAPS). Rich exhibits his work throughout Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Director and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
Sarah Kohn has worked at the Flint Institute of Arts since 2013. She has held the position of Curatorial Assistant, Assistant Curator, Associate Curator, and now Curator of Collections and Exhibitions. During her time at the FIA, she has curated and assisted in over 50 temporary exhibitions such as Minglings: A Journey Across Time, Blue Plate Special, Monumental: The Art of Viola Frey, and From the Flame. She has also researched and written labels and audio guides for over 300 permanent collection objects, assisted with publications, and facilitated guest lectures and other exhibition programming.
She has her MA in Art History from Wayne State University and BA in Art History and Visual Culture from Michigan State University. Prior to her role as Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Sarah taught art history for twelve years at Delta College, Mott Community College, and Saginaw Valley State University. She is a frequent participant in educational programming on the arts in the Great Lakes Bay Region and is a member of the Michigan Museum Association, Association of Art Museum Curators, and the Glass Art Society.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers & Trustees Team
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Security Supervisor
Tonya Henderson has a degree in Visual Communications from the Colorado Institute of Art, and a diploma from Dubner Training Center in computer graphics. She exhibits nationally and is the owner of Creative Spirit Studios and co-owner of ReTHINKin It.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director at the Flint Institute of Arts
P.S. To learn about how sometimes "girls just want to have fun," join Director and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Sarah Kohn and me on Thursday, March 7 at 6:00p as we have a discussion about women in the arts on the eve of International Women's Day. This program is free, but registration is required.
Tracee Glab is the Executive Director at the Flint Institute of Arts. She has overseen more than 100 exhibitions and curated 40 exhibitions, working with the community on such exhibitions as Jerry Taliaferro's Women of a New Tribe (2017) and Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male (2022). She has collaborated with other Michigan institutions for Common Ground: African American Art from the Flint Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and Muskegon Museum of Art (2015-16) and with University of Michigan-Flint faculty on Self-Expression (2017). She has worked extensively with contemporary artists, both locally and internationally. Glab has also overseen fifteen publications, contributing to the 50th-anniversary book Magnificence and Awe: Renaissance and Baroque Art in the Viola E. Bray Gallery (2011) among others. Her interests include exploring the ways objects of various time periods and cultures can connect to people thematically, most recently culminating in a lecture on "Beautiful Death." Prior to her role at the FIA, she worked for 10 years at the Detroit Institute of Arts across many departments, including curatorial, publications, and education. Glab has her MA in Art History from Wayne State University and BA in Art History from University of Michigan-Dearborn. Glab was also honored with two competitive travel grants to London and Oxford to conduct her master's thesis research on the 19th century British painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Job Titles:
- Grants & Special Projects