If you are interested in teaching a class at the Arts League, please send a copy of your resume and a short description of the class that you would like to teach to . Please see our current class descriptions to get an idea for your course description. Thanks.

Pat Albright: Teacher of yoga over 12 years; studied extensively with senior level Iyengar teachers since the 70's; taught for Thomas Jefferson University, The Women's Fitness Club, The M.S. Society, Interact Senior Center & Moving Arts Studio of Mt. Airy.

Nancy Benussi: A twenty year veteran of the Restaurant Industry in Philadelphia. She has written and consulted on several area wine lists and coordinated beverage training programs. She holds a certificate from the American Sommelier Association and studied her advanced certification at The New York Wine Institute. During her eight years working as a sommelier and wine buyer she discovered a penchant for wine education. She brings her passion and enthusiasm for wine to every class. Her goal is to ignite that spark in others.

Penina Bernstein: Is a photographer majoring in Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. She has taught photography at Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania, and has served as a teaching assistant in the photography program at Penn. She works in Black and White, primarily in portraiture. In both her work and approach to teaching, she focuses on the development of technical skill, on a deep appreciation for how a photographer views the world around him, and the ability to bring these two facets together in the culminating moment of a photograph.

Joletta Breland: Just recently moved to Philadelphia, PA from Columbus, OH to join her husband as he finishes his last year at Drexel University. She recently graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design, a private four year art school, where she majored in Painting and Drawing. A lot of her art is focused on landscapes, and people, rendered in a highly realistic approach. She has both assisted and taught in numerous art classes for children of all ages and backgrounds. She is truly passionate about expressing beauty through the arts, as well as working with kids to express their creativity in a positive way.

Stuart Brent: Does screen printing for a living. In the summer of 2006 he wanted to get shirts made for his band, and after talking to a screen printer, decided that it would cost too much to get too many shirts made, so he bought a kit and had friends teach him the very basics. He pursued it as a profession after his seasonal job ran out of work, founding Vacord Screen Printing, learning mostly from experimentation and trial and error and also from reading online forums. Screen printing has become his passion and he feels lucky that he has stumbled into a craft that fits his personality well. www.vacord.com

Yasha Butler: Born to a Turkish mother and an American father she spent my childhood in Istanbul on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus. After getting a design degree in the States in 2001, she returned to Istanbul to work full time. By 2002 she had made my way to Oakland, California where she began to study ceramics, paying the bills by working at a small bakery. With her throwing technique improved along with her oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, she returned to Istanbul to collaborate with her parents in the restoration of an Ottoman alcohol factory. Three years later, in the spring of 2005, the factory was reopened as Sumahan On The Water, a small hotel directly facing Europe. It was about this time that she opened her own studio in Istanbul, which led to her return to the States in 2006. She currently work as a studio technician assistant at The Clay Studio where she produces her porcelain objects and jewelry. In 2006 she began a collaboration with Colleen Connolly. Please visit her blog, www.yashabasha.blogspot.com and online store, www.yashabutler.etsy.com.

Leah Caesar, aka 'Keturah' and 'KrazzyK': A passionate dancer who cares about culture and community building. Currently enrolled in the Community College of Philadelphia majoring in Theatre. Studies dance at Philadanco, Philadelphia Freedom Theatre and Kumquat Studio and is a member of VERSATILE dance group.

Francesca Capaldo: Native Italian, graduated in veterinarian medicine in Naples, loves cooking Italian dishes, traveling, cycling and is a UCAL student in pottery and knitting. Has tutored Italian informally. Recently became the mother of a lovely baby girl.

Art Cohen: Has been working with clay since 1978; learned to throw on the wheel at Brooklyn Museum Art School; studied Art & Ceramics at Brooklyn College, CUNY.

Colleen Connolly: Has taught jewelry making at UCAL for the past two years. She produces her funky line of jewelry in her Fishtown studio. Colleen (a jewelry artist) and Yasha Butler (a ceramic artist) have been working together since 2006. Both of their works can be found at a number of regional shows and galleries. At the 2007 UCAL Holiday Craft Fair they decided to forge their crafty knowledge into a class that combines both their areas of expertise.

Daniel Costilla:

Chris Coward: Received her MSW and LCSW and is a trained Life Coach who has been helping people live fulfilling lives for several years. She is a licensed social worker and works with musicians who are serious about becoming more successful in their business. Chris also coaches leaders and middle management in organizations. Chris plays bass guitar with a rock band and a singer-songwriter and lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two dogs.

Bernard M. Cox: A University of Kansas graduate with degrees in English, Theater and Film. Bernie is a screenwriter and has co-owned and operated an independent film and video production company and writes about digital video & audio production. In addition to teaching the screenwriting classes here at UCAL, Bernie also facilitates the Feedback Concert Series and various staged readings and performances.

Sharon Doerner: Michigan State University, B.A; studied at Moore College of Art; has worked as a photographer's representative & freelance; exhibits locally; won Perkins award.

Tom Droppelmann: Has been a potter for 27 years and is mostly self-taught but has apprenticed with three professional potters. He has taught at the Garrison Art Center. His actual degree is in Greek and Latin.

Ronald Dukes, Jr: Trained in Capoeira regional & Angola for 10 years; also, comprehensive training in Tae Kwondo, Kenpo Karate & Kick Boxing Certified fitness & aerobic instructor. Ron is the newly hired Fitness Coordinator for Temple University.

Kirsten Erwin: Has studied T'ai chi since 1982 and is currently a senior student of Sibok Robert Kassof. Related areas of training include long and short Yang T'ai Chi forms, Qigong, Reiki, Kung Fu and meditation. Certified instructor of T'ai Chi for arthritis. In addition to UCAL, she teaches regularly in Upper Darby and for Mt. Airy Learning Tree.

Patrick Esmonde: A multi-talented artist who works in a number of mediums, but primarily pursues photography and ceramics. Patrick attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, FL, a top-ranking Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School, Penland School of Crafts, and the Kansas City Art Institute over the years developing both technical and aesthetic skills along the way. Currently he teaches ceramics at UCAL and is promoting his photography business with exhibitions and his online portfolio, which can be viewed at www.esmondephotography.com. Patrick is a self-described "opportunistic artist" who thrives on new experiences, forms, techniques and processes.

Leila Falcon: Came to UCAL's Art & Pottery classes as a young child. She then attended the High School for Creative and Performing Arts. These were the inspirations for her to become very serious about her love for art and would determine that she one day be a professional artist and teacher. In May 2007 she graduated from Tyler School of Art with a major in painting and art education. Leila has taught in a variety of schools through internships, summer programs, part time teaching positions, and student teaching. She has managed and taught many large scale projects that include: a three story high mural based on the Harlem Renaissance (painted in the style of William H. Johnson); a five foot fabric collage (based on her student's Frankford neighborhood and artist Romare Bearden); and a freedom quilt dedicated to civil rights leaders and freedom fighters who continue the fight today. Through her experiences Leila has learned that creativity and respect for individual diversity encourage powerful minds that will continue to learn and grow throughout a lifetime. Leila continues to grow, learn, respect, and appreciate what her students are teaching her. Teaching art has been exciting, challenging, and inspiring and she looks forward to the challenges and energy that future students will bring.

Holly Frisbee: Received a BFA in Ceramics from UNC-Asheville. She has also studied at Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and Penland School of Crafts.

Beth Fox: Studied music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she learned to play the piano and guitar. She was lead teacher of the infant room at Mulberry childcare in Gulph Mills, then assistant teacher and substitute teacher at Penn Children's Center. She is currently a nanny and sings in Anna Crusis women's choir and teaches music classes at PIC and Ardsley daycare. Beth is happy to be combining her two life long passions, children and music, to bring you this class!

Nanci George: Is a Certified YogaKids Teacher (CYKT) and a Yogakids Trainer (YKT) and founder of NlightN Yoga. Her professional career has included over 25 years in health care, specializing in behavioral and physical challenges with children and adolescents. Nanci has integrated the "lessons for a lifetime" component to encourage children of all ages to become happier and healthier individuals.

Nora Gibson: Is a Philadelphia based dancer, choreographer, and instructor, whose training spans classical ballet to post-modern improvisation. She has had the opportunity to learn from contact/improv luminaries such as Daniel Lepkoff, Andrew Harwood, Nancy Stark-Smith, and KJ Holmes. Nora has had the privilege of dancing for PATH Dance Company in Baltimore, MD under the direction of Kathy Wildberger, for Andrew Marcus Dance in New York, NY, and recently with Jeffrey Gunshol in Philadelphia's 2008 nEW Festival. She has performed her own work throughout NYC at various downtown venues such as P.S. 122, St. Marks Church, and DIA Center for the Arts. As the Director of Nora Gibson Performance Project, Nora's work has appeared in in the Philadelphia area through the Etc. Performance Series, Current Series, and The Field. She will be premiering an evening of dance titled "Net Worth" in the 2008 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Nora holds a BFA from Tisch School of Dance at NYU where she performed in the works of Elisa Monte, Mark Morris, and others. She also holds a JD from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University.

Dolores Luis Gmitter: MEd, Temple U. Teaches at Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College & School District of Philadelphia; School coordinator/dance artist at the Institute for the Arts in Education. Dancer with Flamenco Ole Dance Co.

Sean Glass: A Pittsburgh native who makes his home in West Philadelphia. He is a thirty year veteran of the performing arts who studied studio arts at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the co-founder of the Have-Nots Collective, a Pittsburgh based arts and activism group. Artistically, his experience is broad. In his childhood he worked alongside his mother as a clown and starred in musical theater. His puppets are vibrant kinetic sculptures that he imbues with life. He recently worked for the Philadelphia Theater Workshop Company. His current production, ASHES, is multi-media performance art making its world debut at the 2007 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. His puppets have appeared on many stages, notably: The Andy Warhol Museum, The Brew House, and The Walnut Street Theater. www.seanglassisamazing.com

Leonard Gontarek: The author of St.Genevieve Watching Over Paris, Van Morrison Can't Find His Feet, Zen For Beginners and Deja vu Diner (Autumn House Press, 2006). He is the editor of This is Forever The Room and The Balloonists Are Coming Back From the Clouds, anthologies of children's poetry. His poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies such as American Poetry Review, New England Review, Mudfish, The Best American Poetry 2005 among others. His poetry has been awarded prizes by the Atlanta Review, Poet's Attic, Mad Poet's Review and Mudfish Magazine. He was twice nominated for Pushcart Prizes and twice received poetry fellowships from the PA. Council on the Arts. www.leafscape.org/LeonardGontarek

Abby Gordon: Is an artist and teacher living in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. She has a master's degree in American history and taught middle school for several years. A Philadelphia native, she was drawn to mosaics by Philadelphia's great history of public art, including the recent work of the Mural Arts Program and mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. Some of her mirrors are currently on display at Ali's Wagon in Fairmount; more work, including some of her large installations, can be seen at www.abbygordonmosaics.com.

Oliver Hannah: Born and raised in West Philadelphia, PA. R&B and Hip Hop were the primary musical influences in his life until he reached the age of sixteen. It was then that he was befriended by a Puerto Rican family who taught him how to dance Salsa. There the seed was planted. Oliver quickly developed a love for the dance. This made him a fanatic of the music and the dance the same. Oliver quickly learned that the best way to apply what he learned was to use his own style which was rooted in Hip Hop. Oliver encourages all of his students to learn the basics and then develop their own style. Style without the restriction of ballroom rules; thus, the term Street Salsa. Oliver has been teaching this style of dance for three years to adults and children the same. His unorthodox style of teaching makes for an awesome learning experience.

Catherine Jackson-Muhammad: Born and raised in West Philadelphia and now resides in the Wynnefield section of the city. Catherine has been sewing for over 30 years, which lead to forming "NIA" to expand her work from sewing for family to providing work to varied clientele. Her range is from home decor to special occasion outfits, to proms, choir apparel and bride and bridal party apparel.

Yvette Jiggetts: A 19 year resident of University City, Philadelphia is a master in the art of crochet and a charter member of Crochet Guild of America (CGOA). She is currently the president of the West Philly chapter of CGOA, a three year participant in the Philadelphia Knit out Crochet sponsored by Craft Yarn Council of America and was one of the feature artists in the "Stitches that Heal" exhibition in the Pittsburgh museum of art. Yvette is also an instructor at the Penn Alexander Community School in fiber arts as well as crochet; an instructor of Independence Blue Cross employees through the "Pink Power Program". Yvette is active in many other fiber arts clubs spreading the love of crochet throughout the city of Philadelphia and continuing the crochet class here at UCAL for her former teacher, mentor & friend Carol Moore, whom is oopening her own store in Bridgeton, NJ..

Lucinda Lea: BA in English, Indiana University. Trained & performed with Boston Ballet. Dancer, teacher, choreographer with 30 years experience teaching & directing schools & companies nationally; has taught ballet in Philadelphia since 1988.Currently at Drexel University. Certified Trager Practitioner.

Trina Mansfield: Has been a Philadelphia Fiber & Glass Artist for 18 years. Specializing in pictorial appliquéd landscape quilts, Trina has exhibited her “fabric paintings” in countless gallery group shows as well as one-woman shows. She displays her work in craft shows and does custom commission work for clients. Her work is included in many private collections and several public collections such as the University of Pennsylvania and Springfield Hospital. Trina also teaches Stained Glass, Mosaics and Quilting at Temple University.

Chris Marshall: A young Philadelphia artist. He was born in Madrid, Spain 1981. He spent most of his life in Philadelphia. Chris Marshall studied nothing but Mathematics, computers, and language in his Primary and Secondary Schooling. It was not until his collegiate studies in programming and graphic design at St. Joseph's University that Chris found an intense interest in mosaics and painting. In 2003 He had his first showing. Chris Marshall studied at the Barnes Foundation In PA during college. Post-college, Chris Marshall continues to paint. His interest varying now in Performance Art, Web Design, Graphic Design, Painting, Sculpture, and other mixed media. Chris Marshall is most recently working on an upcoming Philly Fringe Festival Performance piece called "ASHES", produced and directed by Gloaming Productions, special thanks to Sean Glass. www.marshallartsanddesign.com

Bess Mattern: BA in English Literature and a minor in Dance from Purdue University, IN. While at Purdue, she was a choreographer and principal in the Purdue Repertory Dance Company. She then went on to co-director of the Inner-city Breathers, an outreach dance troupe for children based in Indianapolis, IN. In August 2003, Bess completed her Master's of Dance Education at Temple University. She is currently artistic director of The Movement Lounge, a modern dance company that specializes in event and site-specific work. The Movement Lounge has performed regionally at such venues as The Drake Dance Theatre, The Philadelphia Art Museum, World Cafe Live, and The National Constitution Center. They have also performed at the International Conference on Art in Society, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Vicki Mehl: Has been studying tai chi for 12 years. A member of the tai chi "family" of Professor Cheng Man Ching. She has received instruction from Benjamin Lo, William Chen and Andrew Heckert and is currently studying with Maggie Newman. A special education teacher by day, she finds that tai chi principals are useful in all parts of her life.

Lesley Mitchell: Cert. Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art; 25 years study & performance in social dance forms, Balkan folk, Polish national, ballroom, swing & Argentine tango. Board member ofPhiladelphia Swing Dance Society. Has had extensive Tango study in Argentina. www.dancephiladelphia.com

Anne-Marie Mulgrew: MFA, Temple University; artistic director, Anne-Marie Mulgrew & Dancers Co. Served as adjunct faculty at Temple, Penn State and College of NJ; Education Director for Dance Affiliates/ Dance Celebration; Roster artist for NJ and PA Council on the Arts in Ed program; choreographer/dancer for the stage, festivals, specific sites & film/TV. PR person for UCAL. Visit her Web site at www.annemariemulgrewdancersco.org.

Melanie Oudkerk: received her B.A in French Literature in May 2002 from Brown University and her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology in December 2007 from Temple University. Melanie has extensive experience in teaching language and linguistic studies and works with adults and children. She has also worked at diagnosing and treating functional voice disorders. She currently works as a Speech Language Pathologist at the Easter Seals. Melanie is fluent in both French and Spanish.

Susan Parrott: Has been knitting for 50 years and blames the addiction on her mother. Projects have included lace, color-work, aran fisherman sweaters and lots of mittens. She swore she would never knit socks, but found the perfect pattern and became a convert. She has taught knitting to young dancers at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, and to total strangers on the subway.

Mary Elizabeth Pfeil: "My grandmother taught me (and my mother, her daughter-in-law) to knit when I was 5; I have been knitting ever since. I have done lots of different kinds of knitting, including everything from hats, mittens, sweaters, Christmas stockings, Aran (Irish fisherman) knitting to finger puppets. I especially enjoy figuring patterns out on my own through trial and error and have had lots of fun over the years graphing designs for my children's jacket sweaters (Batman is my biggest success to date). I thoroughly enjoy knitting while I'm doing other things, such as watching television or when I'm a passenger in a car."

Kelly Ray: BA, U. of CA. Extensive study & experience in ballroom, Argentine tango, Latin club dance & swing dance, as well as international folk dance. Performs with Janosik Polish Dance Ensemble. Has had extensive tango study in Argentina. www.dancephiladelphia.com

Eva Sasdi: Has a B.A. in Education and studied American Culture at Yale University. She was born in Hungary and lived in Germany and France before coming to the U.S. She has been taking pottery class for some time now and enjoys all kinds of creative activities. She can't wait to do some fun projects with her little son!

Marcus Smith: Trained with Shuji Maruyama from 1973 to 1983; has taught the four arts of aikido since 1979 in Phila & Haverford, PA. Is personally grateful to aikido for its physical & mental challenges.

Emiko Sugiyama: Began dancing at the age of 7 in Japan. She was trained in ballet for 10 years. Introduced into breaking, she joined the hip hop dance company called "One Step Ahead". After Emiko performed with the company and several artists in LA, she moved to NY to learn more about hip hop culture and joined Illstyle and Peace Production. Credits: Sacramento Kings (NBA and WNBA) half time show, Breakestra Music Video " Get Your Soul Together," Warp Tour in Las Vegas, Thalia feat. Fat Joe "I want you" Lipton tour 2003 on ABC Good Morning America. KRS One Warren G & Lil Ai Music video, AMC Into Character "Electric Boogaloo", Jacobs Pillows dance festival 2004, and Dance Theater Workshop " Fresh Tracks" 2004. Emiko aspires to share not only her skills and abilities but her individuality and personality through dance. For full bio and more info about Montazh performing art company, visit www.montazhpac.org

Janine Spruill: Is the founder and head instructor of the Lil' Filmmakers program. In 1999, Janine graduated from Temple University with a BA in Communications and Theater. Shortly after graduation she began Lil' Filmmakers. Janine wanted to offer young people the chance to learn about the film industry and use video arts as a creative outlet. As the program began to grow, Janine brought aboard her mother Ruby Beckett, a 25 year business management veteran, as the program's director and marketing manager. To date, Lil' Filmmakers has worked with hundred of young people across the Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

Jennie Tagle: Has been crafting, creating, re-fashion-ing clothing, designing and doing since age 5. Her legacy of craftiness was granted to her through the creative visions, traditions and skillfulness of her grandparents' sewing knowledge and techniques. They taught her how to create patterns for doll clothes out of old clothes and make stuffed animals using thread and yarn scraps as stuffing. Jennie continued studying garment design and construction throughout four years of high school. Working mostly with patterns in class, she dabbled with old duds, deconstructing and reconstructing new pieces on her own. As a result her fledgling design line, wasteLINE was born. In college she began studying Fashion Design, Merchandizing and Journalism but soon found herself wanting to broaden my scope and skills and earned a Fine Arts degree with concentrations in Visual Communications, Graphic Design and Printmaking. Since May 2005 Jenny has been running a small local artists gallery and boutique called, RE:Source. For 2 years they housed and supported over 75 local artists. Jenny continues to share her sewing techniques and design skills with people, by teaching in various venues. wasteLINE will be up and running again in Spring 2008.

Rodney Thoms: Is a multi-talented artist with a BFA in Drawing from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he competed in and won the Rickert Ziebold Trust Competition. Rodney is a fine art instructor, printmaker & freelance scenic artist. He has maintained his own etching studio since 1994. www.rodneythoms.com

Syd Torchio: Recently seen in the July 2004 issue of Philadelphia Magazine, for painting of WYSP air personality cousin Ed's pet. Also appeared in Philadelphia Style magazine. Has recently won numerous first and second place awards for life drawing, sketch drawing, and small animal drawing at both the Phila. Plastic Club and the Phila. Sketch Club. Sid has a painting featured in the upcoming M. Night Shamalyan film 'Lady in the Water', to be released later this fall.

Charles Tyson: Is artistic director and founder of Underground DanceWorks (UDW), an Eclectifunk-based dance in Philadelphia. Charles received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Temple University in 2000. His work has been performed, viewed and loved all over Philadelphia as well as Atlantic City, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City and Wuhan, China. In 2003, Charles and UDW were awarded the "Incubator for Talented Youth Award" by the Atlantic City Dance Theatre. His performance credits include: Persona Zenobia Dance Ensemble, Kariamu & Company: Traditions, Paule Turner, Tania Isaac, Sean Curran, Michael Roberts, A.D.D. Dance Company, New LEJA Dances, the Company, Dancefusion, International Ballet Theatre, The Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company, The Brooks-Lytle Jazz Ensemble, Anne-Marie Mulgrew & Dancers Company and Stephen Welsh and Dancers. Charles is also an actor, poet, comedian, playwright, filmmaker and aspiring novelist. He is currently on faculty at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, UCAL, First Position Movement Arts Center and Dance Arts where he teaches jazz, hip hop and EclectiFunk.
For more about Charles & UDW visit: www.myspace.com/eclectifunk

Djuna Wojton: Studied belly dancing in Egypt with renowned Middle Eastern dancers; appeared on 20/20 TV series, "Oriental Dance As An Art Form"; performs in galleries, restaurants, conferences, parties, Painted Bride & Group Motion. Dubbed "Philadelphia's Reigning New Age Goddess" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Djuna Wojton's career spans two decades as certified hypnotherapist, spiritual cancelor and reiki master. She has: produced three meditation tapes, hosted a new age radio show, wrote a daily column for AOL and is the author of Karmic Healing. Visit her site www.djunaverse.com.

Joni Woods: received a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and a certificate in sculpture from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has taught art for ten years at centers including Main Line School Nights, Fleisher Art Memorial and Perkins Center for the Arts. Most recently, she has contributed to the Bike Part Art Show and group shows at Fleisher Art Memorial.