Cuyahoga Valley
Art Center

CVAC Instructors

Paul Adams received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Dayton. He studied watercolor painting under Barney Cole, Tony Cross, Jack Mulhollen, Marc Moon, and Mel Stabin. Paul enjoys painting landscapes, portraits, and figures. He has won several local awards and is a member of Hudson Society of Artists and Cuyahoga Valley Art Center.

Judith Carducci PSA, ASA Judith Carducci has been recognized internationally as one of today’s best portrait painters and featured in several national and international publications. Her portraits have won Best of Show, Award of Excellence, First Place, Award of Merit, and purchase awards at international shows and competitions. She is on the faculty of the Portrait Society of America, a signature member of Pastel Society of America and Akron Society of Artists, juried member of Degas Pastel Society, Cincinnati Art Club and Salmagundi Club, and a member of American Artists Professional League and the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women, Outstanding People of the 20th (and 21st) Century, and is represented by Portrait Brokers, Inc., and Portraits South.

Leroy Cross is a watercolorist who loves painting nature scenes. He has studied under such noted artists as John Pike, Don Stone and Edgar Whitney. He is a past president of Akron Society of Artists and is a member of Whiskey Painters of America.

David Everson received a degree in art and architecture after studying at Ohio University and Kent State University. He is a signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and the Whiskey Painters of America. He has received over 50 awards locally, nationally, and internationally. His work is in private collections in the United States, Canada and Europe. He has been an officer of the Akron Society of Artists and Cuyahoga Valley Art Center. Dave was an industrial architect for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company for 28 years and produced technical artwork for several area companies. He is a former associate member of the American Institute of Architects. Dave has won awards in architecture and in General Electric National Design competitions. He is a member of Delta Epsilon Rho Honorary Society in Architecture and a national Key Holder in Tau Sigma Delta for Academics. To view some of his work, click Here

Sally Heston’s career as an artist and art teacher spans over three decades and includes work experience in a variety of media and content. Sally has a BS in Art Education from Indiana University of PA (cum laude), a Master's degree in art from the University of Pittsburgh and has extensive post graduate study with numerous professional artists in workshops throughout the country. She continues to develop her skills as a traditional watercolorist and also uses pastels, acrylics, drawing and digital media. Her body of work includes a significant amount of commissioned illustration and graphic design work as well as paintings done for pleasure. She has had several one-person exhibits and has been part of numerous group art exhibits. Her artwork is included in private collections locally and throughout the United States and Europe. To see some of her artwork visit www.sallyheston.com . She can be contacted at sally@sallyheston.com

Mina Huang received her Ph.D. in Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She studied painting and drawing at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also traveled to France, Netherlands, Italy and the UK for many intensive museum visits. She paints mostly from life on portraiture, landscape, etc. using oil, pastel, acrylic or watercolors. She is a signature member of the Akron Society of Artists. She has won numerous awards and her paintings were exhibited in many art shows including Kaleidoscope, NE Ohio Regional Shows, ViewPoint National Juried Show, Hudson Library & Historical Society and Akron Woman’s City Club. Her work has been in the collection of B. D. Morgan Foundation.

Linda Hutchinson has a B.A. in French from Miami University of Ohio. She is an instructor at the University of Akron and Kent, Ohio City Schools, continuing education program in painting, drawing and calligraphy. Watercolor USA, Patron Purchase Award; Adirondacks National Exhibition, NWS, Philadelphia Watercolor 100th Anniversary Works on Paper, Award; three times finalist in Artist’s Magazine Contest. Perm Collections: Parkersburg Art Center Perm. Collection and State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio To learn more about Linda read her blog at hutchinsonart.blogspot.com

Tom Jones received a Bachelors Degree from Akron University and a Masters Degree from Kent State. He spent over 32 years teaching art, working with oils and mixed media of many sorts. He now devotes his talents specifically to transparent watercolor.

Ken Kirkland started painting while attending junior high school by taking sculpture and painting classes at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center. Later, Ken enrolled at the Applied Art Academy of Commercial Art and found a job in a graphic arts studio leading to the directorship and ownership of KHOURY ART SERVICE. Through the years, Ken has also taken fine art lessons from Jack Richard, Marc Moon, and the University of Akron. Mediums include oil, pastels, and watercolor in a technique he describes as “Impressionistic Realism”.

Elinore Korow is a nationally known portrait artist; is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art; and was a student of the renowned Rolf Stoll. A designer for American Greetings, she has had her own portrait studio since 1973. She has had major juried and invitational exhibitions: National Academy of Design, New York City; World Trade Center, New York City; Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Show, Golden, Colorado; Arts Club, Washington D.C.; National Traveling Exhibition, American Watercolor Society; Charter member of O.W.S; and many more. She is listed in Marquis “Who’s Who In American Art”.

Carolyn Lewis is inspired by nature, wildlife and people. Her work has been selected to exhibit in a number of local, regional, and national art competitions. Carrie is a signing member of the Akron Society of Artists, Portrait Society of America and a founding member of the Portrait Guild of Ohio.

Jack Liberman paints primarily in oils with emphasis on portraits and landscapes. He has a B.F.A. from Kent State University and graduate work at Art Students league in New York. He has studied with National Academy members Frank Mason, Everett A. Kintsler and Ivan Ohnsky. He is represented by " The Gallery of Stowe" in Vermont. Jack has been an instructor of portrait and landscape painting for more than 35 yrs. To see more of Jack's work visit his website at www.jacklstudio.com

Beth Lindenberger has a B.F.A. in ceramics from the University of Akron. She is a studio artist and art educator, adjunct faculty at Cuyahoga Community College and Kent State - Stark campus and has taught clay classes at CVAC since 1985. She has worked as an artist in schools, on numerous public tile murals and exhibits her ceramic work.

Kate Murgatroyd She is a long time member of Cuyahoga Valley Art Center and the Hudson Society of Artists, Peninsula Art Academy. Kate’s work has been in several solo shows and received awards. She has studied with Carl Musgrave, and Marc Moon to name a few.

Dino Massaroni has been a professional portrait artist and an instructor for 20 years, and has won numerous awards in major regional and national competitions. The style of his work is distinguished by its high degree of natural realism. He is a past president of the Akron Society of Artists.

Susan Mencini graduated in 1980 from Cooper School of Art in Cleveland, Ohio, and then went on to study at Kent State University. She married, never straying too far from creativity and art, yet raising a family took priority. Eight years ago she became a volunteer and member of Cuyahoga Valley Art Center where she has taken numerous workshops and classes. She is in her second year of teaching a children’s after school art class at the center. For the past seven school years she has instructed several area home schooled families in art; developing a curriculum with various approaches. This fall she will begin her second year of teaching art at Cornerstone Community School in Stow.

Jack Mulhollen’s specialty is watercolor. He is affiliated with numerous art groups and holds full active membership in the Oho Watercolor Society and the Whiskey Painters of America. He has participated in exhibits that have honored him with many awards including over eight Best of Show and First Awards. His work has been selected by the OWS to be included in their annual travel show, 1988-89 and 1989-90; also chosen for the First Purchase Award, Brecksville, Ohio, 1988; and is currently included in The Creative Artist, authored by Nita Leland.

Robert Putka trained in B.F.A., Art Education at Kent State University where he has worked towards a M.A. in Art Education. He is with the Stow City School System where he has been teaching for over 20 years and nominated as “Outstanding Educator”. He has had works exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Massillon Museum and Butler Institute of Art. Robert has been teaching the Children’s Art classes at CVAC for many years. He is art instructor at Stow High School where he serves as the art department chairman.

Mary Sanders is a graduate of Western Reserve University, studied art at the Cleveland School of Art and has an Art Education degree from the University of Akron. She has taught art in the public schools, many adult group lessons, CVAC and in her home studio. She is a member of the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Hudson Society of Artists and Woman’s Art League. Mary works primarily in acrylics and watercolor, and has exhibited in many local and some out of state shows.

Jose Sacaridiz has a BA in Fine Arts from the State University of New York. He has studied art and painting at the Pratt Institute and was awarded a grant to study at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy. Post graduate studies include numerous trips to the Haystack Mountain School in Deer Isle, Maine as a resident artist and a Masters program at Bennington College in Vermont that encouraged creative teaching and foreign travel. Jose has extensive teaching experience in the US including serving as a lead teacher at the Vermont Arts Exchange in North Bennington, VT., and teaching in Peru, S.A. His teaching has focused on alternative needs and venues working extensively with the physically and emotionally challenged populations. Jose can be contacted at jose.sacaridiz@yahoo.com.

Diane Keske Talmadge began her studies with Jack Richards and eventually studied portraiture with Daniel Greene of New York. A very prolific artist, Diane has many paintings hanging in public buildings and private collections throughout the country. She teaches at the Richfield Art Center and here at CVAC. Diane is a member of Peninsula Art Academy, the Portrait Society of America, the Women’s Art League of Akron, and the Hudson Society of Art.