Art Institute Instructors

Raised near Wilmington, DE, Ada Koch won early scholarships to the Delaware Art Museum before studying in Washington, DC and Chicago, IL.

Asya Baldwin was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1976.

Candy Schultheis is an award winning artist who lives and has her studio in Marana, Arizona.

Three of Gale's grandparents were artists (a designer, a painter and a sculptor), while her mother, an occasional painter,

Jolene Virginia Schafer creates art to encourage a viewer to engage with their imagination and become more aware of the connections that exist between all life forms. Her mask art and two-dimensional works intend to invigorate an audience as well as promote environmental awareness and conservation.

Kenny Don has been a professional photographer for 40+ years. His expertise includes inspection & assembly industrial photography, mineral, wildlife, nature and landscapes.

Linda M. Feltner is an award-winning nature artist, educator, and visual storyteller.

Sharon K. Schafer has a varied background ranging from painter and photographer, to wildlife biologist and river guide.

Born and raised in northeast Ohio, Sylvia Shanahan graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Graphic Design/Illustration. Ohio is also where she enjoyed a successful career in marketing, advertising and sales at several nationally known consumer products companies.

Since moving to Tucson in 1985, Andrea has casually explored several artistic genres such as drawing, painting, jewelry-making, and stained and fused glass art as leisure activities.

Barry Dodge enjoys sharing his exploration of the intersection of art with technology. Barry has been creating and teaching art on the iPad in Southern Arizona for over ten years.

A long time resident of Tucson, Arizona, Catherine Nash is an artist who freely mixes media in her work to express her ideas.

Janie Gildow is a graduate of the Ohio State University and recipient of the Martha Holden Jennings Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Judy Studwell’s subtle style creates a personal connection between her subject and her audience.

Laura took to art early. Classes beginning in grade school led to a regional Scholastic Art Award in her senior year of high school. In college, her artwork was published on the cover of the anthropology department journal and in a professor's book.

A sculpture and elemental painting artist, Lori Andersen has been a professional in the field since 1991.

Stephen Vaughan is a professional photographer and ornithologist.

A multi-medium artist with a focus on soft pastel and a flair for modern style, Ursula Schneider most commonly illustrates her greatest influence—the Sonoran Desert.

Andrew Denman is an internationally recognized, award-winning contemporary wildlife artist.

Becky Neideffer is an artist with a life-long passions for art, she has worked in all mediums, but prefers soft pastels and colored pencils.

Cathy Sheeter is quickly becoming known as one of the premier wildlife and western scratchboard artists of today.

Professional Photographer, Jay Pierstorff has spent over four decades in photography including portraits, weddings, commercial and industrial images in both still and video.

I was born to create. Regardless of the form my creativity has taken over my profession and my art, the desire to make has run through me and always leads forward.

Laurel Devaney is an artist currently residing in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Combining a love of nature and science with the power of observation, Rachel Ivanyi has been a core instructor for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute since 2003.

Susan Morris has a B.A. in Painting & Drawing from Brigham Young University, and her professional associations include: