Aaron McIntosh grew up in the Appalachian mountains of East Tennessee where his family’s lower class environments and domestic activities such as quiltmaking have figured large in his visual vocabulary since childhood. He was one of the first recipients of the Windgate Undergraduate Fellowships in 2006, and recently served as the first alumni juror for the 2011 Fellowships. He currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland and works at the Maryland Institute College of Art as a Full-Time Professor in the Fiber Department.

Adrienne Sloane is a hand and machine knitter who specializes in both wearable and sculptural work. She teaches sculptural fiber internationally and has worked with indigenous knitters in Bolivia and Peru. Her work has been published in a number of periodicals and textbooks.

Al Stirt has been a professional woodturner for more than 40 years. His work is included in numerous private and public collections, including the Smithsonian, the White House, Museum of Art and Design, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1997, the American Association of Woodturners awarded him an Honorary Lifetime Membership for his commitment and contributions to the field of woodturning.

Alan Lacer has been involved in turning for over 35 years as a turner, writer, teacher, turning exhibition coordinator and producer of turning videos. He has demonstrated or taught in all 50 states and in 5 foreign countries. His writings have appeared in virtually all woodworking magazines — over 150 to date. He has been a guest on national television shows on the PBS and DIY networks.

Mary Lacer started a woodturning business in the early 1980's. For more than 20 years she was the administrator and then executive director of the American Association of Woodturners. Currently she teaches and sells her work through galleries.

Both Mary and Alan were made Honorary Lifetime Members of the AAW for their contributions to the field of woodturning.

Alice R. Ballard received a B.S. degree in design and an M.F.A. in painting from the University of Michigan. She has been a ceramic instructor off and on since 1967 and has her work in several galleries, including the Blue Spiral Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina and the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Andrew Saftel works in a variety of media in his rural Tennessee studio. For the last twenty years, his work has been exhibited and collected widely. He was recently invited to spend a month in Bangladesh on a U.S. State Department project teaching printmaking and drawing. In 2010 he was awarded a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission to produce the large color woodcut ‶La Frontera″ in Patzcuaro, Mexico.

April Flanders holds an M.F.A. in printmaking from Arizona State University. She has taught printmaking in various universities, both nationally and internationally, and currently teaches full-time at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Her work has been featured in museum and gallery shows internationally, including the Center for the Book Arts in New York. Her work is also in public collections including the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, the Tucson Museum of Art and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

Arlene Blackburn is a full-time textile artist, teacher and exhibition curator as well as the owner of DeltaPatchwork.com. Her award-winning work is held in corporate and private collections nationwide. She has been a featured artist in two PBS specials, has exhibited internationally, appeared in numerous publications and serves as a national artist and spokesperson for Janome.

Art Liestman is a woodturner from Coquitlam, British Columbia, specializing in non-functional work with surface decorations. He has recently been profiled in Woodturning magazine and in Craft Arts International. He has demonstrated and taught throughout North America and has written several articles on woodturning techniques for publications such as American Woodturner. His work is in many prominent collections and is often seen in national exhibitions.

Arthur Gonzalez has had more than forty one-person shows in the last thirty years. He has received many awards including four through the National Endowment of the Arts, as well as participated in many artist residencies including Pilchuck Glass Studio, Tainan National University of the Arts in Taiwan, and Penland School of Crafts. He is a tenured professor at California College of the Arts in Oakland, California.

Arthur Hash is currently a full-time lecturer in the Metal Program at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He has been named a Searchlight Artist by the American Craft Council and has been awarded two fellowships from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Barbara Cashman, a glass fuser for 30 years, is recognized as an innovator and pioneer in the glass tile industry. Her work has been featured in many major home decorating and trade magazines as well as on HGTV. She recently received a Crystal Achievement Award from Glass Magazine.

Barbara Dill retired from a 21-year career as a nurse in 1990 and began taking woodturning classes at Arrowmont that summer. After three years of woodworking courses at Arrowmont, she became a full-time studio artist. For the past five years, she has taught multi-axis turning regionally. She was one of three emerging artists featured at the 2011 AAW National Symposium and has been accepted into the International Turning Exchange for 2012.

Barbara Holmes attended Brigham Young University for her undergraduate studies and did her graduate work at San Diego State University, receiving an M.F.A. in 2001. Barbara has exhibited nationally and internationally, is an Alfreda Maloof scholarship recipient, and served as an Artist-in-Residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Her work is part of the permanent collection at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). She has been teaching art and design courses for the past 13 years, and is currently teaching at California College of the Arts within the Furniture and First Year foundations programs. www.barbaraholmes.com

Jen Rhoads is an artist and healer based in Portland, Oregon and Oakland, California. She is a painter as well as co-conspirator/co-founder of the collaborative social arts group The M.O.S.T. (2003-2008) whose work continues even though they hosted their own wake several years ago. Her specialties in the healing arts are twofold — knowledge and care for the spine through several modalities as well as support for the energy body through traditional and contemporary shamanic practices. She is a certified Gyrotonic Trainer, a trained yoga teacher in the Svaroopa yoga style (theraputic & precise) and is a candidate for a Masters in Energy Medicine. She received a B.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1998. As an artist and healer she considers listening, land, relationship, language and complexity her core concerns.

Barbara Joiner has taught clay and metalsmithing for over 35 years. She studied clay at the University of Illinois, Metalsmithing at Indiana University, and she holds an M.F.A. from Southern Illinois University. Barbara’s work is held in many collections, including the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild since 1998.

Barry Gross pens can be found in pockets worldwide – from those of corporate tycoons to celebrities like Stephen Spielberg and Jimmy Buffet. His work even graces desks at the White House! His “Tempus” pen, created from recycled watch parts, earned him a prestigious Readers’ Choice Award from Pen World Magazine.

Béatrice Coron is an artist specialized in cuttings used in artist books, illustrations, and public art. Her cut designs are made of paper, glass or metal from small to monumental. Her work is in major collections such as The Metropolitan Museum, New York; The Getty Art Center, California; and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Becky McDonah is an Assistant Professor of Art at Arizona State University where she has been Head of the Metalworking Area since 2005 and received the Distinguished Teacher Award in 2007 from the Herberger College of the Arts. Previous to that, she was a Visiting Professor at Bowling Green State University from 2001-2005. She is co-chair of the 2012 Society of North American Goldsmiths Conference to be held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Beth Ireland has been the owner of Beth Ireland Woodworking since 1983, specializing in architectural and artistic woodturning. She has taught workshops nationwide with venues including Massachusetts College of Art, The Center For Furniture Craftsmanship, Anderson Ranch, Arrowmont, Peters Valley Craft Center, The Brookfield Center, and The Connecticut School of Woodworking. She has produced her own video, Turning Outside the Box, and was a guest star in two episodes of Cultivating Life, originally produced for PBS. www.bethireland.net

Kimberly Winkle is a visiting assistant professor of art at Tennessee Technological University. She is a former resident artist at the Appalachian Center for Craft and an International Turning Exchange Resident Fellow through the Center for Art in Wood. She has taught at a variety of institutions including The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Arrowmont and John C. Campbell Folk School. Her work has been published in Fine Woodworking, American Woodturner, 500 Tables and 500 Chairs.

Beth Ross Johnson has been weaving cloth based on Scottish and Japanese traditions since 1970. A student of Norman Kennedy, she holds an M.F.A. from Georgia State University and has spent extensive time in Japan studying textiles. She is a studio weaver, workshop leader and instructor at Oconaluftee Institute of Cultural Arts in Cherokee, NC.

Billie Shelburn is the Resident Artist in painting, drawing and mixed media at John C. Campbell Folk School — a position she has held for the past 13 years. Her work was recently featured in the Summer 2010 issue of American Style magazine and has been included in other publications in the past. A studio painter, she has also conducted workshops and seminars at Miami University of Ohio, Belmont University for the Tennessee Arts Academy, Walter Anderson Museum of Art for the OSAA, and Tennessee Tech University at Appalachian Center for Craft.

Bob Ebendorf received a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the State School of Applied Arts and Crafts in Norway after completion of his M.F.A. He has taught at the University of Georgia and State University of New York at New Paltz. He is a recipient of the American Craft Council Fellowship and is co-founder and past president of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). He currently serves as the Belk Distinguished Professor in Art at East Carolina University. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ebendorf

Marissa Saneholtz graduated from the Master of Fine Arts Program in Metal Design at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC in 2011. Her work has been published in the book Art Jewelry Today II as well as in Metalsmith Magazine. Her work has been exhibited internationally in shows such as Best of 2010: Ohio Designer Craftsmen, Surfacing: The 9th International Juried Student Exhibition of the Enamelist Society, eXtreme Tea Exhibition, Houston, An Element of Surprise: Artists Working with Tin, and many others. www.marissasaneholtz.com

Bob Lockhart is a stone and wood sculptor who serves as Professor of Art at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky. He holds an M.F.A. from the Art Institute of Chicago. His work is held in numerous permanent collections, including the Whitney Museum of Art in New York.

Brent Skidmore is Assistant Professor of Art and Director of Craft Studies at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. He has a background in sculpture and currently focuses on making studio furniture. He has been teaching for 23 years at universities and craft programs including Penland, Arrowmont, Anderson Ranch and Peters Valley. His work and processes are included in a Lark Publication entitled The Penland Book of Woodworking. He has shown his work extensively across the nation including the Smithsonian Craft Show and SOFA-Chicago; in Finland; and most recently in Dubai, UAE. Along with his commitment to his family, studio work and educational positions, he serves as an advocate for craft education, scholarship, and the professional development of young artists.

Bryan Hopkins has curated ceramics exhibitions both nationally and locally. He teaches part-time at Niagara County Community College, and has also taught at Medaille College, SUNY at New Paltz, and SUNY at Fredonia. Bryan’s work has been exhibited in group and solo shows nationally, including the NCECA Clay National Biennial (2005 & 2009). He has participated in the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Exhibition, is published in 500 Vases, and is a past New York Foundation on the Arts Fellow in Craft.

Bryan Petersen is currently an Assistant Professor of Art teaching Beginning and Advanced Metalsmithing classes at Montana State University. He has taught at The Arthur Morgan School, Georgia Southern University, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Ghost Ranch, and The Bear Canyon School of Art and Craft. His work is published in Lark Books, Fabulous Jewelry From Found Objects, Hollan Publishers book, Mixed Media Collage Jewelry: New Directions in Memory Jewelry, A&C Black’s Jewelry From Recycled Materials, and Lark Books Iron Wire Jewelry.

Carl Powell has developed unique processes involving the grinding and polishing of glass, multi-faceted optics and multi-layered engraving. As a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship recipient, Powell’s work has also been included in the Americans in Glass Exhibition, which traveled to major museums for three years.

Chandra DeBuse studied ceramics at the University of Nebraska — Lincoln before receiving an M.F.A. from the University of Florida. She is a 2011-2012 Artist-in-Residence at Arrowmont who makes candy-colored pottery that appeals to the playful side with wacky drawings and voluminous forms. She recently completed an artist residency at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Florida where she taught classes to adults and children. Her work will be published in the upcoming book, Humor in Craft. She exhibits her pottery.

Charissa Brock has been a studio artist for the past 17 years, and has worked with bamboo for the past twelve years. She holds an M.F.A. in fiber arts from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. Charissa serves as the coordinator for the American Craft Society Arts and Crafts Awards, which honor artists for their innovative use of bamboo as an art material. Her work is held in collections nationwide.

Charlie Cummings holds an MFA from University of Florida, Gainesville and is director of the Charlie Cummings Gallery. He has curated over 70 exhibitions and taught many workshops. His work is in collections worldwide, including that of the Dalai Lama.

Christine Zoller holds an M.F.A. from the University of Georgia and is presently an Associate Professor and Textile Area Coordinator at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Christine has taught at other universities and has conducted workshops at Penland School of Crafts and the Quilt Surface Design Symposium. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and can be seen in the Surface Design Journal and Fiberarts Design Book Five and Fiberarts Design Book Six.

Claudia Lee owns and runs Liberty Paper, a working and teaching facility in Liberty, Tennessee. She is a full-time studio artist and instructor. Lee is the author of Hand Papermaking and her work is featured in more than 30 additional publications. She was recently awarded a Master Grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission and she was chosen to create the awards for the 2011 Governor's Awards in the Arts.

Colette Fu has held artist residencies at institutions including Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Instituto Sacatar, Bemis Center, Visual Studies Workshop and the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity. In 2008, she received a Fulbright Fellowship to photograph the 25 ethnic minorities of her mother’s hometown of Yunnan Province, China. Colette has received numerous awards from such organizations as Independence Foundation, Sovereign Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and Constance Saltonstall Foundation. She has worked as a paper engineering consultant for stop animation commercials, freelances, and teaches pop-up courses and community workshops at various art centers and institutions around the world.

Colette Peters is the owner of Colette’s Cakes, a specialty cake company in New York City. She has created cakes for window displays for Tiffany & Co and Cartier, was commissioned by First Lady Hillary Clinton to create cakes for the White House Christmas display, and has had cakes featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Food Network, The Today Show, and a variety of other media outlets.

Cynthia Fisher has been a professional artist for 23 years — first as an illustrator of children’s books and since 2000, as a fine artist focusing on mosaics. Her work can be found in homes both nationally and internationally, and in public art installations in hospitals, colleges, public offices and town commons. Fisher has undertaken numerous school residencies and community projects working with students and volunteers.