Faculty - River Tree Arts

	Rosie Allard – Art & Sewing Rosie has worked creatively with children and adults through art workshops and classes for the past decade. Her primary focus is teaching sewing, textile techniques, and visual arts. She holds a Master’s degree in Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education from Aalto University in Finland, and a BFA in Textile and Fashion Design from Maine College of Art. She is currently living the dream teaching art at Kennebunk Elementary School. Having moved to Kennebunk a little over a year ago Rosie is excited to create community through art and creative practices. When not sewing she is happy gardening, woodworking, and making things to eat.
	Emily Bider – Art, Jewelry Design As the daughter of an antique dealer, Emily developed a love of art and design early in life. Surrounded by the interesting objects her father bought and sold and captivated by their history, she began collecting vintage jewelry years ago and reworking it into one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets and earrings. “As easily drawn to the sparkles of rhinestones as to the history of an antique locket, she combines disparate elements into compelling new designs.”(Cybele Spring 2006) Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art with a focus on visual art and art history, Master’s of Education in Elementary Education with a focus on arts integration and is a Registered Yoga Teacher. Follow Emily on instagram @emilybiderjewelry
	Katy Boucher – Metals Katie has an associate’s degree in metalsmithing from Heartwood College of Art. She studied under Alice Carroll. Katie has participated in various craft fairs selling her work. She has been making jewelry her whole life and likes to incorporate mixed mediums into her jewelry making, such as resin, beads, and clay. She did take a brief pause in her jewelry making to start a family but is excited to get back into it and join the River Tree community.
	Sarah Cassani – Oil Painting Sarah Cassani holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design, and over 20 years experience in the fields of graphic design, illustration and fine art. Sarah’s still life paintings explore the beauty of nature in combination with domestic objects: blue and white china, fabric, and well-loved family heirlooms and antiques. Currently, Sarah teaches oil painting and watercolor painting at The Art Center in Dover, NH. Sarah has also helped teach Painting to RISD Illustration students, as well as Drawing in RISD’s pre-college program. Sarah is thrilled to share her love of painting with students at River Tree Arts. Her work can be found online at www.sarahcassani.com and Instagram @sarahcassanistudio.
	Piper Castles – Painting I have known I wanted to be an artist since I was five years old. Painting has always been my medium. My work is a joyful celebration of nature and color, expressed through realism. I use acrylic paint on wooden panels to create my paintings. I hope anyone who views my work feels calmer and more peaceful for having done so. Pause and take a deep breath. Let the scene relax you. Nature is a healer. Enjoy this right now, just for a moment. My paintings are to remind you to breathe, to let go, to feel joy and peace within. My work is a meditation in paint, a visual reminder to come back to the here and now, a moment of calm in a sea of busy. I graduated from Pratt Institute with honors and have been very fortunate to work with many amazing clients over the years including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Wells Reserve, Gary Pike House, Blacksmith’s Winery and New Hampshire State Parks. I owned my own gallery for many years but now show my work at other galleries which allows me the freedom to spend more time outside with my daughter, husband and two dogs. Follow Piper on Instagram @fireflyfieldprints
	Barbara Fraser – Piano, Voice, Therapeutic Arts Barbara brings together an eclectic background in the arts, education, and therapy as a music instructor. Her specialties include teaching piano and voice students of all ages to read music, training her students with a unique approach combining classical and jazz theory. She brings extensive experience directing early childhood and school-age arts and educational programs. She has 20 years of musical training on piano, voice, bassoon, and clarinet. Barbara has a BS in Child Development and Educational Psychology, and a secondary focus in Fine Arts, from Union College in New York. “My primary role as an educator is to create a warm, exciting atmosphere wherein my students want to explore and learn, creativity and uniqueness are fostered, expressing feelings and collaboration are modeled and supported.” Visit my website: frasercreativeexpression.com
	Lauren Hastings Genova – Violin Lauren Hastings Genova holds a Bachelor’s of Music in violin performance and a Master’s of Ethnomusicology from Boston University. She also attended The Royal College of Music in London, England during the autumn of 2006. Prior to university, she attended Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA and the New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School program. As a violinist, Lauren has toured internationally. She has studied privately with Dean Stein of the Portland String Quartet, Yuri Mazurkevich, Rosemary Furniss, William Fedkenheuer, and Ferdinand “Dino” Liva of the DaPonte String Quartet, among others. Lauren currently performs as a member of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Amarantos String Quartet, Alhan Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and other various Maine-based ensembles. Along with classical music, Lauren is devoted to and encourages an open-minded approach to music performance and study. Along these lines, she also enjoys collaborating with many of Portland’s rock musicians. As a violin teacher, Lauren utilizes various pedagogical methods that she tailors to the student and his/her learning style and interests.
	Heather Lewis – Visual Arts ACCOMPLISHED VISUAL ARTIST, TEACHER, COACH Heather Lewis possesses a life-long immersion in the arts beginning in Delaware with artist parents, fine art training at The Philadelphia College of Art, and over three decades of actively creating art for exhibition and sale. PASSIONATE about helping others reconnect with their own creativity, she is a seasoned studio arts instructor and creativity coach who inspires learning through her engaging and encouraging teaching style. She has taught and conducted workshops throughout the northeast for all different age levels from pre-school to college. Heather is an adjunct studio arts professor at York County Community College. “As with her paintings, Heather’s classroom instruction serves as a magical conduit through which others discover their own dreams, visions, images, and feelings. She creates a learning environment where her students feel safe to explore and, simultaneously, challenged and stretched to their highest potential. Heather truly embraces and models the belief that her classroom provides the venue to set the creator in each of us free. “ Read more on Heather Lewis here
	Hannah Medovnikov – Ceramics Hannah is a Portland based clay maker and educator. She has experience working in teaching 3D and 2D art public and private school settings, and recently has loved working in smaller settings such as River Tree Arts where she gets to teach her favorite subject, ceramics. She especially enjoys the community that is built in the studio when one combines art-making and quality time. She also firmly believes that everything tastes better from a hand made pot.
	Kathleen Nolan – Dance Kathleen Nolan received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University with a major in Theater and Dance. She completed her Master’s degree in Dance at Temple University in 1971 and then began teaching at SUNY Binghamton until 1987. Through the years, Kathleen has taught dance at many prestigious organizations and has also received numerous awards. In 1987, her family relocated to Kennebunk, Maine. She has been very active in implementing dance into the curriculum at various institutions in Southern Maine throughout the years. Kathleen has always promoted and advocated for the critical importance of the arts in education, especially the value of dance in education. She created and developed a 4 year curricular dance program at Thornton Academy and directed that program for 17 years. Kathleen retired officially in 2011 but dance continues to be a pivotal part of her life.
	Abby Nolette – Dance Abby is a recent graduate of Kennebunk High School. She plans on getting a minor in psychology, majoring in dance and education. She is attending the University of Southern Maine for the year, planning on attending Roger Williams University for the 2022/2023 year. She has worked with children most of her life, leading them to discover and create. Abby has been dancing for almost 15 years. She has been dancing at River Tree arts since the start of the dance program and has been assisting since. She will be teaching the younger dancers, along with Irish steps.
	Leah Payne – Art Instruction Leah grew up in Kennebunkport and is a lifetime supporter of the arts. She is a recent graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a BFA in illustration. She loves working with traditional media and is currently working towards becoming a children’s book illustrator. Follow Leah on Instagram @leahpayne.art
	Angela Hamel Russell – Dance Angela has been dancing since the age of 18 months. She began her training at The Dance Space in Lower Village before studying at Sharon Arnold Lux’s School of Dance in Arundel. There, she learned valuable skills, not only with dance technique, but also teaching dance to children, teens, and adults. While teaching at Sharon’s, Angela also worked at the Kennebunk Elementary School, teaching an after school dance class through the Stretch Beyond program. During this time, Angela also danced and competed with The K.H.S. Dance Team. After taking home the solo trophy for Irish Dancing at States, she progressed to Nationals and took home the top Irish title. With a passion for competition and dance, Angela has attended numerous workshops, conventions, and classes. Through these opportunities, she has been able to work with some of the industry’s top dancers and choreographers. More recently, Angela ran and instructed gymNation’s dance program in Kennebunk. Angela created a multi-disciplinary dance program for all ages at River Tree Arts in 2012 that continues to grow each year.
	Abbeth Russel – Visual Art Abbeth Russell teaches art and juggling. She received her BFA in Painting from Maine College of Art where she graduated with honors. She has shown and sold her work in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and all over Maine. In her spare time, Abbeth enjoys juggling flaming torches, working on her novel Destroyer Sky, and hanging out with her amazing cat, Jackson. Portland, Maine is the wonderful city she currently calls home & is involved with various art organizations and street art performances. Follow Abbeth on Instagram @Abbeth_Russell
	Satsi Schimelpfenig – Fashion Design Satsi has a background in Fashion Design, consisting of 15 years of experience in the fashion industry working for various designers and companies in New York City, Boston, and Maine. While living in NYC she also had her own clothing line that she sold to some local boutiques. She graduated from Philadelphia University with a BS in Fashion Design in 2005, and has recently gone on to obtain her Art Education Teaching Certification at University of Southern Maine. Satsi left Kennebunk after graduating from Kennebunk High School in 2001, and returned in 2016 to work for L.L.Bean for four years. Since being back in Maine she has gained a great amount of appreciation for the wonderful coastal town she grew up in, and now shares that appreciation with her husband and two sons. She is very enthusiastic to share her fashion background with children this summer, and can’t wait to see what kind of inspirational creativity they have to show her in return!
	Sam Smithwick – Guitar, Drums Originally from Mississippi, Sam Smithwick is a teacher and singer/songwriter who performs and offers instruction in songwriting, literature, history, rock band, guitar, bass, and ukulele. A graduate of Auburn University and the University of Southern Maine, he resides in Kennebunk and spends his time writing, performing, and teaching. Sam toured nationally and worked in concert management for nearly twenty years. Teaching a range of styles and skill levels, Sam specializes in creative writing, the blues, and coaching beginner musicians.
	Russel Whitten – Visual Art In 2004, at age 22, Whitten was juried into the 70-member Ogunquit Art Association, Maine’s oldest art group founded in 1928 to bring together professional artists to exhibit their finest work and provide an educational forum to enhance the cultural life on the Seacoast. He received two scholarships to study fine art at Heartwood College of Art in Kennebunk, where Hardy, West and Lethem were his teachers. Whitten went on to complete a year’s course of study at the prestigious Art Students League of New York, after which he came back to Maine and pursued the OAA. Russel is well versed in several mediums & styles. He has shown his work throughout New England, including the Barn Gallery. Follow Russ on Instagram @whittenrussel