Instructor Bios
Pilar Baker, Silversmithing
Pilar received a B.F.A. in Jewelry and Metalsmithing at the University of Houston after earning a degree in Interior Design. For Pilar, art is the ultimate form of self expression. Working primarily with metal and stones, she conveys her innermost thoughts and feelings or, on a less emotional basis, expresses her love for pure geometric form and line. Circles and triangles appear often in her work as their ancient and symbolic references to femininity, protection, and equality help in her struggle to understand the many cycles in life, particularly those involving the emotional aspects of human relationships.
Pilar teaches jewelry and metalsmithing at BIG Arts on Sanibel, Cape Coral Arts Studio in Cape Coral, and the Alliance for the Arts. Through local workshops she also shares her knowledge of various metalsmithing techniques including fold-forming, shell-forming, and patinations. Pilar is a long-time member of Society of North American Goldsmiths and the Florida Society of Goldsmiths.
Caroline Comings, Drawing for Beginners
Caroline Krieger Comings has been teaching art locally since 1994 at the Art League of Fort Myers, Arts for Act Gallery, Seven Lakes Country Club, The Verandah Country Club, and the Lexington Country Club. She also teaches privately and has shown her work at the Arts for Act Gallery, Julia’s Art and the Seaweed Gallery.
Debbie Greene, Youth Art
Debbie received her BFA in art and graphic design and her MEd in art education from Florida Atlantic University. She was the Winter Arts Camp Director at the Alliance for the Arts in 2007 and is a substitute teacher for the Lee County School District. In addition to being a practicing artist, she has experience teaching art and graphic design in a variety of settings and to a wide range of age groups. Her volunteer works includes teaching art lessons to abandoned, abused, and homeless children. Her enthusiasm for art and love of children is the driving force behind everything she does.
Shawn Holiday is a producer and director children’s theatrical productions. He has guided Kids Conspiracy through 19 productions, including two original productions: A Christmas Carol and Don Quixote de Matlacha. Mr. Holiday has taught a weekly acting class for youth at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts since 2001 and has taught classes and workshops for many organizations, including BIG Arts, Canterbury School, United Arts Council of Collier County, Sunshine Elementary, First United Methodist Church, Florida Dept. of Juvenile Justice and Lee County Parks and Recreation. Mr. Holiday has also conducted adult workshops for The Town of Fort Myers Beach, the Southwest Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Power and Light, Comcast, Child Care of Southwest Florida, and Lee Memorial Health Systems. Since 2003, he has presented Don Quixote in over 20 area schools. Other highlights in Mr. Holiday’s performance background include producing over 500 murder mysteries throughout Florida, extensive experience in live comedy shows, radio and television productions, and producing concerts and events for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, including Lee County’s first film festival.
Faezeh Jahanshiri, Belly Dancing
Faezeh Jahanshiri is of Persian/Turkish descent. The ancient art of belly dancing originated in the Middle East region where she grew up and she has been dancing since a very young age. She has taken dance lessons from great belly dancers like Nadia in the past and from Shamira and Suheila in New York and New Jersey. Her passion for belly dancing was displayed on a professional level when she performed at Art Royal 2006.
Faezeh invites women of all ages to join her in celebrating the joy of being a woman by learning the exciting movements of belly dancing which work core muscles and help participants get into the shape that’s right for them. The hypnotic hip and chest isolations will mesmerize your entire being and make you feel and look younger!
Leo Johnson, 20th Century Painting and Modern Painting
Leo Johnson was born in Tampa, Florida. He is a third generation Cuban-Sicilian, who is still immersed in the art, culture and language of those nations. Leo studied painting in San Miguel, Mexico, at a school founded by Diego Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros, the great Mexican muralists. He is currently an Artist in Residence for the University of South Florida, has won many awards for his paintings, and has shown in New York City, California and throughout the United States. He had a one man show at Der Fleur Gallery in Kassel, Germany and was in a September 2003 group show "All We Need is Love" in Berlin. Leo considers it important to be active in his community, giving many lectures throughout the states and teaching painting to under-privileged, disabled and at-risk children. He says, "In my paintings, I try to reflect the human spirit - its agonies, joys, its exuberance - and the peaks and valleys of everyday life. Also included are the fleeting moments which appear to us once in a lifetime and are gone.
"Throughout the history of art, mankind has always been the motivator, the inspirer, and the force that protects and propels civilization into the future."
Patty Kane
, Watercolor
In addition to teaching at the Alliance, Patty Kane has also shared her talents with students at the Fort Myers Beach Art Association, Art League of Fort Myers, and the Crealde School of art in Winter Park, FL. Her work has been seen in numerous juried and selected exhibitions, corporate collections and was even featured on the cover of Orlando Magazine. She is a member of the Florida watercolor society and many other area art associations. Patty enjoys continuing her own studies in watercolor, acrylic painting, and drawing while stimulating and motivating her students towards personal growth and achievement.
Lori Madl
, Youth and Adult Dance
Ms. Lori Madl hails from St. Louis, Missouri where she began dancing at the age of three. After winning many awards in competitions, and dancing at Six Flags Over St. Louis as the Daffy Duck, and Tasmanian Devil, she decided to make dance her life. Ms. Madl received her B.A. in Dance from the University of Kansas, Lawrence were she resided for eight years. After graduation she taught dance and performed with a touring company, the “Prairie Wind Dancers.” In pursuing her Master’s Degree in Arts Administration at Indiana University, she was an Associate Instructor for the African American Dance Company, and Beginning Modern Dance courses.
In addition to working at the Alliance and teaching dance in S.W.FL, Ms. Lori is the chair of Dance Alliance, a program of the Alliance for the Arts. The mission is to bring highly trained dance instructors to Fort Myers for students and instructors to experience dance beyond their usual classes and expose them to new dance forms and philosophies of their craft.
Amy Marie McCleary, Musical Theatre Summer Camp
Amy has been performing professionally for over 10 years. She is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and holds a BFA in Theatre. While at NYU, Amy studied at CAP21, the premiere musical theatre training program. She currently serves as the resident choreographer for PEG having staged such shows as Peter Pan, Annie, Guys and Dolls, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, The Pajama Game, Holly Jolly Christmas and numerous children's shows. As an instructor she has taught tap, jazz, ballet and acting at Flat Rock Playhouse's Theatre for Young People, private voice at Cape Coral Academy of Music, and was the movement instructor at Performance Place Players in California. Amy has been appearing in productions at the Broadway Palm since 2003. Her most memorable roles include Bombalurina in Cats, Lola in Damn Yankees, Sheila in A Chorus Line, and Tiger Lily/Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan. Learn more about Amy at amymariemccleary.com.
Ann McCarty Sickels, Oil Painting , Florida Landscape , Portrait Painting
Ann has shown her oil paintings at many local, state and national shows, including the 2D-3D show at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts, where her painting "Rearview Mirror" won Juror's Choice award in 2005. This painting also received an Honorable Mention at the All Florida juried state show at the Von Liebig Art Center in Naples. The Florida Focus juried state show in Bonita Springs and the National Show at the Punta Gorda Art Association also awarded her with an Honorable Mention for her work "The Dancers".
Ann has been teaching painting (oil, acrylic and watercolor) and drawing to adults and children for over eight years. She also works as an instructor at Pine Island Art Association in Matlacha, the Cape Coral Art Studio, the Art League of Bonita Springs and Michael's. Her students often show their work and have also won awards. You may see her work at Julia's Arts on Matlacha or visit her website to see her artwork at annmccartygallery.com.
Terry Lynn Spry, Painting Studio
Terry Lynn’s paintings have been exhibited in national and local juried art exhibitions. In addition, her work is in private collections all over the country. She graduated from Phoenix Institute of Technology with a degree in production art and wet on to study for six years under Nina Conner. Terry Lynn’s desire to pass on her passion and love for the arts lead her to begin teaching at the Alliance for the Arts three years ago. Her very popular painting class has been meeting on Tuesday evenings ever since. She considers painting to be “better than chocolate and kind of like breathing; you just don't want to stop.”
Keara Trummel, Musical Theatre Summer Camp
Keara graduated Magna Cum Laude from Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music Theatre. Since graduation she has worked extensively as a professional actor, singer, and dancer for the past 12 years. She has also taught private voice lessons, monologue coaching, and tap and jazz dance classes. She has been a regular performer at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Ft. Myers for the past 5 years and has appeared in over 25 productions. She has also worked at other theatres across the country including: Fulton Opera House, Walnut Street Theatre, Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre, West End Dinner Theatre, and Allenberry Playhouse.
Georgo Vokovich, Adult Drawing and Pastels 
