Our "Master Gardeners" ... of Art
Meet our Instructors -- they're awesome!
Our teachers are experienced, passionate and dedicated to providing adults and children with the best possible instruction, while building in lots of fun, too!
Read a brief bio of our best-in-town (!) teachers below. We are so proud of our teaching staff ... they are what sets us apart!
Read a brief bio of our best-in-town (!) teachers below. We are so proud of our teaching staff ... they are what sets us apart!
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Lydia-kay Blackburn: Summer Camp and Kids Art
Lydia-kay Blackburn has been teaching art for over three decades. With experience in Kindergarten through 12th grade in both public and private schools, her passion is about encouraging kids to exercise their creative mind muscles. Lydia-kay holds a bachelors, masters and specialist degrees in Art Education from UGA, and loves opening doors for kids to "make their thinking visible" with art media. Lydia-kay teaches in our Summer Camps |
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Gracy Bondy: Art Therapy Services
Local artisan and mental health professional, Gracy Bondy, is a certified art therapy practitioner whose specialty is using natural and creative processes to help people face and work through life’s challenges. Born and raised in Walton County, she is an alumna of Point University, Penland School of Craft, and Portland Institute, with post-graduate education and credentials in counseling, social work, trauma-informed care, nature-based and animal-assisted therapies, and art-assisted grief therapy. Gracy is passionate to provide life-changing care to people in need. She spent the past fifteen years as an international social worker caring for orphaned and vulnerable children and leading community-based initiatives to improve lives of people who are suffering in under-resourced parts of the world. Experienced in supporting recovery from exploitation, abandonment, disability, crisis, illness, and abuse, she now bases her work in Georgia, offering individual and group sessions, therapy retreats, nature immersives, and creative processing workshops. Gracy's art therapy page can be found HERE |
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Gina A. Bramble: Photography
Gina Bramble is an award-winning, Georgia-born photographer with 40+ years’ experience, now splitting time between Georgia and Florida. A Walton County resident of 23 years, she’s a devoted National Park enthusiast who began with a Girl Scout Instamatic and still carries a camera everywhere. Gina’s signature is minimal editing that lets nature speak for itself; she also photographs portraits, families, weddings, pets, and real estate. She credits her biggest supporter—her husband, Kelly. She has been teaching Photography 101 at MWCA for the past several years and schedules classes quarterly. She will be adding advanced classes in the future. Her work can be viewed at her website. Gina's photography workshops can be found HERE (offered about four times a year) |
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Judy Burress: Fabric arts and weaving
Judy Burress is a life-long crafter and talented seamstress with a true gift for creativity. As a beloved member of our Monroe Makers group, she’s known for her warm teaching style, attention to detail, and beautifully organized workshops. Her classes are always filled with laughter, learning, and plenty of “wow, I made that!” moments. Judy's workshops can be. found HERE, when they are offered. |
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Donna Coffman: Friday Night Art Party (adults), Kids Paint & Pizza, After School Arts Program (ASAP), Summer Art Camp, Artistic Shelter (grief/loss workshops)
Since joining the MWCA board of directors in 2015, Donna Coffman has had a transformative effect on our education program. As our Education Chair, she has grown our teaching staff from one teacher and three classes to over a dozen teachers offering more than 60 classes and events monthly. Donna is a homeschool mom of three boys and taught art at a local homeschool co-op for 15+ years. With all her years of teaching, hundreds of children and adults have been introduced to her creative spirit, and kind, encouraging teaching style. Donna's classes can be found HERE (kids) and HERE (adults) |
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Jennier Dominy: Paint Parties
https://jennifersartstudiollc.com/ Jennifer Dominy is the creative force behind Jennifer’s Art Studio, LLC, where she brings imagination to life through acrylic painting. Her work spans a wide range of styles—from impressionistic and contemporary realism to abstract and whimsical—reflecting her passion for color, expression, and storytelling. A dedicated Board Member at Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts (MWCA), Jennifer serves as Gallery Chair and actively contributes to both the Gallery and Shop Committees. She’s known not only for her artistic talents but also for her generous spirit and willingness to pitch in wherever help is needed, supporting MWCA’s mission with heart and enthusiasm. Jennifer's artwork has been featured in numerous MWCA exhibits, including the Member’s Show—where she earned an Honorable Mention—as well as the Regional Show, the Christmas Gift Show, and Show and Sale events. She has also been juried into exhibits at The Roe, showcasing her continued growth and dedication as a working artist. Since 2021, Jennifer has been leading “paint pARTy” style acrylic painting classes for adults and children, both privately and at MWCA. She also helps with kids’ camps and creative workshops throughout the year. Through every class, Jennifer’s goal is simple: to inspire creativity and help others discover the joy of painting—one brushstroke at a time. Jennifer's paint pARTy workshops can be found HERE |
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Eileen Driscoll: General arts, collage - adults and children - and Summer Art Camp
Eileen Is a retired teacher, who has experience teaching in a variety of settings, including: Gwinnett County Public Schools: -Art teacher for regular ed as well as students with a variety of physical as well as mental and emotional challenges Headstart : - lead teacher for pre-school education program Girls Club : -Program Director for after-school program Adult Education: 20 years experience in a variety of educational settings She has a BA with a Major in General Studio Art and a Minor in Education. Her MSEd is in Career and Technical Education. Her Continuing Education includes: watercolor and acrylic painting, collage, and handbuilding ceramics at: Savannah College of Art and Design/Savannah campus and Atlanta campus and The Hudgens Center for Art & Learning in Duluth, Georgia. Her work has been shown in the: Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY - ‘The Figure’/acrylic painting; The Hudgens Center for Art & Learning- Abstract Paintings & Photography; and Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus- Georgia Art Teachers Exhibition. Also most recently: LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER, Athens, GA -
Eileen loves to help students find their creative voices using a variety of mediums and enjoy that process each step of the way. She believes the creative process is one of exploring and trusting the process as it unfolds. Learning about color, line, composition, mediums and more, are also important so the student has that knowledge as they create. A relaxed, friendly and supportive environment in the classroom is fostered so students can have fun and ‘get lost’ in their creations. Eileen's workshops can be found HERE (adults) and HERE (kids) when offered |
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Sheila Hudson: Creative Writing
An award winning writer for more than 20 years, Sheila’s work has appeared in multiple editions of Not Your Mother’s Book, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Chocolate for Women and From the Heart series, as well as The Book of Hope, God Allows U-Turns, and The Expressive Heart anthology. She has also worked as feature writer for The Costumer magazine, as a book reviewer for Standard Publishing, Crane Hill, and Sharp Writing and has published in The Lookout and Christian Standard magazines as contributor. Her work has been published internationally and has even been translated into Korean. Sheila joined the Southeastern Writers Association in 1992 and has served on the Board of Directors, including two terms as President. With her husband Tim, she founded Bright Ideas, a ministry dedicated to fostering hope and inspiration through writing, speaking, presentations, and informational media. Sheila's writing workshops can be found HERE when they are offered (about four times a year). |
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NancyJeanette Long: Acrylic Painting
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, NancyJeanette always knew she wanted to be a painter. She attended Texas Christian University, University of Texas, Indiana University and East Tennessee State University, where she studied languages and received advanced degrees in French, Slavic Linguistics, and Early Childhood Education while taking “a few art classes along the way”. After completing her degrees, she began a formal study of art at University of West Georgia in Carrollton. She taught art at the Heritage School in Newnan, Ga for over a decade. Her early work concentrated on oil and pastel paintings which were shown in local galleries and art fairs. Today she works exclusively in acrylics and pastels. Her works have received numerous awards in both local and national juried art shows and her work regularly appears in exhibitions throughout the United States. She has taught art workshops and classes at several local studios throughout Georgia and teaches acrylic painting here at MWCA every Wednesday. As a volunteer here at MWCA, NancyJeanette serves on our Gallery Committee. “I want my students to love painting,” says NancyJeanette. “I believe that everyone can learn to paint and develop their own style. In my classes I strive to give them the information they need to accomplish their own painting goals, while enjoying every step of the journey.” You can follow NancyJeanette on her website, Facebook, or Instagram: Website: www.disRemembering.com Facebook: NancyJeanetteArt Instagram: @nancyjtte NancyJeanette's classes can be found HERE |
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Jordan Longenecker: printmaking
Jordan Longenecker grew up in Monroe and graduated from Walnut Grove Highschool. She graduated from SCAD with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in 2023 in illustration for marketing and advertising. She took many printmaking classes in college and fell in love with the handmade touch printmaking gives. Jordan works in the arts today as a fine artist and artist assistant. Her classes can be found HERE or HERE (when offered) |
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Ann Mann: Creative Journaling
Rev. Ann Mann is an Emmy Award-winning writer, pastor, artist and author who delights in helping people tap into their creativity through journaling. Her hands-on “Creative Journaling” workshops invite you to play, explore, and discover the joy of expressing yourself on the page. |
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Rebecca McCartt: General arts for adults, kids, and special needs students; Summer Art Camp
Rebecca McCartt has a B.S. in Liberal Arts, majoring in Studio Arts and a minor in Art History from SUNY at Oneonta. She also has an Associate In Buying and Merchandising form the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. She earned a B.S.N. (Nursing) at Florida State University. Rebecca worked as a Registered Nurse in ER, married (now widowed) and has one daughter. After the birth of their daughter, she developed a dystonia (movement disorder) which weakened her left side. She could no longer work as a nurse so she turned to her education in the arts to express herself. She works in many media -- encaustic, silk painting, acrylics, pastels, paint pours and more. She has taught Summer Art camps for 20+ years and is our primary special needs instructor since 2019. Rebecca says, "Art can help with self esteem, heal loss, aid communication and is relaxing and FUN!" Rebecca's classes can be found HERE (when offered) |
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Grace McCormick: Fiber Arts and Monroe Makers
Grace McCormick was born in Washington DC and grew up in Maryland. She has lived in the Walton County area for more than 36 years. From childhood, Grace was strongly influenced by her Grandmother who was constantly knitting, crocheting, or sewing. As she was left-handed, she was taught to crochet by her left-handed Aunt and has been crocheting ever since. This love of the art of crochet grew into a larger interest in all fiber arts over her lifetime. After retirement, Grace was able to pursue her interest in many different forms of fiber art. She joined the MWCA Guild while searching for a knitting group. While there, she was introduced to another member, the late, loved JoeAnn Nehmer. Together the two of them started the official Monroe Makers Group which has turned into a wonderful open free group which meets for two hours every Thursday from 1:00 to 3:00. People bring whatever project they are working on and do their things together! One of the on-going parts of this group is the voluntary option of painting angels to be included in the beneficial Art MD Boxes. These boxes are distributed to first responders to share with children and adults who are experiencing a traumatic or trying experience. There are materials made available to everyone who is interested in coming to help with this endeavor. You don't have to be a great artist to be involved with this! The group has provided such lasting friendships, comradery and inspiration and continues to thrive. Grace was inspired and encouraged by JoeAnn and the other participants of the Monroe Makers during her early membership to delve into entering different shows held at MWCA, including the Christmas Shop and The Tiny Art Show. She has been selling her earrings and other jewelry for a while in the regular shop including needle tatted items, micro-macrame pieces, as well as knitted and crocheted pieces. She also sells many paper quilled items and a few water color paintings. Grace teaches various classes at MWCA and offers on-going private left-handed crochet classes by appointment. She loves to share her knowledge of various fiber arts with anyone who is interested in learning. The craft and the Art Center is a life force for her. Grace's classes can be found HERE. Learn about Monroe Makers HERE |
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Susie Skillman: Fiber Arts
Susie Skillman is a lifelong creative. After raising her family in South Florida, she now calls Monroe, Georgia home where she joyfully embraces being a granny, playing tennis, and being on the MWCA Board of Directors as Event Chair. Her teaching experience spans the southeast to women's groups, retreats, birthday parties, individual and group class settings for children and adults. Her love of fiber arts , beading, and mixed media arts are her creative passions and she'll share the love with anyone who will listen! |
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Jeannie Smith: Knitting
Jeannie says - I'd rather knit than sleep! And I'd rather teach knitting than eat!! Im very patient and get such joy from sharing this hobby! Been knitting for 40 years and teaching for 39 years! |
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Amy Weems: preschool art (Art Sprouts)
Amy Weems has been painting for nearly four years and is passionate about using creativity as a joyful, healing, and engaging experience for children. She has spent the past several years volunteering at her church’s Vacation Bible School and art camp, leading kids through hands-on projects that encourage imagination and fun. Amy brings warmth, patience, and enthusiasm to every class, creating a welcoming environment where little artists can explore and grow. Amy also leads some of our drop-in workshops at Rust and Dust. And she's a talented face painter! Amy's preschool class can be found here. Her drop-in Rust and Dust classes can be found here. |
Feel free to contact our teachers for more information!
- Barbara Barth (Literary Arts Chair: Walton Writers, Monday Write-In): [email protected]
- Gracey Bondy (Art as Therapy): [email protected]
- Lydia Kay Blackburn (summer camp and other kids classes): [email protected]
- Gina Bramble (photography): [email protected]
- Judy Burress (fabric art, weaving): [email protected]
- Donna Coffman (Education Chair: sip and paint, kids ASAP, paint and pizza, summer camp, birthday parties, artistic shelter): [email protected]
- Jennifer Dominy (acrylic painting, paint pARTy): [email protected]
- Eileen Driscoll (Summer Art Camp and mixed media/collage and more for adults): [email protected]
- Sheila Hudson (creative writing): [email protected]
- NancyJeanette Long (acrylic painting): [email protected]
- Jordan Longenecker (printmaking): [email protected]
- Rebecca McCartt (General Arts for kids, adults and special needs, summer camp): [email protected]
- Grace McCormick (fiber arts, Monroe Makers): [email protected]
- Hope Reese (resin tumblers): [email protected]
- Susie Skillman (fiber arts): [email protected]
- Amy Weems (preschool): [email protected]
- Carlee Wooddell (digital art): [email protected]