McGroarty Arts Center is proud to employ many gifted professionals in the areas of visual arts, music, dance and theater. Many of our instructors have advanced degrees in their particular field, with several reaching national or international recognition. Please take a moment to meet our esteemed faculty.
A native of Tujunga, Angela studied piano locally with Estelle Livingston and graduated with honors from Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles with a BA in Music, with emphasis in Harp Performance, and earned a California teaching credential in music in 1977. She has taught vocal and instrumental and classroom music in the Los Angeles, Glendale and Stoughton, Wisconsin school districts. Angela has been teaching both music and drama classes at McGroarty since 1981. She states, "I am truly committed to keeping McGroarty Arts Center open as a precious oasis for the arts in our Verdugo Hills.
Brian Peshek has been creating in ceramics since 1988 and began his career on the potter's wheel. Peshek has a MFA from Alfred University and has won awards for his exceptional creativity and work from the American Ceramics Society. He has curated four ceramics shows at McGroarty Arts Center since 2004. Peshek also developed the idea for the chili bowl sale that is now a tradition at McGroarty's Annual Holiday Boutique.
Danielle Eubank is a painter interested in exploring the relationship between abstraction and realism. In addition to her studio practice and work as a commissioned artist, Danielle was an Expedition Artist on the Phoenicia, a replica of a 600 BCE Phoenician vessel. The ship sailed from the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, around Africa and back into the Mediterranean, completing the circumnavigation in November 2010. She was also an Expedition Artist aboard a replica 8th century Indonesian wooden boat that travelled over 10,000 miles from Indonesia to Seychelles, Madagascar, South Africa, and Ghana. The unique body of work she produced during this epic voyage (over 100 paintings and photographs) was subsequently presented at a solo exhibition in central London.
In 2005, she was an artist-in-residence in Bali for 3 months, where she immersed herself in the local culture, seascape and artistic heritage of the island — all of which is celebrated in the work she created there.
Danielle holds a postgraduate degree in fine art from UCLA. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles, and maintains a studio in London. Danielle makes every effort to create her artwork in an environmentally responsible manner. She uses the highest quality materials. This includes low VOC or no VOC paints, thinners, and mediums, FSC certified wood for stretchers, and recycling whenever possible.
Darrelle has been taking a variety of art classes at McGroarty for a few years and usually works as a TA for drawing and painting classes. She is majoring in fine art and enjoys painting, sketching, and fawning over her cat.
"What I admire most about Darrelle is the way the shy/quiet students really connect with her. She has so much enthusiasm and talent to offer and has such a strong future in any facet of the arts."
Edie is a native of Los Angeles, and has been teaching at McGroarty Arts Center since 2008. She grew up in a Hollywood, theatrical family, and dance became her earliest passion. She studied ballet from the age of nine, and branched out into jazz by her early teens. She earned her BA in History at UCLA, and promptly moved to Nevada to become a dancer. Over a ten-year span she danced at the Stardust Hotel, the Vegas Hilton, the Reno MGM and Harrah’s, and spent a year in Paris at the Lido.
When her dancing career ended, she moved back to Los Angeles, and found her second passion, clay. She studied at Barnsdall Park in Los Angeles, and then studied ceramics for several years at Glendale Community College. While she is an enthusiastic potter, her biggest interests are in making tile and decorative ceramic gifts and objects. Sharing her love of clay and dance with children has been one of her most rewarding endeavors.
Isumi holds a BFA in Piano Performance from Musashino Academy of Music, Tokyo, Japan. She has privately studied Piano Performance at Arizona State University School of Music, Music Synthesizer at Pasadena City College, and Accompaniment Ensemble at CSU, Los Angeles. Isumi has taught piano to more than 200 students over her teaching career. Among them are students who have continued studies and graduated from leading schools of music in both the United States and Japan.
She has been teaching piano classes at McGroarty Arts Center since 2000. While teaching piano in group lessons at McGroarty, she focuses on fundamental music skills for children and adults. She also emphasizes performance etiquette, and recognizes the maturing effects that music education has on the development of personal character. In addition to her teaching schedule at McGroarty, Isumi plays piano accompaniment for high school choir concerts and festivals, and for various instrumental students' recitals and competitions.
James Williams was born and educated in England and received art scholarships to attend colleges in London and Manchester. He has exhibited and sold paintings in a variety of mediums (oil, acrylic and water color) in England, Canada and the U.S.
He has been a working artist all his life and says, "I deal in basic principles of art - not only what we do, but why we do them. What tools we can use to achieve the effects we desire, in order to communicate. What gives a painting value and why we paint at all."
Jim Heuston has had a life-long interest in the arts with formal training beginning at Santa Barbara City College and University of California at Santa Barbara. He later earned a B.F.A. in illlustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Although he works in many media, since 1995 Jim has focused primarily on ceramics which is his greatest passion. His pottery has shown at various Los Angeles galleries and is in collections internationally. Since 1999, he has been a ceramics instructor at numerous La Crescenta and San Gabriel valley studios.
Joanna has been an artist her whole life, enjoying the element of self-expression through different mediums. She enjoys the tactile skills of using her hands to create and build art. Joanna believes that by applying creativity to concept, a simple project can create life long experience and results.
Joanna has been working with children in art and education through preschools, Kidspace Museum and Campfire Boys and Girls since 1992. She holds her BS from Cal State Fullerton, and is currently pursuing her Masters in counseling. She is patient and understanding of the needs of children in a learning environment. From instructing art programs to working formally as a preschool teacher for five years, her lesson plans are constructive with an element of exploration and discovery.
Joanna is energetic and creative, and encourages use of the imagination and individual expression along with learning and applying skills in art. She thrives on engaging with children to enhance their learning in a fun environment.
Kat Skraba is an interdisciplinary visual artist and ethnic dancer who has taught both international ethnic dance and visual and folk art for well over a decade to students of all ages in schools, residency programs, juvenile prison, continuing education, colleges, and art studios. She has exhibited her sculpture, drawings, and other contemporary art throughout the United States and internationally, and has curated numerous exhibitions of contemporary and performance art in colleges, cultural centers and galleries. Kat has given hundreds of performances both as a solo ethnic dancer and in collaboration with Occidental College Folk and Historical Dance Troupe, Arab-esque and Esmerani Middle Eastern Ensembles, and Kárpátok Hungarian Ensemble. She has taught cultural dance from many regions of Europe, the Middle East, North America, Africa and Polynesia.
Kat earned her M.F.A. from Claremont Graduate University in Performance Art and a B.F.A. in Visual Art, Art Education and Ethnic Dance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She enjoys continued travel and research on ethnic dance, song, and traditional folk art and costume.
Kevin Benson earned both his Bachelor and Master’s degrees in music performance at the CSU, Northridge School of Music. While there, he performed regularly in solo and ensemble recitals, master classes, worked as a student-teacher in the Guitar Pedagogy program, and was a recipient of the Randy Rhoades Memorial Award. After college, Kevin studied privately with local blues and jazz guitar legends including Steve Trovato and Frank Potenza.
Kevin can currently be seen playing at wine tasting events, country clubs, private parties and weddings, malls, and corporate events all over Southern California. His recordings have been used by everyone from local singers and songwriters to HBO’s Six Feet Under. Kevin’s unique teaching style has evolved over the last 15 years to stress the fundamentals of proper technique while encouraging his students’ sense of creative play on the guitar.
Laurel Diskin is a working musician and teacher in the L.A. area. A regular player in the violin sections of several local symphonies, a recent addition to the Chamber Players of Los Angeles, and the violinist for Ollín, a well-established East Los Angeles punk/folk fusion band, Laurel enjoys making music in a variety of settings. She is also a dedicated music educator, teaching violin for three separate non-profit organizations around town while maintaining a small private studio. Laurel holds two baccalaureate degrees (BM Music, BA Spanish), a graduate degree (MM Music) and two single-subject teaching credentials (Music and Spanish) from California State University, Los Angeles.
Laurelle began studying Yang style Tai Chi Chuan in 1988 at McGroarty Arts Center with Isabella Barone. When Isabella retired from teaching in 1995, she chose Laurelle to become the teacher. In addition to teaching at McGroarty, Laurelle continues to study Tai Chi and practice new forms with Mandana Hosseindoust.
Lauren has been a visual artist and teacher in California since 1987. She earned her BFA and MFA, with an emphasis in sculpture, at the University of Southern California. She has shown her work nationally and has been included in several public art projects in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties. Lauren has taught sculpture, ceramics, drawing, design, art appreciation, and animation for many organizations in Southern California including College of the Desert and Los Angeles Southwest College. Students have called Lauren's enthusiasm contagious. She believes everyone is an artist and enjoys helping all her students see their creativity come alive.
Lucia ("Lulu") graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in 2010 where she took two years of ceramics. She is now at Cal State Northridge studying to become an elementary school teacher, and continuing her work with ceramics at school and at home. She greatly enjoys working with children, all types of art, gardening, and dancing. Lucia is a teaching assistant for the ceramics and visual arts classes.
From Easton, Pennsylvania, Lucille DeThomas won her first award in a city-wide competition at age 13, and has consistently won top awards in oils, watercolors and sculpture, which includes 4 gold awards in the 4th Army competition in Texas. Her works have been exhibited and sold at the Denver Art Museum, the Republic of China American Contemporary Masters Show, and she has been twice sent to the Island of Maui to paint large commissions. Lucille teaches at 5 locales in California, including Sequoia National Park during the summer. Her greatest rewards are awakening the imagination and senses of enthusiastic students to the wonders of light and color and hopes to motivate an even larger audience in the book she is writing.
Marie Calkins is a native to the foothill area, having been born in Pasadena, California and educated at California State University, Los Angeles. She received her first degree, an Associate of Arts, in Theatre Arts from Los Angeles City College and went on to become a professional stage actress, a pursuit she followed for several years before returning to her first love: fine art. After returning to the challenging and rewarding world of visual art, Marie earned a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and teaching credential in art, turning her passion for art into a teaching career. She became an art teacher and taught for twenty-seven years for the state of California.
Marie has recently retired from formal teaching in public schools, but enjoys teaching part-time at McGroarty Arts Center and being a part of the McGroarty family. Marie is also a member of the Ceramics Guild and the Sunland-Tujunga Art Association. Her ceramic work can be seen at the Annual Ceramics Exhibition and Benefit at McGroarty Arts Center, and many of her pieces were recently viewed in a traveling show that appeared locally. Among her pieces were an oil painting, a porcelain sculpture, and a pen and ink drawing. In addition to her love for art, Marie enjoys daily hikes with her dog, Dakota, and visits from her married daughter, Heather.
Mariko Kato graduated from Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan with a BA in Textile Design. She worked for 5 years at a Kimono company dyeing and designing Kimono fabrics. She was introduced to the art of ceramics by her father-in-law, Kichitaro Kato. He was a great ceramist in Japan with many students and his own studio. Mariko moved to the United States in 1976 and has been employed with McGroarty Art Center as a Kiln Technician since 1984. She greatly enjoys the work she does and the wonderful friends she has made at the Center.
Maxine has a college background in early childhood education and teaches dance and exercise classes to children and adults. Maxine is a Dance professor at Community Colleges throughout Los Angeles. Professionally, she has performed with major dance companies, choreographed musicals, and starred in instructional dance videos. In addition, Maxine ran her own group of country western dancers called "Pearls of the West" which appeared in the Doo Dah Parade for many years. She continues to make appearances at country western parties for corporate and private groups.
Monica earned her A.S. in Biological Sciences, then transferred to U.C. Irvine. She worked in a pathology research laboratory for one year and decided to supplement her education with art classes. This is when Monica fell in love with drawing all over again and decided to make art her career. She graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in Studio Art. She has taught visual arts for the Community Arts Partnership, animation at Watts Towers Cultural Center, and Special Focus art classes (Making Pop up Books, How to Sew, Building String Sculptures, Aborigina Art, Conceptual Paper Sculptures) at Oakwood School in North Hollywood.
She is now a working artist in Los Angeles with a M.F.A from California Institute of the Arts. Monica believes in each student's authenticity and interests, and she feels that art is a collaboration, where both student and teacher can share in the learning process. Her students learn to trust themselves and believe in the growth and process of their abilities through visual art.
Nicole White holds a BA in Liberal Studies and a minor in Art from CSUN. She has her Associates degree in Business Administration. Her background includes: painting, drawing, ceramics, jewelry making, sewing, and decorating. Before starting as an instructor at McGroarty Arts Center, Nicole worked at the Center for three years as a teacher's assistant. She is an active volunteer and Venture Crew Leader for a local Boy Scout troop, and she also works as a camp counselor, lifeguard, and naturalist at the Los Angeles Unified School District's Outdoor Educational Centers.
Raquel has worked at McGroarty Arts Center for four years working with children ages 5-12. She is currently studying to get her degree in Social Science, with a minor in art and child development. Her interests include ceramics, making art from the environment, baking vegan goodies, and American Sign Language.
"Raquel has been incredibly dependable over the years, and is always there at a moment's notice." --Denise Statland, Program Director
Ray Yocum grew up in Burbank. He studied painting and drawing at the University of San Diego, earning his BA in Fine Arts with a minor in art history. He received his BFA from Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, where the fundamentals of painting, drawing, ceramics, design, and sculpture were emphasized, and then received his MFA in Intermedia in 1980. Ray has been teaching ceramics at McGroarty since 1992. He has taught at Barnsdall Art Center since 1994 and is currently teaching at Xiem Clay Center in Pasadena as well. His teaching philosophy emphasizes technical skills as a pathway to creativity. Understanding the medium is a prerequisite for realizing creative ideas.
Renee is the youngest of six in her family and a Junior at Granada Hills Charter High School. She takes part in various clubs and teams on campus, always enjoying new challenges and chances to meet amazing people. Along with dance and drawing, Renee has a deep love for Twinkies, ducks, and Netflix documentaries.
Shau-Mey is a graduate of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedania Center's Teachers' Training Course in Grass Valley, CA. She has been teaching Hatha yoga since 1986 and her instruction incorporates Pranyama, Asanas, Meditation, Diet, Relaxation and Positive Thinking. Her classes are designed for beginners, intermediate, advanced and pregnant students.
Sheri Garwood is a dedicated, enthusiastic teacher who is patient and helpful to both beginning and advanced students of all ages. A life-long artist, she studied art at Cal State University Long Beach and Glendale College. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise (FIDM) and spent several years working in fashion design, returning to FIDM in 2001 to teach fashion sketching.
Sheri regularly hones her watercolor painting skills by studying with such masters as Timothy Clark, Don Andrews, and Carl Purcell. Sheri is a member of the Sunland-Tujunga Art Association, the Valley Watercolor Art Association, and Vice President and Program Director of the Verdugo Hills Art Association. In addition to magnificent still lives, florals, landscapes, and plein aire scenes, Sheri has a passion for painting people and will often gather with other artists to paint live models in themed costumes. Many of her paintings are in private collections. She teaches teens and adults in watercolor, fashion, portrait and figure drawing/painting at McGroarty Arts Center. “Mrs. G” has also been sharing her enthusiasm with children since 2001, when she began teaching children's ceramics at McGroarty.
Thea is an international performer and instructor of Egyptian style bellydance, teaching at McGroarty Arts Center since 2006. She is also a founding member of Zillouette bellydance ensemble. Thea performed for four years as a member of the Jewels of the Dance and has studied under such greats as Mesmera, Princess Farhana, Tempest and others. Known for her strong hip movements, flowing veil work, zills and sword, Thea has pleased many audiences with her natural fluidity and creativity in dance. Some of her appearances include Moun of Tunis, Dar Maghreb, Paraty 33 and Onile in Brazil, and bellydance conventions as well as many other events and private parties.
Thea’s classes and workshops are in high demand throughout California and have developed a strong following of loyal students. Students love the clarity of instruction, knowledge of the music and individual attention that Thea offers through her classes. Also trained in Salsa, Brazilian Samba, Swing, and even some Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop, Thea presents a well rounded dance style with energy and grace. Thea has been teaching piano privately since 1997. Thea wants all her students to enjoy music and look forward to each piano lesson. She holds a Bachelors of Music in Flute Performance and Masters degree in Afro-Latin music. She is a professional musician and music instructor.
Tobie has been an actress, choreographer, dancer, and dance instructor for over 20 years, and has performed on Broadway, Off Broadway and internationally. She is a member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. She began teaching dance to children when she had children - a temporary situation created to guarantee her children having good instruction in an art she loves. Along the way she discovered she not only loved children, she loved teaching them. In addition to teaching, she is very active as a professional choreographer, works a great deal as a guest artist, and is currently performing a one-woman show which she created.
Tori is a Senior in high school and her skills include cooking, painting, and organization. She plans to major in Art History, in hopes of someday becoming a Museum Curator. This is Tori's first year as a teaching assistant at McGroarty Arts Center, and she hopes to have many more years.
"Tori has a refreshing, calm energy that really benefits the classes she works with. She always has things under control, and she is incredibly quick to learn."
After years of private lessons on piano and violin, Valerie was awarded several scholarships to study music at the university level. She graduated with high honors, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University Fullerton, where she majored in music with an emphasis on Violin Performance. She has extensive experience in classical music, performing, recording and touring with the American Youth Symphony (under the direction of Melhi Mehta,) the Chapman Symphony Orchestra, and the California State University Fullerton Orchestra,. She has written musical arrangements for and performed with various traditional Celtic, folk, pop and rock bands, and performed with the late Ethan James, who specialized in medieval and renaissance music performances on his hurdy-gurdy.
Valerie has been teaching piano, violin, viola, and cello in the Foothill community since 2001, and strives to help her students discover where their passion lies in music.
Piano
Ceramics
Piano
Painting
Expressive Art, Theater, and Crafting
Visual Arts & Dance
Tai Chi Ch'uan
Ceramics, Drawing, and 3D Art
Painting
Kiln Technician
Dance
Drawing & Painting, Studio Art
Ceramics
Yoga
Watercolor, Drawing, and Ceramics
Belly Dancing
Dance