Faculty

The art faculty is comprised of accomplished professional artists who are dedicated to teaching and enjoy the unique opportunity that teaching in an international community provides. The art faculty is committed to engaging students in the process of finding their unique path in an environment that encourages many forms of self-expression. The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center provides a rich new learning environment for the arts with the latest technology in all of the studios, computer labs, and lecture halls. The hallmark of the program, however, is the close interaction between students, faculty, and staff, a special relationship that often continues after students transfer and begin their careers.

See the Visual Arts faculty talk about their work, their background, and the department on youtube.com!

Montgomery College TV: State of the Arts - Part 1
Montgomery College TV: State of the Arts - Part 2

Wilfred Brunner

Professor of Art
Chair, Visual Arts Department
Teaches: Painting, Drawing, Museum Resources, and Individual Art Workshop

B. A. Franklin and Marshall College
M.F. A. George Washington University
Website | Image Gallery | Email

In painting I use what are historically the most basic and available aspects of the medium as a personal means of, at best, resolving, and at least, exploring and coming to terms with experience. The images are derived from drawings and collage elements in personal notebooks that I keep. My digital work is closely related to these notebooks and uses material which is scanned directly from them and then manipulated.

In my classes I try to convey the same passion for the possibilities of art that I have found so useful and rewarding while providing the tools to pursue that passion.

Joyce Jewell

Professor of Art
Teaches: Drawing, Lithography & Relief Printmaking, Intaglio Printmaking, Individual Art Workshop

B.A. American University
M.F.A. George Washington University
Website | Image Gallery | Email

Elements of printmaking, collage, photography, drawing and painting have always been central to the mixed media works that I make. My current work is done in a digital format, allowing me to incorporate aspects of traditional media into my images yet manipulate them in nontraditional ways.

In the printmaking studio advanced printmakers work side by side with beginning students, providing many opportunities for collaboration and interaction. Harnessing the energy, enthusiasm, and sense of anticipation that permeates this atmosphere is the biggest challenge of teaching and the greatest reward.

Lincoln Mudd

Professor of Art
Teaches: Sculpture, Two-Dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design

A.A. Montgomery College
B.A. University of Maryland College Park
M.F.A. University of Maryland College Park
Email

Mary Staley

Professor of Art
Teaches: Digital Photography, Crafts, Weaving

A.A. Montgomery College
B.A. University of Maryland
M.F.A. Antioch University
Image Gallery | Email

While working for several years on schooners in New England and Annapolis, I found myself intimately involved with the forces of wind and weather. I have spent many long hours observing the patterns that form in the sky, on the water, and along the shoreline, and the manner in which those patterns communicate the intentions of nature. Many of my images document my response to the interactions of light, weather, time, and natural forms. They are an exploration of the ephemeral moods and personalities of nature, and an acknowledgement of the ultimate triumph of those forces.

As an art instructor, my primary goal is to expand the vision of each student and to increase clarity in his or her understanding of the world. I try to use the elements and principles of design as tools for exploring relationships in the visual arts, which can then be expanded upon as abstract concepts in the observation and consideration of aspects of their personal lives.

Megan Van Wagoner

Assistant Professor of Art
Teaches: Ceramics, Graphic Design

B.F.A. Cleveland Institute of Art
M.F.A. Maryland Institute College of Art
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Artists are communicators, telling stories and evoking emotion using visual cues. The materials used to do this must vary as the content of the message dictates. Without being limlited to one material or genre I use both sculptural techniques and the tools of the graphic designer to explore my experiences and share my observations.

Within the ceramics studio, I teach an appreciation of the process of making while endowing students with the skills to build three-dimensional forms in clay. It is through the telling of stories and the sharing of experiences that students come to understand why it is important that people spend time making objects by hand and sharing those objects with others.

My graphic design courses are designed to give students the skills needed to pursue a career in the field or to promote themselves or their projects professionally. Students build an understanding of both the tools and software used in the field and the principles of effective communication through design.

Adjunct Faculty

Billy Colbert

BS-Frostburg State University
MFA University of Delaware

Courses taught: Serigraphy (Screen Printing), Introduction to Drawing
Website |Email

Francine Farr

BA Scripps College; Claremont, California
MA University of California at Los Angeles

Areas of Expertise: African Art, Art of the Pacific Modern & Contemporary Art
Courses taught: AR107 Art History I, AR127 Art Appreciation, AR 208 Survey of African Art
Email

Michal Hunter

BFA Photography, University of Florida
MFA Painting, Florida State University

Courses taught: Photographic Expression I & II, Painting, Introduction to Drawing
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Patricia Kessler

BFA Painting and Printmaking, Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond, VA
MSEd Leadership in Museum Education, Bank Street College of Education; NYC
Teaching Fellowship, Secondary Art Education, The George Washington University; Washington, DC

Courses taught: AR101 Introduction to Drawing, AR103 Two Dimensional Design

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