Wilson Center Teaching Artists

Irene Angeles

Irene Angeles loves to teach art! A native of Milwaukee, she has been teaching adults and youth for many years (including five years at Alverno College). Irene received her BFA in Painting and Drawing from UW-Milwaukee. The recipient of the AOP Fellowship as well as multiple other honors, she has completed extensive graduate level work in Adult Education and Art Education. She enjoys a very diverse studio practice, occupied in many different media. She is primarily a portrait and figurative artist, but also is fascinated with jewelry-making. You will find her volunteering her time to help Milwaukee's homeless.

Jennifer Breitbach

With 18 years of experience in the floral industry, Jennifer Breitbach is a seasoned floral artist and educator specializing in dried and pressed flower art. She is a two-time winner of Milwaukee Art in Bloom and a two-time recipient of the Wisconsin Professional Designer of the Year award, achievements that highlight her artistry and innovation in floral design. Jennifer is the owner of Zinndahlia Designs, a floral art studio in Hartland, where she creates custom works that celebrate the beauty of botanicals in both contemporary and timeless forms. Her expertise spans traditional floral arts, permanent botanical installations, and fine art pieces crafted with preserved and pressed flowers. Passionate about sharing her craft, Jennifer brings a balance of technical skill and creative inspiration to her teaching. As an instructor, she guides students in exploring both foundational techniques and artistic expression, encouraging them to discover the transformative potential of floral art.

https://www.zinndahlia.com/

Beki Borman

Beki Borman lives and works out of her studio in West Allis, Wisconsin. She attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design where she received her BFA in Painting in 2004. Since graduating, Beki has exhibited her work both locally and nationally. For Beki's studio work she paints colorful landscapes in oil using a palette knife. Some of her influences include Vincent Van Gogh, Wolf Kahn, and Wayne Thiebaud. Beki's work is represented by the Woodwalk Gallery in Egg Harbor and the Dooryard Gallery in Elm Grove. See more of her work at www.bekiborman.com

Nina Ghanbarzadeh

Nina Ghanbarzadeh is a visual artist who emigrated from Tehran, Iran in 2001. She earned her BFA in painting, drawing, and graphic design from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2013 and completed a two-year AIR Program with Redline Milwaukee in 2015. In addition to participating in a number of group shows, Nina received the Student Silver ADDY, Fredric R. Layton Foundations Scholarship, and the winner of best in show in Wisconsin Biennial 2020. Nina launched ARTkee Educational Toys in December 2019, which produces SOFTwords, kits of basic shapes that allow children to explore the shapes as images as well as text. Nina draws inspiration for her educational toy business and her art from cultural differences and the limitations of language. me. See more at www.ninaghanbarzadeh.com

Alyssa Schwab

Alyssa received formal floral design training from the Floral Boss Academy and The Milwaukee School of Floral Design prior to opening her own floral business, Vines and Violet in July of 2023. She infuses garden, classic, and modern styles into her creations.
With years of experience in the event industry, Alyssa has honed her skills in creating memorable experiences and seamlessly incorporates this expertise into her workshops, with a focus on design fundamentals, artistic expression and human connection. 

Through her unique blend of storytelling and botanical artistry, Alyssa is excited to share her floral design passion in a fun and welcoming environment at Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. To learn more about her, visit vinesandviolet.com.

Tiffany Knopow

Tiffany Knopow is a Wisconsin native and now resides in Muskego, WI. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003, her Master of Arts in 2007 and Master of Fine Arts in 2008 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Knopow has an active exhibition record including shows in the United States and South America. She was one of UW-Milwaukee's nominees for the 2007 National Dedalus Foundation Master of Fine Arts Fellowship and received a Layton Fellowship from UW-Milwaukee in 2008. Knopow also received first prize in the Wisconsin Artist Biennial in 2014. Currently she is teaching workshops and classes in Southern Wisconsin at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield, the Kenosha Public Museum and Bella Botanica in Springfield. See more at www.tiffanyknopow.com

Jeanne Kollmeyer

Jeanne Kollmeyer is an art educator and has extensive experience in art programming and instruction for both children and adults. She currently teaches adult acrylic painting classes at the Wilson Center along with three additional art centers. In addition she leads summer children’s camps at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Jeanne is a long time teaching artist with the Wilson Center and has taught a variety of programs and classes over the years. She actively exhibits her own artwork at a variety of venues and enjoys painting almost every day.

Susan Nolan-Kaczkowski

Susan Nolan-Kaczkowski is a Milwaukee-area artist and art educator with over 35 years of experience teaching learners of all ages. She holds a BFA in Design and a BA in Art Education from UW Milwaukee. Her teaching spans pre-K through 12th grade, adults of all ages and abilities, with a focus on accessibility, growth, and creative exploration.

Her educational approach emphasizes encouragement, confidence-building, and the joy of the artistic process. She fosters a supportive environment where learners feel empowered to experiment, develop skills, and express themselves creatively. Her genuine passion for art makes the creative process welcoming to all.

As an artist, Susan specializes in painting. She has experience across a wide range of media, including mural painting, stained glass, ceramics, fiber arts, printmaking, sculpture, metals, photography, interior design and mixed media. Inspired by nature and multicultural imagery, her work highlights color and innovative combinations of techniques.

Paul H. Henning

Paul was a professional photographer shooting corporate location assignments for 16 years, followed by 12 years as co-owner and director of Third Coast Stock Source, Wisconsin’s only general subject stock picture agency. After selling Third Coast in 1997 he moved to London where he became Manager of European Operations for Comstock, a New York-based picture agency, followed by a stint as Acting Managing Director at the Robert Harding Picture Library in London. Returning to Milwaukee in 2000 he founded cr8vstrategy, a consulting firm helping small businesses and creative professionals. Paul’s been a frequent writer, panelist, and speaker in the picture industry and has taught photography classes and workshops throughout his career. See Paul’s website for more info: http://www.cr8vstrategy.com/

Mary Beth Drabiszczak

Mary Beth earned her BFA in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Art and her MA in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As an educator, Mary Beth teaches students of all ages in traditional drawing and painting disciplines. Working with pastel in her own studio practice, Mary Beth regularly participates in plein air (outdoor) painting festivals across the Midwest. She is a Signature Member of the Wisconsin Pastel Artists (WPA) which holds membership in the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS). See more of her work at https://www.marybethdrabiszczak.com

Rachel Tomsyck

Rachel Tomsyck was born and raised in the arts in Milwaukee, WI.   With a BFA in graphic design and a minor in technical theatre and design, Rachel also went on to get an MFA in special education and has an additional teaching license in art.  Having spent years working for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee in their arts administration, Rachel went on to teach for Milwaukee Public Schools using art and theater to reach and inspire children with special needs.  Rachel has been teaching art again for MPS for the last 5 years for K3-8th graders and loves every second!  Rachel also directs the annual school play.  Rachel spends her summers working with First Stage Children's theater and working on her own art works, including acrylic paintings with alcohol ink treatments and quilting.  Rachel is excited to be sharing her passion for the arts and working with families to engage in arts activities at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.

Cynthia Hayes

Cynthia Hayes has been a lecturer in the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee since 1998. She has taught many courses at UWM over the years such as Color Theory, Drawing, and Painting — but Figure Drawing is her primary subject and has been a lifelong abiding passion. 

In addition to teaching, she is the Director of the UWM Art & Design First-Year Program and coordinates the Peck School of the Arts’ partnership with Hubei University of Technology in Wuhan, China.

Hayes, a figurative painter working primarily in oil and chalk pastels, is known for her richly layered colors and expressive mark-making.

As an active painter, Hayes exhibits her work locally, regionally, and internationally. Two recent solo exhibitions in Kolkata, India, were supported by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Mary L. Nohl Fund Suitcase Export Fund for Visual Art.

Karen Athens

Karen has been teaching Art classes to children from ages 5-18. All of the classes are to enhance self-esteem, pride and confidence with their Artwork.The classes are flexible to fit the needs of ages and abilities of each student. Karen earned a BFA in Fine Art & Design, with a Minor in Photography and Printmaking. She began her Artistic career with commissions from prestigious clients and site specific and public works. Karen had the opportunity to work as an Artist in Europe, Ireland, BVI, West Indies and Mexico. Her Artwork has been exhibited across the US and owned by private collectors worldwide. Karen has relocated to Brookfield, and is busy creating in her [Really Fine Artwork] Studio. She specializes in Color Consultation, Art Restoration, Design Direction, Specialty Painting and Fine Art Commissions. For more information, visit her website at: reallyfineartwork.com or contact her at reallyfineartwork@gmail.com

Ritu Parna

Ritu is an engineer by profession and a professional fine artist by passion. After many years of study with well known artists Ritu launched her own studio Ritu’s FineLineArt School out of her home in 2019 with a strong desire to help young aspiring artists to attain their full potential, paint confidently and to create meaningful paintings. Her signature style is represented in her fearless use of colors in any of the mediums, be it acrylic, watercolor, oil painting, or charcoal. When teaching her classes she lets the young artist choose what they want to create and she fosters their skills and abilities along the way.