Interested in Teaching?
Are you interested in teaching a class for LLBRV? Please send an email inquiry to llbrvoffice@gmail.com. Please describe what you want to teach and send a photo of the product or of you teaching the skill you’d like to offer. We will not use your photo unless we select your offering for our schedule. Describe how your class idea fits our mission of celebrating art and nature through lifelong learning. Our board of directors will consider the offering and respond to you.
2022 Instructors
past instructors
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Kristina LeclairKristina often describes her need to create as an “itch I have to scratch.” Kristina has been drawing and creating since she was a young girl in Omaha, NE. Her itch to create grew stronger as an adult and she began drawing and painting at the Autism Center of NE with adults she served. Kristina continues to paint in Webster City, IA as a stay at home mom enjoying the process of creating textures with line and colors and often incorporating elements of mixed media in her pieces. Her paintings often reflect her love of her home, family, and experience growing up in the Midwest. Kristina currently sits on the board at Legacy Learning Boone River Valley.
maureen seamondsMaureen recently retired is a Professor and Art Department Coordinator at Iowa Central Community College and has also taught Design, Ceramics, and Sculpture at Iowa State University and Drake University. She has a B.A in Art Education and an M.A in Art and Design from Iowa State University, and an M.F.A. in Studio Art from the University of Iowa. She owns and works at The Produce Station Pottery and Ice House Gallery on historic Seneca Street in Webster City. There are currently three artists working in the studios and several more artists showing their work in the gallery. She has exhibited works throughout the U.S.
sharon clineSharon Cline is a retired chemist that enjoys making quilts that are made to be used. She has been creating quilts for over ten years, and has a passion for traditional pieced quilts. She gets excited when a new marketplace tool improves one’s ability to create “perfect” blocks without being perfect! The pattern is only a guideline…quilts are made to be your own!
Diane Blair KunzlerDiane has a degree in Art from Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa and an MFA from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University in Boston, Massachusetts. After 38 years of teaching in the public schools, she “retired” to focus on her own work. Diane’s work has been featured in many juried and one person shows around the Midwest. The subject matter of her oil paintings and pastels is usually pulled from nature and often examines the subtle nuances a busy society might typically miss - how water flows over and between river rocks or beads up on the leaf of a lily pad. The founders of a private non-profit, The Least of These Foundation. partnered with Kunzler Studios to bring art experiences to individuals facing cognitive, physical, emotional, or financial challenges. This partnership led us to our new location at 324 5th Street in Historic Valley Junction, West Des Moines, Iowa. Diane serves as the education expert for Kunzler Studios.
Madalyn VorrieMadalyn (Loring) Vorrie is a ceramic artist and art educator from Des Moines, IA. She is currently a High School Art teacher at Webster City High School. Madalyn received her BFA in ceramics and BA in art education from the University of Northern Iowa. She was an artist in residence at the Iowa Ceramic Center and Glass Studio in 2018-2019. Madalyn was an emerging artist at the Marion Arts Festival in 2019, Des Moines Arts Festival in 2017, and her work has been in many exhibitions, most recently her solo exhibition: Regain at the Chidima Gallery, the Octagonal: The All Media Exhibit at the Octagon Center for the Arts, Topeka Competition 33 at the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery and Fresh Work at the Arts Center of Saint Peter. Madalyn's abstract ceramic sculptures often take on imaginative alien plant forms which derive from nature.
jennifer berteJennifer Berte leads the writing workshops. Her bio is coming.
ty murrayTy grew up on a little acreage in rural Stratford Iowa, right where the Boone and Des Moines Rivers converge. He also grew up working with his hands, learning skills that have been passed from father to son for centuries and he maintains an active blacksmithing studio at his Boone Forks Forge located in Stratford.
rusty farringtonRusty Farrington graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's degree in Art in 1984. He immediately began teaching in the West Liberty School District (K-8) while attending graduate school in the evenings and summers. He received his Master's degree in 1989 in Art (Education) from the U of I. He has exhibited his work regionally in juried, invitational, and one- or two-person shows. His primary mediums are printmaking and painting, while having considerable work experience in graphic design and photography. He joined the Iowa Central Community College faculty in 1989 and has been recognized as a Master Teacher by the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development. He continues to enjoy working with young men and women who have a curiosity about art, whether in the studio or in an Art History or Appreciation classroom.
ben hokschBen has worked as a botanist and lepidopterist (butterflies and such!) and has a master’s degree from UNI in Biology. He studied prairie ecology and has worked to manage land in Iowa for 10 years. He canoed the whole Mississippi River, cooked fish and foraged food over a fire most every night and he would love to do that again!
When asked about his work, he says, “This whole time I have been learning the names and stories of the wild plants and mushrooms (I’ve eaten/used close to 80 species of mushrooms and countless plants) that live here, and I incorporate their uses in my daily life for food and medicine. When I have the time, I use crafted items to make art, and the experiences I have with all of these things inspire my banjo music! “ ben hayesI am an experienced IT Professional who decided it's time to help more than just one business. I started Hayes Hitech to achieve that goal. We started at the end of 2017 and are actively engaged with our community. I have always been a valuable resource due to my technical knowledge and my soft skills. I enjoy networking and getting to know others to make our community a better, more knowledgeable place.
rhonda scottExperienced teaching artist with a demonstrated history of working with a variety of media and settings. Skilled in problem solving, communication and making meaningful connections with others.
Brendan hoffmanBrendan is currently in Ukraine photographing the war. He lives in Kyiv full time.
Legacy Learning Boone River Valley, the Daily Freeman Journal and SaveYour.Town partnered together to bring international photographer Brendan Hoffman from Kyiv, Ukraine to town for an artist residency with the Daily Freeman Journal. Brendan also had a gallery showing of his work around the War in Ukraine. Part of this project was funded by Facebook Journalism Project. Deb Brown, cofounder of SaveYour.Town also did an Embedded Community Experience. 
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Barbara Tagami
Barbara Tagami is an artist and naturalist with years of experience teaching people of all ages about the wonders of our world and helping them express themselves through nature-inspired art. An accomplished artist in her own right, her ability to inspire others to try new things and get passionate about the outdoors is what brings her to Legacy Learning Boone River Valley as a new teacher for 2015.
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Chad Eells
Chad Eells’ fascination with carving started when he was a small boy messing with tools in his father’s basement shop. He makes wood cut prints, free-standing sculptures, Celtic Green Man, and traditional Swedish Dala horses. He has created small and large 2 and 3 dimensional works that have been featured in homes in central Iowa, and parks in Iowa and Minnesota. Chad teaches carving starting with the basic whittling cuts and he takes learners from small whittling, to 2-dimensional wood cut printing, to working with gouges and mallets with stops along the way to sharpen tools and discuss the properties of native Iowa woods.
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David Raven
Born in Webster City, Iowa, Raven studied at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul Minnesota receiving BFA and MFA degrees in painting. Undergraduate work was completed at the Heatherley School of Fine Art in London, the Art Students League of New York, the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, and the University of Minnesota.
David began competing in regional and national exhibitions in 1964 and has continued to produce and exhibit his award-winning work for the past 50 years. During this period he has taught at several professional art schools in the United States, and exhibited widely in this country and abroad. His work can be found in numerous private and corporate collections. His art philosophy is based on the study of both traditional and modern master painters. Of particular interest to him is the study of structure and tonality, and the quiet, private areas of both large cities and small towns, and the rich imagery found within these somewhat “invisible, and comonplace” areas. Currently Raven is living and working in St. Paul Minnesota where he is marketing a new series of paintings, and collaborating with 2 other Minnesota based artists in exhibiting work to art centers and museums around the country. In addition, David is working on a new website featuring his paintings and new giclee prints. |
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Deb Leksell
Deb Leksell, retired Hamilton County Treasurer, has been baking for over 50 years. She firmly believes all children should grow up knowing the therapeutic benefits and practical skills of baking, so she has taught all of her grandchildren to bake. Here she is showing brother-in-law Tom (who has never baked) how to make the 4 grain whole wheat bread, offered in the class. Deb is an army brat – travelled all over the world. Aside from 50 years experience, Deb took a semester class on International Cooking at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and years later taught an oriental cooking class at Iowa Central Community College.
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Dee Schnurr
Dee Schnurr is a graduate of the Iowa Central Community College with an AAS in Professional Photography. “I have been a photographer most of my life. After many years of loving photography, and then pursuing it as a career, I try to learn something new every day. I believe that photography can capture and tell a story one frame at a time. I have experience in photojournalism, wedding, senior and family portraits, landscape and commercial, and sports and event photography”.
Delayne Segar
Delayne Segar began weaving Pine Needle Baskets after taking a class on the craft taught by Nadine Spier of San Diego, California at the Blanden Memorial Art Museum in Fort Dodge. Being an avid painter and sewing enthusiast, Segar found that the weaving of pine needle baskets fused her other interests and provided a new creative outlet. Her baskets have earned several awards in Iowa Artists Regional Shows in the past several years. Segar finds the beauty of a finished basket to be the main reason to weave. The unique and often free form designs that evolve during the slow weaving process can be surprising. Semi-precious stones are used for the baskets centers and there are endless varieties to choose. Matching these cabochon stones with colored waxed linen thread from Ireland and different weaving techniques makes each basket an individual work of art. In addition to weaving Pine Needle Baskets, Segar enjoys painting Iowa Farms with old barns being a focus. She has also studied portraiture with Artist Mary Muller in Des Moines. Dee’s baskets are found at the Blanden’s One of A Kind gift shop in Fort Dodge.
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Di Sinclair
Di is an artist, writer, and wanderer. She loves nature and sharing it with anyone who will come along. She has played with art materials all her life. Now that she has great grandchildren growing in to an age where the fun can begin, she looks for art experiences that she can have with her grandchildren and share with other grandparents.
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Don Wirth
After receiving a BS Recreation and Parks, Don Wirth studied Great Oasis Culture Settlement Patterns in Central Iowa, completing a MA in Anthropology at Iowa State University in 1999. He teaches about environmental issues and restoration at Drake University in Des Moines, as well as anthropology at Des Moines Area Community College. This includes archeology and studies and demonstrations of pre-industrial technological materials. Mr. Wirth also directs his own business, Environmental Horizons, which specializes in environmental and cultural interpretation.
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Dorothy Reimers
Dorothy Reimers learned Hardanger from her mother and over the course of years has made hundreds of beautiful items using this craft. She has had her work published in an arts and crafts magazine, and enjoys teaching this to new students to ensure that the craft lives on. She the lives in Ogden, IA and enjoys textile crafts such as Hardanger and quilting.
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Doug Abbott
Doug attributes his affinity and love for nature to childhood experiences, where he spent many self-directed journeys exploring the timber and two creeks on his parents’ land. This “canvas” of land situated in the midst of hardwood timber nestled in the Boone River Valley became a grounding theme throughout his life. His fondest memories include, hunting for deposits of clay in the creek beds to use in his art, mushrooming (aka, hunting for morels), and exploring the seemingly endless canvas of nature. Currently he is a working artist living in Story City, Iowa. He works in a variety of media, including metal and sculpture. He is a 2010 Alumni of United Theological Seminary. Drawing upon his graduate work in Theology and Art, he has a passion for exploring the intersection of nature, art, and personal spiritual practice. He is particularly drawn to the power art has to bring an imagined idea forward into existence. Doug’s work is held in private and institutional collections.
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Gene Winter
Gene was born on a northeast Iowa farm. On the farm, he would work, hunt, and fish. Playing with sticks and strings just came naturally to him in the country environment. Gene was instrumental in establishing the Iowa Bowhunters Association at a time when Iowa legislators were being pressured to remove the bow as a hunting weapon in the state of Iowa. Ten years or so later after noticing that traditional bowhunters were becoming a scarce item at shoots, Gene led the way to the formation of Iowa Traditional Bowhunters Society, which gathers Memorial Day weekend. Gene has taught bowmaking classes for 20+ years all across our great nation!
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Jan David
“Art has been a part of my life since I was three years old. Finger Painting was my first experience in the field of making art. As I grew up nature was a big part of my life and my work today reflects that experience.” Jan majored in fine art and has a BA in Art. She was very fortunate to study with working, exhibiting professional artists. She has continued to create and has been in many juried exhibits and has sold art to collectors in several states.
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Jo Campbell-Amsler
Jo has woven with willow for the last 30 plus years, creating many style and forms of baskets, but specializing in rib-style basketry. Educating others about willow and basketry is a big part of her work and she teaches at many venues throughout the United States. Hosting basket trips to Ireland and Scotland and working with weavers there, has added to her knowledge and expertise. She recently has been honored by having several of her baskets included in a collection “A Measure of the Earth” at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.
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Laurel Mors
Laurel Mors is a retired prize-winning interior designer. After retiring from designing law offices, businesses and homes she started designing jewelry and hosting craft shows. The craft shows are in the past, but the need to create lives on.
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Linda & Robert Scarth
Linda & Robert Scarth began photographing together early in their marriage. Photography is a portable art form that allows them to explore special habitats and their inhabitants. They share an aesthetic that enables them to express the beauty of the natural world, whether in their own garden or in the wild half way round the world. They do presentations on photography, nature and travel subjects, and mount exhibits in galleries. Examples of their work are found on their web site http://www.scarthphoto.com where they blog about nature and photography. They published Deep Nature: Photographs from Iowa, University of Iowa Press, 2009.
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Marilyn Anderson
Marilyn Anderson studied architecture and art/craft design at Iowa State University and has been spinning, dyeing and weaving for over 35 years, specializing in custom rug weaving. Fiber sheared from her own Angora goats and Llamas is often incorporated in her projects. She has show and sold her work at various art festivals in Iowa and Minnesota and is a past-president of the Ames Area Weavers Guild.
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Maureen Powers
Maureen Powers is a graduate of Hawkeye Institute of Technology and is an Adjunct Faculty Member there as well as serving as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Directors. She has received both her Master of Photography and Craftsman Degrees from the Professional Photographers of America. During her career she has been in the Top Ten Photographers of Iowa, named Top Photographer of Iowa and Top Master Photographer of Iowa, received Kodak Gallery Awards and has 11 prints in the Traveling Loan Collection. She has been a speaker in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska and the Professional Photographers National Convention. Maureen currently owns Buckroyd Studio in Fort Dodge, Iowa a full service portrait/commercial studio and Powers Photography and Design, a wall decor company offering fine art images and framing.
Her favorite quote is by Henri Matisse: “There is nothing more difficult for a painter than to paint a rose. Because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.” |
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Mike Krebill
Mike retired from 35 years of teaching seventh grade science in Iowa and Michigan, much to the chagrin of parents who were hoping their son or daughter would have him for a teacher. A naturalist and nature center director before becoming a teacher, Mike was famous for getting kids outdoors, and for teaching science research skills by experimenting with wild foods. Honors include Michigan Science Teacher of the Year, Michigan Environmental Educator of the Year, Keokuk (Iowa) Teacher of the Year, and being inducted into the National Wild Foods Association Hall of Fame. He has served as vice president and newsletter editor of Iowa’s Prairie States Mushroom Club and is an occasional contributor to the Iowa Outdoors magazine. Mike is well known in the Midwest Wild Edibles & Foragers Society, a Facebook group, where he answers questions, identifies plants and mushrooms, and provides experienced-based insights on harvesting, processing, preparing, and storing edible wild plants.
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Pam Dennis & Ryk Weiss
They began decades ago building willow furniture and baskets, leading to feature articles and commissions for Better Homes and Gardens. This folk art evolved from functional to fine art wall pieces combining willow, pitfired or raku clay, and copper. They marketed at high end art festivals nationally for 25 years, winning many awards, as well as teaching numerous workshops.
With Pam on the IAC Artists in the Schools roster 20+ years, Ryk joins her conducting 6-8 residencies per year that culminate in a permanent work for each community. Also on the Public Artists Roster, they have collaborated on larger public projects the last 10 years beginning with “Vision Sculpture Park” for the Blanden Museum- six willow horses and riders based on Marino Marini’s work. Others include installations such as the “Moby Dick Garden Seascape” at Reiman Gardens (ISU) in 2008. Murals such as the Wetzler Memorial Tree at the Boone County Hospital (2012) are built on metal frames, incorporating permanent materials to withstand the Iowa winters. Their latest mural project was selected for Reiman Gardens “Iowa Naturally” 2013 exhibit.
With Pam on the IAC Artists in the Schools roster 20+ years, Ryk joins her conducting 6-8 residencies per year that culminate in a permanent work for each community. Also on the Public Artists Roster, they have collaborated on larger public projects the last 10 years beginning with “Vision Sculpture Park” for the Blanden Museum- six willow horses and riders based on Marino Marini’s work. Others include installations such as the “Moby Dick Garden Seascape” at Reiman Gardens (ISU) in 2008. Murals such as the Wetzler Memorial Tree at the Boone County Hospital (2012) are built on metal frames, incorporating permanent materials to withstand the Iowa winters. Their latest mural project was selected for Reiman Gardens “Iowa Naturally” 2013 exhibit.
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Peggie Wilcox
Formerly of the Jewell and Stanhope, Iowa, areas, Peggie Wilcox now lives in Lakemont, GA in 2009 where she has her studio. She specializes in making miniature baskets and has won many regional awards for her work. She travels all over the United States to teach basket making for guilds, conferences and Art and Craft schools. Her work has been included in an exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC in October, 2013.
Peggie says, “The plant materials I use are renewable, sustainable, non-toxic, beautifully colored and some are extremely fragrant. They hold unending fascination and inspiration for me and continue to challenge me even after 28 year of working with them. My seasonal rituals of gathering and processing my plant materials are an integral part of each basket I make and every class I teach.” |
Richard “Dick” Hanson
Richard has a BA in Art Education from the University of Northern Iowa and an MA in Painting from Minnesota State University. Hanson currently is an Adjunct Professor of Art at Iowa Central Community College. Return to the top.
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Tim Adams
Tim Adams has an MA in Landscape Architecture from the College of Design, Iowa State University. He owns and operates Stony Creek Landscapes and creates award-winning sculptures for gardens and parks throughout the region. Return to the top.
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Yvonne McCormick
Yvonne McCormick is the Horticulture Assistant at Iowa State Extension and Outreach, Master Gardener, and owner of Farmhouse Kitchen & Gardens.
She grows fresh flowers, herbs and garden plants and creates unique garden decor for the home and garden and sells it in her shop, Chicken Coop Creations. She also offers a fine selection of specialty cakes, cookies, & bars, all home-baked from scratch using only premium, high-quality ingredients. Yvonne combines her knowledge the time honored traditions with her expertise in plant materials to provide this exciting class for Legacy Learning, Boone River Valley just in time for the holidays! |