Archives: Instructors

The Custom Post Type for Instructors

News & Events

Emma Pittelman

Emma Pittelman is a potter and artist from Woodstock, New York, where she fell in love with pottery at 14 while attending the Woodstock Day School. Influenced by the work of her late great-uncle, Seth Duberstein, an accomplished potter known for his landscape-inspired glazes, Emma draws creative inspiration from both vast landscapes and intricate details found in nature.
She initially studied film and photography at Sarah Lawrence College but soon realized pottery was her true passion. With plans to pursue a Fine Arts degree in pottery, she took a gap year and temporarily moved to Orlando, where she met her husband and decided to stay.  Emma attended Valencia College in Orlando, where she continued taking pottery classes and earned her Associate of Arts degree. She joined Crealdé’s fellowship program in the pottery department and found the artistic community she had been searching for.
Emma has taught pottery since 2019, offering classes for adults and children. She emphasizes critical thinking and creativity, guiding students through hand-building, wheel-throwing, and surface design while teaching them to critically assess their forms and refine details to achieve a meticulously finished and visually cohesive piece. Known for her problem-solving skills and ability to break down complex techniques, Emma enjoys helping students bring their visions to life and believes in making pottery accessible to all.

News & Events

News & Events

Polo Ramirez

Master ceramic artist Apolinario “Polo” Ramirez practices an ancient Peruvian art form that he learned from his parents and grandparents. Polo is a direct descendant of the pre-Columbian Vicus and Tallan cultures and has dedicated his life to preserving their ancient traditions. Each of his unique pieces is made with only his hands and feet, one rock, and one paddle. Polo uses these traditional techniques to make contemporary designs inspired by nature and elements of Peruvian folklore. He is among the first generation of Peruvian ceramicists to refine this art and popularize it globally through demonstrations, workshops, and exhibitions in the United States, France, Australia, and Central and South America.

News & Events

Joan Sanchez

Joan Emanuelli Sanchez is a Contemporary Realism Artist from San Juan, Puerto Rico, who now resides in Orlando, Florida.
His distinctive personal style emanates from passion and emotion which portrays numerous perspectives on a variety of subjects in oils, bringing to life, scenic landscapes, interior scenes, portraits, still life, and everyday people. Much of his subject matter reveals a deep contrast of harmonious colors and bold compositions. With the artist’s interpretation, he welcomes his viewers into his personal visual journey.
He was a student at Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park, Florida (2016 to 2020), where he later was granted a Fellowship in the Painting and Drawing Department (P&D). In January 2019 he was selected as a Studio Artist in the same department. He completed an Associate in Arts with a Pre-Major in Fine Arts at Valencia College in 2021.
The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Emerging Artist Program selected him as the first Emerging Artist for the Winter Park Paint Out 2018. In 2016, he was awarded 1st place in the 35th Juried Student Exhibition at Crealdé School of Art in the Painting & Drawing category. He has participated in various exhibitions such as “Tapestry – Americas United” at Banco de Brasil, “Emerge” at the Showalter Hughes Community Gallery, and “Evolving Identities,” Keepers of Heritage, at the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens a collective art show of Puerto Rican Artists. Also, he has been part of the NOAPS International Exhibition Spring Exhibit in 2021. His first individual exhibition was presented at New Concept Gallery in Orlando, FL with great acceptance from the public in 2021.
His spirit and dedication have taken him on a beautiful journey in which he is totally submerged.

News & Events

News & Events

Marcia Selleri

Marcia Selleri was born in Nazca, Peru, and has always been inspired by its rich culture and ancient ceramics. She studied jewelry design in Milan and silversmithing in Florence, refining her skills across the globe. Now based in Orlando, Marcia blends her Nazca heritage with her travel experiences to create unique clay animals, anthropomorphic figures, and amulets. Her work tells stories of culture, beliefs, and personal journeys, designed to inspire and accentuate individuality.

News & Events

Eileen Hernandez

Dr. Eileen Hernández is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology physician and mixed-media abstract artist based in Florida. As an artist, she has participated in numerous exhibitions and received the "Celebrating the Genius of Women" Award in the 2022 Art Competition by Women in the Arts, Inc. Her art, influenced by themes of the pandemic, family separation, and feminine power, has been featured in prestigious exhibitions.
Driven by her passion for integrating arts into wellness programs, she has successfully implemented art and wellness initiatives in Florida's local Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs.
Her abstract art reflects her unique ability to blend scientific precision with creative expression and serves as a therapeutic tool for coping with the demands of her medical profession.
Dr. Hernández's artistic journey is summed up in her own words: "Look around you; inspiration is everywhere; then go, create and find your way to heal."

News & Events

Genna Sweetnam

Genna Sweetnam is an abstract expressionist artist residing in Orlando, Florida. She holds a BA in Arts in Studio Art from the University of Central Florida. She has exhibited her paintings throughout the Orlando and Miami area and is a 2025 recipient for an artist residency at the Chateau Orquevaux in France.

News & Events

Jennifer Harper

A native Floridian, Jennifer holds a BFA in drawing from the University of Florida and taught art at AIAN International School in Ningbo, China.
She has worked as a professional artist, creating illustrations for numerous publications, including Random House.
As a relief printer based in Eustis, Florida, Jennifer’s art is a testament to her versatility. She draws inspiration from everyday objects and nature, and her community-minded approach to teaching is evident in her work. While her main focus is woodcut and linoleum carving, she incorporates other materials into her creations.
She is a member of the Florida Printmakers Society and winner of the 2021 Mount Dora Center for the Arts Poster Artist. She has exhibited her artwork extensively throughout exhibits and galleries in Florida, Georgia, and Connecticut.

News & Events

Raheleh Filsoofi

Filsoofi is collector of soil and sound, an itinerant artist, and a feminist curator. Her
geographical, disciplinary and conceptual practice take on critical narratives about movement,
immigration, and social activism. Clay and sound are the nexus of her practice and act as
expressive mediums. With their cryptic and architectural qualities engendering new narratives
through diverse aesthetic strategies such as multimedia installations and immersive sound
performances. Her art disrupts the borders that exist between us and seeks a more inclusive
world, illuminating and challenging policies and politics.
Her current and recent exhibitions include Imagined Boundaries, an interactive multimedia
installation at Gibbes Museum in Charleston, SC (2023-2024), and Only Sound Remains, an
interactive multimedia installation at the Sharjah Biennial 15, Thinking Historically in the Present
in Sharjah, UAE (2023).
Filsoofi’s Imagined Boundaries a multimedia installation, consisting of two separate exhibitions,
debuted concurrently in a solo exhibition at the Abad Gallery in Tehran and group exhibition
Dual Frequency at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Florida in 2017. The installation in
each country connected audiences in the U.S. and Iran for few hours in the night of the show
opening.
Filsoofi’s project, ‘Listening: The Fourth String,’ in collaboration with musician Reza Filsoofi,
introduces an interactive instrument and platform called ShahTár. Through public
performances, it highlights the contributions of the silenced Iranian musician and Sufi,
Moshtagh Ali Shah, to music while emphasizing the power of listening to drive community
engagement and promote social change.
Filsoofi is the 2023 recipient of Joan Mitchell Fellowship award, the 2022 Winner of the1858
Contemporary Southern Art Award and the recipient of the 2021 Southern Prize Tennessee
State Fellowship. She is an Assistant Professor of Ceramics in the Department of Art at
Vanderbilt University and holds the secondary appointment at the Blair School of Music. She
received her M.F.A. in Fine Arts from Florida Atlantic University and a B.F.A. in Ceramics from
Al-Zahra University in Tehran, Iran.