Our Teachers
We have a staff of talented, professional artists that will lead you to create your very own masterpiece!
Mark Kolessar
Mark has taught at the Around the Corner Art Center for the past 25 years. His approach is simplicity itself in the beginning stages, Mark feels the desire to create is more important than any natural talent the student may bring to those first few classes. Mark teaches younger students in a step-by-step approach. He does the same art project (painting, drawing or sculpture) so that the student can see the project develop from inception to completion. Most art projects are chosen to include problem solving in composition and color choices. Many students stay from an early age through adulthood and as the student progresses and matures the nature of the classes change to accommodate and allow for individual creativity and expression. Students are given more freedom to discover who they are and how to express that through their artwork. Many of his students go on to study art in college and pursue careers that allow art to remain a part of their lives.
Ann Marie Fitzsimmons
Ann Marie is a fine art teacher here at the Around the Corner Art Center. She teaches instructional art classes to students of all ages from the curious young children just entering elementary school to adults looking for some interesting & creative recreational activities. Ann Marie specializes in preparing portfolios with teen students interested in pursuing an education in Fine Art. Her concentrations are in acrylic painting and drawing. She enjoys the challenge of capturing new images on canvas. Some classes are taught in a step-by-step instructional style with a focus on learning techniques. Other classes are presented in an open-studio style setting so that students can work on individual art projects at their own pace. Ann Marie brings an art history lesson to each session to educate her students about masterpieces in art and their true (although sometimes hidden) meanings. She encourages ALL of her students to exhibit their artwork whenever possible. Ann Marie received a B.A. in Fine Art from Montclair State College. She continues to paint and exhibit her work throughout the Northeast.
Eva Marie Fitzsimmons
Eva Marie graduated with highest honors from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Painting. Eva Marie currently teaches at both our Freehold and Morganville locations. She currently teaches Kid's Art, Painting & Drawing, Multi-Media Art, Open Studio Drawing/Painting for Adults, and Teen Art. Her kids classes are taught step-by-step in order to stress the importance of mastering different techniques. While she primarily paints in acrylic, she has taken courses in traditional oil painting and life drawing. Eva Marie has exhibited her paintings in National and International juried art shows. Just a few of these are Nexus the Arts Guild of NJ's International Exhibition, the 39th Annual Juried Art Exhibition at the Monmouth Museum, the 33rd Annual Mountain Art Show (Honorable Mention), The Art Alliance of Monmouth County's Annual Juried Exhibition and First Street Gallery's "Strange Paradise" National Juried Exhibition. She has also been exhibited at Cooperstown Art Association's 82nd Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, the Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington DC's 84th Annual Exhibition where she received 2nd place in the acrylic category, and the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic's Annual Juried Exhibition in which she has been honored with the Ralph Fabri Medal.
Heather MacFarlane
Heather enjoys teaching kids and teens how to draw cartoons, superheros and anime! She encourages her students to find familiar shapes in the subject matter they are sketching. The students are taught how to complete their artwork with a variety of mediums from markers, clay and colored pencils to acrylic paints. Heather received an Associates degree in Animation Art and a Bachelors degree in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. While in school, Heather participated in a program that exposed senior citizens to fine art. This project was so heartfelt that it was covered by the Fox 5 television news channel.
Ed Chapman
Ed is an art teacher, clay expert and professional framer here at the Around The Corner Art Center. He is the friendly face that helps our customers choose the perfect frame and mat for their artwork, diploma, sports memorabilia etc. Ed, affectionately known as Mr. Ed to his young students, teaches classes in drawing, mixed media and clay sculpture. Ed teaches in a step-by-step instructional approach and he suggests that all images can be broken down into simple shapes. From these simple shapes, he encourages his students to create a complete work of art using a variety of media, including colored pencils, graphic art markers & his favorite, oil pastels. Ed's clay classes focus on creating a 3-dimmensional object out of a lump of wet clay. Children learn techniques on how to wedge, join, pinch, coil, shape & glaze their clay sculpture. Ed bakes all of the clay and ceramic pieces in our very own kiln. In addition, Ed runs the ceramic studio. He is always attending new clay and ceramic workshops to keep him updated and informed about the latest glazes and clays available. He continues to draw in his spare time, although his true passion is sculpting, whether it's with clay, cardboard or when decorating a one-of-a-kind cake!
Amy Weiss
Amy teachers Design, Sew and Create. She is a retired Family and Consumer Science teacher with a masters degree from NYU in secondary education/Home Economics. She taught Home Economics for 25 years at Freehold Regional High School district and Woodbridge High School. During the summers she taught at Mercer County Vocational School.
Amy enjoys watching her students have an “AH-HA” moment when they have completed the construction of a garment.
Students range from first time sewers to those with some basic experience using the sewing machine.
Amy enjoys watching her students have an “AH-HA” moment when they have completed the construction of a garment.
Students range from first time sewers to those with some basic experience using the sewing machine.
Robert Stetz
The watercolors of Robert J. Stetz capture the simplistic nature of every day culture. Done in a realistic style, each painting stimulates the imagination of the viewer through the unconventional selection and composition of the subject, reinforced by the title of the piece.
Traditional watercolor techniques, combined with glazing and lifting are prominent in various pieces of his work.
“I try to visualize my finished painting before I start. I don’t like to leave any of the composition to chance. I have a palette of colors ,a palette of skills ,and my vision of the paintings story I want others to see. There is often a nagging correction that appears in the work that prevents it from reaching the completed stage. I will put a painting aside and go back to it several times before I consider it finished. The details are as important as the idea.”
Traditional watercolor techniques, combined with glazing and lifting are prominent in various pieces of his work.
“I try to visualize my finished painting before I start. I don’t like to leave any of the composition to chance. I have a palette of colors ,a palette of skills ,and my vision of the paintings story I want others to see. There is often a nagging correction that appears in the work that prevents it from reaching the completed stage. I will put a painting aside and go back to it several times before I consider it finished. The details are as important as the idea.”
