Meet our Faculty!

I’m  Hannah, and my journey with pottery began in 2019 with an intro to pottery night class. Since then, I’ve been hooked. I stopped when the rest of the world did in 2020, but found myself drawn back to ceramics with an open Independent Artist spot at Kimball Jenkins at the end of 2022. After that, I fully immersed myself into the world of ceramics at Kimball Jenkins, and gradually evolved into an instructor, teaching pottery nights and weekly beginner classes!

Having been an art enthusiast my whole life, I never thought I would be as involved in the art community as I am today. I never “trained” to be an artist, or a teacher for that matter.  I am what many would call a “serial hobbiest” where I have tried many different hobbies and art styles, but ceramics has been a constant for the past few years. It’s the draw of working with your hands, having the flexibility to make anything you want, and also still having the option to paint on ceramics is really exciting to me. To me, any worries from the day go away when I step into the studio, and I know others feel the same. 

Ultimately, it’s the community that Kimball Jenkins has created within its walls that makes this place so special. The campus, the faculty, and the students who make this space vibrant is why I look forward to giving so much back to it. I am incredibly grateful to have this space to create and share my love for pottery with Concord and our surrounding communities!

Hannah bunnell

Becky Darling

Becky Darling is a talented painter specializing in watercolor, with extensive experience in both creating art and teaching it to students of all ages. She holds a BA in Art and Art Education from Salem College and has continued her studies with notable artists such as W. Robert Paine and Don Andrews. 

Becky's work has been featured in various exhibitions, including at the New Hampshire Art Association and McGowan Fine Art, and she is currently represented by both organizations. As an instructor at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art, she leads watercolor classes and workshops, sharing her passion for this medium. 

The New Hampshire landscape and coastal areas of New England largely inspire Becky’s work, reflected in her Nature Journals and finished paintings, which capture the changing colors, moods, and light of the seasons.

Sam’s journey into the world of ceramics began in 2014, following his separation from the Navy. Initially focused on pursuing a college degree using his GI Bill, Sam enrolled at Piedmont Virginia Community College, where an art advisor recommended ceramics as a fulfilling outlet. With no prior experience, he was captivated by the spacious and well-organized studio led by Professor Tom Clarkson, who not only taught him the fundamentals of pottery but also inspired his passion for the craft. Over the next two years, Sam immersed himself in ceramics, forming connections with fellow students and exploring the artistic community.

His transformative experience came in 2017 when he began an apprenticeship at Tye River Pottery under Kevin Crowe. During this time, Sam honed his skills by stoking wood-fired kilns, mixing clay, and creating pottery while establishing a foundation in the art that he had never anticipated. After nearly four years, he transitioned to a small town in New Hampshire, working with gas kilns and continuing to teach pottery classes. Passionate about sharing his knowledge, Sam is dedicated to fostering the growth of aspiring potters while continually refining his own techniques. He cherishes the history and lessons of ceramics, embracing the challenge and creativity it brings to his life.

sam deering

bob dorr

Robert Dorr is a fiber artist living in Concord NH who has had his studio at Kimball Jenkins since 2009. He has been a state-juried member of the League of NH Craftsmen since 2011. He layers different types of fiber and stitches in his hand-embroidered jewelry. Bob has shown his work in the League of NH Craftsmen’s Gallery and Craftwear exhibits. He has donated pieces for auctions benefiting Intown Concord, the Kimball-Jenkins School of Art, and the League of NH Craftsmen.

Bob also demonstrates his techniques in some of the League shops, at the Craft Center, and Annual League Fair. His main focus is embroidery, specifically in a style called stumpwork. Stumpwork is a form of 3-dimensional embroidery that translates very well to brooches and pendants.

Bob also works in non-representational mixed-media abstract art, Medieval style illumination (illustration), and digital music.

Sophia has been Watercolor Painting with various art teachers since she was 11 years old. She studied with Sylvia Brofos, Dustin Knight, Sean Beavers, and at the University of New Hampshire, Kent State University, New Hampshire Institute of Art, and Kimball Jenkins. She has had paintings published and exhibited in New Hampshire. She is a member of the Two Villages Art Society in Contoocook, NH.

Watercolor is Sophia’s favorite medium, but she has also explored oils, pencil, and charcoal. She loves capturing the power, light, and beauty of nature whether it is trees, sky, stones, flowers, water, and animals, specializing in equine art.

Sophia Eastley has been Tribal Belly dancing for twenty-four years under the name Sheherazade Bint Allat. As director of the dance troupe, Ladies of the Shifting Sands, and individually she has performed at medieval events, coffee houses, clubs, baby showers, in restaurants, Belly Dance Festivals in Maine, MA, and NH. She brings the joy of the Ancient Goddess “Dance Orientale” to the workshop.

Sophia has trained with Hawaiian Kahuna Hank Wesselman Ph. D. and has studied for six years with Peruvian Shaman Puma Fredy Quispe Singona. She studied the Mayan techniques of meditation, visualization, and spiritual art. She creates crafts, beadwork, shawls, drums, and regularly practices summer solstice ceremonial dances drawing from her Abenaki and Cherokee ancestral lineages. She believes that connecting to Pachamama, Mother Earth, is vital for our balance and wellness as human beings. She has studied yoga and teacher’s training, completed meditation weekend retreats, sacred dance and healing workshop retreats, and workshops at Yoga studios, Earth Days, retreat centers, and more.

Sophia eastley

matt garofalo

Matt Garofalo has worked in the animation and video game industry for the past 13 years as character designer, storyboard artist, animator and director on animated shows for Netflix, Adult Swim, FOX, Comedy Central, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, HBO MAX, MTV and more. Past works include the shows "Bojack Horseman", "Big Mouth", "Paradise PD", "Harley Quinn", "Mr Pickles", "The Great North" and multiple other television pilots, commercials, shows, and video games. Matt is thrilled to be joining the Kimball Jenkins faculty! 

Jennie Harriman has 30 years experience as an art educator. She holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and an MA in Education. Her approach to teaching focuses on nurturing individuality, creativity and discovery to help children develop skills that enhance confidence and self-esteem. 

Jennie homeschooled her daughter, who now assists her with classes. Her signature “Hammer, Saw, Drill” woodworking courses have been widely successful in classrooms, with people who have disabilities, at intergenerational programs, with homeschool groups, and at grant-funded school residencies. 

The curriculum is designed to empower children of all ages and abilities, building confidence and independence through hands-on woodworking skills, the responsible use of tools, and the promotion of creativity, cooperation, and problem solving. Trust. Respect. Life skills.

Jennie is also the author of six educational picture books and two Idea Sketchbooks. She is a freelance writer for two community magazines. She loves to travel and became a 50-stater in 2022!

Learn more about Jennie at hammersawdrill.com.

Jennie harriman

Mike howat

Mike Howat is an NH-based painter and educator. His work explores themes of urbanization, Americana, and collective memory through paintings, large-scale drawings, and monoprints. He has been an educator for over a decade in a range of settings with a focus on  painting, drawing, and approaches in printmaking. Since earning his BFA in 2014, he has exhibited nationally. Recent exhibitions include Talon Gallery (PDX), Cove Street Arts, University of New Hampshire Gallery of Art, Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, Nahcotta, Carrie Secrist Gallery (Chicago), Nucleus Portland (PDX), and other spaces across the country.  

Howat was the long-term artist-in-residence at Kimball Jenkins from 2016-2020 and the 2021 artist-in-residence at Gallery 263 in Cambridge. He is currently the outreach coordinator of ArtReach at AVA Gallery & Art Center, where he organizes studio visits, exhibition tours, and demonstrations with regional artists.  In 2023, he co-founded PILLAR Gallery + Projects, an exhibition space focusing on experimental works by emerging and mid-career artists in the Northeast Region and beyond.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Natalie Lessard decided to be a puppeteer because they discovered it wasn’t physically possible for them to grow up to be a cartoon. Their curious nature led them to a lifetime of interdisciplinary arts, such as drawing, sculpting, painting, sewing, etc. Their goal has always been to create things that would bring more whimsy to the world.

For the better part of a decade they have been building and clothing puppets, curating, producing slams, and performing. They produced The Granite State Puppet Slam which was named Best of NH for New Cultural Event in 2019.

Natalie is excited to share the magic of puppet building and performance with the students of Kimball Jenkins.  

Natalie Lessard

ari murphy

Ari is a dedicated stay-at-home mom to her energetic 2-year-old son. Before embracing motherhood, she built a fulfilling career as a preschool teacher in New Hampshire, California, and Washington. 

Ari’s teaching philosophy centers around the belief that every child is an artist, and she consistently integrated art into her classroom to inspire creativity and self-expression.

In 2019, Ari earned her Bachelor's degree in Youth Development and Education, with a minor in Adventure Education, from Plymouth State University. This unique combination reflects her passion for nurturing young minds through both creative and experiential learning. 

Outside of teaching and parenting, Ari enjoys spending quality time with her family—her husband, son, and their beloved dog. She also loves reading, exploring the outdoors, and socializing with friends.

Mary Mead has had a long exhibition and teaching history since receiving her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, in 1989. In 2001 she became a charter member of Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Jct., VT adding printmaking to a then primary focus in sculpture. At the time she said that during the long hours laboring over a single piece of sculpture, other ideas and ways to bring them to fruition occupied her head which eventually lead to an explosion into printmaking.  Though she has continued to make sculpture, her more recent work in three dimensions has shown an interest in sculptural installations often in outdoor venues. Today Mead moves freely between sculpture, printmaking, and work on paper in a variety of techniques.

Mead, a Boston Printmaker, has taught both adult learners at a variety of venues in New England as well as college students at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH, where for eight years she was a faculty member in the Department of Art and Design. She enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge and technical expertise.

Mary mead

Wren Morocco

I am a ceramics artist who works in mainly functional ware and sculptural vessels.  My work reflects my passion and love of nature, and I often use materials from the earth such as seashells, rocks, sand and textured bark to add depth and personal connection to my pieces.  I started my clay education in high school, fortunately, I learned from three art teachers in my public school who all contributed to my passion for creating. Encouraged by their kindness, I earned my BFA at Colby-Sawyer College in New London New Hampshire, and studied under David Ernster and Jon Keenan, both master potters of New England. During that time, I also collaborated with the New Hampshire Institute of Art and the Sharon Art Center through community firings, pottery sales, and events.  In the winter of 2016, I spent a week in Nepal teaching pottery to students at the Maya Universe Academy. 

After graduation in 2017, I spent six years teaching in various public school settings as an art teacher. I worked with students of all ages and backgrounds. Teaching is an important part of my artistic practice. I use that time to inform my personal work but more importantly, developing relationships with others through art creates lasting connections and spreads compassion.

I have dedicated the last four years to developing a thriving ceramics program at Kimball Jenkins. It has grown tremendously under my care and I am proud to say we host over 50 pottery students and 12 independent artists each season.

Most recently, I have taken over as Chair of the New Hampshire Potters Guild. Within this role, I aim to build community through ceramics and offer educational experiences to those excited to learn more about the pottery scene in New Hampshire.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Marcia O’Brien received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Ceramic Arts from Syracuse University in 1990. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, Marcia expanded her knowledge of pottery as an assistant at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center from 1995-1997.

Marcia taught pottery on the wheel to teens and adults at Chastain Arts Center from 1998-2012. In 2013, Marcia moved to Concord, NH, with her husband and daughter. In 2015, Marcia began as an Independent Artist practicing pottery at Kimball Jenkins, and she started teaching at KJ in the years shortly after. Her beloved mainstay class, Intermediate/Advanced Throwing, is a favorite among the ceramics offerings at Kimball Jenkins.

Marcia O’Brien

Olivia Ramirez

Hello! My name is Olivia Ramirez and I am so excited to begin my teaching journey this Fall! Here is a little bit about me. I was born in Austin, TX, moved to Concord, NH when I was thirteen years old and homeschooled until I was eighteen. 

I have a degree in Visual Arts from NHTI Concord’s Community College and my art was displayed at a local cafe, Kaye Place. I have loved art since I was young, and my appreciation for teachers has grown tenfold since being a student during the pandemic. The one thing that inspired me the most to always keep going with my dreams was my teachers. Middle school was pretty tough for me, but whenever I would have a bad day, my art teacher was always there to keep my love of art and learning alive. The same goes for the wonderful instructors I met during college. 

Gary Samson is the 7th Artist Laureate of New Hampshire and has spent the last fifty years photographically documenting the people and cultures of Ghana, Guatemala, Greece, Russia, Peru, Ireland, Belize, France, Quebec, Nova Scotia as well as Texas and Louisiana. Gary’s work has been exhibited internationally and his photographs are in numerous collections including the Currier Museum of Art; the University of New Hampshire; the Library of Congress, Washington, DC and the New Hampshire institute of Art where he taught photography for thirty-six years.

After making a film about the life of the great German photographer Lotte Jacobi in 1978, Gary was inspired to explore portrait photography in his own work, making portraits of New Hampshire artists and writers as well as documenting the ethnic diversity of the state. Over the years, Gary has received numerous awards for his work and continues to make environmental portraits of the people of New Hampshire

Gary Samson

Kelly Stuart

Kelly Stuart has been sharing her love of dance and expressive movement with people of all ages and abilities in a wide range of venues throughout New Hampshire for over 30 years. Her professional teaching credits include; Roster Artist/Trainer with VSA Arts NH, The State Organization on Arts and Disability and Roster Artist with the N.H. State Council on the Arts in the Arts-in-Education and Arts in Health Care programs (1989 - 2018), Part-time Faculty, New England College (NEC), Theater Department (1988 - 2019), Visiting Artist at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, residential school for students K -12 and young adults, (2011 -2019), Dance Instructor, Southern NH Dance Theater (1991 to present), Dance Instructor/Co-Director and Choreographer, Petit Papillon, School of Dance and the performing company (1989 - 2016).  

In her work with VSA Arts NH, Kelly was a Lead Trainer for teachers, Preschool - 12 and taught accessible and inclusive dance-creative movement classes to young children, teens and adults in traditional and non-traditional settings.

Kelly directed residencies in over 50 schools throughout NH, integrating dance with classroom curriculum. She was the creator of the NEC Annual Dance/Movement Concert, directing and choreographing over 30 original productions and creating 20 original story ballets for Petit Papillon’s performing company. 

Kelly believes that dance has the transformative power to strengthen the human spirit, build community and foster unity.