Our Instructors

Erin Dahl is an adjunct professor with the Kansas City Art Institute and Metropolitan Community College. Dahl has previous experience...Read More

Erin Dahl is an adjunct professor with the Kansas City Art Institute and Metropolitan Community College. Dahl has previous experience teaching with the University of Kansas, Rockhurst University and Pembroke High School. Dahl’s teaching philosophy is centered on the historical context for art and material culture and instructs students to critically evaluate these in terms of motive, significance and impact. She is a proponent of active learning in the classroom and understanding the social, political, historical and cultural underpinnings of art history.

Casey Holden is a Midwestern photographer based in Kansas City, Missouri. She left rural Oklahoma to attend the Kansas City Art...Read More

Casey Holden is a Midwestern photographer based in Kansas City, Missouri. She left rural Oklahoma to attend the Kansas City Art Institute where she received a BFA in Photography in 2014. Aside from teaching at the School for Continuing Education at the Art Institute, she works there as the Print Output Center Technician. She is a member of the photography group Archive Collective and a co-founder of The Red Lady Gallery in the West Bottoms. Her work can be viewed here.

Donna Houtteman is the leading voice behind the Art Sofa Series for Continuing and Professional Studies at the Kansas City Art Institute...Read More

Donna Houtteman is the leading voice behind the Art Sofa Series for Continuing and Professional Studies at the Kansas City Art Institute. Although she doesn’t call herself an “art historian,” her passion for art and enthusiasm for the history in which it was made is contagious. Houtteman leads more than 50 tours per year at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and completed their rigorous docent-in-training program in 2002. Students in her classroom can expect to discover the history of art in a comfortable, non-intimidating atmosphere.

 

Sharon Hunter-Putsch’s career has spanned both the instruction and administration sides of arts education. She earned an M.A. degree in...Read More

Sharon Hunter-Putsch’s career has spanned both the instruction and administration sides of arts education. She earned an M.A. degree in studio art at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Hunter-Putsch served as the Director of Admissions at the Kansas City Art Institute and then moved to the Corcoran College of Art to become the Associate Dean in 1991. Later, she became the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.  Her experiences led her to the positions of consultant and accreditation specialist at the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Having instructed high school and college art classes, Hunter-Putsch’s teaching philosophy centers on creating an environment that is relaxed but also energetic. She stresses the use of basic skills and encourages students to set ongoing individual goals.

 

Margaret Kinkeade completed her B.F.A. in Printmaking at the University of Oklahoma and then went on to earn her M.F.A. in Ceramics from...Read More

Margaret Kinkeade completed her B.F.A. in Printmaking at the University of Oklahoma and then went on to earn her M.F.A. in Ceramics from the Pennsylvania State University.  Margaret's studio practice focuses on collections, community, and objects of the American craft tradition through handbuilt ceramic objects. She encourages her students to experiment, discover and push their material to best explore their own narratives.  She believes that when makers pull inspiration from as many areas of experience, history and thought as possible they are better able to construct objects that speak to others while speaking of themselves.  Her work can be viewed at www.margaretkinkeade.com.

Christopher Lowrance received a B.F.A. degree in drawing from Missouri State University and an M.F.A. degree in painting from Indiana...Read More

Christopher Lowrance received a B.F.A. degree in drawing from Missouri State University and an M.F.A. degree in painting from Indiana University. Besides teaching drawing courses at the Kansas City Art Institute, Lowrance has taught at Indianapolis Art Center, the University of Missouri and the University of Central Missouri. He enjoys working with beginners, traditional undergraduate students and graduate students. Students can expect detailed one-on-one instruction with a strong emphasis on fundamentals from Lowrance. To view his work, visit www.flickr.com/photos/93907614@N04/sets/.

 

Andrew Ordonez is an interdisciplinary artist, instructor and admissions counselor at the Kansas City Art Institute. As a college...Read More

Andrew Ordonez is an interdisciplinary artist, instructor and admissions counselor at the Kansas City Art Institute. As a college recruiter he works with visual artist and art educators locally and across the United States. He encourages students to explore a range of drawing modes such as observation, perception, narrative and abstraction. He received his Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. His work can be found at andrew-ordonez.com.

For 26 years Debra Payne taught drawing and painting courses at Liberty High School, including AP and dual-credit courses through the...Read More

For 26 years Debra Payne taught drawing and painting courses at Liberty High School, including AP and dual-credit courses through the University of Missouri-Kansas City. For the three years prior she taught art classes at Leavenworth West Junior High. Payne was a three-time recipient of the Teacher of the Month award during her tenure at Liberty High and was nominated for the Teacher of the Year award. She also served on the governing board of MAEA for 10 years.

Payne has taught skills necessary to draw and paint from observation, using a variety of media and techniques, for many years. Payne focuses on clearly communicating goals, demonstrating skills and techniques, assessing student understanding and then re-teaching on an individual basis as needed. Classes are each designed with the inclusion of work done by others, vocabulary associated with the skills being studied and a periodic assessment or final critique of student work.

Kelsey Pike is a papermaker, printmaker and art teacher living and working in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned a B.F.A. from the Kansas...Read More

Kelsey Pike is a papermaker, printmaker and art teacher living and working in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned a B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute in art history and printmaking in 2011. Since graduation, she has been operating a small craft business, Sustainable Paper+Craft, and working as an instructional assistant for continuing education.  

She had been teaching youth, high school and adult classes for over 5 years and has taught more than 50 classes. Craft and discovery are important to Kelsey. She begins class with a demonstrations of process and technique and then allows students time to work independently and experiment. She believes the most important and satisfying experience is for students to make something of quality with their own hands from start to finish. Pike’s classes are structured to allow students this sense of accomplishment.

Find her work on instagram @KelseyPikePapercraft or www.sustainablepapercraft.com

Bryan Ratliff holds a B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. He has worked as an interactive art director and motion graphics...Read More

Bryan Ratliff holds a B.F.A. degree from the Kansas City Art Institute. He has worked as an interactive art director and motion graphics designer for web development studios. Ratliff teaches design, illustration and multimedia in the adult, youth and certificate programs. He conducts his class like a seminar where discussion and participation is encouraged at all times and assignments focus on “real world” scenario projects. Collaboration is encouraged. Ratliff’s work is online at www.chemicalnine.com.

 

Trent Roach received his B.F.A. in graphic design from the Kansas City Art Institute. He currently works for a digital design firm...Read More

Trent Roach received his B.F.A. in graphic design from the Kansas City Art Institute. He currently works for a digital design firm called GPS Impact and in his free participates in collaborations with other artists and designers. His interest in creating is multifaceted and spans across different mediums. Learning how others use tools and materials influences his work and he enjoys collaborating with a variety of people. Having a diverse skill set presents the chance to experience different projects that explore various elements of design, existing both in the digital and analog world. Trent wants to continue pushing his interest in design using both art and technology to discover new ways to create.

Liz Smith received a B.F.A. in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute and a M.F.A. in Painting /2D design from the University of...Read More

Liz Smith received a B.F.A. in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute and a M.F.A. in Painting /2D design from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her paintings, drawings and collage are inspired by nature, fashion elements and pop culture. She enjoys cultivating a welcoming environment for all her students to experiment, share knowledge and have fun. Liz currently shares a studio with her husband in the West Bottoms of Kansas City. Her work is available at

lizsmithart.com

Bill Thomas has 35 years of experience in photography. He is co-owner of Crick Camera Shop and is a fine art and landscape photographer...Read More

Bill Thomas has 35 years of experience in photography. He is co-owner of Crick Camera Shop and is a fine art and landscape photographer, with work in both public and private collections. His work has been recognized by the Texas Professional Photographers Association with multiple awards in the commercial photography category.

Thomas’ classes combine lecture with individual, hands-on instruction. Presentations accompany each class and students also will go outside of the classroom to photograph.