Teaching Artists

Char Applen, Ceramics
Teaching Artist

First year at the Center: 2008

Char was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She has had a love for art as long as she can remember, and loved to draw while growing up. She received her education at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. While attending the university, she completed also studied art.

Char moved to Arizona in 1989, and she took her first ceramic class in 2002 where she truly found her voice. Char is interested in form and texture and how to use 3 dimensional forms to incorporate 2 dimensional designs. Char has shown her work throughout the Valley at different events throughout the years.

Char currently works in the Phoenix area as a surgical nurse. Since 2008, Char has been teaching the beginning throwing ceramic class at the Phoenix Center for the Arts.

Elizabeth Behnke, Ceramics
Teaching Artist
First year at the Center: 2017

Liz Behnke has been a Phoenix resident since 1990, when she moved to Phoenix to join a large law firm as a young lawyer. She began taking pottery classes at Phoenix Center for the Arts in the mid-1990’s, and continued to take classes off and on while practicing commercial real estate law, until becoming a teaching artist at the Center in 2016 after retiring from law. Her artistic focus is on functional pottery, both thrown and hand built, and her teaching philosophy is to encourage people to develop their natural creativity and learn good techniques to express their artistic ideas in ceramics.

Kate Cross, Glass
Teaching Artist

Kate Cross has been an art teacher for 30+ years and is the Art Lead in her school district. Her own sculptural work is mainly in ceramics, glass, and fibers, with privately commissioned pieces in glass and ceramics. She began building her glass knowledge by taking fusing and stained glass classes at Phoenix Center for the arts over 20 years ago, developing projects for her students as she acquired new techniques. Principals supported her programs by purchasing glass supplies, enabling students to work in this exciting media. As a life-long learner, she continues to take classes and will now be teaching a teen class and kiln carving workshop at Phoenix Center for the Arts.

Victor Contreras, Cerámica en español
Teaching Artist
First year at the Center: 2019

Born in El Paso, TX, Victor Contreras is a self-taught potter who discovered his love for clay at the tender age of 5, crafting ash trays from riverbed clay near his father’s mechanic shop. His early fascination continued, and by the age of 8, his talent began to take shape, leading him to receive accolades from institutions like the El Paso Art Museum. Victor’s deep connection to clay not only garnered him recognition but also steered him towards teaching by the age of 22, offering non-credit courses at El Paso Community College. He focuses his work on functional ceramic pieces, believing in the ability of everyday items to inspire beauty. Now residing in South Phoenix with his family, Victor maintains an art studio enveloped by citrus and mesquite trees. He continues to share his passion by teaching at the Center for the Arts of Phoenix, merging his love for pottery and education.

Edna Dapo, Painting & Drawing
Department Head
First year at the Center: 2007

Edna Dapo is the Department Head of Painting and Drawing at the Phoenix Center for the Arts. Dapo started working here in 2007, and in this time has taught over 6,500 students of different ages and abilities. Many of these students keep returning year after year, and are a part of the community of artists under Dapo’s wing.

Edna Dapo has been painting and drawing for three decades, has exhibited her work in many public shows, and has received numerous awards. Dapo’s work has been selected for New American Paintings 70, and was on the cover of American Art Collector (CA, V4 B2). In 2022 Dapo was invited to Scotland to teach a portrait workshop in an artist retreat in the 16th Century Brodie castle. In 2023 Dapo was invited to speak at the GPEC Ambassador event as one of the panelists to discuss Arts and Culture in the Greater Phoenix, which has been made into a podcast. The same year, Dapo won the Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine Reader’s Choice Award for Artist/Artisan, published in February/March issue of 2023.

Dapo has earned an MFA in Painting from SCAD, BFA in Painting from ASU, and a diploma from Art School Luka Sorkocevic in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dapo also teaches art classes at Mesa and Scottsdale Community College.

You can follow Edna Dapo’s work through Instagram/Facebook: @EdnaDapoArtist or online at www.ednadapo.com.

Jennifer Dugan, Glass
Teaching Artist

A Senior Compliance Analyst in the Financial Services Industry. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications at Eastern Michigan University. Her passion for art started young with a box of crayons. This led to taking classes in a variety of art forms over the years from jewelry making (metal smithing), pottery, painting, writing to glass fusing. She took her first glass fusing workshop at Phoenix Center for the Arts in July of 2019 and was hooked. She now has her own kiln and enjoys experimenting in her free time. What she loves the most about glass is that even if you don’t consider yourself an artist in the traditional sense you can create something beautiful. With glass, if a mistake can’t be fixed, the piece can be broken down and turned into something new and unexpected. She looks forward to continuing to learn new techniques and sharing the art of glass fusing with others.

Jami Goldman, Glass
Teaching Artist

My artistic career path started when I moved to Arizona in February 2008. I have always been interested in painting and began taking a class at the Scottsdale Parks and Recreation Dept. in March of that year. I continue to enjoy painting and use photos I have taken throughout the years as my inspiration. In early 2018, I took a fused glass bead-making workshop. I enjoyed the class but discovered that bead making was not for me; however, I signed up for a six-week fused glass class at the studio and have been creating unique mosaic, string, and lined glass plates, trays, and hanging art ever since. I continued to paint but had always wanted to start selling my art, and it became a reality starting with my fused glass pieces. I stopped working full-time to focus on creating an art career and business. I love spending time being creative, cutting and manipulating glass to create colorful, unique, and individual pieces of art. I use COE90 glass and additional materials to create full and tack fused pieces of unique and original mosaic, string, and abstract designs for trays, dishes, bowls, hanging pieces, and table art. I cut, heat, and place each piece of glass to form colorful and distinctive visual art that can be used, hung, displayed, and enjoyed by those with diverse tastes in art.

Alexandira Hall, Youth Performance
Teaching Artist

Alexandria is a performance-based educator with the desire to help each student achieve success as a performer.

I understand the importance of being a mentor and I work hard to instill strong work ethics, integrity and a respect for the craft in each student.

I have been involved with different aspects of theatre. I have both acted and directed multiple shows.

I have been thrilled to work as an artistic director, improv director and teaching artist. Alexandria loves to work with children of all ages and teaching theater arts to the next generation is a true passion.

Pamela Harrison, Ceramics
Teaching Artist
First year at the Center: 2017

I have been teaching Handbuilt Ceramics at the Phoenix Center for the Arts for at least 15 years. I began as a student in 1990. I readily share my experience with clay to allow students to have a successful experience. I love to work directly with the clay to make different designs both functional and sculptural. I am very attracted to textures of all kinds. It’s hard for me to leave a surface unadorned! I make every effort to encourage a fun and challenging classroom time.

Jon Higuchi, Ceramics
Department Head, Thunderbird Arts Center
First year at T-Bird: 2017

As “Artist in Residence” and Department Head of Ceramics, Jon Higuchi joined the Thunderbirds Center for the Arts in September 2017. From the ground-up, his goal has been to create a sustainable clay studio facility and develop a practical classroom curriculum that welcomes local valley clay enthusiasts from the curious novice to the more accomplished level student.

Jon has been studying pottery in Arizona for over 40 years as an artist and 20 + years as a teacher. He has taught at the Mesa Art Center, Phoenix College and facilitated/demonstrated numerous workshops and events. A notable ceramic artist, he has commissioned works in several prestigious private and corporate collections in the Americas, Japan, Switzerland, Middle East. He also has been an award-winning exhibitor in art shows, galleries around the United States and featured in magazines & news media since 1978.

Jon Higuchi is well known for his teaching skills in throwing on the potter’s wheel, glazing and the ancient Japanese art of “Raku” firing techniques. He also is well balanced in teaching the style of hand building. He seeks to understand everyone’s motivation and the benefits for enrolling in a class. Some choose to begin learning or to improve their clay skills as a hobbyist, teacher, or professional artist. Others take it as a therapeutic break from their high-pressure careers, personal time from family, meeting/making friends or just out of curiosity. He believes in the hands-on approach teaching style, assisting beginning level students from beginning to end, through each step of the process to creating a finished clay piece. Experienced students have the opportunity to work more independently, utilizing his knowledge for problem solving and advancement to a greater skill level. He believes in learning the basic skills well and then the doors to greater possibilities will open.

Marilyn Johnson, Glass
Department Head
First year at the Center: 2017

I started my love affair with colored glass in 1985 when I took a stained glass class. I worked with that medium making glass panels and lampshades until the year 2000. That’s when I signed up for a Beginning Glass Fusing Class at the Phoenix Center for the Arts. The class changed my life – I never made another stained glass piece! The variety of techniques that fusing offers is endless, from dish ware, wall art, mobiles, sun catchers, and jewelry.

After retiring from my career as a Special Education teacher, in 2015, I was honored and delighted to be asked join the talented teaching team at PCA. Since then, my passion for glass fusing, and sharing what knowledge I have, have both grown exponentially.

Jay Melberg, Music & Youth Music
Department Head
First year at the Center: 1994

James Melberg has been teaching piano and voice lessons at Phoenix Center of the Arts for the past 30+ years. Also a music director for local theaters with over 60 productions currently. He loves to help others express themselves musically and develop skills to create personal connections with music.

Anne Rasmussen, Ceramics
Teaching Artist
First year at the Center: 2007

My interest in clay began as a hobby taking classes locally in the early 90’s, and from then on, it became a mild obsession. I tried to learn all I could about clay materials, firing, tools, and methods of creating. While working as a studio tech at a local college, I began teaching for the Phoenix Center for the Arts in 2008 under the direction of Don Ridley. I have also been fortunate to teach children’s summer camps, workshops and classes with brain trauma and Alzheimer’s patients through the Center’s With Art in Mind program.

Don Ridley, Ceramics
Department Head, Phoenix Center for the Arts
First year at the Center: 2006

Don Ridley was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. He began his ceramic studies at Marcos de Niza High School and continued his pursuit of clay at Arizona State University. After spending time as a professional musician and a brief stint in corporate management, Don returned to his pottery roots and spent several years teaching and working with Tom and Elaine Coleman at their studio in Henderson Nevada. Don has won numerous awards for his artwork. He continues to sell his pottery at shows and gallery’s throughout the southwest and currently heads up the ceramics program at the Phoenix Center for the Arts. His work in the past 5 years has evolved into a concentrated study of the relationship between the palate of glazes used and the various forms he constructs. This evolution has brought about a more focused interest in the alterations and textures introduced during the early stages of the piece, and their obvious and/or subtle interaction with the multitude of layered glazes applied.

Nancy Troupe, Painting & Drawing
Teaching Artist

I have been teaching acrylic painting classes in the Phoenix area since 1998.  Some of what I teach is professional painting to experienced artists from our local art leagues.  But more often I teach fun and easy beginner classes through the City of Phoenix, and various communities around the valley.  I used to have a mural business in the Phoenix area, I used to be very involved with gallery shows, and I have also illustrated several children’s books that are featured on Amazon.  Now most of my focus is teaching beginners, hoping to inspire in them the same love of art that I have always had.  I like to think of it as “Playing with paint”!

Julie Tuttle, Music
Teaching Artist

I am excited to be teaching piano classes for PCA. I earned my M.M. (Piano Performance) from Arizona State University, and have taught class piano as well as private piano lessons for about 25 years. I am also an accomplished piano accompanist. I believe anyone can learn to play the piano, and I enjoy helping to bring the joy of music into the lives of students!

Sandra Zally, Youth Art
Department Head
First year at the Center: 2002

Sandra Zally studied Fine Art at U. of Southern Maine, and Advertising Art at MCCC. She has created fine art programming for Scottsdale Artists’ School, Phoenix Center for the Arts, Phoenix & Peoria Youth Theaters, City of Phoenix Community Centers, Senior Centers, and Arizona State Fair. She currently serves as Scottsdale Sister Cities Association President, Scottsdale Artists’ School Youth & Outreach Director, and Phoenix Center for the Arts Youth Art Department Head.

Robert Jones, Fine Jewelry
Teaching Artist

Born and raised here in Phoenix, excelling in arts and crafts as a youth, his first full time job was as a silversmith – just out of High School, developing in him an early respect for Native Arizona silver craftsmanship. The next few years took him into goldsmithing, repair tradeshops, and into the Fine Jewelry realm. He’s enjoyed many decades designing/building fine jewelry and setting precious gemstones. Such employment has taken him all around the U.S. and Japan, a rewarding career as a multifaceted craftsman. Now he is thrilled to pass along the “tricks of the trade”, partnering with students, inspiring them to experience new joys creating treasures to last a lifetime.