Best Selling Author

Connie Briscoe is the author of seven novels, one novella and one nonfiction book. Her work has appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and many other publications. Her first novel, Sisters and Lovers, was published in 1994 and went on to sell more than 600,000 copies. Her nonfiction title, Jewels, is a photo-essay book featuring luminaries such as actresses Ruby Dee and S. Epatha Merkerson (of Law and Order), author Marita Golden, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Nikki Giovanni wrote an original poem for Jewels. In 2012, Connie Briscoe began to study jewelry design.

Glass Artist

Erwin Timmers is co-founder and co-director of the Washington Glass School, where he teaches glass, lighting, sculpture, and metal work.

Originally from Amsterdam, he moved to California where he graduated from Santa Monica College for Design Art and Architecture. In 1999 he came to the Washington DC area and since then his sculptural artwork has been on display in an increasing number of local and regional galleries.  He has received multiple public art commissions and is also featured in numerous private collections. He has been featured in numerous books, notably “Art Glass Today” by Jeffrey Snyder and “100 Mid-Atlantic Artists” by Ashley Rooney.

Erwin is one of the area’s leading “green artists”.  Recycling, waste and how they relate to society are recurring themes in his work.  Erwin’s main medium is one of the least recycled materials; float glass or window glass, and he has had to develop new techniques to exploit the properties of this material. His approach to art is multi-faceted, incorporating metalwork, innovative lighting and glass design.

Illustrator

Owner and creator of Illustration By Design established in 1998, Jason is an illustrator specializing in graphic and comic illustration for magazines, advertising, design, storyboards, toys and numerous other applications. ??With over 15 years of experience in the design industry, he has extensive experience using such programs as InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Painter and QuarkXPress.

With a knack for making his characters leap off the page, Jason has a keen sensitivity to line and color as well as the ability to infuse a special wit into each one of his creative characters.

Ceramicist

Jeff has been the director, full-time artist-in-residence, and ceramics instructor at Glen Echo Pottery since 1975. His teaching philosophy supports individual artistic development in all students.  Jeff's artistic training includes study at the ceramics programs of Montgomery College and the Anderson Ranch in Colorado.

His work has been exhibited in many local and national shows and received awards; it can be found in private collections in this country and Europe. His public commissions include a ceramic mural for the Amazonian Building at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo in Washington, DC. Jeff has mounted over a dozen gallery exhibits at Glen Echo Park.  Some have featured his own work, others were group shows he curated of work by instructors and advanced students. He has also juried ceramic art shows for other local organizations such as the Montgomery Potters, and the Scope Gallery of the Torpedo Factory. Visit Jeff's site.

Musician, Author, Pastor

John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Dr John, Mick Jagger, and David Sandborn are just a few of the very recognizible names that Jimi Calhoun has either performed or recorded with. He is a rare combination of storyteller, sage, artist, and pastor. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area Jimi demonstrated an aptitude for playing several musical instruments. He settled on the bass guitar and embarked on a career path that would take him around the world. His career spans genres and disciplines, first as a musician and later as a pastor and author.

During one of his trips to England he became interested in spirituality and began to explore a variety of paths searching for God and inner peace. Jimi's spiritual odyssey included a couple of brief stops to study Buddhism and Metaphysics. Jimi also studied martial arts which he continues to incorporate into his spiritual disciplines to this day.

As an African-American growing up in the 1950s and '60s, Calhoun knew firsthand about the effects of racism within the culture which later led him to author a book on racial harmony titled "A Story of Rhythm and Grace" Jimi has made guest appearances on several national television programs in addition to hosting a weekly radio program for three years. He continues to play, write, and speak.

Musician, Film Composer

Jimmy Dunn is a multi-disciplined musician in the Los Angeles area. His primary instrument is piano but his talents expand to song writing, digital recording, and film scoring. Jazz, classical, or gospel, Jimmy is comfortable in any music style.

He has both performed and toured around the world as a band director with well known groups like the Platters.

The latest of his projects include composing, performing and recording the film score to the documentary film, "Desert Sky" and the Sci-Fi thriller, "The Hoax".

Musician, Arts Administrator

Violinist Kathy Judd has led a multi-faceted musical life as a chamber music performer, orchestral and commercial musician, teacher, and arts administrator. She received a B.M degree from New England Conservatory of Music and a Master of Musical Arts degree from Yale University, having begun her college studies at Wichita State University. She was a member of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and performed in orchestras and chamber ensembles in the U.S., Europe and Taiwan.  As Concertmaster and soloist, she performed with the Boulder (CO) Bach Festival, The Las Vegas Symphony, and the Nevada Chamber Orchestra. She was a member of the Mariposa Piano Trio in Nevada, the Idyllwild Trio in California, and a lead musician and string contractor in orchestras accompanying Las Vegas showroom headliners. She was a faculty member at the Idyllwild (CA) School of Music and the Arts, The University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and Elizabethtown (PA) College. She has been a judge for local and regional music competitions, a State and National music grant panelists, and award committee member for a private arts foundation. Judd was the Artistic and Executive Director of Music at Gretna, a year-round chamber music and jazz festival in Pennsylvania. She is currently Artistic and Executive Director of the Washington (DC) Conservatory of Music, a nationally accredited community music school where she has created a professional concert series.

Documentary Film Maker

Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Smithsonian and National Geographic Television are just a few of Molly’s clients.

A strong field producer with a deep interest in the human experience and documentary storytelling. Molly is a creative director with a good eye, an excellent rapport with crew and accurate sense of what will work in the edit. Technically conversant from field to final finishing she is a decision-maker who prioritizes getting as much onscreen bang-for-the-buck as possible. A filmmaker who strives to develop a signature look and create unique visual worlds she is both a skilled post-producer and writer, with a deft touch for tone and the persistence to get the details right.

Visit Molly's site.

Sculptor

You find Wendy's work in places like the National Tidal basin, convention centers, sculpture gardens and museums. Wendy M. Ross has over 30 years experience working with municipal, state, and federal agencies as well as individual clients to create both private and publicly commissioned works of art. Ross Sculpture Studio LLC handles all phases of a project - from concept to design, fabrication and installation.

Ross' sculpture ranges from small-scale to monumental and is designed for placement in both indoor and outdoor settings. She works in a variety of materials, including steel, aluminum, bronze, and ceramic tile. Ross Sculpture Studio utilizes innovative, state of the art LED lighting applications and is committed to LEED and sustainable approaches.

Inspired by the hidden designs in nature, Ross' spatial and bio-geometric structures intersect physics, biology, and architecture. Although the work is distinctly sculptural, Ross weaves, wraps and coils materials like that of a textile artist and then welds and rivets metals into intricate and openly engineered constructions. Visit Wendy's site.