WSS Instructors
Faculty at WSS are practicing artists with diverse educational backgrounds. They are dedicated to sharing their knowledge and experience and committed to furthering students’ pursuit of study in the visual arts. Instructors provide students with an arsenal of skills, while maintaining a sensitivity to each student’s individual artistic inclination.
STUDIO FACULTY
COURTNEY APPLEQUIST
Courtney Applequist is an interdisciplinary artist based in Potomac, MD. Her work explores a range of media, with a focus on painting and drawing using architecture as a foundational framework and asserting a visualization of movement, time, and the debris as a consequence of it. With a deep interest in the use of portraiture as an examination of an individual and their context, she is exploring the possibilities that form offers, expanding ideas of identity and the relationship of materiality & scale.
Courtney holds a BFA from Baylor University and studied painting at the Washington Studio School. She has exhibited in various galleries locally, SXSW in Austin, TX, Delegation of the European Union, WashingtonDC, and is currently represented by AdahRose Gallery. Her work was highlighted in the Washington Post (June 2023) and she is a 2023 GLB Project Seed Grant recipient . Applequist is a co-founding member of the ICEbox Collective, a multimodal artist group whose work fosters critical thought and dialogue across cultural boundaries through a collaborative social & public art practice. Her work with ICEbox Collective received the AIR Grant from ArtsFairfax, Virginia, was published in ArtMargins MITPress, and exhibited at the Embassy of the Czech Republic, Transformer DC, the Mexican Cultural Institute, Washington DC and La Casa del Maquio in Mexico. To learn more about Courtney visit courtneyapplequist.com
REEM BASSOUS
Reem Bassous received her BA from The Lebanese American University and her MFA from The George Washington University. She started teaching drawing and painting in 2001 at The George Washington University, taught at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa for 9 years, and at Leeward Community College at the University of Hawaiʻi for 7 years. Bassous continues her journey in education as Artistic Director and Head of Faculty at the Washington Studio School, as of the fall of 2023. Bassous’ regional and national exhibitions include solo shows at the Honolulu Museum of Art, SBCAST Gallery in Santa Barbara, and the Washington Studio School Gallery, in Washington DC. Her work has been reviewed by various publications which include the Washington Post, Art Asia Pacific and Star Advertiser. Bassous’ work is in permanent collections which include the Honolulu Museum of Art and Shangri La Museum for Islamic Art, Culture and Design. To view more of Reem's artwork, visit https://www.reembassous.studio/.
JILL BATEMAN
Jill Bateman is a practicing artist in the Washington, DC, area and has long been an active member of the WSS community. She graduated from the Master Certificate Program at the Washington Studio School and the Corcoran School of Art and Design Program in Painting and Drawing. Jill also studied art at the University of California in Los Angeles and the University of Tennessee, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in French. Her work is held in corporate and private locations throughout the Washington, DC, area. She is currently represented by the Foundry Gallery. Jill’s work crosses a range of media and is largely figurative. She often works ‘blind’ into her work, finding that if the mind’s need to make something look ‘right’ can be quieted, the hand and eye record the honest truth. Jill seeks to understand and capture the essence of the human form - believing that all else is contained therein. To view more of Jill's work, visit https://jillbateman.net/ or on Instagram at @Jillan9.
RACHAEL BOHLANDER
Rachael Bohlander, a mixed-media artist, resides and works in Washington, D.C. Bohlander’s practice incorporates paper-based, found and up-cycled materials, which she uses to visually explore how native plant life adapts to human encroachment on natural habitat. Bohlander received an MFA from the New York Studio School, where she was also an Artist in Residence at the New York Studio School’s post-graduate sculpture residency in DUMBO Brooklyn, New York. She is a FY24 recipient of the DCCAH Arts & Humanities Fellowship Program Grant.
An instructor in studio arts, Bohlander teaches drawing, mixed media and constructed sculpture at the Washington Studio School, Washington, D.C., and she has served as a guest instructor and teaching assistant at the New York Studio School. Bohlander is on the Editorial Board for the New York City-based Sculpture Forum project and is working with the Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation, Brooklyn, NY, to bring greater public awareness of Jonathan Silver's sculptures through a new video discussion series. Bohlander's works have been included in solo and group shows in D.C. and the surrounding region, as well as New York and Miami, and can be found in private collections throughout the U.S. and Canada. You can learn more about Rachael Bohlander and her art practice at: RachaelBohlander.com
WILLIAM FLEISHELL
William Fleishell, born in Washington DC, obtained a certificate in painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts studying under renowned mentors such as Robert Beverly Hale and Will Barnet, Louis Sloan and Arthur DeCosta. He also earned a BA degree in printmaking from GW University before joining the US Treasury Department in 1988 as a picture engraver. Throughout his career, Fleishell has showcased his talents in various mediums, including bronze sculpture installations in Capitol Hill and the Navy Yard. Additionally, he has left his mark in the world of printmaking, teaching workshops for institutions like the Rhode Island School of Design and currently serving as a drawing and painting instructor at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. Alongside his official engravings for US currency and postage, Fleishell has undertaken numerous private sector commissions for esteemed clients such as the Cooper Hewitt Museum, Oprah Winfrey, and the Bugatti family. Beyond his engraving expertise, Fleishell is also skilled in brick masonry, ceramic sculpture, and traditional window screen painting.
MARY FREEDMAN
Mary Freedman typically works with a variety of drawing media concentrating mainly on StillLife, Plantlife, and the Figure. Her approach is to attain an internalization of the subject, and when sketched attentively enough, she will be in a position to produce a work true to both the essence of the subject and her sentiment for it. She loves the poetry and strength a line can produce. Looking at shape and gesture, Freedman finds the abstraction in the subject to create the perceptual.
Freedman received a BA in Art History at the Pennsylvania State University and later a Certificate of Achievement from Washington Studio School. Freedman joined the faculty of WSS in 2009. She worked at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as Assistant Manager in the Department of Graphic Arts before becoming a full time artist. She has been a volunteer art instructor in the D.C. community for 21 years in organizations that benefit at-risk youth. Her work has been exhibited in a variety of group shows throughout the DC and Baltimore area including Adah Rose Gallery, District of Columbia Arts Center, 39th St. Gallery, Brentwood, Third Floor Gallery, Petworth, Takoma Park Community Center, Courtyard Gallery, International Gallery, and a solo show at Washington Studio School. You can see Mary's work on Instagram: @freedman.mary
MARIE GAUTHIEZ
Marie B Gauthiez is a French-American artist who explores the layers of memory loss in her work through the use of various media (oil, acrylic, collage, drawing, printmaking and ceramics). She has been trained in studio art at the Washington Studio School from 2011-2015. She is a current American University MFA Studio Art candidate (’24), where she is also working as a teaching assistant in Studio Art courses. Marie was awarded the Van Swearingen Merit Award in 2022 and has been the recipient of a Research Grant through American University College of Art and Science to investigate memory through clay. She has been a member of LAC studio in Arlington (VA). Lately, Marie has exhibited in group shows at Brentwood Arts Exchange (MD), the Anacostia Arts Center (DC), the Katzen Art Center (DC), Matney Gallery (Richmond, VA), the French Embassy (DC), at the DC Arts Center (DC), Linda Matney Gallery (VA) and at First Street Gallery (NYC, NY). Her work was reviewed in the Washington Post by Mark Jenkins in June 2023. Marie holds a BA from Paris X university and an MA from ESMOD (France). @mariebgauthiez www.mariebgauthiez.com
BRIAN KELLEY
Brian Kelley lives in Alexandria, VA. He has an MFA in Painting from Indiana University and a BA from the College of William and Mary. He has exhibited nationally and lectured at several schools, including George Washington University, the College of William and Mary, George Mason University, Anne Arundel Community College, Prince George’s Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and the Washington Studio School. Recent exhibition venues include Bowery Gallery (NYC), Blue Mountain Gallery (NYC) First Street Gallery (NYC), Muscarelle Museum of Art (VA), Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center (VA), Manassas Center for the Arts (VA), Linda Matney Gallery (VA),Del Ray Artisans (VA), Brentwood Arts Exchange (MD), Capitol Arts Network (MD), and HUB-BUB Showroom Gallery (SC). His portfolio includes painting, drawing, printmaking, and digital work. He currently serves as a member of the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and on the Washington Studio School's Board of Directors. To learn more about Brian, visit briankelleyart.com.
JOREN LINDHOLM
Joren A. Lindholm is an artist, lecturer and educator whose painting focuses on perceptual abstraction and the kaleidoscopic juxtaposition of places and things. The son of a Tamil language professor, Lindholm lived in Hyde Park, Chicago and South India as a child. He went on to study with modernist landscape painter Lynette Lombard, and at the New York Studio School with influential teacher Mercedes Matter, both of whom helped him develop a breadth of skill in perceptual drawing and a rigor for spacial organization. In addition to his receiving an MFA from American University in 2004, he has been the recipient of the Milton Avery scholarship, the Beverly Creighton scholarship, and a Post Baccalaureate fellowship in art education from Knox College, Illinois. Lindholm currently lives and works in Washington, DC.; and exhibits in New York City as part of the Painting in New York Collective. To learn more about Joren and view more of his work, visit jorenlindholm.com.
CHINEDU FELIX OSUCHUKWU
Born to Nigerian immigrant parents, Chinedu Felix Osuchukwu spent his early years between his birthplace of DC and Nigeria. His work shows that he has been greatly influenced by his Nigerian-American culture. A Native to Washington DC Osuchukwu graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts and received his BFA from Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, DC. More recently he completed his Masters in Fine Arts at Maryland Institute College of the Arts (MICA) in Baltimore. His works are about the exploration of his Igbo-Washingtonian Identity. Chinedu has been featured in Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine, and his pieces have been in the personal collections of Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Bill & Melinda Gates. His mediums vary from sculpture to murals. In 2016 he was selected to be a part of the DC Commission of the Arts “Washingtoniana Collection” putting a stamp on his contributions to the DC Art community. In 2017 he was appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser as commissioner of the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities. Osuchukwu is also an accomplished teacher who has been teaching Visual Art in Washington DC area schools for over twenty years. Most recently his artwork has been acquired by the Studio Museum of Harlem on permanent collection in New York City and he has been featured in the new Netflix Movie “Really Love”. Chinedu currently resides in Washington DC with his two daughters, two sons, and wife. View more of Chindedu's work online at www.osuchukwu.com.
JILL PHILLIPS
Jill Phillips received her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis where she was in the School of Art (now the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts). In addition, she has three years of study in painting at the graduate level at The George Washington University and was one of the earliest graduates of the Master Certificate Program at the Washington Studio School. Jill Phillips served as Artistic Director and Head of Faculty at Washington Studio School from 2010 to August 2023. She has taught all levels of drawing and painting, as well as experimental and mixed media classes to adults and teens at the school for twenty years. She has also taught at the Denver Art Museum, privately, and as a volunteer in the DC Public Schools. While she loves the sense of empathy and connection derived from drawing the figure, as well as the rhythms of the urban landscape, her true work comes from memory and the role of textile and collage both literally and metaphorically in her personal and our collective histories. Her work has been exhibited in solo shows as well annual faculty shows at WSS, at Dimock Gallery, Courtyard Gallery, Artists Inn Residence Gallery, Dumbarton Concerts Gallery, and at Denver University. She is a member of the Jackson Art Center Studios.
PAUL PIETSCH
Paul Pietsch is a painter based in Washington, DC, who received his MFA as well as a Graduate Certificate in Arts Management from American University. Along the way, he picked up a BA in history from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Paul paints because few other things in life are as honest, earnest and satisfying. Paul works from life, his sketchbooks, his photos and images from the newspaper. Paul teaches because he believes in the innate creativity of all people and is concerned that too few people feel empowered to realize their creative potential. Plus, he loves to talk about painting and doesn’t get to do that during his day job. Paul has previously taught at Prince George’s Community College and run figure model sessions at Hillyer Art Space and the Washington Drawing Center. Paul is also the treasurer of the Washington Studio School’s board of directors and has previously served on the board of directors of Art Enables and on the Artist Advisory Council of the Washington Project for the Arts. Paul is online at www.paulpietsch.com.
CAROL RUBIN
Carol Rubin received her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA, and studied at the Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC. She obtained the Washington Studio School, Certificate of Achievement, and was a Resident artist at the Vermont Studio Center. Carol exhibits at the Studio Gallery, Washington, DC and has exhibited in juried shows nationally. Awards received includes work for ArtnDeed. Her work is held in private collections internationally. Rubin works in oil using vivid colors, strong compositions and aggressive brushwork. To learn more about Carol visit, www.carolrubin.com.
MILENA SPASIC
Milena Spasic is a Serbian-American painter. She holds a BFA from The Corcoran College of Art and Design and an MFA from The Academy of Art College San Francisco. Her work is influenced by the turbulent history of her native country of Yugoslavia, which dissolved in the 1990’s due to a series of civil wars and NATO aggression. As a figurative painter, she strives to reflect personal and universal experiences of war - the destruction it brings to place, to people, and their individual and national identity.
Spasic’s work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at The Beverly Studio School Gallery, University of California, District of Columbia Center, Washington Studio School, and The Embassy of Yugoslavia, as well as in group shows at Pyramid Atlantic,Maryland House of Delegates, Washington Project for the Arts, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, and Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery. Spasic has special interest in the manufacturing of artist’s materials and their methods of use, the evolution in education about artist’s materials, and the materiality in the world of art curators and museums. She is the Certificate Program Coordinator at WSS and a member of ASTM International D01.57’s Subcommittee on Artists’ Paints and Related Materials. milenaspasic.com
SAMANTHA STOVER
Samantha Stover grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Art History from McGill University and a Masters in Fine Art, cum laude, from the New York Academy of Art. Throughout her academic studies in art, she focused her concentration on Drawing Techniques: historical methods and materials as well as figure-drawing exclusively from life. She learned painting, predominantly, as a copyist in New York and Washington, DC and she has traveled widely through Europe studying master drawings and paintings. Her current work involves figuration and the power of creative expression. Drawing also on her previous experience as a theatrical costume designer, she is influenced by the performative and communicative capacity of the human form and spirit. She employs the practices of her traditional training and her experience with the figure in motion to capture fleeting observations, emotions and memories. To view more of Samantha's work online, visit www.samanthastover.com
MARTIN WALL
Martin Wall received his BFA from Montclair State University with a concentration in drawing and painting. He was awarded a full-fellowship artist residency at Vermont Studio Center following his studies. During his time at VSC, he further explored traditional approaches to drawing the figure and to plein-air painting in oils. He began a career in teaching in 2001 in Washington area schools. Currently, Martin teaches drawing and painting courses at WSS and private remote or in-person lessons to children and adults.
JO WEISS
Jo Weiss received her MFA from American University and has taught at Georgetown University, American University and Maryland College of Art and Design. She has served as Head of Faculty at the Washington Studio School twice, from 1990-92 and from 1999-2010. Weiss's most recent exhibitions include a show at the Katzen Museum (2018) and Minėmå Gallery (2013). Weiss serves on the Board of Trustees for the Vermont Studio Center and is Chair of the Advisory Board at the Washington Studio School. To view more of Jo's artwork online, visit www.joweiss.com.
TREVOR YOUNG
Educated at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, Trevor Young is represented by Addison/Ripley Fine Art, Washington, DC; David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, MI; and George Billis Gallery, NY. His work has been exhibited locally, nationally, and internationally, including the Armory Show, NY; Art Miami, FL; and La Biennale di Venezia (Luciano Benetton Collection), among others. Numerous publications have reviewed his work such as The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, Artsy, and OpenLab Magazine. He was profiled for Home&Design (September/October 2015) magazine and works featured on the second season of Showtime’s Billions as well as on the “Full Frame” segment of CCTV America (October 2015). His work is included in several private and public collections, including the Washington DC Convention Center, and on the cover of Neil LaBute’s book, "How to Fight Loneliness" (2017). Young recently had his third solo exhibition with Addison/Ripley Fine Art in Washington, DC and his first solo exhibition with George Billis Gallery, NY. To learn more about Trevor visit, trevoryoung.net.
VISITING ARTISTS
LOUIS ANTOINE GILBERT
Louis Antoine Gilbert is a French-American painter. He grew up in Paris, where he began painting as a street artist. His work focuses on geometric architectural abstraction, influenced by cubism, modernist architecture, and the playful aesthetic of street art. He uses a sharp and precise style to produce vibrant and surreal cityscapes. Louis has worked, participated in group shows, and sold paintings in Paris, Brussels, and Washington D.C.–where has been residing for the last five years. Louis’ art is an exploration of the interplay between tradition and contemporary expression. View more of Louis' work on Instagram @antoine_paints.
HSIN-HSI CHEN
Hsin-Hsi Chen, born in Taipei, Taiwan, moved to the USA in 1994 for graduate studies in Fine Arts, earning her MFA from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1996 and her BFA from Tunghai University in 1992. She gained U.S. Permanent Residency in 2002 based on her "Extraordinary Ability in Art" and received prestigious grants such as the 2013 Maryland State Arts Council Grant and the 2007 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. Chen's artwork has been showcased in numerous exhibitions and collected internationally, including in the permanent collections of institutions such as Art Bank/DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Brooklyn Art Library, and the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, she has served as an art critic and judge for various competitions and has taught at institutions including George Mason University, University of Maryland College Park, Montgomery College, and VisArts. Her work has garnered attention from major newspapers and journals such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Art & Antiques. To view more of Hsin-Hsi's artwork visit www.hsin-hsi-chen.com/
CHERYL EDWARDS
Cheryl Edwards, born in 1954 in Miami Beach, Florida, enjoyed a diverse childhood filled with activities and exploration. Her academic journey led her to an all-girl Catholic High School in North Miami and later to Boston University for a MA in Black Studies. There, she delved into documenting the life and artistry of Alan Crite, gaining deep insights into his practice and leaving an indelible mark on her intellectual journey.
SARAH MATTHEWS
Sarah Matthews is a highly skilled printmaker and book artist with a background in art and business. She holds an MA in Art & the Book from the Corcoran College of Arts and Design at George Washington University, an MBA with a Marketing Concentration, and a BS in Sociology from Bowie State University. Her works have been exhibited internationally and are part of prestigious collections at institutions such as the National Museum of African American History & Culture Library, Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, George Washington University’s Gelman Library, University of Puget Sound, and Samford University. Mrs. Matthews is also a dedicated educator, teaching Artist Books at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and bookbinding and printmaking classes at various art centers and platforms. To view Sarah's artwork online, visit https://www.iamsarahmatthews.com/
GAGE OPDENBROW
Gage Opdenbrouw is a painter and teacher who lives and works in the coastal redwoods of Northern California.
For the last 22 years he has shown his work in galleries, museums, and universities nationally and internationally. He has taught drawing and painting in person and online to adults and children, with an educational approach that blends the philosophical with technical skills. He has been teaching in-person workshops and regular online classes at the Washington Studio School since 2019. His work is concerned with the poetic potential of light, attention, and the silent music of the beauty of the everyday, translated into paint and color. When he is not in the studio painting he is most often found in the coastal hills and valleys roaming the forests, observing flashing waters, backlit fogs, and their deep pools of light, shadow and memory. He loves to spend as much time in silence and ‘nature’ as possible, but finds playing music, reading, and simply attempting to pay attention to be meaningful sources of inspiration as well.
One recent meaningful highlight from years of devotion to painting - and related to one of his many painting heroes - in 2017, Opdenbrouw’s painting “Garden, Garland of Hours”, was honored with an award as part of a national juried exhibition “Honoring the Legacy of David Park”. View more of Gage's work online at https://www.gageopdenbrouw.com/
SUSAN YANERO
Susan Yanero studied at L’Ecole des Arts Decoratif et du Batiment, Grenoble; Carnegie Mellon University, and received her MFA from American University. She has over 30 years teaching experience at American University and Washington Studio School. Her work as been included in group exhibitions at Apex Gallery, Art Barn, Courtyard Gallery, Georgetown Art Gallery, and in a solo exhibition at American University Katzen Arts Center. She lives in Washington, D.C. To view more of Susan's work online, visit kingsoaksart.com/artists-2022/susan-yanero/.