Meet Our 2026 Winter/Spring Instructors
Traci Arney
Photography is Traci's passion. In her work, the line between reality and surrealism blurs, teasing the impossible. It is a real world of her own creation, where images are shot with intention, composited, and crafted in the digital darkroom to match what she sees in her head.
A proud graduate of Arizona State University with a BFA, Traci also enriched her knowledge at Oxford University. Her photography has received accolades, gracing various galleries, and is celebrated for its captivating blend of reality and imagination. "Art, at its core, is a way to capture and maintain your attention long enough that it works its way into your soul." Visit Tracey's Website:
traciarneyphotoart.com & @traciarneyphoto
Traci is teaching a 2-day Portrait Photography Workshop on March 21-22, 2026
Laurie Basham
Laurie Basham is an award-winning pastel artist known for capturing color and light in landscapes, figures, and still lifes. Inspired by plein-air painting, travel, and her own photography, she also works in her studio painting scenes of family and nature.
A native of Rockville, Maryland, Laurie earned a degree in Art Education from the University of Maryland and retired in 2019 after an award-winning teaching career. Now a full-time artist, she has received numerous awards in plein-air competitions and local, national, and international exhibitions.
Laurie is active in the North Carolina art community, teaching pastel workshops and private lessons. She is a signature member of the Piedmont, Maryland, and Degas Pastel Societies, an associate member of the Pastel Society of America, and a past president of the Piedmont Pastel Society.
lauriebashamfineart.com & @lolliartworks
Laurie is teaching the Pan Pastels Workshop on February 21, 2026
Ashley Bell
Ashley Bell grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a 1985 graduate of East Carolina University with a BA in Art Education, minoring in Painting. She has taught art in Iredell County at the elementary, middle, and high school levels since 1987. She retired after 32 years of service in 2020. She also taught many years of private lessons and the past 3 years at our Mooresville Arts Summer Academy.
Ashley is spending her retirement time filling in for art teachers in the schools, painting, crafting, as well as teaching adults at South Iredell Senior Center and here at Mooresville Arts.
Ashley is teaching Watercolor I & Watercolor II and Youth Art Explorers classes in the 2026 Winter/Spring
Robert Bodrogi
Robert Michael Bodrogi is a cinematographer and still photographer whose work is rooted in visual storytelling that explores one central question: What does it mean to be human? His imagery is driven by instinct and shaped by experience, using light, space, and texture to reveal small truths often missed.
A self-taught artist, Robert came to photography later than most—he didn’t own a camera until his 21st birthday. An unexpected injury ended his path toward a military career, leading him instead to photography as a way forward. A chance meeting on set led to his first job in film, and it immediately felt like home. His motion work includes brands such as Panasonic, Fruit of the Loom, Delonghi, and Nespresso. His photography portfolio includes Toys R Us, Volvo, and Carhartt. His fine art photography series, Urban Steps, is internationally recognized and published.
Robert lives in Cornelius, North Carolina with his partner, Margaret, and their dog, Jupiter.
robertmichaelonline.com & @robertmichaelonline
is teaching a 2-day Portrait Photography Workshop on March 21-22, 2026
Ahra Cho
Ah Ra Cho is an artist and art instructor based in North Carolina. She earned her BFA in Asian painting from Hongik University in South Korea and completed her MA at the University of Arts London, where she explored metaphysical themes through contemporary art. Her work focuses on the nature of light and the unseen forces that shape our reality.
Alongside her studio practice, Ah Ra is a live worship painter at her church, using art as a form of praise and reflection. She also leads worship art workshops, creating opportunities for participants to connect with their faith and creativity. With over a decade of teaching experience, she is dedicated to helping students of all ages find and develop their unique artistic voice.
Ahra is teaching Acrylic Painting, Botanical Art with Colored Pencils & Botanical Sketchbook classes in the 2026 Winter/Spring
Kortney Gibson
Kortney Gibson has lived in the Lake Norman area all her life. Now residing in Mooresville with her husband, daughter, and four dogs, she's excited to open more opportunities in the world for anyone who wants to paint.
Kortney's primary focus is on painting animal portraits in oil mediums. She is passionate about bringing out the animal's personality in each painting. She wants to continue to help people of all ages find their inspiration to start making art.
Kortney will be leading the Creations & Libations events in March & April 2026
Dixon Handshaw
Dixon Handshaw is a photography educator based in Mooresville, NC. He spent 35 years as a learning and performance consultant and president of his own company, Handshaw, Inc. Before that, he earned his living as a professional photographer. He combines those two experiences to teach fine art photography in digital and film formats. His favorite aspect of teaching is inspiring students to find personal expression through the lens of a camera.
Dixon has a BFA in photography from Alfred University and an MS in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. He served on the Board of Directors for The Light Factory in Charlotte, NC, and chaired their Education Committee, where he taught and designed courses. He also served on the Board of Directors at the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, NC, where he designed and taught a Bird and Wildlife Photography course.
Dixon is a member of the board of directors for Mooresville Arts and Education Committee Chair. He has been passionate about photography since he was 14 years old. Learn more about Dixon at handshawphotography.com
Dixon is teaching Art of Photography I & II Workshops in January & February 2026
Justin Leluika
Justin has instructed all grade levels, from kindergarten to collegiate, over the last 17 years.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Time-Based Media Studies (Animation) from Columbus College of Art and Design, Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Academy of Art University, and Art Teacher Certification from Seton Hill University. Justin has worked with ESPN, Wendy's, and the Walt Disney World Company within the visual arts field.
"As an educator in the field of visual arts, I feel that it is important that every individual finds their way to self-express themselves and to use that skill when moving forward in life's journey."
Follow Justin on Instagram @mrleluikaartstudio
Justin is teaching Teen Emerging Artists & Adult Drawing in the 2026 Winter/Spring
Tina Vincent
Tina Gwata Vincent is an award-winning artist from Zimbabwe who has had her work exhibited throughout North Carolina and beyond. Her work can be found in the homes of collectors all over the country. Her journey as an artist began in her childhood, when she was inspired by the natural beauty surrounding her. Living in the Dominican Republic as a girl she loved the bright colored architecture and traditional crafts that sparked her interest in art. The stories told through visual language have always fascinated her, and she strived to carry that tradition forward in her work.
Tina’s home studio is filled with an array of materials like fabric, decorative paper, paints, and each waiting to be transformed into something extraordinary. On a given day you may catch her experimenting with cyanotypes on fabric and creating intricate textured wall hangings or collages. Tina's mixed media works are not only a feast for the eyes but also provoke thought and conversation. She believes that art should be accessible and relatable, and she often incorporates elements that resonate with her audience’s cultural backgrounds.
tinagvincent.com & @tinagvincent
Tina is teaching the Cyanotype Workshop (Sun-Printing) on April 11, 2026
Beverly Walker
Beverly Walker learned basic weaving at University of Kentucky in 1994. Feeling drawn towards pictorial weaving to incorporate her years of oil and watercolor painting, she then studied advanced tapestry techniques in England at West Dean College where she also learned advanced silk painting. Her tapestries can be found in a Paramount Pictures movie, in a “Best of Ohio 2013” traveling exhibit, and in the Queens Room of the ship Africa Mercy, as well as many private and corporate collections.
Walker has a passion for teaching others the many techniques of colorful tapestry weaving, and has taught many tapestry workshops in several states. She is excited to introduce tapestry classes of several levels in the Mooresville area to which she has now relocated. She exclaims, “Tapestry is very fun, easy to learn, affordable, and therapeutic like petting a kitten!”
She is a member of the American Tapestry Alliance and Tapestry Weavers South.
Beverly is teaching Wrap & Coil Fiber Art in April 2026
Skye Young
Skye Young is an illustrator, arts practitioner, and environmental educator living in Huntersville, North Carolina. She has an MA in Scientific Illustration and an MA in Conservation & Community Engagement. Skye loves to explore interdisciplinary ways to create and stay curious about the environment, she has a love of nature and works in a variety of media, exploring themes of climate, light, and time. Skye hopes to help others deepen their understanding of the natural world by fostering a sense of belonging through artistic creativity and inquiry.
skyeyoungart.com & @thecurioushound
Skye is teaching the Block Printing Workshop & 5-week class in 2026 Winter/Spring
Meet More of Our Instructors
Anne Harkness
Minerva "Minnie" Ramirez
Anne Harkness
Anne Harkness is a North Carolina native and contemporary artist with a BFA in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute, College of Art and studies at the Atlanta College of Art. After 15 years as an art director in New York City, her paintings reflect a strong graphic sensibility and thoughtful design.
Anne finds unexpected beauty in ordinary places, creating work that captures memory, time, and a sense of place. Her focus on line, movement, and layered marks comes from a love of drawing and an appreciation for loose, expressive surfaces. She hopes her paintings bring a fresh, engaging presence that enhances the atmosphere of everyday life.
Emily Osborne
Minerva "Minnie" Ramirez
Anne Harkness
Native to Statesville, North Carolina, Emily attended school at UNCA and received a BA in Ceramics. Emily teaches at a local high school and continues to explore her passion of teaching and creating. Some of her chosen mediums include drawing, painting, and ceramics.
Within her own art, she primarily focuses on creating realistic face jugs by building and sculpting facial features on to a rounded form. Her motivation to create these pots is inspired by the interpersonal connections we make with others and their impacts on who we are as people.
Minerva "Minnie" Ramirez
Minerva "Minnie" Ramirez
Minerva "Minnie" Ramirez
Minerva “Minnie” Ramirez is a self-taught mosaic artist shaped by her Dominican heritage and Caribbean roots. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, she discovered mosaics in 2020, turning a creative outlet into a bold, whimsical, and deeply personal artistic practice.
Through self-study and workshops, Minnie developed her style and has contributed to collaborative mosaic murals in Michigan and Ohio. She now teaches private lessons and community workshops, sharing her belief that mosaics are “the most affordable art therapy.” For Minnie, art is about connection, healing, and creating space to shine.
Janet Visser
Marisa Pascucci
Minerva "Minnie" Ramirez
Janet Visser, a prize-winning American Painter and instructor, simplifies any subject matter by reducing it to a fundamental and poetic
form of line and color.
There are no blatant messages in her art, but rather, a journey of visual excitement. She creates using acrylics and mixed media in a rhythmic
series of freedom and thought. Her finished abstract compositions are composed of up to ten layers of paint.
Marisa Pascucci
Marisa Pascucci
Marisa Pascucci
Marisa J. Pascucci is an experienced art curator, historian, speaker, and administrator with a progressive career in leading art institutions. She is currently Gallery and Collection Coordinator at the Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College and an independent curator in the Charlotte area, where she writes and lectures regularly.
Previously, she served as Curator of Collections at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Associate Editor of The Art Economist, and adjunct faculty and career advisor at Palm Beach State College. Her museum experience also includes curatorial roles at the Norton Museum of Art, Everson Museum of Art, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, MOCA Cleveland, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. She has contributed to museum publications, co-written successful grants, and is a member of several professional arts organizations.
Marisa holds a BA in art history from American University and dual MA degrees in art history and museum studies from Case Western Reserve University in partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Art.