Deirdre Barton, artist mentor
Deirdre Barton has a B.A, in English with a minor in Art, from Boston College. She worked in a therapeutic classroom for preschool children with emotional and behavioral challenges as a Special Ed assistant. Deirdre also started her own retail business “Weatherbird” (combination of cafe, bakery ,market with women’s clothing, home accessories and gifts) and ran it for 24 years. She began working at Spindleworks after being a dedicated volunteer for a year, and brought with her an eye for display, fashion, and a myriad of other talents that come with owning a successful business! A watercolorist primarily, Deirdre also weaves, has a new found interest in knitting and embroidery and is also exploring oil pastels, acrylics and printmaking. When not working, she is an avid gardener, winter sports enthusiast and biker. She enjoys spending time with her family and exploring near and far.
Maureen Block, artist mentor
Maureen Block enjoys being an artist and an activist and finds Spindleworks the perfect place to practice both. She has worked as a Children’s librarian, a Montessori teacher and co-owned and operated a small sawmill while raising her children. While her skills as a certified mediator are sometimes called into action, Maureen also brings to Spindleworks a sense of adventure with materials and size, and a mind to change the world for the better through art. She has an unending library of ideas big and small, and the energy to tackle them! She is most proud of being a mother to three incredibly diverse and totally amazing sons. When not working she enjoys gardening, sculpting and painting.
Becca Case, artist mentor
Becca is very excited to be joining the SpinOff Studio team! She has been a volunteer with Spindleworks, and a big fan of the program, for the past four years. Enamored with art from a young age, she drew a comic strip for the local paper before heading off to earn a BFA in illustration, and a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning from the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduation, Becca taught art and design for several years through adult education and community college programs. She recently went back to school, graduating from the Maine College of Art with an MFA in interdisciplinary studio arts. She loves to draw and publish comics and is looking forward to exploring new mediums and new ways of working!
Angie Devenney, artist mentor
Angie Devenney grew up making mud pies in the woods and getting her fingers pinched by crabs on the shores of Mid Coast Maine. She later received her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and also studied at the Burren College of Art in County Clare, Ireland. Her work has been shown in galleries in Boston, NYC, The Portland Museum of Art and throughout the Northeast.
Bringing her own passions to the program, Angie heads up our ceramics studio and photography program. In addition to her work as an Artist Mentor at Spindleworks, Angie works as a freelance photographer. She has worked as a wildlife interpreter in Alaska, facilitated after school art workshops and taught elementary school photography. She loves fog and collecting treasures, camping & adventuring to new places, cooking & gardening and mixed media art. www.angiedevenney.com
Madeline Gielow, program supervisor
Madeline Gielow is a lifelong artist, loves to have fun, and believes Spindleworks is the happiest place on earth. Madeline has a B.A. in Studio Art from Connecticut College and an M.A. from Lesley University in Expressive Therapy. Madeline has made art with individuals from 3 – 93, in many different settings.
Originally a fine artist, she is currently most enamored with the fiber arts. Madeline has been known to knit, crochet, weave, embroider and bead with both traditional and non-traditional materials. Her work is found in private collections and she has been the recipient of artist residencies, grants and awards. When not at work, Madeline loves learning new creative techniques, reading, writing and being on the water. She has raised a beautiful and talented daughter, and moved way too many times. After 4 years away, she is thrilled to be back at Spindleworks, where the artists fill every day with inspiration.
Alyce Ornella, artist mentor
Alyce Ornella grew up in the Ohio River Valley and moved to Maine after graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has worked at Spindleworks since 2005. Alyce facilitates video and sound arts with Spindleworkers and dabbles in other mediums, letting the artists lead the way. Her interest in history and writing have resulted in her landing grants for special projects for the artists and program which would not otherwise have been possible. When not wearing her artist mentor hat, Alyce spends her time as a documentary film co-director/editor for Rockhouse Mountain Productions.
Jonathan Price, team leader
Jonathan spends most of his time wandering around looking for things that usually don’t exist. When his motorbike runs out of gas, or his legs get too tired he then sets out to create what it is he couldn’t find. Jonathan has made numerous attempts to leave Maine but has come to the conclusion, “there is no place like home”. He also knows there is no place like Spindleworks and SpinOff Studio. Jonathan started at Spindleworks as a volunteer in 2003 when he dropped his fancy art schooling to learn what really great ART is all about! Jonathan continues to be energized and inspired by the work of Spindleworks and is most excited to “spin off” in a new direction as the Team Leader at SpinOff Studio in Hallowell.
Ryan M Walker, artist mentor
Ryan M Walker is a dedicated sculptor and craftsman. For as long as he can remember, he has had a passion for creating functional and non-functional objects with his hands. He received a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and an MFA from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth before coming to work at Spindleworks. The Spindleworks sculpture studio benefits from Ryan’s experience with an extensive variety of materials including re-purposing found and recycled material such as plastic, paper, cardboard, wood, Styrofoam, and various kinds of metal. Ryan finds the energy and creativity of the artists at Spindleworks to be infectious and endlessly inspiring.
Catherine Worthington, artist mentor
Catherine Worthington has a BFA in textile design from University of MA, North Dartmouth. Cathy began her career as an artist mentor at Spindleworks in 1988, leaving for a brief hiatus to have her third son. Cathy currently works part time assisting the artists with their weaving, teaching them about surface design (her own passion) and facilitating their volunteerism in the local schools. Outside of Spindleworks Cathy works on her own textile art and exhibits and sells her work in the community. When she is not in her studio Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 boys, spending time with friends and practicing yoga. www.earthtonesandfishbonesart.com
