MEET OUR STAFF
Sharon Kaufman
Execuive Director/
Pottery Studio Director/
Summer Camp Creation Full Day Camp Head Teacher
VCA’s Director, "Miss Sharon", has been teaching art for 26 years. Her personal love is the pottery wheel, with clay sculpture coming in a close second. Her philosophy of, "not doing the work for the children, but showing them on her own sculptural work", is the trait that has made her trusted and beloved by her 100s of students over the years. Sharon is a 13 cancer survivor.
Sharon and Jayson developed
Village Center for the Arts in 2000, when Sharon joined the staff of VCA shortly after it's inception as a drama program.
Sharon is also the founder of the popular Danbury program, Escape to the Arts, which she created in 1990 and ran for 10 years, when she released the program to the YMCA.
Elizabeth Hill
Instructor
Elizabeth received her BFA from SUNY Purchase and her MFA from Bard College. She also studied visual art and music at Bennington College, with additional training at Wooster Community Art Center and The Art Student’s League in New York. She has taught painting and drawing at Wooster Community Art Center, New Milford Public Schools, and privately in her studio. She was also the Arts Coordinator for Peace Pals at the World Peace Prayer Society in Amenia, NY. Elizabeth is currently represented by the New Arts Gallery in Litchfield, CT. Samples of her work can be viewed on her website Elizabeth Seewald Hill
Jayson Roberts
Studio Director
Co-founder and Studio Director, Jayson Roberts, excels in oil painting, and as the wood-building instructor. He enjoys the mechanics of all the arts and has developed a love for clay hand-building.
Jayson spends hours training and developing the volunteers into the world's best workers, and is responsible for the success of many of our young people's ability to function well in society.
Jayson is the founder of VCA, in late 2000, as a drama program for his beloved daughters, Jennafer and Megan.
Weeks into it's inception, Jayson brought in Sharon, and together they built VCA into the thriving, exciting nonprofit art center it is today.
Dianne Collentine
Studio Assistant
In addition to being a dedicated member of the VCA Dianne enjoys photography & jewelry making, and is currently working on a patent for her designs. She also has a certificate in graphics.
She is the social media manager for VCA
Dianne enjoys painting, writing and the outdoors. Her hobbies are reading and learning photoshop when she has time. She is also serves as a volunteer for Paint The People.
Deb Sowerby
Instructor
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Deb Sowerby has been painting seriously since 2008, initially developing a love for New England’s most recognizable landmark -The Lighthouse, and continues to add more examples to her portfolio. In 2009, Deb started volunteering for VCA, teaching acrylic on all levels, and hosting the Club Mud after school program twice a week. She developed the “Paint Along” style of teaching, in which students create a copy of a popular painting using a step-by-step process. first to the younger artists, then due to popular demand she opened up an evening event for adults on a monthly basis.
Her “Paint Along” has attracted many ‘nubies’ as well as frequent flyers, ensuring a great night out – complete with a masterpiece of your own creation to take home.
Deb has lived in New Milford since her relocation from England in 2001, and has been a great asset to VCA ever since.She is the owner of Brits Brand Tea Room
Follow her on Instagram brits_brand and Facebook
Vickie Foy
Instructor
Biologist by trade, crafter at heart. Vickie has worked with a number of mediums including stained glass, wood and clothe over the years, but her all-time favorite medium is clay. Her love for clay started in the mid 1990’s when she was given as a birthday present of gift certificate for a pottery class. Unfortunately, the studio she worked out of closed shop a year or so after she started. After raising a family and sending then off to college, Vickie started at VCA taking Pottery classes with Sharon and has grown in her skill. Vickie specialize in combining working on the wheel with hand-building.
She is in juried shows around CT
Joe DiGuiseppi
Instructor
Professional Illustrator, Graphic Designer, Cartoonist, and Educator.
Joe's artwork ranges from Science Fiction, Fantasy, to Realism & Surrealism.
In addition to teaching at Village Center for the Arts, and as an Public school art teacher
he also works as a freelance Illustrator / Artist for hire.
Joe is an artist local to Danbury, CT with a portfolio of clients and projects ranging from marketing, publishing and large scale murals. He has many large murals in the historic downtown Danbury, and in a number of area restaurants. Working with community organizations and private business owners Joe has helped to transform many walls into works of art. His work can be viewed at www.joedigspi.com and also at www.diguiseppi.com"
Jenna Mancini
Instructor / Studio Artist /
Summer Camp Creation Half Day Camp Head Teacher
Our Wonderful & Amazing Miss Jenna! Miss Jenna is a long time "VCA-er" who has risen from the student to volunteer, to an employee, to an instructor. Jenna has a kind and patient and teaching method that makes her lessons both exciting and successful. The children love her!
She attended Eastern CT State University, studying Elementary Education and Visual Arts.and graduated 2018, and is now a 3rd-grade Montessori teacher.
Abby Allen
Half Day Summer Camp
Instructor
Andrea Rios
Pottery Wheel and
After School Instructor
Abby began as a volunteer over a decade ago at the age of 12. She has grown up here and participated in many years of classes.
She recently graduated from the University of Scranton with a degree in Secondary Education and History.
Abby is our half day Summer Camp lead instructor while on break for the Summer.
She teaches the children an array of creative mixed media projects.
Andrea is our newest teacher at VCA.
She is a skilled experienced teacher with an extensive background.
She has a B.A and M.F.A in Illustration from Western Connecticut.
She has experience in teaching after school art, middle school, and adult classes.
3 years teaching pottery wheel, anime, acrylic painting, world cultures art, and mixed media. She taught in many collages and schools.
We are so happy to have her as part of our team!