Art Alliance Instructors

Patrick Rowe has worked as a professional production potter for more than
20 years. He currently works with wood-fired functional stoneware and
porcelain and also produces pottery for hire in the Seagrove area and
across North Carolina. His work involves creating large quantities of
pieces tailored to the design standards of individual shops, and he has
experience with a wide range of clay bodies and firing processes. Patrick
serves as Studio Manager at Art Alliance of Greensboro, where he teaches
both adult and youth classes.

Born in Burlington, North Carolina, Leanne Pizio grew up with three
sisters, supportive parents, and plenty of animals. She earned degrees in
Art and Psychology from UNC–Chapel Hill and later received her MFA from
UNC Greensboro. After years of balancing many different jobs to support
her artistic work, she now works full-time in her studio. She lives in a
log cabin in the country with her husband, dogs, cats, and chickens.

LT Hoisington received his MFA in Studio Art and Sculpture from the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1992. He has taught at Art
Alliance for many years and has also taught in the ceramics department at
UNCG. In addition to participating in numerous juried exhibitions, his
work has received international recognition and has been published in two
books.

Ray Knirs moved to North Carolina from Michigan and discovered a love for
the rich red clay of the Piedmont in 2012, when he took his first pottery
class. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Ceramics
from Guilford College. After retiring from a 25-year career as an auto
mechanic, he began making pottery full-time and teaching. Ray is known
for his natural teaching style and believes pottery should always include
an element of fun. He works across multiple firing techniques, with a
special love for wood firing.

Peter Strafaci first became involved in pottery while completing degrees
in Art Education and School Administration at SUNY New Paltz. After
retiring, he returned to his love of clay. His handbuilt pieces often
reflect his appreciation for nature through textured surfaces and earthy
tones. Peter’s studio and gallery are located in Oak Ridge, and his work
is exhibited and sold locally throughout Greensboro.

Clem Thomas received a BFA in Sculpture and Ceramics from UNCG. While he
enjoys making functional ceramics, sculpture is where he feels most fully
able to express himself. He describes himself as a glaze enthusiast and a
budding wood-fire ceramicist, and he loves sharing what he knows in ways
that encourage creativity and exploration.

Kat Hawks was born and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina. She earned a
BA in Psychology from Guilford College and a Master of Arts in Psychology
from the University of West Georgia. Her graduate work led to a deep
interest in art therapy and the role creativity plays in mental health.
She later returned to Guilford College to study ceramics, where she
worked in the studio as both a teaching assistant and technician. Kat has
developed a strong love for glazes, colored clay, handbuilding, and
agateware thrown from clay she makes in her own studio.

Full instructor bio coming soon.

Martha Garrett holds an MFA from Tulane University, with much of her
education and artistic focus centered in clay and sculpture. She began
teaching art at the middle school level in 1996 and later taught high
school art from 2005 to 2021, becoming proficient across a wide range of
media. Her teaching experience includes photography, honors studio art,
AP Studio Art, AP Art History, graphic design, and multiple pottery
sections. Since retiring, Martha has joined Art Alliance as a student and
instructor, bringing both enthusiasm and deep classroom experience to her
work with young artists.

Kelly L. Taylor creates dramatic still life paintings featuring antique
and vintage objects that speak to memory, continuation, and the lives of
things left behind. Originally from upstate New York and formerly based in
Boston, she is a graduate of Guilford College, where she earned both a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in oil painting and an AB in English. She remains
active in the Triad arts community through exhibitions, galleries, and
artist collaborations.

Jane Ann Kepley holds a BFA from the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro and is a retired art teacher with Guilford County Schools. She
continues to make art in her home studio and enjoys sharing both her
knowledge and her love of the creative process with students.

Full instructor bio coming soon.