Karen is a graduate of Tufts university and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with a master’s degree in education from Western New England University and is The founder of New Bedford Arts and Cultural Emporium ~ NBACE at Kilburn Mill !! Karen is a recognized portrait painter and owner of    Peasantware Pottery and a former columnist for the Bulletin in Boston. She has been teaching various subjects, primarily advanced ESL, fine art, writing, test prep, debate and humanities; at universities, preparatory, public, private and international schools and community ed in and around Boston and now locally for over 35 years. She and her family moved back to the south coast from Boston in 2013. She is currently on the local cultural council board and working on a book which is a series of short animal stories from her personal experiences 

Jim Watkins, is the owner of Nurcha Foods LLC based in Fall River MA. He's been an avid gardener for almost two decades, has chaired the conservation committee of the Taunton Garden Club, and over a decade ago began to really be intrigued by the mushrooms he found growing in his yard. This led him down the mushroom growing rabbit hole, including running a Living Systems Lab for SCIL makerspace, where they grew mushrooms and even began work on combining mushroom growing with Aquaponics. In 2021 he left his full time Product Manager position to pursue his love of growing good, delicious, healthy food

Sara Gifford is an art education graduate from Bridgewater State University. She has been studying nature through the lens of watercolor painting for several years. Her specialties include watercolor illustration of subject matter such as birds, mushrooms and flora. She learned through referencing the world around her as well as through countless nature books. Her work has been published in The Bridge, and has been displayed at UMASS Boston’s University Hall Gallery.

Jason Charbonneau has been making and playing cigar box guitars for many years as a pastime.  He has been a professional state line painter for over 20 years,  is a trained cabinet maker, home builder as well as a true outdoor enthusiast.   Besides making and repairing guitars, his interests also include, travel, history, Chinese Water color, clay hand work, acrylic painting, film making, agriculture, wood carving, wood burning; Jason is a true Renaissance Man.

Brian Moses is, as he describes, a Competent Generalist.  Which is a humble way of saying thathe is an extremely capable Renaissance man;  intelligent and able to tackle most problems at hand.  He is an IT guy by day, but loves to use the other side of his brain to tackle the restoration of his former church home in Westport, the arts and other creative endeavors.   He has a way with wood, and he's not afraid to show you how to get in there and get started !  You'll love him ! 

​Paul Zukas is a graduate of Universal Technical Institute in Norwood MA, and has been a certified, licensed automechanic for several years.  Growing up in Boston, he has experience working  with Jack Madden Ford and Cadillac, then as a fleet mechanic at Charles River Auto  which is part of the MBTA Ride service, and currently at Boston Logan Airport working for Techtron and Jet Blue on their fleet vehicles, and yes planes sometimes!  He is certified in inspections, and specializes in steering, suspension, allignment, brakes, preventive maintenance, diagnostics and electical systems.  Paul is also a former lifeguard at the New Bedford YMCA (you may recognize him !! )

Carolyn is a South Dartmouth native with extensive experience in all things art and craft related.  Carolyn is a lifelong craftsman, she has gone through decades of trends as well as the classics within crafting and selling her wares at fairs and trade shows.  She is the former owner of several restaurants, day cares and boutiques, and is curently the owner of Artistic Design Originals where she makes and sells her creations.  She is also currently a teaching assistant at Quinn Elementary in Dartmouth, and is co-owner of The All American Lazer Works !!  There is no moss on this girl...unless she put it there with a glue gun!!

Danya Bichsel, a native of Mattapoisett, has been creating art her whole life.  She graduated from UMass Amherst with a BFA in Art Education and a minor in Art History. She specializes in painting, drawing, and hand lettering, but has also recently gotten into pottery and darkroom photography. Sharing her passion for art is what makes her feel most inspired in this world. Danya is currently a teaching assistant at ORRJHS.

Alyson Therrien is a Southcoast artist who has been drawing and painting since she was a child. She is also a writer and reiki master who creates mandala art using found beach stones, plaster, paper, ornaments, and virtually any decorative object. Her body of work also includes photography, architectural illustration, and works in acrylics, pastel, and watercolor.  A Fairhaven, Massachusetts native, Alyson received her Architecture degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology and has practiced design and construction in Boston and D.C. for nearly 25 years.  She currently creates and writes from her New Bedford home studios.

Babara is NBACE's resident Master Tailor and Sewing Instructor.  She attended Chamberlayne Jr. College in Boston and received a degree in applied sciences, later, she attended UMass Dartmouth and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts focusing on Metal smithing.  She has worked in the garment industry, for private clients, Jos. A. Banks, Cherry and Web and became a master Tailor during her years at Nordstrom's in Providence.

Sheryll is a lifelong resident of New Bedford, leaving for a bit to earn a degree in New York City where she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology.  She has worked for years in fashion design making costumes, designing sets and in the fashion industry through buying and merchandising.  She has done craft fairs for 30 years and enjoys gardening and teaching the skills she has learned.

Eileen Riley is a life-long student of the arts. Growing up in rural, Westport, Eileen's backyard is her inspiration. The ocean, wooded retreats, farmland, and suburbia act as a springboard for her past and current work. She earned a degree fin fine art from the University of Massachusetts with a concentration in sculpture. After college she spent time as a potter and artist mentor. She then taught art at Bishop Stang High School, focusing on three-dimensional design, photography and drawing and painting.  She frequently shows her art locally in exhibitions, galleries and other venues.  Eileen currently works very diligently at her art and has been dabbling in NFT's

Melissa Haskell is a lifelong crafter but hadn't really found her niche until she started weaving a while back. The structure and patterning of woven objects just makes sense to her which is not surprising as Melissa has spent the majority of her career as an investment analyst. Now in her second act as a busy retiree, she has more time to weave Nantucket Lightship style bracelets and baskets, tapestries, and anything she can turn into something from a warp and weft. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to join one of her classes and to make something unbeWEAVable ~~

Phil Zukas, our jazz pianist, studied music education at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In addition to being an accomplished solo player, he has accompanied vocalists, worked with small and large combos, and conducted and played with bands in a variety of settings. Phil began teaching piano, electric keyboard and organ to students of all ages and abilities in 1981.  Phil has performed traditional classical works, as well as a variety of contemporary styles, including jazz, blues, rock n’ roll and improvisation. He has also enlarged his musical experience by taking up the banjo and most recently, the ukulele.  

Ryan is a Massachusetts born illustrator and painter who's studied in New York city at the School of Visual Arts.  He has exhibited in galleries throughout New York and New England highlighting his diversity of style and media, but always retains his love for comics and illustration.  Following his stints as a prototype painter for McFarlane Toys, Ryan returned to his passion of illustration and became a freelance artist working on such properties as Disney, Star Wars, Stranger Things, The Mighty Mascots, Bouncy Bal Man, Tragedy, Hellion, Do You Poo, Killer Kare Bears and the upcoming Dirty Living published by Fugitive Poems.

Kendra graduated with a Bachelor of Science From Maine Maritime Academy in Nautical Science.   She also has a United States Coast Guard License for 3rd officer unlimited tonnage. She has sailed around the globe on some of the worlds largest oil tankers as third navigational officer.

Once she settled down, she learned to knit, starting with socks, over a decade ago, and has been knitting ever since.  Socks, hats, shawls and scarves are her favorites.     She is also a Licensed Skydiver and certified FAA senior parachute rigger. Certified to inspect and repack reserve parachutes. 

She and her husband also both do industrial sewing repairs large fabric structures, During Covid 19, they founded Luna Bread in Mattapoisett and have been going strong baking various delicious an decorative sour dough products.  They attended & graduated from an advanced professional series at San Francisco Baking Institute.