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Meet Our Instructors

Debie Burton
Debie Burton

Debie Burton, has lived all over the United States but has finally put her roots down here in Newberry, South Carolina with her husband Wayne, her brother Scott and her fur babies.
Debie began taking pottery classes at NAC in January 2016. It was soon apparent that Debie had a true knack for clay and began teaching workshops, as well as managing NAC’s clay studio. Her clay turtles, angels and nativities are a big part of the artisan shop.
Debie loves people and has many repeat students in her workshops, because she makes sure everyone has a good time!
You can find Debie’s work for sale in our Artisan Shop.

Debie Burton

Pottery

Norma Donaldson-Jenkins
Norma Donaldson-Jenkins

Norma was born and raised in New York City, but is “of” Newberry, since this was the ancestral home of her mother’s “people”.
Believing in the importance of for exploring creative limits for people of all ages, Norma has taken various art and ceramics classes at the Newberry Arts Center (NAC).
Before retiring as an educator, in her spare time she knitted, crotched, beaded jewelry, and created a collection of character pins she called the “Wild Angie Tribe”. Her fascination with mixed media took off just before the COVID shut down, when she enrolled in a mixed media class at NAC. During the isolation of COVID, she was able to give full attention to telling stories; crafting characters and objects of beads, shells, fiber, and buttons. Some characters are created on canvas or on the base of dead palm fronds, using acrylic paints, crayons. papers, textiles, photographs, recycled materials, and found objects. All of the characters are part of her “Tribe.”
Her love of weaving, which started on a little red loom back in third grade using jersey loops, was recently rekindled and taken beyond pot holders with initials and symbols. She has found another medium for telling the stories that live in her head.
Norma’s works have been exhibited at the Newberry Opera House and Laila’s Place, as part of the Newberry Made Art Rotation; the Newberry Museum as part of the “Finding their Voices through the Arts” display during the exhibit ”Influenced by Harlem Renaissance”; the "Observing Community" Art Exhibition at the old Newberry Observer building; Matheson Art Studio & Exhibition Hall for Oktoberfest and Juneteenth; and the Newberry Arts Center.
She has been a volunteer for the Newberry Parks and Recreation’s summer Arts in the Parks Program for the past two summers.
Movement is another of Norma’s enjoyments, and she is one of the instructors for the Silver Sneakers Fitness Program at the Newberry YMCA, and a ZUMBA participant.

Norma Donaldson-Jenkins

Carol Ezell-Gilson
Carol Ezell-Gilson

Carol pursued her formal training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia where she earned a four year certificate in painting in 1980. Upon returning home to Charleston, she began teaching drawing and painting at the (former) Gibbes Museum School, instructing children, teens and adults for more than 20 years.
Carol's paintings have been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows over the last four decades. There is a common thread of color, line and pattern running through her work which she describes as "magic realism".
Carol and her husband, Tom, recently relocated from Charleston to Newberry and she is excited by the opportunity to teach at the Arts Center.

Carol Ezell-Gilson

Painting and Drawing

Marjorie Huwa
Marjorie Huwa

Marjorie Huwa is a transplant from Maine starting in 2003.
Her formal art training began at Swain School of Design, now part of UMass-Dartmouth, and finished up at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art-Studio Arts in 1984. In 1987 She began her career in education, teaching Art in the Baileyville, ME public-school system for 15 years.
Once settled in the South at Prosperity, her retirement left her with an empty nest BUT a brand-new studio. She then delved into the florals and old buildings that are a hallmark of the South.
Currently she works as an Adjunct Art Instructor at Newberry College, a position she has held since 2010. Marjorie teaches oil, acrylic and mixed media at NAC, where her students “get the support to bring (their) half baked ideas to full fruition,” as one of her students stated. Ideas are just endless possibilities!!
Her paintings have been displayed in many counties throughout South Carolina. Submitted and accepted into the following Juried Art Shows over the years:
1986 Maine State Fair, Bangor, ME
1st Place, Mother Mixed Media
2006 Invitational Arts Exhibition, Union County, SC
Merit Award – Hekate Oil on Canvas
2008 Annual SC Juried Art Show, Pickens County, SC
Spartanburg Annual Juried Art Show
2012 & 2018 York County Arts Council Annual Juried Competition, SC
2015 Art Fields, Lake City
2015, 2016, 2017 & 2019 Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Exhibition
2012 & 2015 SC Festival of Flowers Annual Juried Show, Greenville, SC
Crooked Creek Art League Juried Show
2005 – Merit Award – Dance of Paradise - Oil on Canvas
2006 – Judy Faye Best Overall Design Award – Women Oil on Canvas
2008 – 1st Place Copper Urn Still Life Pastel
South Carolina State Fair – 2005 through 2016, 2018

You can find Marjorie’s paintings for sale in our Artisan Shop.

Marjorie Huwa

Oil Painting, Acrylic Painting, Mixed Media

Jennifer Polaski
Jennifer Polaski

Jennifer Polaski has 20 years of experience teaching preschool and elementary school. Her passions are creativity and literacy and guiding children to make connections in all areas of learning. She and her husband are recent transplants from Virginia and she looks forward to new adventures in South Carolina.

Jennifer Polaski

Katie Sherfield-Tarver
Katie Sherfield-Tarver

Katie Sherfield-Tarver is an award-winning artist who lives on Lake Greenwood with her husband and pack of rescue dogs.
She graduated from Lander University with a Bachelor's degree in Visual Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design. During her senior year, she filled her elective credits with ceramics classes and absolutely fell in love! Her senior year was spent in the ceramics studio learning all that she could in her spare time.

Katie Sherfield-Tarver

Katie Walters
Katie Walters

Katie Walters is a mixed-media artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking. Born in Columbia, Katie has spent most of her life growing up in rural Newberry County, South Carolina. Katie graduated from Newberry College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Teaching.
Katie currently teaches Art in the Newberry County Public School District and has been teaching classes at NAC since 2015. Katie’s knowledge of art education, and her wonderful ability with children has been a big part of the programs at NAC. Katie helps to create the curriculum for our summer camps and afternoon art, as well as teaching painting parties to adults and children.

Katie Walters

Mixed Media

Anne Hightower Patterson White
Anne Hightower Patterson White

A native of South Carolina, Anne is now in her fifth decade of creating art. Anne earned a BFA in studio art from the University of South Carolina and a Master's in Education. After working 29 years in the public school system, Anne retired and now paints full time in her studio and teaches classes and workshops. She is married to Ron White and resides in Saluda County near Lake Murray, South Carolina.
Anne has received numerous awards and recognition. In 2016, Anne was selected by Watercolor Magazine as one of 10 artists nationwide as "Ones to Watch".
Anne has been teaching watercolor at NAC since 2014. She has a large following and her classes are in high demand!
Anne also loves Edisto Island and makes jewelry that she has appropriately named, “Pieces of Edisto.”
You can find Anne’s jewelry, as well as her paintings for sale in our Artisan Shop.

Anne Hightower Patterson White

Watercolor and Jewelry

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