Jill Blom
LeVar Carter
Stephanie Garr
Pam Connolly
Staff
How We Began |
| Art Adventures is a family owned studio. Suzanne Barr began teaching small painting classes in the basement of her home. Quickly her zest for teaching and love for children drew in dozens of neighborhood kids. Thirty years later, she and her daughter,, Amy Barr-Boulch, combined their teaching expertise and founded Art Adventures. Now offering a full array of art classes, the studio still embodies the feeling of family. “We teach every child like one of our own and we HUG every student every day no matter how tall they are!” –Amy Barr-Boulch |
Teachers |
 Amy Barr-BoulchOwner and Director “It is my dream to build a cultural center where families can come to experience all of the arts.” Art Adventures is the first step towards that dream. Amy Barr-Boulch graduated from Radford University with a BS in Art Education. While beginning her career as an art teacher in Chesterfield county, she entered the masters program at VCU. Amy spent almost 10 years teaching art in the public schools of Virginia. In 1998, she won art teacher of the year for her region. Amy enjoys pushing the envelope and trying new things. “I believe that students should be able to create anything they want. I try to facilitate each students’ inspirations and show them new ways to create artwork.” Her students have won many art competitions and scholarships. However, “It is not about the merit you receive for your work, it is about the fun!” Amy loves to travel and combines that joy with her love of art and thrill of teaching. For example, she organized and lead 250 middle school students to New York for a three day art and language experience. Next, she was the art educator on a student mountaineering/kayaking trip to Colorado and Utah. Amy taught at risk students how to make art from found objects and create an art journal. She even took ten students to Maui on a one week art and photography excursion. Students took cameras on a sailing trip, a jungle hike, to the cliffs of a blow hole, to the secret red sand beach in Hana, across a petrified lava field, and more! It was incredible! Now, Amy is the owner and primary teacher at Art Adventures. Also, a proud mother, Amy’s daughter is her pride and joy. Primarily and oil painter, Amy paints scenes that remind her of things she loves, like her family, and places she has traveled. Amy also enjoys water skiing, snowboarding and backpacking. “I am lucky to have such a wonderful family. Together we have built Art Adventures for all to enjoy. I also thank all the members of Art Adventures for their endless support. They too are like family to me. I keep busy, but LOVE what I do for a living. Every day is different and always full of fun!” -Amy Barr-Boulch
Margaret Bucher Known as “Mrs. B.”, Marg Bucher is vivacious and fun loving! You can always count on a smile and a hug from Mrs. B.! Marg Bucher earned her BFA from Purdue University and took masters art classes at Michigan State University. She has been an art teacher for many years. She loves watching the kids and adults light up when they discover they really can make fabulous art! Mrs. Bucher is not only a talented teacher, but a working artist as well. She has a painting studio in Petersburg, VA. She has won numerous awards and recognition for her work. “I enjoy drawing and painting in watercolor. I have a keen interest in landscape and have always loved architecture…the way light plays on it and defines it.”
Jill Blom is a graduate of VCU. With a Masters of Art Education, she brings enthusiasm and lots of new ideas to Art Adventures. Her drive to teach art comes from her belief that the Arts can provide a sense of unique self for each student. “I believe that art is a universal language that can teach everyone to learn and accept the commonalities, as well as diversities that we all share as human beings.” Jill is excited to be a part of Art Adventures and enjoys sharing her knowledge of the Arts with others. She strives to bring out the best in each student. Mrs. Jill has expertise in photo-realism, creative journaling, abstract painting, and mixed media art. Please visit her website at jillspencerblom.com.
Bringing smiles and warmth to Art Adventures, LeVar Carter is a graduate of Savannah College of the Arts. With a strong background in experiential art education, he enjoys a multitude of outdoor activities like hiking, climbing and boating. LeVar says art is “freedom of expression” and is a powerful tool to unlocking the creative potential of students. He feels that Art and nature are a catalyst to finding ones true self. In his free time, LeVar enjoys working primarily with pen and ink, water colors, acrylics, oils, and sculptural medias. He develops intricate caricatures, cartoons and book illustrations. He is also a Master Yoga instructor.
Stephanie Garr uses her camera to make beautiful, timeless images. She is a Certified Professional Photographer specializing in creating environmental portraiture. She states, taking photos of “beautiful, timeless images” helps to “capture the feeling of the places around us”. Her clients span from the East to the West Coasts and all around the world. Proficient with both traditional and digital cameras, darkroom work and computer technologies, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Art Adventures. Stephanie says “photography brings us closer to one another and love and happiness to our hearts”. Please visit her web site at www.stephaniegarr.com
Pam Connolly is full of energy and new ideas. A graduate of VCU with a BFA and a minor in Art History, Pam’s focus is on textiles and fashion design. Pam is a professional working artist as well. She paints on silk with vibrant dyes and uses black lines to make the figures in her work dance across the fabric. A talented woman and mother of two, Pam is a luxury to have at Art Adventures. She brings her lively spirtit and expertise to our students which makes them shine! “Working with kids inspires me to paint and keeps spark in my life!” Please visit her website at www.silkoriginals.com Mary Beth Conley- Teacher and Outsource Instructor Mary Beth is a graduate of James Madison University with a BS in Art Education. She served as the JMU chapter president of the National Art Education Association. She enjoys working on large scale paintings primarily in oil. Having taught in Chesterfield County and at Art Adventures, Mary Beth, believes art helps us make connections to ourselves and the world around us. “I love to see students discover, experiment, and explore new ideas when creating art.” Mary Beth was one of Art Adventure’s first students over 20 years ago! In the summer, Mary Beth anticipates trips to the Outer Banks and enjoys time at the pool. Zoey Engel- Teacher and Professional Illustrator Zoey Engel specializes in traditional Illustration and computer generated Illustration using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. A graduate of Missouri State University, Zoey has a BFA in art with a dual emphasis in Computer Animation and Printmaking. He has created comic strips for a local news station and currently creates pixel art and animations for a video game developer that primarily works on Nintendo DS games. For fun, Zoey enjoys drawing his own cartoons and playing the games he helps to create! “Art education is important to help develop a person’s creativity and self understanding. I feel it helps individuals realize the important role art has played in the recording of history.” |
