Staff at Reach Studio

Director and Resident Artist: Alice Brinkman
e-mail: alice@reachstudioart.org

Outreach Coordinator: Caitlin Kapell (Americorps*VISTA)
e-mail: outreach@reachstudioart.org

Caitlin graduated in May 2009 from the University of Michigan with a degree in General Studies. She was first introduced to community outreach in the beginning of her junior year and has been serving various communities since. Her belief that art can be an effective tool for strengthening communities and supporting local youth is perfectly aligned with the Reach mission. Caitlin is very excited to work with Reach’s current and future volunteers and is looking forward to making the Reach team even stronger.

Instructors at Reach:

Abby Deneau (Kids Clay, Open Clay Studio and Summer Camps)

Abby Deneau was born in Hartford, Michigan in 1980 and currently resides in Lansing, Michigan. She received her BFA from Michigan State University in 2003 with a focus on painting and photography. She is now working as a ceramic artist in a co-operative ceramics studio in Lansing and is also an art instructor at the Reach Studio Art Center, a non-profit art studio in South Lansing. http://www.eaglelakeceramics.com

Debra Oliva (Open Clay Studio--first Monday of each month)

Debra Oliva earned a BFA from Northern Illinois University in Drawing and Painting. Relocating to Michigan in 1986 she was able to indulge a longstanding desire to work in clay at the Greater Lansing Potter’s Guild where she has been a member since1991. She has taught children and adult classes in ceramics. Currently Deb teaches clay classes in Ann Arbor and Plymouth, Michigan.
Debra’s work has been selected for national and international exhibitions and is represented by several galleries throughout the United States. Her work was included in 500 Pitchers, (Lark Books) and Clay Times Magazine.

Jackie Dillinger (Summer Camps, Artsmart, Group Classes)

Jackie is a long time Lansing resident and has earned degrees from Michigan State University in Graphic Arts and Art Education. She has taught art in the Lansing School District and various afterschool art programs, including several programs at Reach Studio, since 2005.

Jessica Johnson (Intern for Creative Connections, Spring 2010)

Jessica is a junior at Michigan State University in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH). She has been volunteering at Reach Studio in our Creative Connections program since 2008.

Kathy Ruff (Creative Tots--Saturdays)

Kathy is an experienced educator of children with seventeen years of experience teaching in the Lansing School District. Kathy specializes in early childhood development and is currently a lead teacher at a pre-school in Lansing.

Liz Wilson (Creative Tots--Fridays, Summer Camps)

Liz is an Honors College senior student in Art Education at Michigan State University. Liz has been an enthusiastic, involved volunteer for Reach Studio since 2007. Her teaching experiences include activities with pre-school through high school and she comes to Reach with an eagerness to hone her teaching skills and further the mission of Reach.