Faculty
 

CONNIE BURLESON, piano and organ instructor, is a graduate of Meredith College. She has a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is a former Music Specialist for the Rowan-Salisbury schools. Mrs. Burleson currently serves as organist and choir accompanist at First Presbyterian Church in Lexington, NC. She has served as an accompanist for both the Choral Society of Lexington and Rowan-Salisbury Choral Society. She is very excited about the organization of The Arts Academy at Grace Episcopal Church.

KELLY GREATHOUSE, yoga and dance instructor, is a native of Lexington, NC.  While in high school she was accepted to Governor's School of North Carolina in dance and she also attended North Carolina School of the Arts in Contemporary Dance.    She is a graduate of Goucher College where she received a BA in dance with concentrations in Performance and Choreography, and in Dance Education and Arts Administration.  Along with gaining knowledge in ballet, modern, and jazz, she studied the Pilates method of Body Conditioning and traveled to the West Coast of Africa to study African Drum and Dance.  In 2002 she was a guest artist in residence with the Carolina Performing Arts Center in Greensboro.  Most recently, in the summer of 2008, she received certification from the Asheville Yoga Center to teach yoga to children.  Kelly is the owner of Sheets Dance Academy in Lexington where she teaches a variety of dance classes.  Kelly has been the dance instructor in the Arts Discovery Camps in Lexington/Davidson County since 2007.

Vanessa Hollifield, glass artist, creates contemporary and spiritual art.  Her work spans from commissions for churches and homes, to repairs and restoration, to fine art gallery exhibition. You can find Hollifield's work in various galleries and churches in North Carolina, Virginia, Philadelphia, and recently at the National Museum of Catholic Art & History n New York, NY.

JUDY KING, Art Instructor, Polymer Clay Judy has worked with polymer clay for over twelve years and teaches classes for both adults and children in the areas of jewelry design and sculpture.  The past four summers she taught children’s art classes at the Arts Discovery Camps in Lexington and Welcome.  Her classes for adults have been offered at the Healing Ground retreat center in Summerville.  Her sculptures of saints, angels and nativities are found in churches throughout the United States and in private collections internationally. 

LUKE PAYNE, guitar instructor, began formal study of the guitar while a student at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.  He went on earn a Master’s degree in classical guitar performance at The North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied under Joseph Pecoraro and was employed as the graduate assistant to the guitar program.  Luke has also studied and been certified in the Suzuki teaching method.   

Luke is a passionate and talented teacher who’s resume includes teaching positions at The North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston Salem State University, The Salem College Academy of Music, The Suzuki School of the Arts in Hickory, The Community School of Music in Winston Salem, Forsyth Country Day School Music School and maintaining a private studio in Winston Salem.  He is also active as a performer in various ensembles and as a soloist.  His playing and teaching encompasses a wide range of styles, including classical, jazz, rock and bluegrass. 

Helen Rifas, harp instructor,  earned degrees in music from Reed College and the University of Oregon, where she was a recipient of the Ruth Lorraine Close Fellowship in harp.  She is currently principal harpist with the Greensboro and Winston-Salem Symphonies, as well as symphonies in Salisbury, Hickory and Greenville, and South Carolina.  Ms. Rifas is a member of the Wake Forest Consort, an early music ensemble which performs on period instruments, and frequently performs with flute and cello in church and concert settings. She has performed as soloist with the Greenville Symphony’s Chamber Orchestra and on their Spotlight Series for chamber music.  Ms. Rifas is adjunct harp instructor at Wake Forest University and teaches Suzuki harp at Kids in Koncert at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory. 

KATHERINE SKIPPER, art instructor, grew up in Charlotte, NC and began taking art lessons when she was 14 years of age.  She moved to Lexington in 1948 when she married Darrell Skipper.  Katherine helped start the Lexington Artists League which became known as the Davidson County Art Gallery.  

Katherine paints in all mediums but watercolor is her favorite.  She has taught at Davidson County Community College and the City of Lexington Recreation Department for about 25 years.  Katherine served as the first full time Director of the Davidson County Art Gallery, was a part owner of the First Avenue Gallery in Lexington, and was a founding member of the North Carolina Watercolor Society.  She has had exhibitions throughout the Triad area and her work is in many business and private collections.

Martha S. Smith, voice instructor, graduated from Salem College with a degree in Voice Performance. She later became certified to teach K-12 music at Catawba College. In 2002 she was the first teacher in Rowan County to obtain National Board Certification in Early-Middle Childhood Music. Her music education contributions have been published twice in the national professional magazine Music K-8. Martha has Level One certification in the Orff technique. Her experience includes teaching elementary and middle school music in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and Rowan-Salisbury Schools for 31 years. In addition to teaching at the Arts Academy at Grace, Martha also teaches violin, viola, and cello in the After-School Strings program in Rowan County, and private lessons in voice and piano in Salisbury.

Lisa Timberlake, art instructor, is a graduate of UNC-CH. She has worked as a teacher in a variety of capacities. In addition to teaching visual arts she has worked as a language therapist with children that have reading disabilities. Prior to joining the Arts Academy at Grace, Lisa taught at Davidson Academy where she developed and implemented the art curriculum for students from K-8th grade. Lisa currently serves as the volunteer program coordinator for G.R.A.C.E. girls, an after school enrichment program for at risk 6^th grade girls. She is looking forward to being a part of the Arts Academy and providing opportunities for students to explore their creativity.

Luci White, violin and viola teacher, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where she began studying Suzuki violin at age 8. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she studied with Almita and Roland Vamos. Luci has completed Suzuki teacher training through Book 5 at the Chicago Suzuki Institute and the American Suzuki Institute. She performs with the Greensboro Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, and Salisbury Symphony. Luci teaches at the Music Center of Greensboro and the Arts Academy at Grace.

Sara Young, art instructor:  Sara Young is from Syracuse, NY.  She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education.  She has been teaching art at Walkertown Middle School in Forsyth County for 10 years.  She loves to paint using oils and watercolors.  Her passion for creating and studying art inspired her to become an art educator.  Her favorite thing in the world is when a student realizes for the very first time that he or she can be an artist!