Instructors

Casey Beltran

Casey and husband Eric Beltran both grew up with a love for dancing. Casey was raised in ballet and jazz studios and was a member of her high school’s pep dance team. Eric started dancing at seven when he became a member of the professional Ukrainian dance troupe, Veselka. Casey and Eric met salsa dancing in 2010 and dated while they were members of various dance troupes and performance teams on the west coast. Years of marriage and five children later, they began instructing students and adults in private workshops at the request of their community. They are excited to bring their passion for dancing to Manassas through the ARTfactory.

Lydia Bratton

has a BA from Marymount University and an Associate Science Degree from Northern Virginia Community College. At both schools she studied Fine Arts, Arts Education, and Graphic Design. She is a mixed media artist and has taught art classes of all student levels at various schools throughout Northern Virginia. In addition to teaching art, Lydia currently teaches GED/HSE classes during the school year for PWC Schools.

She won the 2018 Kathleen Seefeldt Award for Outstanding Art Educator.

Ryan Arias

Ryan Arias is a freelance artist and educator who has received a B.F.A with a minor in Graphic Design. Their interest in art emerged early on through a devoted love for telling stories and drawing. Online, Ryan enjoys sharing their comics and self-written novels. During college, Ryan gained training in K-12 education and interned at their community college’s art museum. Additionally, their experience extends to volunteering in schools as an art teacher’s assistant and freelancing lessons with individuals to provide feedback, critique, and guide them through their own artistic process. Inspired by the act of storytelling, Ryan seeks to create art that tells a story, rather than art that is representative of a story or feeling. Their primary interests are grounded in narrative arts and animation, which offers creative expression through the bonding of language and drawing. While teaching, Ryan hopes to encourage confidence in their students to be inspired by the progress they make when immersing themselves in new experiences and the artistry that already exists within themselves.

Ray Bugnosen

RAY BUGNOSEN is a multi-time American Rhythm Dance Champion and a highly decorated Pro/Am Champion in both American and International Style Ballroom & Latin. He is the founder of The Ballroom Dance Company of Greater Washington, and in his 20 year stint, served as both the Artistic Director and Executive Director. Although retired from professional competition, Ray continues to teach private students, work as a studio consultant, coach amateur and professional competitors, train instructors, and is a sought after guest instructor and lecturer for national events.

Lee Darter

received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising & Graphic Design from Sam Houston State University and her Masters in Art Education from the University of Houston. Lee holds teaching certificates in Texas and Virginia for all levels of art instruction, and has won numerous honors and grants; most recently Lee received the Northern VA Art Educator of the Year Award in 2014. She currently is Visual Art Teacher in Cedar Point Elementary School instructing K-5th grade students, and is a Certified Zentangle® Instructor.

Deborah Dismuke

graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Illustration and Design. In addition, she has a Multimedia Design Certificate from Northern Virginia Community College. She has worked for the federal government as a CIA officer, who is now retired. Presently she works full-time as an Intelligence Community Contractor. Deborah is the first Agency artist that has been selected to have her artwork featured in the CIA’s Intelligence Art Collection. She has painted pieces depicting images of the Cold War and the “Argo” Operation. To date, she is the only former CIA employee to have her artwork displayed in this gallery. Deborah is certain others will follow in the future. In addition to her time as a CIA officer, Deborah has held positions as a multimedia developer and designer, Illustrator, learning technologist, and an instructor.

David Amoroso

David Amoroso shows his admiration for Latin culture through his artwork. His artistic passion is divided between painting, photography, and block and screen prints. Although the majority of David’s work is dedicated to painting iconic portraits of everyday people, he also represents Mexican pop culture through his work. His involvement within the Latino art community has allowed him to create Mexican altars for Día de los Muertos and Guatemalan Alfombras de Aserrín. His art has brought him to exhibit and work in the DC Metro area, California, Arizona, North Carolina, Mexico, Central and South America..

Kimberly Faulkner

is a board-certified, creative arts therapist, based in Northern Virginia where she currently has a private practice and therapeutic consulting business, BlueMonarch Creative, LLC. She attended both Hampton University, (where she holds a B.A. in Psychology) and Pratt Institute (where she received her Master’s level training in Art Therapy and Creativity Development). She has over 14 years of experience ranging from her work with behavioral health populations, leading therapeutic art groups with all ages to her role as a corporate wellness trainer. Kimberly’s mission is to enhance wellness for individuals and organizations through assessment, consultation, and creative action.

Michele Frantz

has a B.S. in Graphic Design from Appalachian State University, and has taken calligraphy, computer graphics, and watercolor painting courses at Northern Virginia Community College. She was hired to design graphics for the public library system after moving to Virginia. In 1991, Michele formed Arcadia Art Studio, where she divided her time between desktop publishing and painting. Michele has been teaching at the ARTfactory and contributing her work to the walls of Grounds Central Station and Three Monkeys Chophouse in Manassas. Michele is also an active participant in the local arts community, where she served as president of the Prince William Art Society and the Manassas Guild. She is currently the president of p-ART-ners Professional Network, Inc.

Mike Flynn

is a graduate of Loyola College in Montreal, Quebec, and has completed a 28-year career in federal law enforcement. Mike favors Impressionism, but also enjoys the challenge of details and realistic refinement. In recent years, he has explored working in mixed media, combining inks, watercolor, charcoal and gouache. Mike has exhibited his work throughout the area and has been juried into several exhibits in VA and MD. He is a member ArtBeat, Inc., an artists’ cooperative, and p-ART-ners, a local plein air artists group.

Carol Hartt

Carol Hartt has received a B. A, in Classical Languages from Tulane University. During her time at William & Mary, she studied percussion with John Lindberg, a former principal timpanist with the VA Symphony Orchestra. Within the span of 40 years, she has played the drums in numerous concert bands, rock bands, and orchestras. While working for Manassas City Public Schools, Carol served as the Gifted and Talented Coordinator, and the Fine Arts & World Languages Supervisor from 2015-2022. In recent years, Carol has engaged with the meditative art form Zentangle® and became a certified Zentangle® teacher in September of 2022. Throughout the years, she has also taught private snare drum and drum set lessons and has begun teaching hand drumming and facilitating drum circles. When teaching, she hopes to share with her students the solace expressed by the natural rhythms and patterns she encounters in life that inspire her musical interests and her artwork.

Lukman Ahmad

Self-educated, and deeply in touch with his people and the intertwined surrounding cultures, Lukman Ahmad expresses imagination and experiences with authenticity. Ahmad allows color and movement to tell the story, be it one of pain or of happiness, of contemplation or passion. He combines symbolism, imagination, color, and rhythm, to transport the viewer into the world he lived and the emotions he witnessed. Ahmad strives to deliver that spectrum of life with over 100 exhibits in various countries, including: Syria, Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Egypt, Lebanon, and the United States. Ahmad’s exhibit history has ranged from solo exhibits, such as the Foundry Gallery in D.C., the Jerusalem Fund Gallery, the Voice of America Gallery, and Syra Gallery, as well as group exhibits at the West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park in Stowe, Vermont, Artomatic in Maryland, the Ackland Art Museum with the University of North Carolina, and the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia.

Cheryl Miehl

Cheryl Miehl has received a B.S. Ed. degree in Art Education from Millersville University, an M.I.S. in Art with a concentration in painting and bookmaking, and an M. Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia. Currently, she operates as the Art Department Chair at Brentsville District High School, as well as the Vice President of the Virginia Art Education Association and is a participant in the School of Art Leaders National Art Education Association. Cheryl is a National Board Certified Teacher who holds 20 years of experience teaching art at the K-12 level. Implementing lessons on the immersion of meditative practices in art serves as a cardinal interest when instructing her young students. Driven by her artistic interests in mixed media painting and bookmaking, she aspires to introduce her students to a variety of creative practices that foster moments of both meditation and rejuvenation in their lives.

Suhail Mir

is an attorney and a professional photographer and videographer. He has been taking photographs for almost 20 years. Suhail was voted the Best Artist of Prince William county 2014-2017, Best Photographer 2017, and Best Events Photographer 2016. He was also nominated for 2017 Kathleen K. Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence in the Outstanding Artist category. He has 10 years of experience teaching the art of photography and photo editing software to children and adults. Suhail has won several awards and his work has appeared in full-page ads in the New York Times Magazine, Washingtonian, and other journals.

Natalya Nikitina

has a diverse teaching background in the performing arts, mathematics, physics and language arts. She studied contemporary, modern dance, yoga, meditation and ballet techniques for 10 years in Russia, and has completed two years of performing arts instruction in NYC at the Peridance School and HB Acting Studio. Natalya also has Masters of Education and Bachelors of Education degrees in Mathematics and Physics. Natalya has experience coordinating, developing and teaching performing arts summer camps for children of all ages, with special emphasis on team building and social skill development for economically disadvantaged youth. She has worked as a professional choreographer for musical theatre productions.

Ozzy Osborne

is an artist based in the DC metropolitan area but was born and raised in Gatlinburg Tennessee. Ozzy received a BFA from East Tennessee State University and an MFA from GW Corcoran School of Arts & Design. Ozzy works in multiple traditional and digital media, is a professional graphic designer and commercial artist, and is employed as a full time art instructor with a private school in George. Mx. Osbourn has taught art classes, camps and workshops for children in NoVA and DC since 2014, and teaches multimedia classes here at the ARTfactory.

Heather Rankin

Heather Rankin has earned a B.F.A. in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. For the past 6 years, she has taught art classes in Prince William county where she works with neurodivergent children and teaches them creative expression and engagement through artistic skill building. Heather has led art classes for children and teens and adults at the ARTfactory since 2016; alongside her experience as an art educator, Heather is also engaged in her own art where she takes inspiration from multiple forms of media and art history. She finds joy in drawing scientific and natural history studies and exploring the use of a diverse range of materials and mediums. Additionally, she enjoys highlighting a myriad of cultures and time periods when teaching art history to provide her students a diverse lens to guide their education.

Carla Riga

is a meditative artist and the owner of Himapan Gallery Virginia. During her time in Bangkok, Thailand, Carla was introduced to lotus leaf painting through friends and discovered the original Himapan Gallery. She was impressed by the masterpieces created with lotus leaves and the little art experience that was required. Carla brought this unique experience back to Northern Virginia. She views lotus leave painting as a form of meditation through art and continues to import her canvases from the original Himpan Gallery in Thailand for those who are participating in her painting workshops. As an instructor, Carla strives to recreate the harmony and meditative environment of the original Thailand gallery experience for her students.

Jean Seelig

has studied art in many forms since the 1970s. After years of college courses and NOVA classes she decided to concentrate her work on Asian brush painting.  She studied under Ming Friedman and then with Betzi Robinson, Marie Kaneko Shaughnessy, Henry Wu, Liang Wei and others. Jean is a member of the Sumi-e Society of America and has exhibited in several national shows. Her work has been featured annually at the Millwood Show, Bluemont Piedmont Friendship Heights exhibit, and at the V Galleria in Kennett Square, PA. Jean has taught programs in Asian art appreciation and brush drawing for Shenandoah University. As president of the NCAC chapter of the Sumi-e Society, her love of this art form grows and flourishes with others who share the joy of Asian brush painting. Jean is a retired licensed therapist and works to emphasize the meditative and healing potential in the practice of brush painting.

Sophia Tamilio

Sophia Tamilio is a NOVA-based artist and graphic designer who has earned a B.F.A in Graphic and Animation Design and a minor in Communication Studies from Longwood University. While growing up, she expressed a love for art and design that guided her into exploring a variety of classes involving photography and digital art. The meditative qualities she finds in both traditional and digital mediums motivates her to explore her creativity by garnering new tools and techniques. An admiration for broadened perspectives carries into her teaching as she wishes to offer opportunities to discover new skills and areas of intrigue. The mental benefits of art inspire her to encourage her students to embrace their “mistakes” as key aspects of the artistic process. In her free time, Sophia enjoys experimenting with polymer clay through the creation of jewelry, charms, magnets, and ornaments. She operates an Instagram page called @clayful.day where she displays her designs and fulfills custom orders, along with exhibiting them at the ARTfactory’s vendor events and the ARTfactory Gift Shop.

Sara
Wenger-Justicia

Sara M. Wenger-Justicia is a NOVA-based practicing artist and educator who received an M.A. in Art Education from City College of New York in 2017. Although Sara grew up in New York City, she finds herself inspired by the wilderness through her hiking adventures. Outside details such as rock formations, fungus, tree bark, and ridge line capture her attention, as well as her Latin culture. When exploring the outdoors, she equips herself with a portable watercolor set and a handmade sketchbook that are instrumental in documenting the intimate details in nature that stir her curiosity. Sara’s experience as a chalk artist also inspires her as it allows her to travel the country to a variety of festivals where she can connect with other artists and the local community and share the beauty and value of public art. Her instructional experience extends from the outdoors, to museums, non-profit work, and within the public school system in elementary through high school level classrooms. Sara currently teaches K-6 Art at Brookfield Elementary School where she continues to demonstrate the importance of art–both permanent and impermanent.

Emily Thomson

has a BA in Art from Oneonta State College. She continued her education after graduation at local community college to study figure painting and other painting techniques. She is also certified in Character Animation. Emily has completed commissioned works and showed at various gallery shows in Upstate New York. She is also a published children’s book illustrator and has created all artwork for the final book of the Ragwort Chronicles series The Reunion. Emily’s main medium is oil paint, but she also works with acrylic, ink, watercolor, and gouache. She finds inspiration for her work in animals and nature.

Amy Treat

started out as a dancer with the Arlington Dance Theatre, but has performed with Rooftop Productions, most recently appearing in Murder on the Menu. She has branched out into TV work as well, appearing in many locally produced shows. Amy teaches performing arts classes here at the ARTfactory.

Annaliess Tromatter

is a Manassas based artist. She is fascinated by light, from external sources to bio-luminescence and how it interacts with the world. As a fine artist, she is focused on exploring these relationships between light and dark through charcoal, pastels and colored pencils. Annaliess teaches both art classes and theatre classes here at the ARTfactory. She has been involved with Pied Piper Theatre for several years as Stage and Production manager, costumer and scenic artist. She studied theatre and fine arts at NVCC and graduated spring 2018. 

Josh Vest

teaches several theatre classes at the ARTfactory and has performed in Rooftop Productions’ shows A Christmas Carol and Mafia Murders and their Evening of Comedy show. Josh has also appeared in an independent film and web series. 

John Waldron

has been working as an actor, instructor, and director for over 20 years. He received a BFA in Theatre from VCU. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Classica/Synetic and Murder Upon Request and has directed and taught at numerous theatre camps, workshops and schools. He helped create the Past Time Prime Time Players–sponsored by the ARTfactory–at The Prince William County Senior Center. He can be seen in the movie Talk to Me as well as an episode of Investigative Discovery channel’s Who the Bleep? as a Doo Wop singer.

Dale Walsh

started in tech work many years ago and teaches the “Behind the Scenes” theater technical class plus specialized courses in sound and lights for the ARTfactory. He is the resident sound designer for Pied Piper Theatre and technical lead for Rooftop Productions. He has worked on nearly 50 productions for the ARTfactory. In 2011 he received a Kathleen Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence in recognition of this work. He is also a technical advisor and master carpenter for other local theater groups, and has attended Broadway tech master classes in NYC.