Executive Committee Members:
 President |
Robin W. Butt, an occupational therapist, has an MFA in printmaking and painting. She was VAST Historian from 2002 to 2009. "VAST has been a generous, supportive, and integral part of inspiring me to return to painting. I feel as a VAST Board member I can contribute as an artist and a Denton resident as well as serving as a link to the academic visual arts community." |
 Vice-President |
Lin Hampton has a passion for paint and for pastel. The creative lifestyle is her obsession and her best days are those behind the easel, or working on something new and creative like artistically designed walking sticks. Lin grew up on a small ranch outside of Fort Worth, and traveled to Denton for an Art Education shortly after the loss of her Dad. Lin believes that every day is a blessing and strives to fulfill a vocation of working with the Creative Spirit running rampant through her mind. She was recently co-owner of the Creative Art Studio but left that routine for deeper discovery and exploration, and to embrace life and her obsessions more intensely. Lin enjoys seeking new Artists to provide inspiration, motivation, and demonstrations for VAST. |
 Secretary |
Isabel Cano is a 2nd grade bilingual teacher at Hodge Elementary in Denton. She made her home in Denton after growing up in 5 continents. She graduated from TWU with a BS in Fashion Merchandising. She loves teaching and dealing with all the challenges and rewards that being a bilingual teacher brings. She describes herself as a long time closet artist. Isabel feels honored to be a part of VAST. |
 Treasurer |
D. Jan Jones is a Jewelry/Metals artist. Local to Denton and a graduate of Denton High, Jan received her BFA in Art Education from UNT. She did graduate work at TWU and then completed her MFA in Metals with a Sculpture minor at UNT. She taught metals in Galveston in coordination with GCCAC and has a long history in doctor and office management in the medical field. She presently resides with her husband and UNT student daughter in Copper Canyon where she continues to create jewelry/metal pieces. Jan joined VAST to give herself an "Art Night Out" with her friends and has not been disappointed. |
Directors: |
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Rebecca Barham is the Art Librarian at the University of North Texas and a painter. She has a MFA in Painting and Drawing with a Minor in Metalsmithing, a BFA in Art History and a MLIS in Library and Information Science. She feels honored to be among such wonderful and creative members of an organization that provides a nurturing and supportive environment for artists and art in North Texas. |
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Susan Cheal. |
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Barbara Evans is an attorney and mediator in private practice, working in family law, elder law, probate and collaborative law. Before law school, she received her Masters of Architecture degree. For relaxation, she enjoys fiber arts and mixed media projects. She finds her volunteer work with VAST a great opportunity to associate with wonderful, creative and inspirational artists in the Denton community. |
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With a BA degree in social work, Kerry Goree worked as an employment and correctional counselor before entering the insurance business in 1974. He has lived in Denton since 1991 and owns a State Farm Insurance Agency. His community involvement includes board service for the Salvation Army, Denton Public Library, Denton Black Chamber of Commerce, Denton County Chapter of NAACP, and GDAC. |
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Beth Honeycutt, paralegal and poet, is a graduate of UNT who remained in Denton. Involved in church and extra-curricular DISD programs, she is employed at a local family law firm. A proponent of the power of words and a charter member of the Denton Poets Assembly, Beth has been published in a variety of venues and believes in the unity of family and community to nurture creative expression. |
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Dr. Jim Johnson (UNT Emeritus, 1995) is a charter member of NTAAL and its third President (1978-79). He has been active in the Denton Community Theater as well as serving as President of the Greater Denton Arts Council. His watercolors have been accepted in Texas Fine Arts Association, Southwestern Watercolor Society, and the Louisiana Watercolor Society juried exhibitions. He received the CARA, Community Arts Recognition Award (individual artist) in 2004. |
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Thomas Judd is a Denton-based professional photographer with 30+ years of experience. His commercial work includes advertising, public relations, architecture, portraiture, and photojournalism projects. Personal work consists of landscape, nature, and avian photography which he exhibits frequently. His work is held in numerous private collections throughout the U.S. A 2008 solo exhibition inspired a self-published book project, Santa Fe, Upon Reflection, a portfolio of images from Santa Fe, NM. Tomʼs interest in photography traces back to a home darkroom in upstate New York in the 1960ʼs. In college he was a student of drawing and printmaking as well as photography. He graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1980 with a B.A. in Professional Photography and moved to north Texas that same year. As a VAST member for a number of years, Tom looks forward to contributing to the organization that has played an important role in his continued growth as a visual artist. |
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Tonya Littmann is the owner and designer of a graphic design business, Tonya Littmann Design, with clients ranging from local school districts to Fortune 1000 companies. For more than 20 years, she has also created pictoral art quilts using a wide range of fibers as her medium. Her art quilts have been recognized with numerous awards and featured in national magazines and books. In addition to VAST, Tonya serves on the boards of the Denton Quilt Guild and the Quilters Guild of Dallas Show Committee. |
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David McCullar is the Denton ISD, Director of Fine Arts. He serves on the Greater Denton Arts Council Governing Board and has served on the Music Theatre of Denton Governing Board for three years. David has a BME and MM from Baylor University and has completed post-graduate study toward a PhD in Fine Arts, Texas Tech University. |
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Tina Meschko, as a military wife, studied painting abroad and at five different colleges and universities in as many states, leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Woman’s University where she is currently earning her MFA. She is recipient of numerous competitive scholarships and awards and has an impressive resume of exhibitions, both juried and invitational. Tina has taught at Mission: Renaissance, a private art school in southern California, for the Los Angeles Unified School District in Palmdale, California, and TWU. She is currently owner-operator of the Pustizzi-Meschko Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Whitesboro, Texas. |
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Roxanne Musick is a teacher and a painter. She has been in the education field for over 23 years teaching middle school and is now teaching at the high school level at Sanger High School. She has a BFA in painting with an education minor and a MA in art education. Her current artistic endeavors are colored pencil as a painting medium, water media, and mixed media. Since joining VAST in 2005, she has participated in numerous juried shows and local exhibitions. She has won multiple awards and been published several times. She also encourages her high school students to join VAST and frequently brings several students with her to monthly VAST meetings. “I think it is important for young artists today to interact with other artists within their community and VAST is a wonderful place for that experience.” |
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Tom Norris has been a professional artist for over 25 years and was recently named 2010-2011 VAST Artist of the Year. “I tell people that there are three loves in my life: my God, my wife and my art. I cannot tell you how much my wife, Karen, has supported and believed in me. I’ve done art shows all over the Southwest including Fort Worth Main Street Art Festival and Scarborough Faire. My most recent project is being commissioned by the City of Denton to artistically interpret a poem by the 2010 Texas Poet Laureate, Karla Morton. I never thought being self-taught that I had a chance as a professional artist, but God has led me down a wonderful path and I am so glad I followed Him.” |
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Eloise Sears, a resident of Denton since 1957, retired from UNT in 2001. Since then she has pursued her interest in traveling and painting. Eloise has served on the Steering Committee for RIPS (UNT retiree group) for the past four years. She was elected Historian for 2010 – 2012 of Trippers (travel group sponsored by First United Methodist Church (FUMC) and also served on the Administrative Board at FUMC. She was also a volunteer for Our Daily Bread from 2002-2007. Eloise shares her life with fellow VAST member and photographer, Ray Sears. |
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Tanya Synar teaches Sculpture and has been a member of the TWU faculty since 2004. Tanya specializes in Sculpture involving a variety of media both alternative and traditional. She has an extensive background in metal casting including iron and is currently focusing on video installation. She has won numerous awards including an Illinois Arts Council Grant and has exhibited nationally and internationally. |
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Dr. T. Jervis Underwood is Professor Emeritus, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. He returned to Denton which he calls “home” in 1996, following his retirement from his teaching position in the School of Music. Since his retirement Jervis has dedicated many hours to community service. He has held various positions for the City of Oak Point, where he resides with his wife, Carmen. He joined VAST in 2005 and served as President in 2008-2009. |
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Veva Vonler, long-time Denton resident, retired from TWU in 2000, where she was Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Director of Continuing Education since 1983. Since that time, she has remained active working with the NTCC Consortium and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at TWU. In 2005, Vonler published a book The Movie-Lover’s Tour of Texas: Reel-Life Rambles through the Lone Star State. She received her Ph.D. and her M.A. in English from UNT. She is the daughter of June Donowho and is married to Bob Huffaker. |
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Nancy Waldo, retired Ryan High School Biology teacher, earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Penn State and a Masters in Biology from Stanford University. Nancy also currently serves on the board of the Denton Community Food Center and is active in the Denton Area Retired School Personnel Association. After taking lessons in drawing and painting throughout high school and college, family and teaching got in the way of further art until she retired in 2001. Nancy is married to Allen Waldo who is a semi-retired Professor of Biology at TWU, fellow VAST member, and photographer. |
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Diane Walker-Gladney is a contemporary painter whose work is often noted for its quiet simplicity, elegance, and content. A native of Connecticut with her Master's degree in art, Diane is an accomplished painter whose work has been featured in New American Paintings and can be found in numerous public and private collections including the Longview Museum of Fine Art. Solo exhibitions include the Duncan and Miller Gallery, Washington, DC, Dallas Contemporary Art Center, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and others. Among her many group exhibitions are Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas; Eiseman Center, Richardson; University of Dallas, Haggar Gallery, Dallas; and the Arlington Museum of Art. She has been accepted into numerous juried exhibitions including Critic’s Choice, Dallas Visual Art Center, Dallas; Art in the Metroplex, and the VAST national and regional exhibitions. She is represented by M.A. Doran Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Zatista and Guild.com. Walker-Gladney resides in Flower Mound, Texas and was named a Hunting Art Prize finalist in 2007 and 2009. |
VAST Staff |
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Dr. Lynne Cox, Executive Director, is a photographer and quilter and has taught design-based courses for almost 20 years. She taught Architecture at Skyline High School in Dallas for seven years and then moved to the University of North Texas to work and complete post-graduate studies. Lynne has a BED in architecture from Texas A&M University, a MEd from UNT and a Ph.D. from UNT in Career and Technical Education (CTE) from the College of Information with a minor in Organizational Behavior/Project Management from the College of Business. In addition to working part-time for VAST, she is an adjunct faculty member of the College of Information and works full-time at UNT creating professional development materials and coordinating other statewide curriculum projects for CTE teachers in the Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications Cluster. She lives in Highland Village with her husband, daughter, and son. She has served as President and Treasurer of VAST. |
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Deanna Wood, Assistant to ED, spent most of her childhood moving around the country with her family, returning to Texas in 1982. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in graphic design and a Master of Fine Arts in painting, all from Texas Woman's University. She is a co-founder of The Encaustic Center in Richardson, Texas. She teaches graphic design at Texas Woman's University, and is the exhibition coordinator for the Greater Denton Arts Council. She has a studio in Sanger where she conducts workshops in encaustic painting and bookbinding. She lives in Denton with her son. |