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Site Credits

The Oregon Art Beat at School project was funded in part by the Spirit Mountain Community Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Oregon Art Beat Staff

Greg Bond - Senior Staff Videographer, Editor
KC Cowan - Co-Host, Producer
Tom D'Antoni - Producer
Jeff Douglas - Executive Producer, Co-Host
Jessica Martin - Producer
Mike Midlo - Producer
Tom Shrider - Videographer, Editor

Project Advisors

Judy BlueHorse Skelton

Educator and herbalist, Judy BlueHorse Skelton (Nez Perce/Cherokee), shares her knowledge of medicinal plants and healing, at conferences, educational institutions and workshops throughout the West. She is a Student Support Specialist with Portland Public School's Title VII Indian Education program, creating curriculum and leading cultural activities focusing on the traditional and contemporary uses of native plants for food, medicine, ceremony and developing healthy lifeways. Judy is a member of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society, and serves as co-chair on the Native American Community Advisory board. For the past six years she has written about Native American culture and health for the state's largest newspaper, The Oregonian. Currently, she is recording health segments for a weekly radio program sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, scheduled to air on AIROS, (American Indian Radio On Satellite) in 2004.

Robin Fromherz

Robin's professional experience includes working an Elementary teacher, Speech Pathologist, pre-21, Speech Communication, community college level, Special Education consultant and curriculum coordinator. She received a P. Buckley Moss Foundation International Award for the Arts in Education, and was the past president of Oregon Very Special Arts.

Betty Mayther

Betty's career as an art teacher is extensive. She was founding faculty member and art teacher for twenty five years with the Metropolitan Learning Center. Betty has also been teaching 7th and 8th graders, high school age and adults at the Pacific Northwest College of Art for sixteen years including classes at the Portland Art Museum. She currently keeps busy volunteering at Roosevelt Alternative School, Twin Rivers.

Phyllis Quanbeck

Phyllis has taught art (theatre) for 41 years. After retiring from South Salem High School in 1993, Phyllis was invited to the State Department of Education to create a new specialist department, The Arts and Communications which she continued to do for three years. This year the Dept. again asked Phyllis if she would be willing to assist with the Review and Revision of the Arts Content Standards which will be reviewed by the public after it's presentation to the State Board of Education in September. Phyllis was also the founder, and director of Children's Educational Theatre, a school for the performing arts in Salem for 26 years. CET, won the coveted Governor's Art award for its contribution to children and the arts in 1994, and is celebrating its 30th year this summer. Phyllis also chairs the fund raising foundation, Children's Theatre Foundation and presently on the Board of Directors for the Howard Street Charter School whose emphasis is the Arts, Science, and Language.

John Skelton

John Skelton is an instrumental music teacher in the Dallas Public Schools in Dallas, Oregon, where he has taught since 1974. Dallas bands have earned many honors under his baton, and have traveled extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. He is the conductor of the Salem Concert Band and the 234th Army Band, the Oregon National Guard Band. John is a staff member of the Oregon Ambassadors of music. He is Past President of the Oregon Music Educators Association. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon. John lives in Salem with his wife Toni.

Darryl Thomas

Darryl is an Associate Professor of Dance at the Western Oregon University and teaches composition, jazz and modern technique. He has performed and choreographed dance in countries worldwide. A former dancer and artistic collaborator in the world-renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Darryl also co-directs Rainbow Dance Theatre with his wife, Valerie Bergman.

Shelley Toon Height

Shelley Toon Hieght studied fine art at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Oregon College of Art and Craft. She is the visual art specialist at Bright Beginnings School and The Grove School in Hood River and a teaching artist on the Columbia Gorge Arts in Education Roster. She specializes in community projects, permanent installation and art curriculum integration. She serves on the executive board of the Oregon Alliance for Arts Education and the Education committee of the Columbia Art Center.

Curriculum Writers

Laurie Carlyon-Ward

Laurie has worked at Catlin Gable for the past nineteen years as the Upper School Visual Arts Teacher. She is currently the Arts Department Chair for the school where she oversees curriculum and personnel for three divisions, Lower, Middle and Upper School. Her courses include: drawing, painting, print-making and photography using Photoshop.

Colleen Cavin

A calligrapher, book artist and Fulbright Scholar, Colleen has over 15 years experience teaching calligraphy and book binding to children and adults. She has taught for Pacific Northwest College of Art, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts and Portland Community College. Currently, Colleen serves as a contract art teacher for Multnomah County.

Alice Cotton

Alice is an accomplished, professional illustration artist, educator, author, publisher and speaker. Alice's niche is portraying historical architecture in a distinctive pen and ink drawing style. Her professional illustration projects include a current publication entitled, "When Buildings Speak: Stories Told by Oregon's Historical Architecture" as well as freelance architectural illustration for McMenamin's pubs and Breweries.

Kathleen Dinges

Kathleen currently works for Salem Arts Association developing new education initiatives for after school programs. She previously worked in New York as Education Director for Dancing in the Streets, overseeing curriculum design, recruiting, supervising and teaching artists. Kathleen has extensive experience developing programs and residencies for educational settings, including participating in the "Learning Through Art" exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Rachel Foxman

Rachel has more than twenty years experience storytelling in educational programs. Through her work on the Young Audiences roster, Rachel guides students in making the connection between oral and written language and models how to tell folklore or create a story from theme study or life experiences. In 2003 Rachel conducted a research project analyzing the effects of storytelling/story writing on fifth graders preparing for the state writing assessment. Rachel's has a Master's of Arts in Education Curriculum and her Oregon Teaching Certificate for drama.

Susan May

Susan is a retired Salem-Keizer School District teacher as well as a visual artist. She stays involved in community activities and maintains leading roles as the President of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Willamette Academy Art, Photography Coordinator and Polk County Superintendent of Fine Arts. Since her retirement she has served as a District Curriculum Specialist.

Bruce Orr

Bruce has taught art to children of all ages for ten years. In 2003 he created a puppetry arts education company, Mudeye Puppet Company which provides a variety of services for the community. Bruce's career began in Philadelphia with a Master's of Arts in Art Therapy, conducting art therapy groups for mentally ill and chemically addicted adults. Additionally, Bruce served as the educational coordinator for Spiral Puppet Theater.

Greta Pedersen

Greta is a performing artist, songwriter and elementary music specialist. Her music video "Music is Magic" is endorsed by the Child Advocacy Council, and has been broadcast regularly on the Learning Channel. A former classroom teacher, Greta offers a variety of school assemblies, artist residencies and teacher workshop to the educational community.

Pete Roth

Pete is a noted teacher and composer/arranger who has served as the Music Specialist for the North Santiam School District in Stayton, Oregon, until retiring in 2003 after 32 years. He taught general music and pioneered the development of "Folk Ensemble" incorporating traditional American instruments into a public school music program. He is currently working on a collection of original children's songs for Folk Ensemble.

Celeste Woodward

Celeste is a talented teaching professional who has worked with children and families and recently completed her Oregon Teaching License. Celeste worked at Kelly Elementary SUN Program where she facilitated SUN school classes emphasizing art and social studies for k-5th graders. Currently she works as an instructor for PPS Prevention office teaching insight classes for students and their families' as an alternative to school suspension/expulsion due to drug, alcohol or violence offenses.