SoLa Center for the Arts

CORY BURGESS

FINE ARTS INSTRUCTOR //

In May 2009, Cory Burgess received a Bachelors in Art from Nicholls State University. His concentrations were Fine Art Photography and Hand-built Ceramics. In the Summer of 2009, he was involved in teaching art by becoming an instructor at the youth summer camp ArtSense. Cory wants his students to realize their capacity and ability to create. He hopes that each one of his pupils will gain an understanding and awareness of self-expression. Cory is currently a substitute teacher and is looking forward to a career in Art Education.

JAMIE CHAISSON

FINE ARTS INSTRUCTOR // j.chaisson@solacenter.org

After high school Mr. Chaisson worked as a carpenter and learned a sense of craftsmanship that influenced me to walk the sculptor’s path. He began paying his way through school to gain a BA in Fine Art from Nicholls State University. Under the guidance of many talented, accomplished, and insightful art professors like Jean Donegan, Michael Howes, and Ross Jahnke he received comprehensive training in the development of composition, substance and form in art and practiced many disciplines such as printmaking, photography, and ceramics to name a few. Concentrating in sculpture Mr. Chaisson became familiar with a broad range of forms and materials. In the day time Mr. Chassion provides customer service at the Antique Brick Company while figuring material take offs and directing personnel and deliveries. Art is a passion of his and in sharing his experience, Mr. Chaisson means to provide developing artists with the tools to talk about their art and a choice of the many different avenues of form that their art may take while helping them to refine their craftsmanship and work ethic.

LYDIA CHAMPAGNE

FINE ARTS INSTRUCTOR FOR SENIOR CITIZENS//

A Louisiana artist, Lydia Champagne captures on canvas the part of the world she knows best, the beauty of the south. She began painting in 1968, and her versatility in techniques, media, color, style, and subject matter makes each work unique and exciting. Lydia has been sharing her talent in classes with senior citizens for the past fifteen years, and she has inspired many to become good artists. She is presently a member of the Terrebonne Fine Arts Guild, the New Orleans Art Association, and a small group called Different Strokes. Lydia has studied under well-known artists, including Doug Walton, Morris Shubon, Barbara Neches, Rhea Gary, and Judi Betts. She attended Pensacola Junior College and LSU in Ruston, Louisiana. She is presently showing some of her art at Downtown Gallery at 630 Belanger Street, Houma, Louisiana.

EMILY CHANCEY

VOICE INSTRUCTOR // e.chancey@solacenter.org

Emily Chancey has been taking voice lessons since the age of 5. She has studied Vocal Music with professors at Nicholls State University and has had instruction in Music Theory, Diction, and Sight singing. She has been teaching voice lessons for 5 years in Cut Off and 2 years in Houma. In Cut Off, Emily conducted the Sacred Heart Children’s Choir and was a soloist for mass. Emily has also taken part in Nicholls State University Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. At SoLa, she has taught “Around the World in 6 Weeks” summer camp and participated in the music segment of Drama Jr. Emily also taught private lessons at SoLa, along with the “Glee” choir group. Emily has worked with the Drama students in SoLa’s production of “High School Musical” and look forward to working with them again this spring on “The Pied Piper.”

PAT HORNSBY CROCHET

THEATRE INSTRUCTOR // p.crochet@solacenter.org

Recently retired from the Terrebonne Parish School District after almost thirty years of teaching, Mrs. Crochet holds a Masters degree in theatre from Flordia State University and an undergraduate degree in Speech and English Education from Nicholls State University. Mrs. Crochet taught students who were identified as talented in theatre, and has directed over sixty plays in different venues including community theatre in Houma, Thibodaux, educational theatre and youth theatre. A member of the Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne Board of Directors, Mrs. Crochet regularly directs plays and occasionally acts in the productions of that group.

ANDREW ELLIOTT

THEATRE INSTRUCTOR //

MFA Directing - University of Southern Mississippi, BA English, Nicholls, Producing Artistic Director for Ensemble Arts in New Orleans, worked for American Family Theatre in Philadelphia, THe Alliance Theater in Atlanta, the Alley in Houston, Southern Arena Theater among others. Produced and directed award winning documentaries on life on Bayou Lafourche and Terrebonne.

MICHELLE GAUTREAUX

FABRIC ART INSTRUCTOR

Michelle has managed to hold down as many jobs as she is old, mind you 3 at a time. Jobs ranging from A(rtist) to Z(ookeeper) - well not really, but my household feels that way sometimes. Michelle has been featured in many life sections of the paper for several careers, such as mixed media artist, scrapbook store owner, professional organizer, teacher, and social worker. Michelle owes all my creativity to her family. They challenge her to be creative and look outside the box. Along with her 3 kids, she also has 21 nieces, nephews, and godchildren so one mama has to get a little creative or she would be a little broke.

APRIL LEONARD

DRAWING AND PAINTING INSTRUCTOR // a.leonard@solacenter.org

April E. Leonard will be awarded her Bachelors in Fine Arts with a concentration in Photography and a minor in Art History in May of 2010 from NSU. She plans to continue her education at LSU in the fall, working towards a Masters in Art History. April currently teaches art to children and teens ages 4-16 part-time in Thibodaux. By not only teaching methods and techniques for the creation of studio art, but also introducing vocabulary relevant to the projects, she strives to teach across the curriculum. April believes that art in early education is highly valuable because it is proven that expanding children’s knowledge of art and art history early in development facilitates a higher cognitive ability later in their lives.

BECKY PLAISANCE

VIOLIN / VIOLA / CELLO INSTRUCTOR // b.plaisance@solacenter.org

Ms. Plaisance studied violin in the Lafourche Parish Schools Strings Program from 1971 to 1977. She has played with the New Orleans Community Orchestra and is a violin section leader in the South Louisiana Community Orchestra. She has taught violin for over eleven years and has been a teacher at SoLa for ten years!

JOHN RHODES

ILLUSTRATION AND FINE ARTS INSTRUCTOR //

Illustrator and comic book artist John Rhodes has received both a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nicholls State University and a Master of Fine arts degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. John Has worked with many age groups to help inspire and teach them the skills necessary to tell stories through art. John works with his student’s interests to help them create their own characters, settings and stories. By allowing his students to work with the things that they actually enjoy, John has had great success teaching both storytelling and fundamental arts skills to students of all ages.

TODD ROWAN

GUITAR INSTRUCTOR // t.rowan@solacenter.org

JILLIAN VEDROS-ROWAN

THEATRE INSTRUCTOR // j.rowan@solacenter.org

Jillian Vedros-Rowan holds a BA in Theatre with a concentration in Performance from Louisiana State University. After her tenure at LSU, she moved to Los Angeles where she attempted to break into the “biz” as well as worked as a production assistant in casting for the game show, Deal or No Deal. She began teaching at SoLa shortly after her return to Louisiana from Los Angeles. She currently serves as the Talented Theatre teacher for the Terrebonne Parish School System, and performs regularly at the Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne.

TIFFANY A. TRAHAN

VOICE INSTRUCTOR & WOOD WIND INSTRUCTOR // t.trahan@solacenter.org

Tiffany Trahan studied clarinet and voice at Southeastern Louisiana University, completing her Bachelors of Music in Clarinet Performance. She is currently attending New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for her Masters of Music in Church Music, concentrating in Church Music Education and Composition. Tiffany is currently involved in many vocal performances at Seminary. At Southeastern, Tiffany has performed with many of the small ensembles, giving her a venue to study other woodwind instruments. She has also studied Jazz with Richard Schwartz.