Faculty Bios — Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

Suzanne LaFrance

Suzanne LaFrance

Suzanne LaFrance is a San Diego–based artist working in ceramics for over 40 years, specializing in nonfunctional, sculptural ceramics with an emphasis on hand-building and slab construction. Her extensive ceramic studies include advanced techniques in glazing, glaze formulation, and kiln firing. She is currently studying porcelain and china painting with internationally recognized artist Nancy Benedetti. Having studied figurative sculpture for many years with SDSU professor Jess Dominguez, she has extensive experience in foundry work, casting and pouring bronze and aluminum.

Angela LynchSeptember 14, 2020Suzanne LaFrance

Chris Lahti

Chris Lahti

Chris Lahti earned a BA from Whittier College in 2001 and his MFA in Printmaking from the University of Iowa in 2004. In 2005 Chris entered the field of fine art printmaking and limited edition publishing at a Los Angeles based print publisher. Recognizing a desire to return to his hometown of San Diego, Chris established the East County Printshop in 2015. The East County Printshop is a San Diego area printmaking studio that collaborates with artists to create original fine art prints in various printmaking techniques, and currently concentrates on screen printing.

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Christopher Lahti

Ron Lemen

Ron Lemen

NEW INSTRUCTOR! Ron began his artistic journey in the high-adrenaline world of extreme sports, where creativity had to move as fast as the culture itself. Designing graphics for skateboards, snowboards, and surfboards, along with shoes, wheels, apparel, and gear, he forged a flexible, fearless imagination—one shaped by constant problem-solving and an instinct for visual rhythm.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Ron Lemen

Alejandro Leon

Alejandro Leon

Alejandro Leon is a painter working in the San Diego area. He is working on a series of paintings reexamining shape and line in representations of flora, fauna, and the figure. He also has 5 years of experience working in the entertainment industry as a designer. He has a BA in art history from UC, San Diego and a BFA from Art Center College of Design.

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Alejandro Leon

Kelvin Lopez

Kelvin Lopez

Kelvin Lopez is the new Print Studio Technician at the Athenaeum Art Center! Kelvin has a passion for printmaking and community engagement. His journey in printmaking began at MiraCosta Community College in 2012, and he has since earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with an emphasis in printmaking. From relief to monotype techniques, Kelvin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our studio.

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Kelvin Lopez

Mary Manusos

Mary Manusos

Mary Manusos' intentions are to create a sense of time and space with the way she combines her subject matter, color, handmade paper, and print. She uses the print because of its aggressive nature on top of the softness of the poured, dyed handmade paper. The layers of colors and space create infinite possibilities and realities. She began teaching at Ohio University in 1972. She has shown nationally and internationally as an artist and educator for over 40 years and has been included in hundreds of exhibitions around the world. She has been visibly influenced by her travels in Latin America, their culture and their politics.

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Mary Manusos

Kathi McCord

Kathi McCord

NEW INSTRUCTOR! Kathi McCord is a printmaker and illustrator. Her politically oriented etchings titled “Toys in Peril,” received praise from local iconic art writer Robert Pincus, who describes the work as “immaculately executed” and added that “the wry tone of them is finely tuned. Her woodcuts and illustrations have received much praise, as well.

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Kathi McCord

Jennifer McHugh

Jennifer McHugh

NEW INSTRUCTOR! California native, Jennifer McHugh, is a full-time abstract artist and art instructor. Creativity and art classes were always a part of her life, but when she was a new mother, her need for a creative outlet led her to an abstract art class and she was hooked. In 2015, after 7 years of painting and selling art in her spare time, Jennifer left her 20-year career as English instructor to become a full-time artist. When she started teaching local art workshops and classes in 2019, it was a natural transition, as it blended her two passions. Jennifer has explored many styles to help her evolve as an artist, but her work is always process-driven. Guided by intuition and spontaneity, she translates her inspiration without any idea of what the final product will be.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Jennifer McHugh

Bhavna Mehta

Bhavna Mehta

NEW INSTRUCTOR! Bhavna Mehta works with paper—cutting and embroidering it to tell stories that combine figurative imagery with botanical motifs, text, and shadows. Using paper as skin and thread to connect and mend, using cutting and sewing to talk about exposing and hiding, she makes work about relating and remembering. Mehta has exhibited widely in San Diego and Southern California. She is the recipient of the Artists Activating Communities grant from the California Arts Council (2017, 2019) and the Creative Catalyst grant from The San Diego Foundation (2015).

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Bhavna Mehta

Hannah Melde-Webster

Hannah Melde-Webster

NEW INSTRUCTOR! Hannah Melde-Webster has spent the last decade immersed in the floral and event industry. Her passion for using flowers, plants, and other living materials to craft captivating scenes that transport viewers to another time or place is evident throughout her work. She specializes in curating unforgettable experiences that reflect her design aesthetic which is deeply influenced by a longing for a more magical past that may or may not have ever existed. Whether she is designing tablescapes for intimate events or creating set designs, she strives to build moments that draw the viewer in to another world.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Hannah Melde-Webster

Morgan Miller III

Morgan Miller III

Morgan Miller III is a fifth-generation San Diegan from Point Loma. He is a graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, with a BFA in illustration. Along with Sibyl Rubottom, he organizes, sets up, and runs the Athenaeum’s Print Studio in Logan Heights. His work there includes teaching printmaking, typesetting for letterpress, linoleum block prints, and other forms of printmaking. He maintains the presses and prints various projects for the Athenaeum, as well as continuing his own art practice. Morgan appreciates the process of printmaking because of his background in illustration.

Angela LynchSeptember 13, 2020Morgan Miller III

April Mitchell

April Mitchell

April Mitchell has been drawing and painting since she was able to hold a crayon. She went to Canyon Crest Academy, an art-focused high school where she was accepted into the exclusive Conservatory art program. April then went on to graduate with her associates degree in graphic design from San Diego City College, where she was selected best artist in the Illustration category of the 2013 AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Student Portfolio Review. April is currently getting her bachelor's degree in illustration at Cal State University, Long Beach.

Angela LynchSeptember 12, 2020April Mitchell

Lori Mitchell

Lori Mitchell

Lori Mitchell graduated with honors and a BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. She wrote and illustrated the award-winning children’s book Different Just Like Me, for which she appeared on Oprah. She has illustrated numerous other books, including Bal Yoga for Kids, which won the San Diego Book Award. Lori’s work has been exhibited at the Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad, the California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido, Fresh Paint Gallery in La Jolla, the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA), and the Athenaeum. She is known for her creative, ever-changing lessons and positive, engaging approach.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 11, 2020Lori Mitchell

Michelle Montjoy

Michelle Montjoy

Michelle Montjoy is an Oceanside-based visual artist. She is one of the founders of To Do: A Mending Project, which travels to various locations to mend clothes and offer guidance in many forms of repair. Her knitted installation work has been shown locally at MCASD, the San Diego Airport, OMA, Art Produce Gallery, the Athenaeum, and more. She is the recipient of a Creative Catalyst award and a California Arts Council grant.

Angela LynchSeptember 10, 2020Michelle Montjoy

Graham Moore

Graham Moore

NEW INSTRUCTOR! Graham Moore is a graphic designer/artist and educator, originally from the UK, based in Los Angeles. His creative career has spanned many diverse disciplines, including magazine design, music packaging & music event promotion and entertainment design. He has taught at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Otis College of Design, and Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and currently teaches at Woodbury University in Burbank and Barnsdall Art Center in Los Angeles.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 10, 2020Graham Moore

Ilona Murray-Novak

Ilona Murray-Novak

NEW INSTRUCTOR! Ilona Murray-Novak is the founder of Organic Visions Luxury Moss Art Studio, specializing in high-end, custom moss art installations and biophilic design for commercial and residential clients. With a passion for connecting people to the serenity of nature through art, she brings both technical knowledge and creative inspiration to her class.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 10, 2020Ilona Murray-Novak

Thia Nevius

Thia Nevius

Thia Nevius grew up in Studio City, California. She received a BA from California State University San Jose and an MFA from Colorado State University. She went on to paint sets for the Santa Fe Opera and teach studio art at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. Since moving to San Diego, she has taught art for many years including at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, UCSD Extension, The Art Department, ARTS-A Reason to Survive, and the Athenaeum. Thia has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe, and South America. Her work has been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions, where she has won awards of excellence and Best of Show.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 9, 2020Thia Nevius

Dr. Cliff Oliver

Dr. Cliff Oliver

Dr. Cliff Oliver is an award-winning photographer, past photography instructor for the San Diego Natural History Museum, cutting-edge integrative health care professional and international workshop leader. He created and taught the first 5-day immersion iPhone photography workshop at Hollyhock, Canada’s premier Leadership Learning Center. His images have been on the cover of Wild Bird magazine, on display at Scripps Oceanography Institute, and in multiple first-place finishes in the International Exhibition of Photography Del Mar. The San Diego Natural History Museum’s, Birds of the World centennial exhibition featured several of his images.

Angela LynchSeptember 8, 2020Dr. Cliff Oliver

Susan Osborn

Susan Osborn

Susan Osborn taught art at The Bishop’s School for 17 years. Keeping a studio at home, she works in assemblage, drawing, and painting. Her work reveals a love of energy through line, texture, and color. Susan’s work is in collections in the United States, Denmark, Japan, and Spain. She is listed in Who’s Who of American Women (25th edition). Among her many awards, she has received a Visual Artists Assistance Award from the State of California, awards at SDMA, the San Diego Art Institute, Bonita Museum, and Small Image Show.

current instructorAngela LynchSeptember 8, 2020Susan Osborn

Chris Padilla

Chris Padilla

Chris Padilla is a first-generation American who grew up between Tijuana and San Diego. He holds two bachelor’s degrees from SDSU in Art History as well as Painting & Printmaking. Chris has wide-ranging experience working in the community, including 10 years as the Education Manager at The Art Kids of San Diego County. He is an experienced teaching artist who has worked in printmaking and as a leatherwork instructor at UCSD.

Angela LynchSeptember 7, 2020Chris Padilla