Archives: Teams

Teams

Zan Lombardo is a Pine Island artist known for giant watercolor scrolls up to 30-feet in length. Her work will be featured in an upcoming 2 woman exhibit (paired with Pine Island silk painter Deb Zwetsch) at Alliance for the Arts in February 2024. Zan has 40 years of art teaching experience and her enthusiasm still shows.

1882 to present:  Taught international corporations, workshops, classes and individuals the following courses: English as a Second Language, Business English, Business Law, Court Reporting,  Affinity Programs.  Taught finger painting and Zentengle to children 5 to 11.

During this time I also taught preparation of resumes to those re-entering the workforce after prison, divorce, veterans, and widows and widower.  Companies I worked for:  Albanese Reporting,  Amex International,  Mastercard International,  Costco, Meridian One Corporation,  Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School-  two-year Associates degree program.  Most of the positions held were that of Director of Sales, as well as, teaching our programs.  At Katharine Gibbs I began as the Director of Education, then the Director of the school.

As a relaxation technique,  I started taking watercolor art classes 35 years ago, and while living and teaching in Italy, I continued taking classes in Florence.  Five years ago, I  found the Alliance for the Arts, and an amazing  teacher: Terry Lynn Spry, who taught me oil and acrylic painting.  At the same time I began volunteering. I am an avid devotee of the Alliance.

Nicole  has  been  practicing  yoga  for  the  past  20  years to  help  herself find  peace  and  deal  with  depression  and  anxiety.  Her giving spirit made for a natural transition to teaching and sharing what had helped her heal so much.  Nicole completed  her  first  Yoga Teacher  Training  in  Fall  2006  and  has  been  teaching ever  since.  The focus of the classes is on heart-centered alignment of the body and mind.  Her  passion  is  helping  people  feel  more  comfortable  in  their  body  and  mind  through  movement,  breath  and  meditation.  Nicole has been teaching in SWFL for the past seven years and brings mindfulness to a place like the Alliance for the Arts, Lee Health, Pace, Barkley Place, Canterbury School and Second Muse.

Molly Rowan-Deckart has spent the last 15 years working in the nonprofit arts sector. Driven by a belief that the arts can culturally and economically transform a community, Molly’s focus has been to advocate for and elevate artists and the arts by giving voice to the importance of the arts and culture sector, providing mentorship and resources to artists at all levels, and helping creatives build incredible careers to make their ideas happen. With a degree in Fine Arts from Boise State University, Molly’s background as both a visual artist and as an executive director has given her a unique understanding of both the challenges and rewards that come with fostering a vibrant arts and culture scene.

Molly joins the Alliance for the Arts from Boise, Idaho where she was named one of Idaho Business Review’s Women of the Year in 2020 for her work in the arts. In Boise, Molly founded and served as the executive director for both the Boise Film Foundation and the Idaho Horror Film Festival, one of the largest film festivals in the state of Idaho. Having grown both organizations from the ground up, Molly is excited to bring her vast knowledge of organizational growth and arts advocacy to the Alliance and the southwest Florida region. She looks forward to collaborating on creative initiatives that will help make life in southwest Florida more meaningful, authentic, and connected while furthering the mission of the Alliance for the Arts to transform lives and improve our community through the arts.

Muffy Clark Gill is an award-winning artist who has worked in the batik process for almost 40 years. She became acquainted with batik while visiting Kampala, Uganda as a teenager in high school. There she attended an art exposition featuring artwork created in Batik. Smitten with the process, she returned to the states to learn more about this ancient style of artwork. She has a BFA from Boston University in Graphic Design, and has taken workshops with well-known instructors rozome artist Kiranada Sterling Benjamin and fiber artist Jane Dunnewold. Muffy recently had an exhibition at the South Florida State College Museum of Florida Art and Culture. She also had a solo exhibition in the 22nd Floor Florida State Capitol Gallery featuring her batik paintings of the Native Americans of south Florida in February, 2015. Her work has also been on display in the “Florida Contemporary 2015”, at the Baker Museum of Art in Naples, Florida as well as the “2015 National Fiber Directions Exhibition” in Wichita, Kansas. She is a member of the National Association of Women Artists, a professional organization of artists nominated by their peers.