Team Category: Instructors

  • My journey in bonsai began late in 2008, after receiving a small juniper as a gift. Following this tree’s untimely demise caused by my ignorance, I began looking for classes online and stumbled upon Wigert’s Bonsai in North Fort Myers Florida, and shortly after my first few visits, began working under the tutelage of Erik Wigert. After short period of time, I began assisting him in both traveling workshops, regular classes, and all aspects of the bonsai nursery.
  • 2010 – I was awarded a scholarship in the amount of $1000 by the Bonsai Societies of Florida, by placing first in the states annual styling competition.
  • Using this scholarship, I traveled with my teacher to Mexico for the 2010 FELAB convention where I met and learned from artists such as Mauro Stemberger, Min Lo, Robert Steven, Vlad Novak, and Enrique Castano.
  • 2012 – marked the year I began teaching, starting with several workshops and demonstrations throughout the state of Florida, as well as teaching a monthly help session aimed at providing continuing education for students finishing the beginner and intermediate classes.
  • Over the years I have dedicated myself to primarily shohin, and tropical bonsai design and have been working toward spreading their appeal and understanding.
  • I have displayed at the state level several times as well as having my work accepted to the U.S. National Bonsai show on two occasions.
  • Over the last 5 years I have traveled all over the country giving lectures, demonstrations, and exhibit critique. I have visited clubs in New York, Knoxville, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and New Orleans as well as many other states and cities.
  • My work has had the honor of appearing in the popular publication Bonsai Focus on numerous occasions.
  • During the Pandemic I expanded my services to include online and zoom presentations and so, have engaged with and taught students all over the world. During this time, I continued traveling and did two, 15 day tours throughout Texas and Louisiana.
  • 2022-2023 marked the launch of our website and education center, kitsunebonsai.com. An online resource for classes, programs, and merchandise.
  • I have recently been invited to Hyderabad, India, to share my teachings, and have new tours booked to New England, and California as well as recurring classes in Austin, Houston, and New Orleans.
Veronica Tierra was born in Medellin, Colombia. Her career as a singer began at age 4, performing with family and other bands in New York City, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, and Atlanta. She received her A.S. in Music at the City University of New York, where she is pursuing a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Business. In addition, she studied theatre in NYC, attended various workshops and conservatories, and has 25+ years of experience in the performing arts. Veronica recently completed a 32-city tour with Disney hosting the Encanto singalong national tour.
She began teaching in 2016 and has worked with students ages 0-12 in different school settings. After attending 19 schools herself before college, she became passionate about influencing education, teaching music and diversity, and being a part of social change. She founded Tierra & Friends in 2017 and has brought music to children in NYC, Miami, Fort Myers, and Naples. Veronica is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. 

Berry van Boekel is a Fort Myers, Florida-based artist. His intensely obsessive ongoing project documenting the bands and musicians he listens to, has developed an avid following of art collectors, curators and music fans around the world.

Firmly rooted in portraiture and figure painting, his work nonetheless is able explore a variety of stylistic approaches. The simple elegant concept of the list not only allows for experimentation with a wide range of musical tastes but also gives van Boekel license to evoke different moods and sensibilities within the paintings.

Van Boekel has exhibited with the prestigious alternative non-profit space White Columns in New York, other exhibition venues include Skylab in Columbus; Country Club Projects in Cincinnati, Peel Gallery in Houston; Tempus Projects in Tampa, with the NADA Art Fair in Miami, and most recently at the Dublin Arts Council in Ohio. Van Boekel moved to the United States in 1993 from the Netherlands. He received an MFA from The Ohio State University. Recently van Boekel opened The Top 100 Archive and Studio, a space near downtown Fort Myers dedicated to the history of his Top 100 project.

 

Kevin Costello graduated the Chelsea School of Art and University of London’s prestigious Goldsmiths College with diplomas in Fine Art and Art History.

 

Kevin’s involvement in the arts is varied and includes having been Art and Architecture Correspondent for the Sarasota Herald Tribune and a Contributing Writer for Arts and Culture Magazine.  He is a studio artist and was an instructor of landscape painting, figure and conceptual drawing at the Ringling College of Art and Design, and Educational Director for the Ringling Museum, Sarasota FL.

 

Kevin taught painting, drawing and sculpture at the San Francisco Academy of Art, and art history at the San Francisco Museum of Art.    He lecturers in contemporary and classical art history at numerous arts and continuing education institutions throughout Central West Florida and is a favored guest speaker at country clubs and adult communities.

Oliver Martin has been working in wood all his life, starting as a small child by the side of his father and has specialized in woodturning for the past five years. He is currently on the Executive Board of the Woodturners of Southwest Florida, a nonprofit (501c3) group dedicated to woodturning education. His work is shown at the Hirdie-Girdie Art Gallery on Sanibel and the Alliance for the Arts. He is a retired high school teacher who loves teaching crafts to others!