The key to the success of our program lies in the quality of artists VCA attracts to share their knowledge with our students. The Artists in Schools Roster is a resource for classroom teachers, offering a list of vetted professional artists, residency ideas, and professional background information.
Please check the list below for artists on the 2026-2027 roster by artistic discipline. Submit your proposal with the 2026-2027 Artists in Schools Project Application
Artists wishing to teach with this program are invited to apply at any time by sending a letter of interest and resume to the program manager. If classroom teachers are interested in working with artists who are outside this list, please contact the program manager.
Marine Debris Art
I am an artist and writer who specializes in community-based public art that tells a story. For many years I taught art and writing workshops and residencies through programs like The Right Brain Initiative, Multnomah County Libraries, VOZ Workers Rights Education Project and multiple schools. The Pandemic got me into working with trash and a residency at the Vashon Island House in early 2025 brought me to Quartermaster Harbor. Since then I’ve coordinated with the Vashon Island Epic Clean Up (organized with the Rotary and Zero Waste), the Puget Soundkeepers and Center for the Wooden Boat in Seattle, and SOLVE and Trash for Peace in Portland. My aim is to continue to create public art with community partners and volunteers, but
Weaving
Through the millennia people have woven functional, spiritual and fanciful vessels and textiles. The care and ingenuity with which the materials have been harvested, prepared and woven have endowed these creations with an intrinsic beauty and value. Traditional weavers live and work closely with nature; they nurture and respect it. By giving young people the opportunity to learn the art of weaving, we help them to possess a connection with our ancestors, to value the process of creating something of meaning and beauty, and to express themselves.
Traditional Tlingit Artwork
From 2000 to present, Odin has carved totem poles and house posts for clients in Chicago, Portland, and Paris. In 2005, he completed a ten-foot Killer Whale and Thunderbird totem for Everett Community College, north of Seattle. In 2006, a seven-foot long carved, painted Killer Whale panel was dedicated at the Seattle Aquarium. Odin's Vashon residencies have included painted paddles, murals, and wood carving on bentwood boxes.
Ceramics
Stephanie Marotta, owner of S.Marotta Pottery, began her journey in ceramics while growing up in the heart of Bucks County, PA. Pottery was an adjunct to her education in Computer Science, and Stephanie continued to pursue ceramics as a hobbyist during her careers in industry and education. Fueled by her passion for the craft and relocation to art-friendly Vashon Island in the Fall of 2016, Stephanie has had the opportunity to delve into her craft in earnest. She is currently exploring pottery using various stoneware clay bodies. Her goal is to create “Unique Pottery to Enjoy Every Day” – Functional pottery that is affordable and comfortable to use every day.
Drawing/Mural
I love a sharp pencil, the simplest tool but capable of creating so much. The vast majority of my work is basically drawing. From detailed technical illustrations, to portraits, to storybooks, to large 3-dimensional installations, it’s all just a zillion-little-lines trying to organize themselves into a story. Even the photoreal paintings are just dry-brush drawings on canvas. Drawing gave me a path around the obstacles of written language, I actually feel lucky to be a severe dyslexic, even with its challenges. That route required a lot of original thinking: Creativity meant survival and that had big payoffs. In 2018, I began working with the 4th grade students, teaching them how to draw the birds we see around us on Vashon. This residency is the highlight of my year!
Photography/Business of Art
I have been working in the world of professional photography for over 3 decades - as a photo editor, consultant, photographer and educator. My partners in the Northwest include the University of Washington, Bellevue College, Vashon Center for the Arts, libraries, gardens and artist leagues.
Fiber Arts
Maggie Tomberlin is a fiber artist, photographer, and certified permaculture designer residing in Tacoma, WA. She currently works as a Visual Arts Instructor for Parks Tacoma with the Beyond the Bell program providing afterschool art programs in Tacoma Public Schools. During the summer, she collaboratively develops and teaches weeklong arts camps at local community centers. Before moving to Tacoma, Maggie developed project proposals and implemented age appropriate knitting curriculum for both children and adults in afterschool and retail settings. She has also worked and volunteered as a camp counselor teaching environmental science at the Oregon Zoo and Oregon’s Outdoor School program. Her textile skills include weaving, sewing, embroidery, knitting, spinning, felting, and natural dyeing. In her free time, she is a volunteer Parks Tacoma site steward and serves as treasurer on the board of the Tacoma Weavers Guild.
Ceramics
In her studio on Vashon Island, Laurie makes hand-built pottery using slab and coil techniques. Her work is inspired by textures, patterns and movement in the natural world. She enjoys working in the classroom with all grade levels.
Fiber Art
Monica Wilson is an artist creating color, prints, and patterns on natural fibers using plants and flowers. She is inspired by nature, slow sustainable living as well as bringing the natural world into your daily life.