Our instructors are drawn from a wealth of talented teachers, including nationally known artists from across the country and across the street. They are innovative craftsmen and artists who enjoy trying new techniques and love sharing what they do with their students.
If you are an experienced art, craft, writing, or performing arts instructor and are interested in teaching at Shake Rag Alley, click here for more information.
Sandra Duran Wilson is a Santa Fe, NM artist, international tutor, mentor and author of six art technique books including Surface Treatment Workshop which has been translated into six languages. Her most recent book, Awakening Your Creative Soul, was accompanied by a yearlong online course. Sandra has been teaching for over 25 years and her work is exhibited in galleries and collections worldwide.
She grew up on the border of Mexico with healers, scientists, and artists, and explains, “I was free to explore the land, follow my imagination, and anything seemed possible. About her artistic vision Sandra states, “My art is driven by curiosity and the possibilities of what materials can do, especially when combined in unusual ways. I incorporate printmaking, collage, acrylic painting, paper and fibers, and even three-dimensional elements into my work. I explore concepts like time, biology, nature, and physics along with dreams and symbols. A kind of crazy mixed-up world of science and fantasy.” When I listen to music, the sounds relate to colors and the rhythm influences the composition. Numbers translate to songs, and these influence my art.”
Workshops
Cindy Fleming has been in Mineral Point for many years and has been a student, sometime instructor, and constant supporter of Shake Rag Alley. She is a dedicated dot enthusiast, rug hooker, jewelry maker and mosaic artist.
Workshops
Woodlanders Gathering: Lazy Susan Mosaic
Dawn Flores is a multidisciplinary artist, and curator, who cycles between writing, performance and the visual arts. Her mediums are painting, photography and fiber arts and she specializes in teaching drawing, watercolor and pastels. Flores collaborates with communities to curate performances and exhibitions that inform and inspire. For her work, she has received two CultureWorks grants.
A graduate of the New York Botanical Garden, she is faculty at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and has taught at the Corcoran in Washington, D.C., The Clearing in Door County, and returns each summer to Shake Rag Alley. Her strength as a teacher lies in her ability to understand, articulate, and nurture the creative process. She builds confidence in her students with humorous stories and a positive outlook on life.
Workshops
Watercolor From the Beginning Part 1
Nathan Gieseke lives in Mineral Point with his wife and three boys. A carpenter by profession and an artist at heart, Nathan has a passion for glassblowing and theater and takes advantage of doing both whenever possible.
Workshops
Offered multiple times throughout the year – See Metal & Heat Workshops for full list
Glassblowing Project: Paperweights
Sheree L. Greer is a writer based in Tampa, Florida. In 2014, she founded Kitchen Table Literary Arts to showcase and support the work of Black women writers and is the author of two novels, Let the Lover Be and A Return to Arms, and the short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. She currently teaches fiction and nonfiction for literary arts organizations and writing communities such as Story Studio Chicago, The Porch in Nashville, Orlando Public Library, 2nd Story, and many more.…
Read MoreSheree L. Greer is a writer based in Tampa, Florida. In 2014, she founded Kitchen Table Literary Arts to showcase and support the work of Black women writers and is the author of two novels, Let the Lover Be and A Return to Arms, and the short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. She currently teaches fiction and nonfiction for literary arts organizations and writing communities such as Story Studio Chicago, The Porch in Nashville, Orlando Public Library, 2nd Story, and many more. Sheree’s nonfiction work has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes and notably named in Best American Essays 2019. You can find her nonfiction, fiction, and poetry in local and national publications both online and in print. To learn more about her work, visit shereelgreer.com.
Workshops
Nola has been teaching fiber art for over 25 years in St. Louis, MO and across the country. She likes all cuts and colors. She is a returning teacher to Shake Rag Alley.
Workshops
Rug Hooking Retreat: Traditional Rug Hooking focusing on Hit or Miss
Beth Hobby earned her undergraduate degree in art from Hood College (Frederick, MD), and an MFA in sculpture and ceramics from George Washington University (Washington, D.C.), and taught studio arts on the college level for many years. Her own work is concentrated in the areas of assemblage/construction, collage, digital art, and encaustic. She has exhibited at Hood College, George Washington University, St. John’s College (Annapolis, MD), Washington Project for the Arts and The Art Barn (Washington, D.C.); Naperville Art League (Naperville, IL); The Exhibit and Lonnie’s Art Gallery (Morris, IL); and Longbranch Gallery in Mineral Point, among numerous other venues. Beth also taught and exhibited at Hood College, Howard Community College, Prince George’s Community College, and Valencia Community College. Her work hangs (and sits!) in numerous collections belonging to indescribably unusual people and other quirky artists.
Aside from teaching, Beth was the executive director of a Big Brothers Big Sisters agency and owned a landscaping business in Orlando, where she planted at least 5,500 azalea shrubs, 435 crepe myrtle trees, and and three plastic palm trees. She lives in Morris, IL, with her cat, Fig, but spends lots of R and R time in Mineral Point.
Workshops
Woodlanders Gathering: The Great Frame-Up
Rebecca Hutchinson, Professor, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, has taught
Undergraduate and Graduate students for the past twenty years. Hutchinson has also taught over sixty workshops nationally and internationally. Her sculptural work has shown across the United States and internationally at Museums including Taiwan, Italy, and Spain. In 2015, she was selected as one of the recipients of “Women to Watch” from the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Pollock Krasner Grant and Mass Cultural Council.
Workshops
Rebecca Jamieson is the author of the chapbook The Body of All Things (Finishing Line Press, 2017). Her writing has appeared in Entropy, Mid-American Review, The Offing, Rattle, and elsewhere. She is the winner of the 2024 Tupelo Quarterly Prose Prize and her work has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has been awarded fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, the Fishtrap Writers’ Conference, and the Spring Creek Project. Rebecca holds an MFA in Writing and Publishing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she is the founder of Contemplate Create, where she teaches creative writing with a mindfulness lens. She lives on Ho-Chunk land in Madison, Wisconsin, and when she isn’t writing, she’s cuddling her two cats, hiking, and baking. You can find her on Instagram @rebeccabjamieson.
Workshops
Retired Youth Program director for Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts, Elizabeth did not have art classes at school when she was young. Enthralled by watching Jon Gnagy on television, she enjoyed getting one of his “Learn to Draw” kits from her mom. “Since then I have explored many art materials, but the current material I work with is handmade paper. I got into making paper first as a sculptural medium because the clay pieces I was making became too big to fit into a large kiln. After making large paper structures, I then discovered how much I enjoy making imagery with colored paper pulp.”
Workshops
Workshops
Woodlanders Gathering: Nature Imprints in Clay
I’m Lynn Kaufman, and I am obsessed about food! Being a retired culinary instructor plus dietitian, I have plenty of adventures with cooking to share. Sharing my time between small town USA and Chicago, I’ve been working for years on making cooking fun and easy to learn. Follow my recipes for easy, step-by-step instructions!
Workshops
Jim Kern is a talented and enthusiastic creator with a passion for rustic crafts that celebrate natural materials and traditional techniques. With a love for all things handmade, Jim specializes in crafting unique home décor, leathercraft, and accessories using reclaimed wood, natural fibers, leather, and other raw materials. From handcrafted bags and accessories to rustic wall art and furniture, each piece reflects a deep appreciation for the simplicity and beauty of nature.
Workshops
Workshops
Woodlanders Gathering: Leather Bracelets
Todd started his journey as a full time twig builder in 1995. He built massive amounts of twig furniture for many years. However, at this point in his life, his focus is on twig sculpture. He’s been teaching at Shake Rag Alley’s Woodlanders Gathering since the early 2000’s.
Workshops
Raki is a first generation American, queer, Jewish writer. She is the author of The Things You Left and The Memory House, both Minnesota Book Award finalists. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and has been shortlisted and nominated for several other awards, including the Pushcart Prize for Fiction and the Pen Faulkner Award in Fiction. Her queer travel novel, No One’s Leaving, is forthcoming from Unsolicited Press in 2025. She lives in Minneapolis and teaches creative writing both at The Minneapolis College of Art and Design and at Augsburg University.
Workshops
A freelance photographer for many years, Andy was visual materials curator at the Wisconsin Historical Society for 30 years. Since retirement in 2018, he has continued to pursue alternative photographic processes including cyanotype and gum bichromate. Instagram @andykraushaar
Workshops
Christina Kubasta is a poet and fiction writer who also explores collaboration and connection with the visual arts. Her new poetry book Under the Tented Skin is just out from Unsolicted Press (May 2025). Find her at ckubasta.com and on Instagram @CKubastathePoet.
Workshops
Creative Play: Collage, Paper, & Text
Poetry: Experience, Language, & Imagery
Manuscript Consultations – Poetry
Workshops
Woodlanders Gathering: Rustic Garden Bench
18 Shake Rag St.
Mineral Point, WI 53565
(608) 987-3292
