LORENA ANGULO

MCAS 2027 FEATURED ARTIST

​Lorena Angulo began studying metalsmithing at Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, Texas, where Claire Holliday introduced her to metal clay. She has since made much of her work with the medium and become active in metal clay wearable art. Her work has appeared in gallery exhibitions, books, magazines, and online publications. She served as a juror for PMC Guild Annual 5 alongside Robert Ebendorf, Celie Fago, and Kelly Russell. Lorena is the author of *Behind the Brooch*, published by Schiffer Publishing in 2014. In 2022, the Racine Art Museum acquired two of her brooches for its permanent collection through a craft acquisition grant from the Windgate Foundation. www.lorenaangulo.com

SYLVIE ALUSITZ

​Sylvie Alusitz is Community and Education Manager at Halstead Jewelry Supplies and has worked in jewelry and metals for more than 12 years, including five years at Halstead. She teaches through Halstead’s in-house studio, online conferences, and partner studio schools. Her metal clay practice brings together traditional metalsmithing and jewelry processes with metal clay’s ability to be molded into three-dimensional forms. She holds a BFA and an MFA in Jewelry and Metals from Rochester Institute of Technology and SUNY New Paltz. www.halsteadbead.com

BRANDY BOYD

Brandy Boyd has taught metal clay and metalsmithing since 2006 and has taught around the country over the past decade. She is a Senior Certified Instructor with Art Clay, the author of two artisan courses with Camp Metal Clay, and the editor and publisher of *Metal Clay Today*. Her studio, BMB designs, is located in Bartlett, just outside Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to hosting classes and open studios, the space includes a boutique shop selling tools and materials for metalsmithing and jewelry making. www,bmb-designs.com

MARIANNE DONOHOE

Marianne Donohoe discovered silver clay in 2013 when she took her first beginner workshop. Since then, she has completed various diplomas and certifications, including her Higher Diploma in Art Clay and PMC teaching certifications. She founded Grey Clouds & Silver Linings in 2017 and began teaching from her studio in Whitley, in southwest England. She is also a nature and wildlife artist, working mainly in watercolors and acrylics. greycloudsandsilverlinings.co.uk

HELEN DRYE

Helen Drye is a silver clay artist and teacher based in the UK who has taught since 2012. She taught the UK and Europe PMC Certification programme as a PMC Accredited Trainer, both in person from 2016 to 2021 and online from 2020 to 2025. She is qualified to teach Camp Metal Clay Courses 101, 106 (Three Kinds of Enamelling), and B101, and holds Art Clay Levels 1 and 2 certifications, with a higher level under assessment. Helen teaches with metal clay as well as silver sheet and wire, in her own studio and at other arts venues. She has taught at SINTER 2024 and Metal Clay Live 2025, and presented at SINTER in 2024 and 2026. Her Three Hares Pendant was featured in the 2024 Superbly Sintered Exhibition and AMCAW’s 2026 design book. She also sells jewelry inspired by the woodland near her studio and a mystical aesthetic. www.silver-stonejewellery.co.uk

PAM EAST

Pam East began working with metal clay in 2003, when she completed her Level 1 and Senior certifications through Art Clay World USA. In 2005, she became an Art Clay Silver Master Instructor. She has developed metal clay techniques and created educational content including magazine articles, YouTube videos, and written and video tutorials. She has taught in-person classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School for 27 years and has also taught at conferences and guilds around the world. In 2024, she received the Lis-El Crowley Vision Award. www.pameast.net

LORETTA M. HACKMAN

Loretta M. Hackman is an internationally known Art Clay Master Instructor with 25 years of experience in continuing art education. She holds ten metal clay certifications and teaches certification courses, student-directed lessons, and small-group skill classes from her Cincinnati studio and at other venues, including Marc Adams School of Woodworking. A former process design engineer and research scientist, she brings an iterative design process and attention to detail to her teaching. Her classes may combine metal clay, sculpting, carving, metalsmithing, wire-working, glass, and beading. Her jewelry and sculptures draw on intention, the history and symbolism of stones, and applied geometry. Her work has received awards and recognition in Great Britain, Japan, and the United States. She has authored articles, tutorials, and technical guides and contributes to Metal Clay Today and AMCAW’s online library. She also administers the Facebook group “Metal Clay and Mixed Media.”  https://www.facebook.com/loretta.hackman.designs/

 

SUSANNE HALE

​Susanne Hale is a marketing strategist, director, educator, jewelry artist, and metal clay artist. She has held senior marketing leadership roles at Adobe, Oracle, IBM, Red Hat, and Communication Technology Services. Her work includes teaching marketing workshops, leading strategic planning sessions, and helping jewelers promote their work, attract customers, and grow their businesses. As the artist behind Susanne Hale Designs, she creates eclectic, texture-forward jewelry using silver metal clay, traditional metalsmithing, lampwork glass, and other materials. Her work has been exhibited and sold through galleries, art markets, and online. She volunteers in marketing and strategic planning with AMCAW and helped start Waterford Craft School in Waterford, Virginia. Her teaching connects professional marketing experience with the perspective of a working artist, with an emphasis on practical, manageable next steps. https://www.instagram.com/susannehaledesigns

 

TERRI HICKEY

Terri Hickey has worked with metal clay since 2007 and, for the past 12 years, has focused extensively on enameling metal clay, particularly champlevé and cloisonné. For six years, she has taught metal clay, champlevé enamel on metal clay, and traditional sifted enamel on copper at the Orange Art Center in Ohio. She has also taught workshops for her local metal clay guild and other Northeast Ohio art venues since 2018, as well as for AMCAW and William Holland. She holds PMC certification from Rio Grande and Level 1 and Senior certifications from Art Clay World. Her recent awards include Best Wearable Art at For the Love of Art and first place in jewelry at the 2026 Cincinnati Summerfair. www.thissideofclassic.com

MICHAEL MARX

Michael J. Marx has been an artist throughout his life and has focused primarily on metal clay since first working with it 26 years ago. He has taught metal clay classes at all levels internationally for more than 15 years. His certifications include Levels 1 and 2 from PMC Connection and Courses 101 and 201 from Camp Metal Clay. He enjoys exploring metal clay’s ability to take texture, form, and finish, and sharing its wide-ranging design possibilities with students. www.unsaneart.com

PAULA MCDOWELL

Paula McDowell has worked with metal clay for more than 25 years, drawn to its possibilities for sculpting, texturing, carving, and creating forms that can be difficult to achieve through traditional metalsmithing. For two decades, she has shared her knowledge through workshops, demonstrations, tutorials, and presentations for guilds, conferences, online events, and her own studio. She has presented at SINTER conferences, Metal Clay Live, and AMCAW virtual guild events, and written tutorials for Metal Clay Today and AMCAW. Paula is especially known for her work with steel metal clay, often combining it with bronze or silver. Her work has appeared in AMCAW’s Exceptional Work in Metal Clay Calendars and the Superbly Sintered Exhibitions. She is an Accredited Teacher for Hadar’s Clay and holds certifications from PMCConnection, Rio Rewards, and Art Clay. plmcdowell.com

AJ NEWELL

AJ Newell is a metalsmith, enamelist, and metal clay artist based near Richmond, Virginia, where she runs AJ Newell Studio. She has worked in metalsmithing for two decades and in metal clay since 2015. Her practice includes silver, bronze, and copper metal clay; enameling; keum-boo; digital pen plating; and traditional metalsmithing. She teaches hands-on workshops and online classes for venues including Metal Clay Live, Craftcast, Sawtooth School of Visual Art, Cool Tools, and Charmtree Studio. Recent presentations include a demonstration at SINTER 2026 and classes for MCL and the AMCAW Virtual Guild. She co-leads Marketing and Communications for AMCAW, and her work has appeared in the Metal Clay Expressions Exhibit. She holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and an MS in Marketing from West Virginia University.  www.ajnewellstudio.com

DONNA PENOYER

Donna Penoyer, known as “The Whistle Lady,” has worked in metal clay since 2005. Her whistle amulets and other jewelry have appeared in books, magazines, online publications, and exhibitions. She holds multiple metal clay certifications and has recorded video tutorials for Craftcast with Alison Lee. Her teaching credits include studios in California, England, and Belgium, as well as Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Touchstone Center for Crafts, the Bead & Button Show, Contemporary Craft, Metal Clay Mojo, SINTER, and MCAS. Before focusing on her current work, Donna had a 21-year career as a professional stiltwalker. She describes herself as an upbeat, welcoming teacher who believes everyone has a maker in them. donnapenoyer.com

CYNTHIA QUESENBERRY

Cynthia Annette Quesenberry has taught metal clay since 2012. She began with the Rio Rewards certification program and later became a Senior Certifying Instructor with Art Clay World. She teaches monthly classes at the Suffolk Cultural Arts Center, Suffolk Art League, and Bay School of Arts. She taught at MCAS 2025 and recently presented on hollow forms at the 2026 SINTER Conference in Orlando, Florida. https://www.facebook.com/cindy.quesenberry.2025

CARRIE STORY

Carrie Story is the founder of Clay Revolution, known for its base metal clays and Project X silver clays. She began working in jewelry-making and metal clay in 2008 and has since become an instructor and active member of the international metal clay community. Her classes combine an energetic, engaging teaching style with an emphasis on the technical details of working with metal clay.

Carrie exhibits and shares her work at the annual Tucson Gem Show. Her jewelry has an organic style influenced by the alternative culture of the 1990s. She is also past Director of the Camp Metal Clay Certification Program, supporting the education and development of metal clay artists. Her motto, “Liberating Your Creativity,” reflects her approach to encouraging artists to explore the possibilities of metal clay.  https://clayrevolution.com/

NIKKI THORNBURG-LANIGAN

Nikki Thornburg-Lanigan is a professional artist and instructor with more than 25 years of experience creating handmade glass beads and jewelry. She holds a BFA in Sculpture and has taught jewelry-making classes throughout her years on the bead show circuit, as well as local Project X silver charm classes. Her experience also includes metal clay and exploring ways to combine it with glass. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and helping students build confidence as they try new techniques and creative possibilities.

Thornburgbeadstudio.com

BONNIE TONEY

Bonnie Toney of Toney Designs has taught classes and workshops for roughly two decades, from private lessons and small groups to school classes of 25–30 students, ranging from kindergarten age to older adults. She began exploring metal clay in the mid-2000s and started experimenting with silver clay around 2014. After taking a base metal clay class at Sawtooth in 2016, she continued combining metal clay with traditional metalsmithing and began teaching base metal clay to local homeschooling groups in 2018. She earned silver certification through Camp PMC in 2019 and became a Course 201 instructor in 2020. She has also completed Clay Revolution’s base metal clay certification and Camp PMC courses in enameling and co-firing metal clay with glass. Bonnie teaches at Sawtooth and Mixxer Community Makerspace. Her work was featured in the summer 2024 issue of *Metal Clay Today*, and her jewelry was exhibited through Duke University Hospital Center’s Arts in Health program in 2023. www.toneydesigns.com