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| Old Jail Art Center Director |
Rowena R. Cross-Najafi, founder of the
Old Jail Art Center and president of our board of directors, is a Lawrence County native and former Foreign Service Officer
who served in Germany, the Comoros Islands, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, and Georgia. In addition to
being an avid patron of the arts, Rowena is a knit and crochet artist and a beginning lacemaker. . Rowena was recently elected President
of the Lawrence County Historical Society and can be found five days a week at the museum. She is also Vice President
of the Lawrence County Art Association and a member of the Regional Advisory Committee for the Indiana Arts Commission, the
Bedford Rotary Club, the Lawrence County Concert Association, and the Historic Preservation Committee of Bedford Revitalization,
Inc. She and her husband Reza own the historic building in which our center is housed and spend their
free time on its restoration.
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| Gourd Art Instructor |
Tonie Kedzierski is a Bedford artist who has exhibited
and sold her gourds at a number of venues. Tonie's husband,
Ed, has been raising gourds for 25 years. Tonie credits her interest in gourds to a class she took with Auriela
Conway 18 years ago, which inspired her to experiment with designs and materials. In addition to gourds, Tonie
will paint on just about anything, including light bulbs and goose eggs, and she burns designs into wood as well. Tonie is a member of the board of directors of the Old Jail Art Center.
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| Calligraphy Instructor |
Janet C. Foster is a local artist who loves the medium of painting.
Janet brings us her wonderful skills as a calligraphy artist and is teaching a beginners' calligraphy class. Not
only is Janet an accomplished musician, but she is a painter and has recently completed her one woman show at the Old
Jail Art Center.
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| Dynamic Force |
Angie Timan is a local educator and
a driving force in the Lawrence County arts community. A native of Michigan, Angie has two kids, two cats and two dogs
to keep her busy. She has been an educator for 24 years and lived in Michigan, England, Florida, Arizona, and
Alabama before moving to Bedford. . Angie has served on many grants panels, volunteers at the Little Theater
in Bedford and is a member of the Living Historians, a local reenactment society dedicated to preserving our rich local
history. Angie likes to quote E.F. Girard, "Education is useless without common sense," a philosophy
that suits our center perfectly. Angie has recently become a member of the board of directors of the Old Jail Art Center.
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| Stained Glass Instructor |
Ross Thackery
has been working with glass for eleven years. He is a glassblower as well as a stained glass artist. In Ross's
words, "The very nature of the medium inspires and challenges the artist to conquer and create. The potential combinations
of shape and color are infinite. The only boundaries are those created by the artist. It is this union of glass
and creativity that has resulted in some of the best art in the world." Ross owns his own glass supply business, ABR Imagery, at 3803 West Vernal Pike in Bloomington. Be sure to click
on his picture to be taken to his company's website.
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| Weaving & Candlemaking Instructor |
Penny K. Prince is a Bedford resident who is a weaver,
a spinner, a candle maker and a soap maker. Penny has her own company where she sells her woven items and
hand spun yarns. Click on her photo to be taken to her blog, http://theblacksheepcottage.blogspot.com/.
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| Polymer Clay Instructor |
Penny Breedlove is our
newest instructor. Penny is a farm girl and multi-media artist who works with polymer clay, paints, gourds, etched glass,
and ceramics. Penny is an accomplished porcelain dollmaker. She will teach her first class at our center this
fall, "Adventures in Polymer Clay."
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Beloved Friends of the O.J.A.C.
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| Fiber Artist |
Violet Love is one of the Old Jail Art
Center's most beloved friends. Vi is an accomplished knitter and fiber artist as well as a member of the
Lawrence County Art Association. It has been through Vi's generous heart that we have been able to provide some
of our teachers with work space and furniture. We just love Vi!
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| Multi Media Artist |
Isabella Cross-Najafi is a water colorist,
pen-and-ink artist, knitter, crocheter, bead artist and lacemaker. Isabella also dabbles in other art forms
and likes to work in miniature. Isabella has just returned from Rouen, France, where she
spent the 08-09 school year, and will enter Indiana University as a freshman this fall.
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| Gourd Artist |
Barbara Lynn is a dedicated gourd artist.
Barbara began working gourds several years ago, but happened to come across Tonie's gourd classes. Since then Barbara
has gone on to create beautiful and intricate gourds and inspired others around her in new and interesting directions
with their own gourd art. We all love Barbara so much that we refuse to let her leave us.
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The Old Jail Art Center is currently seeking individuals who are
skilled in the arts of Needle Felting and Lace Making. Anyone who would like to become a teacher in this field
or in any other please contact us immediately at oldlawrencejail@gmail.com.
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Be sure to click on the photos of the various
people on this page as each picture is a link to another website. For example, clicking on Isabella Cross-Najafi and
you will be whisked away to Rouen, France.
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| Crochet Artist |
Thelma Cross,
a local fiber artist, is a former educator and information systems pioneer and mother of nine children.
Thelma is a brilliant crocheter; she has created hundreds of crocheted heirlooms for her friends and family, including wedding
dresses for three of her daughters. Thelma
brings a wealth of artistic expertise to our activities and it is a great honor to have her with us.
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