Rose Vantyne

Owner

Rose is owner potter, instructor at Rotondi Creations for ten years. Currently, she is the Ceramic Technician at the Creative Workshop in The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, New York.

As a child in elementary school she was drawn to clay. Throughout her education she formed a relationship with clay; it got in her blood.

She holds a BS in elementary education and MS in art education. Her business developed as a natural progression of taking classes, building skills, and increasing knowledge as well as inventory.

Faith Gruver

Instructor

Faith has been with the Creative Workshop since 2016. After earning a BFA in Illustration and minor in Museum Studies from RIT in 2018, she found teaching at the Creative Workshop fully utilized her love of art and museum spaces.

While teaching with the workshop Faith began working for a small publishing company illustrating book covers and interiors. Frequent portrait commissions keep her skillset sharp as she captures the likeness of humans and beloved pets. Teaching remains a favorite way for her to make art accessible to all.

Faith stays connected to her community through experiences such as a volunteer solo art show at 540WMain Community Learning Center, participating on artist panels at Rochester Artist Collaborative, volunteering for urban community gardens, and MAG’s educational partnership with the Rochester City School District.

As a reformed perfectionist, her teaching style gently guides students through painting, while reminding them to enjoy the process.

Sue Link

Instructor

Sue is passionate about art and loves teaching. She has taught all ages across the United States.

Sue has experience teaching in a variety of traditional and non traditional educational settings. She has provided art experiences using a variety of media for all ages and abilities. Sue has made relevant connections in the classroom and museums through art.

Sue continues to stay connected through community programs, daycares and non profit organizations.

She has an associates degree from Monroe Community College. A bachelor's degree from SUNY Brockport and a Master’s degree from U of A.

Alexia Sonnaie

California raised now Rochester based, Alexia Sonnaie, is a
multidisciplinary artist working with both traditional and
contemporary mediums. Alexia focuses on finding beauty in the
mundane by investigating her immediate reality and the modern
world. Her themes include looking outward [here and now] along with the natural world. With a passion for the arts since childhood, she pursued oil painting and ceramics during her undergraduate program, as well as holds a certificate for Museum and Gallery studies through Humboldt State University. Her recent exploration in the digital realm is heavily supported by her strong understanding of traditional visual art. With multiple mediums of communication including clay, paint,
and pixels, the artist can add quality to life for herself and those
around her. Whether it be functional pottery, traditional or digital
paintings, Alexia’s body of work is ready to spark intrigue in any corner.

Maddie Stuart

Artist/ Instructor

Maddie Stuart earned her BFA in Studio Art, specializing in Ceramics, from Nazareth College in 2015. Her multimedia thesis, “Interdimensionality,” explored the fusion of 2D and 3D art, inspired by her semester abroad in Rennes, France. With a passion for art, she’s exhibited her work across Rochester, including the Flower City Arts Center, the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, and the Main Street Arts Center. Maddie honed her sculpting skills at a local bakery, working in nontraditional artistic media of fondant, buttercream, gum paste, and other sweet treats, all while managing a small team of bakers. As a student at the Creative Workshop, Maddie looks forward to sharing her knowledge and advancing her skills as an educator.