TEACHING
ARTISTS

Sara is a self-taught artist who enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with the youth in our community! She began exploring art at a very young age and has continued building her 'toolbox' through a lot of trial and error.

Sara works in any and all mediums in an exploration of herself and the world around her. Her personal work [yellowdeerart.com] centers around natural themes and concepts of emotional, and spiritual renewal.

Jess Carthen Bouharevich studied Modern Dance: Performance + Composition at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and went on to dance professionally with the MorrisonDance Company out of Cleveland, Ohio. Jess took her talents and interests abroad and was able to teach dance classes, as well as perform live improvisational works in Shanghai, China, + across Europe. Jess completed her 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training in The Netherlands and continues to study + teach today. Her classes range from Aerial Yoga to Restorative Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, and her own creation; a combination involving Contemporary Dance and Yoga Asana. Jess lives in Peru, NY on a 40 acre farm (White Rainbow Regenerative Yoga Farm) where she offers donation based yoga classes 7 days a week. When she is not in the studio you can find her adventuring with her daughter Rey, or her 4 dogs: Bella, Yukon Cornelius, Dolly, + King Moonracer.

Rebecca Conklin has worked as an art educator in the community for 23 years, sharing her passion for creating art and working with clay to students of all age levels. Rebecca received her BFA from Syracuse University and her MSEd from SUNY Plattsburgh. Rebecca has been part of the Strand Center for the Arts for many years as a clay instructor, and is a high school art teacher at AuSable Valley Central School District.

Sommerleigh D’Elia is a local artist and lover of beach combing. She specializes in ceramics but also partakes in both drawing and watercolor illustration. Her main sources of inspiration are the flora and fauna of the Adirondack region, as well as the marine life found along the coast of Eastern Maine. Through her work, she hopes to place these common pieces of life and nature onto a pedestal and foster an appreciation for the remarkableness of the ordinary, everyday moments.

Growing up in Plattsburgh, Jennifer learned to cherish words from birth. Her parents taught her the value of reading by example, so she decided she wanted to spread her love of literature through teaching.

Jennifer had a life-changing experience while attending the National Writing Project Summer Institute at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. There, she learned the power of writing to honor our shared experiences and our individual stories.

For over twenty-five years, she has provided a space for people to express and celebrate themselves and their world through writing-be it in the classroom or in a workshop.

Her work has appeared in the professional journal for the National Council of Teachers of English, “The English Journal.” In 2010, she self-published a children’s book, “The Sweet Dreams Kiss,” which was beautifully illustrated by Jenny Spash. Most recently, her work was featured on the Adirondack Center for Writing’s website.

In her free time, you can find Jennifer hiking and cross-country skiing in the Adirondacks with her husband.

Chris Sarkis, originally from New Hampshire, came to the North Country via the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, where he received his B.M. in Music Education. Chris loves to perform, and can be found at the keyboard with Plattsburgh-based Ursa and the Major Key and Who's Lorraine, as well as the Adirondack Jazz Orchestra. Chris' theatrical and singing credits include Bert in Mary Poppins (Adirondack Regional Theatre), Bass Soloist in Handel's Messiah (Champlain Valley Voices), and Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro (Crane Opera Ensemble). In the theatre, Chris has music directed The Sound of Music (Adirondack Regional Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (NCCS Drama Club), and various summer camp musicals including Matilda, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Bugsy Malone (Horizons Day Camp). Chris also has conducted various choirs, including the Phoenix Ensemble and the Champlain Valley Chorus.

Tiana Saroj has been involved with teaching and the arts in the North Country for 20 years. From musicals to drama to improv, she has had her hand in all of it! Tiana is a Health teacher at Northern Adirondack CSD and a long-standing member of Completely Stranded, Plattsburgh's improv comedy troupe. Tiana's teaching and artistic endeavors have landed her as the operator of The School of Improv, Plattsburgh's premiere improv workshop for school-aged performers. She is so excited to see what's in store for this year!

Mollie Ward is an artist, ceramics teacher and the Clay Studio Manager at the Strand. She received her BFA from SUNY Plattsburgh focusing in ceramics and drawing. Through teaching ceramics at the Strand and in her manager role, Ward is interested in building relationships and fostering creativity in the studio and sharing her love for ceramics with the greater community.

Kilian Croghan is a local artist from Keeseville, New York. Kilian received his BFA from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2023 with a focus in Drawing, Painting, and Illustration. His work focuses on themes of nature, folklore, and mythology, working from the landscape and his imagination to tell stories through art. He also enjoys plein air painting in both watercolor and oil paint. Kilian is thrilled to teach courses at the Strand and bring the joy of art to more people!