Welcome to Cotuit Center for the Arts

I’m a retired educator and business owner and have been painting Fantastic Furniture for 20 years. It all started with a class given by my mentor, Ginny Boylan, at the Marblehead Arts Association. Prior to moving to the Cape, I was the co-owner of Yellow Dog Designs. We created custom work for clients on the Northshore of Boston including painted furniture and floorcloths. Currently I paint for pleasure and for a wonderful non-profit called Painting for a Purpose. They hold an annual auction to benefit the Portland Public Schools. One of my chairs was featured on poster promoting the event. Each year I paint dozens of pieces for the auction.

Melanie Gillis is an artist and art teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Boston University and a Master of Arts in Teaching Visual Art from Bridgewater State University. She enjoys teaching a variety of mediums that include drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and clay. She has taught at The Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University and currently teaches in public school and at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. Melanie loves to teach students of all ages and to encourage them to explore, take chances and develop their creative voice. When Melanie is not teaching art she is engaged in making artworks in a variety of mediums; photography, printmaking, clay, and fiber art.

Melanie Gillis is an artist and art teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Boston University and a Master of Arts in Teaching Visual Art from Bridgewater State University. She enjoys teaching a variety of mediums that include drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and clay. She has taught at The Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University and currently teaches in public school and at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. Melanie loves to teach students of all ages and to encourage them to explore, take chances and develop their creative voice. When Melanie is not teaching art she is engaged in making artworks in a variety of mediums; photography, printmaking, clay, and fiber art.

After decades of teaching drawing and painting to children and adults it is her conviction that thinking you have no ability or so-called “talent” can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Creativity can be learned and this is one of the premises of her classes, to dispel all the misconceptions about art. Her focus is to relax, inspire confidence, encourage and minimize inhibitions while enjoying the journey of creating.

Before moving to Cape Cod she taught painting in her home studio in Millis, Ma. Conducted workshops and classes at Boston Public Library, Copley Society of Boston, art guilds, schools and libraries on Cape Cod, in Rhode Island, the North Shore and New Hampshire.

She was the founder/director of the Stoney Brook Arts Guild at the Stoney Brook Nature Center in Norfolk, Ma. Since moving to the Cape she has taught at Falmouth Arts Guild, Sandwich Arts Alliance, Cape Cod Arts Assoc. Upper Cape Tech. H.S. and Cotuit Center for the Arts where she loves being a part of for the past several years.

Melanie Gillis is an artist and art teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Boston University and a Master of Arts in Teaching Visual Art from Bridgewater State University. She enjoys teaching a variety of mediums that include drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and clay. She has taught at The Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University and currently teaches in public school and at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. Melanie loves to teach students of all ages and to encourage them to explore, take chances and develop their creative voice. When Melanie is not teaching art she is engaged in making artworks in a variety of mediums; photography, printmaking, clay, and fiber art.

Steve has a Bachelors in Music / classical guitar from Rhode Island College and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston to study jazz composition. He was in management and purchasing for several years with Tower Records and HMV Records - amassing an enormous recording collection. He has taught at the Cape Cod Conservatory, CCFTA, Sandwich Arts Alliance and Falmouth Academy. He is the founder of the Cotuit Center for the Arts Ukulele Orchestra series of classes and is the Saturday Service Music Director at West Parish Church in West Barnstable. Steve currently plays guitar and sings with the Cape Cod duet, Side Hustle and performs as a sideman and fill-in musician for Kim Moberg, Out Late, Funktapuss, Jim Nosler's Twister and others.

Steve teaches Guitar, Ukulele, Bass Guitar, Drums, EnsemblesHe founded the Cotuit Center for the Arts Ukulele Orchestra series of classes in 2011, has taught music, ukulele and guitar at the Cape Cod Conservatory and Rock Band classes Falmouth Academy.

Steve is currently the Saturday Service Music Director at West Parish Church in West Barnstable. He's also performed for 45 years as a guitarist and vocalist for his own groups as well as a sideman for several Cape Cod based acts.

Steve has a Bachelors in Music / classical guitar from Rhode Island College and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston to study jazz composition. He was in management and purchasing for several years with Tower Records and HMV Records - amassing an enormous recording collection. He has taught at the Cape Cod Conservatory, CCFTA, Sandwich Arts Alliance and Falmouth Academy. He is the founder of the Cotuit Center for the Arts Ukulele Orchestra series of classes and is the Saturday Service Music Director at West Parish Church in West Barnstable. Steve currently plays guitar and sings with the Cape Cod duet, Side Hustle and performs as a sideman and fill-in musician for Kim Moberg, Out Late, Funktapuss, Jim Nosler's Twister and others.

Steve teaches Guitar, Ukulele, Bass Guitar, Drums, EnsemblesHe founded the Cotuit Center for the Arts Ukulele Orchestra series of classes in 2011, has taught music, ukulele and guitar at the Cape Cod Conservatory and Rock Band classes Falmouth Academy.

Steve is currently the Saturday Service Music Director at West Parish Church in West Barnstable. He's also performed for 45 years as a guitarist and vocalist for his own groups as well as a sideman for several Cape Cod based acts.

Nancy Chen is a DanceCraft certified belly dance teacher. She stumbled upon belly dance in 2012, and it completely transformed her life - unlocking a gateway to a global community of support, creativity and empowerment.