The ArtSpace Faculty:

Kindergarten through Grade 3

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Rebekah Richards(Kindergarten) was born in Louisville, KY.  She received her B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Central Methodist College in Missouri. Rebekah always wanted to teach kindergarten and joined ArtSpace in 2002. Rebekah lives in the country with her husband, David, and her daughters, Iris and Juilia. Her hobbies are knitting, gardening, listening to bluegrass, and being with her family.

Rebekah can be contacted at 298-2787 ext. 602 or via email at rebekah.richards at artspacecharter dot org.

Chris Larson (Kindergarten) was born and raised in Dallas, TX, which lost him to the mountains for college. He graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Warren Wilson College.

He relaxes by playing Ultimate Frisbee. He has been playing for almost seven years now and doesn't see the end in sight. He helps "coach" the Warren Wilson College Ultimate Frisbee Club, while also playing for the Asheville men's team.

Chris can be contacted at chris.larson at artspacecharter dot org or at 298-2787 ext. 603.

Darlene Turner (First Grade) was born in Fort Dix, NJ, where she lived until she moved down to the Asheville area to attend college. She graduated with a B.A. from Warren Wilson College and a M.S. in Elementary Education from Western Carolina University.

In addition to teaching at a small private school in Black Mountain, Darlene taught kindergarten, first and second grades for 16 years at Carolina Day School. She joined ArtSpace in its first year, 2001.

Darlene is an active volunteer for many local agencies. Her hobbies include reading, hiking, gardening, sewing, needlework and calligraphy. Her artistic appreciation lies in the areas of visual art, pottery and music.

Darlene can be contacted at 298-2787 ext. 604 or via email at darlene.turner at artspacecharter dot org.

Cindy Hunt (First Grade) was born in Ohio, but grew up in Michigan and remains a University of Michigan Wolverine fan. Cindy has recently moved to the Asheville area after 21 years in South Florida, where she was a resource teacher for students with learning disabilities for more than eight years. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education and is a certified Wilson Reading Specialist.

In her spare time, Cindy and her husband, Don, are exploring the mountains and the surrounding areas. They love the Western North Carolina weather!

Cindy can be contacted at cindy.hunt at artspacecharter dot org or at 298-2787 ext. 601.

Annabell Lisa (Second Grade) was born and grew up in France. Her family moved back to the U.S. in her teens and she eventually settled in Asheville. She received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Warren Wilson College, and joined ArtSpace in 2004. She speaks fluent French, Spanish, and Portuguese and uses these languages daily in her classroom. In her free time, Annabell loves dancing, painting, and cooking. 

Annabell can be contacted at 298-2787 ext. 605 or via email at annabell.lisa at artspacecharter dot org.

Alison ("Ali") Mellander (Second Grade) was born in Berkeley and received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Santa Cruz. She taught for the CA State Parks as a naturalist and managed an organic nursery before earning her teaching certification.

She taught second and third grades in California before moving to Asheville where she taught kindergarten in the Asheville City Schools. She joined ArtSpace in 2005.

She loves hiking, beach combing, plants and animals. She has family all over the world, including Sydney, Prague, and Fiji.

Ali can be contacted at ali.mellander at artspacecharter dot org or at 298-2787 ext. 606.

Allison Beaman (Third Grade) graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a concentration in psychology. She was born in Winston-Salem to a family with pride in their native American roots. Always a scientist, Allison spent time as the Early Childhood Sciences Educator at SciWorks in Winston-Salem before moving to Asheville and working in the city schools. Allison came to ArtSpace in 2005. Allison has a keen interest in art and photography.

Alison can be reached at 298-2787 ext. 608 or via email at allison.beaman at artspacecharter dot org

Hollis Brown (Third Grade) graduated from Tulane University with a BA in Sociology.  She lived in New Zealand for a year and then settled in Asheville. She previously worked as an assistant for Asheville City Preschool.  This experience inspired her to get her teaching certificate at Western Carolina University.  Hollis has taught for Asheville City Schools and in the Chicago area.  After a few years in the big city, Hollis missed the mountains of North Carolina. She joined ArtSpace in 2009.

Hollis has a passion for reading and enjoys a relaxing hike in the woods. She enjoys creating mixed media artwork and participates in community theater.

Hollis can be reached at 298-2787 ext. 645 or via email at hollis.brown at artspacecharter dot org.

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