Allison Fanelli
President
Allison Fanelli is a semi-retired Registered Nurse and life-long artist. Originally from Pennsylvania, Allison relocated to Calabash in 2020, where she finds inspiration in this coastal area which is reflected in much of her art. Starting with a love of drawing as a child, she worked with ceramics and painted for 30 yrs, ran an arts and crafts business in her 30’s, and now devotes much of her time creating collages, painting with acrylics and watercolors, and working with glass.
Along with WAOTC, Allison is also a Board Member of the Brunswick Arts Council, and a member of Waterway Art Assoc, the Art League of Leland, Associated Artists of Southport and the Wilmington Art Association. Allison also participates regularly in local art shows and is active in promoting local art events. In 2024, she received awards for her submissions in both mixed media and 3D work. Allison’s art work can be found in regularly in Franklin Square Gallery and Sunset River Gallery. She also he has been commissioned for mixed media, acrylic and mosaic works.
Color and positivity are central to Allison’s works. She believes that art can be a source of optimism and solace. Each piece is an inviting escape, a gentle reminder of the world's serene beauty beyond its frenetic pace.
Allison’s best times are spent with her husband and two dogs, Ranger and Driver. She enjoys the beach, cooking for family and friends and exploring the beauty of her new state.
Lourdes Rosas Rasdall
Vice President
Lourdes moved to Eastern NC in 2024, after 40 years in Florida. Her background include a Bachelor of Arts from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, 35 years in the financial services industry, 2 years as Director at Suntan Art Center in St. Pete Beach FL, and a part-time position as Ops Gallery Manager at St. Pete Artworks, in St. Petersburg, FL. She is now a working artist, working primarily out of her home studio in Sneads Ferry.
In Florida, Lourdes was represented by St. Pete Artworks and the Craftsmen Gallery at Suntan Art Center. Since arriving in NC, she has affiliated with the Art Exposure Gallery in Hampstead and is a member of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina (WSNC), the Greater Topsail Art Association (GTAA), the Wilmington Arts Association (WAA), the Wilmington chapter of Urban Sketchers, the Art League of Leland (ALL), the international Women in Watercolor group, and the Wildlife Artists of the Carolinas (WAOTC). Besides being active in these groups, Lourdes teaches watercolor workshops regionally and participates in plein air events around the country.
From the Tampa Bay to the North Carolina coast, she finds inspiration in the local scenery, particularly nature and wildlife. When at home, she also makes time to volunteer at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center in Surf City, NC.
Terri Turley
Secretary
Terri Turley, an artist raised in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, began her creative journey amid her large family of 10 siblings. The early loss of her mother and the addition of two stepsisters shaped her upbringing. Terri is married to Mark and together they have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. She found her love for art in her twenties, starting with painted pottery and eventually embracing watercolor painting as her main medium.
Art is a family tradition for Terri, with her artist aunt in Georgia being a significant influence. Before turning fully to art, Terri worked in corporate sales & office management and ran a retail sports shop. After retiring to Calabash, NC in December 2019, she dedicated herself to art, refining her skills through various classes at the encouragement of her sister.
Terri's watercolor art often features nature themes, capturing wildlife and seascapes with a serene detail. She actively participates in the art community, serving as the New Scholarship Committee Chair for the Waterway Art Association and is a member of several organizations, including the Wilmington Art Association, Art League of Leland, and the Wildlife Artists of the Carolinas. Her work has been showcased in galleries like Red Springs Gallery's Lumbeeland Art Show and Franklin Square Gallery's Maritime Art Show.
Beyond painting, Terri enjoys crafting and sewing. Looking forward, she aims to explore her values and beliefs through her art, striving to offer beauty and connection to society, enriching both her life and the lives of her audience.
David Kilgore
Treasurer
Dave grew up in rural Indiana where he developed his love of Nature. His first camera was a Kodak Brownie he received as a child and he started his nature photography by photographing animal burrows,
yes shooting holes in the ground. Dave’s photography experience progressed in high school where he was a photographer for the school newspaper and year book using a 5X7 large format camera and
developing the images in the school’s darkroom. After high school his photography took a hiatus while he earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering at Tri State University and started his career in the
defense industry.
In 1986 Dave received a Minolta Maxxum film camera as a gift from his wife Brenda. Over the next years, Dave enjoyed photographing little league games, family events and vacations. After retiring from 35 years in the defense industry Dave and Brenda moved from Northern Virginia to Calabash, North Carolina. Dave was then able to pursue his lifelong passion for wildlife and nature. The Coastal area of Brunswick County provides great opportunities for photographing wildlife and landscapes. With the huge variety of birds along the shore and in the marshes, he enjoys the challenge of photographing them. Dave not only photographs shore birds but also enjoys photographing birds in his back yard and has also photographed the unique birds found in Africa. Dave’s goal with all wildlife photographs is to depict the subjects in their natural habitat.
Lisa T. Myers
Member at Large, Membership Chairperson
After retiring in 2019, from 30 years in IT sales in the Washington DC area, Lisa T. Myers went back to her roots and passion for creating art.
As her artistic journey continues to mature, she has been focused on mixed media abstract art. She states that abstract art is wild, passionate, and imaginative. Her work is fun and whimsical.
She does commission work and is a member of the Art League of Leland, the Wilmington Art Association, the Brunswick Arts Council, Cameron Art Museum and the Wildlife Artists of the Carolinas. For more information about Lisa and her work, please visit www.lisatmyers.com.
Gwen Renee Pikul
Member at Large, Exhibitions Cahirperson
Gwen Renee Pikul is a self-taught artist. She creates using several mediums, with color and details being the core focus of every piece. Her art has been invited into and awarded in several shows and galleries in Brunswick and New Hanover counties.
Gwen is a member of the Wilmington Art Association, the Art League of Leland, the Oak Island Art Guild, the Urban Sketchers Wilmington Chapter and the Wildlife Artists of the Carolinas.
Sabine Baeckmann
Member at Large, Website Manager
The driving force behind my paintings is an enduring love of the natural world, in the spirit of creation, and its emotional resonance over time that manifests itself in our relationship with nature. Much of the wonder and appreciation of the natural world I developed as a result of my education, which includes a Bachelor of Science degree in applied arts (medical/scientific illustration) and masters work in Art Therapy, and nearly 40 years as a medical illustrator and designer. To me, the notion of deeply connecting with the natural world through art is equally an impressive fete, and it is central in my process. Leaning on my drive for capturing realism, I revel in visually documenting the soul of an animal through its eyes, the feeling of freedom embodied in the splash of running horses through the surf, the endless rise and fall of the ocean, the diminutive curiosity of a honey bee among brilliant flowers. All are experiences that help me shape a human connection to nature. As a career professional artist, I currently also enjoy teaching painting and illustration both privately and in classroom. I am a resident studio artist at the ArtExposure Gallery, Hampstead, NC; a member of the Seacoast Artist Guild, exhibiting at their Gallery in Myrtle Beach SC; and represented by The Last Detail in NewBern, NC. I am a member of the Na onal Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, The National Watercolor Society, the Wilmington Art Association, the Wildlife Artists of the Carolinas, a Board Member of the Watercolor Society of NC, and the Founder/President Greater Topsail Art Association. I enjoy exhibiting my work regionally, nationally and internationally. I currently live in beautiful SE Coastal North Carolina with my husband Richard. My work can also be seen online at www.sabinebaeckmannart.com