Since 2001, VisArts' staff annually selects one member of its faculty to receive the Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher Award. This award goes to an instructor each year who exemplifies the organization's mission through their excellence, creativity, and dedication to their students. To be considered for this award, the teacher must also meet various criteria, including a minimum of four seasons of teaching at VisArts.

The VisArts community submitted 150 nominations for this year's Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher Award winner, with more than 60 teachers nominated. After her more than 35 years of teaching screenprinting classes, VisArts' staff has selected JC Gilmore-Bryan as this year's Master Teacher.

JC Gilmore-Bryan is a professional artist. In addition to teaching at VisArts, she also teaches at Virginia State University and has taught at VCU. She is a member of the Professional Printmaking group ONE/OFF. In 2011 she received a Fulbright Scholar award to teach mural painting and do her own work in screenprinting for a solo exhibition at the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has done residencies in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and in Paris at the Cite' Internationale des Arts. She has a MFA from Columbia University, MA from Vanderbilt University and a BS From MTSU. Her work is in collections around the world.

"She is generous in so many ways," shared one community member who nominated JC for this recognition. "She is there for student endeavors even outside of the classroom time. She's patient in helping students to understand process and sets expectations that help students to stretch their thinking and challenge their vision, organized in steps that build on experience and knowledge."

This spring, JC is teaching Screenprinting Immersion for adults, and will be teaching Fun With Printmaking for VisArts' ArtVenture youth campers this summer.

Consider making a donation to the Visual Arts Center of Richmond in honor of this year's Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher Award recipient, JC Gilmore-Bryan. Each year, the Shelly Shepherd Master Teacher Award goes to an instructor who exemplifies the organization's mission through their excellence, creativity and dedication to their students. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

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