Our Directors and Staff

Our Directors and Staff

Board of Directors

  • Michael Cummings

    President

  • Profile Picture

    Elizabeth Spencer Berthiaume

  • Stephanie Tennyson

  • Natalia Dominguez

Michael Cummings

President

Michael has a long history in the arts. He started with an undergraduate degree in Art Education from the University of Dallas, wanting to become an art teacher. Once completing his Texas teaching certification he embarked on a journey to Graduate school at the Indiana State University where he received his Masters of Fine Arts with concentrations in Ceramics and Photography. He then spent the next 18 years in the educational system both private and public in various roles from Art Teacher, director of Technology, and finally a technology interaction specialist. He has since moved to the corporate education world where he teaches professionals about cybersecurity.   Michael discovered glass in undergraduate school and reignited his passion for the medium 6 years ago while working for Fort Worth ISD. This was when he discovered SiNaCa Studios and their impact they have on students and residents of Fort Worth. From that point on he has tried to help the studio in any way he can from volunteering, renting studio time, and participating in the board. He looks forward to many more years of being a part of the SiNaCa Studios.
Profile Picture

Elizabeth Spencer Berthiaume

Elizabeth Spencer Berthiaume is a Privacy Staff Attorney at GM Financial, General Motor’s captive financial company. Elizabeth has a passion for art, non-profits, and community. Prior to law school, Elizabeth supported the events and fund raising efforts at a non-profit in Washington, D.C.

Stephanie Tennyson

Stephanie Tennyson is a Coordinator for the Fort Worth Independent School District. She believes in lifelong education and creating a positive impact on her community. Stephanie grew up learning about and appreciating the arts thanks to a mother who studied art and who believed in actively involving oneself in the local arts community. She is thankful to serve as a board member of SiNaCa Studios and promote its wonderful mission.

Natalia Dominguez

Natalia Margarita Dominguez is a First Generation Mexican- American, Cisgender Artist, and Arts Advocate. She is a formal, experienced, culturally responsive award-winning artist-teacher now in the business equity industry as a Minority/Women Business Enterprises Outreach facilitator. As a firm believer in all the positive impact of the programming and community outreach performed by SiNaCa Studio’s, she’s excited to serve on the SiNaCa board.

Operations

  • Clifton Crofford

    Executive Director, Development Director, Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Jean M. Fernandes

    Kiln Studio Manager & Instructor, Visiting Artist Coordinator

    Kevin McGehee

    Studios Coordinator, Glass blowing Instructor, Flame Working Instructor

  • Tatara Siegel

    Artistic Coordinator/ Youth Outreach Coordinator, Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Heidi Childers

    Administrative Director

Clifton Crofford

Executive Director, Development Director, Glass Blowing Instructor

Started: 2007

I am a partner, father, student, teacher, and glass maker.  I am proud to be an important part of the incredible team at SiNaCa Studios and hope that our combined efforts will leave a lasting and important addition to the cultural landscape of Fort Worth, TX. I am a maker at my core, and ultimately love making a difference in the lives close to me and the community I love. 

Jean M. Fernandes

Kiln Studio Manager & Instructor, Visiting Artist Coordinator

Started: 2015

I’m a full time artist and educator with an   
undergraduate degree in the arts from San Jose State University, CA,   
and a master’s degree in glass from the University of Texas at   
Arlington. I’m the runt of the SiNaCa team (the shortest one) and I’m   
also rebellious enough to include only two sentences here instead of   
three. 
Glass Vocabulary Word: Devitrification

Kevin McGehee

Studios Coordinator, Glass blowing Instructor, Flame Working Instructor

Started:2007 

I stumbled in to glass blowing in 1998 needing a 3D art credit for a graphic design degree at UT Arlington. The glass blowing elective turned in to 14 semester journey finishing with a BFA in Glass Art. 20+ years after my 1st gather, I’m still excited by what glass can do and the opportunity to share it with others.

Glass Vocabulary Word: Battuto

Tatara Siegel

Artistic Coordinator/ Youth Outreach Coordinator, Glass Blowing Instructor

Started: 2105

I have a B. A. in Glass and Ceramics with a minor in Psychology from The University of Texas at Arlington. I have an M.F.A. in Glass from Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craft. My body of work consists of two separate approaches to making, one is designed- based and the other narrative- based. I love finding the balance in making both types of art. 

 Movement, M-o-v-e-m-e-n-t 

Heidi Childers

Administrative Director

Started: 2010

I am a UTA alumna with two bachelor degrees with primary focuses in English, psychology and business management, over 20 years of service industry management experience and have volunteered at SiNaCa Studios from the beginning.  I am the non-glass making, glass groupie that has taken on the challenge of keeping these creatives on track.  I love that I get to find new ways every day to use my education, past experiences and imagination to help shape and grow this organization.  
 

Glass Vocabulary Word:  Marver, m-a-r, v-e-r
  

Instructors

  • Nick Gomez

    Flame Working Instructor

    Blake Boles

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Madeline Carlson

    Glass Blowing Instructor/Kiln Forming Instructor

  • Amy Stephens

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Canaan Casteel

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Allyson Frizzell

    Intern

  • Brandi Simpson

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Christian Greene

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Andrew Fuentes

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Erika Espinoza

    Glass Blowing Instructor

  • Megan Sutton

    Kiln Forming Stuido Manager

  • Christa Westbrook

    Glass Blowing Instructor

Nick Gomez

Flame Working Instructor

Started: 2014

I am a family man with 2 boys and a wife who is my best friend. I always enjoy spending time with my family and I am also very passionate about making glass and music and practice both daily. I’m grateful to be able to make glass and teach people about glass for a living as well as help support my family using my passion for art.

Glass Vocabulary Word: Punty

Blake Boles

Glass Blowing Instructor

Started: 2016

In 2017, I obtained my BFA in Glass from the University of Texas at Arlington.   I am a former painter with a fascination in street art.  Currently, I’m interested in sculpting and etching imagery into repurposed glass.

Glass Vocabulary Word: Compatibility

Madeline Carlson

Glass Blowing Instructor/Kiln Forming Instructor

Started: 2020

I am a graphic designer that was brought to the dark side; aka the glass world. My first exposure to glass was in a beginning kiln class at UTA. I absolutely loved working with the material and switched my degree to glass and hoped I loved glassblowing as much as kiln forming and casting. (spoiler alert; I do!) Then in 2019 I graduated with MY BFA in Glass from the University of Texas at Arlington. 

Amy Stephens

Glass Blowing Instructor

I received a BFA in metalsmithing as well as one in sculpture from UNT in 2012 and am currently a graduate student at UTA with 9 years of foundry experience. I enjoy working with the community and have created over a dozen public artworks in the DFW, primarily Arlington, TX my hometown. My work focuses on the connection between the consumer social shifts integrated in economics and the history of manufacturing/packaging in America. By concentrating on creating a no waste impact in my own practice I am bringing awareness to the influence we can have as individual consumers as well as the scale of waste being generated daily by corporate mass production at the expense of the environment and our own well-being.

Glass Vocabulary Word: Moil

Canaan Casteel

Glass Blowing Instructor

I am a UTA alumni with a Bachelors in Graphic Design and a Minor in Glass who has a wide range of multimedia experience including glass, neon, ceramics, printmaking, and more.  I love to work with new people and share our interest in glass, creating not only beautiful glass pieces to enjoy but also great stories and shared experiences along the way.


Glass Vocabulary Word – Swedish overlay

Allyson Frizzell

Intern

Allyson Frizzell, She/Her
Started 2023
Program and Curriculum Intern, Student
I am officially studying conservation of art, but have recently become a glass-acolyte. The obsession started just a year ago; I took a kiln formed glass class in 2022 to supplement the material science knowledge that I need for conservation graduate school. The medium is unlike any other—now, I can’t imagine ever giving up glass work, and the community that surrounds it.
Glass Vocabulary Word: Refract

Brandi Simpson

Glass Blowing Instructor

Name: Brandi Simpson
Pronouns: She/Her
Year Started: 2022
I am a UTA Student and graduate with a BFA in Studio Arts, currently pursuing an MFA in
Glass Studies. I have been an art educator since 2016,and I have taught glassblowing, high
school art/art history, and yoga. My enthusiasm for art and creating is down-right contagious,
and I love getting to see the joy and satisfaction in my students’ faces when they create
something they are proud of.
Glass vocabulary word: Soffietta

Christian Greene

Glass Blowing Instructor

Christian Greene (he/him)
Year Started: 2022
Current Job Title: Curriculum Staff (Glassblower)
Three Sentences About You:I am a general creative working mostly with glassblowing, welding, and illustration. I have a bachelors from UTA, welding certificates from TCC, and several summers at Pilchuck Glass School. I have 10 years of glassblowing experience, some commercial, some with the public, and some just for fun.
Glass Vocabulary Word: Anneal

Andrew Fuentes

Glass Blowing Instructor

Andrew Thomas Fuentes
Program and Curriculum Staff
Started 2022
UTA alumni with a BFA focused in glass. I’ve been working with hot glass for about 3.5 years. It’s something that I truly feel I have a strong passion for. Anytime I’ve ever had to take a break to focus on other things in life I always come crawling back to the hotshop. I consider the hotshop to be a home away from home. It’s my safe space where I can escape and find myself. When I’m not consumed with making glass my second passion in life is writing and performing music.

Glass Vocabulary Word; Murrini

Erika Espinoza

Glass Blowing Instructor

Erika Espinoza She/Her
Program and Curriculum Staff
Started 2023

Current Job Title(s): Glass Blowing Instructor

Three Sentences About You: Learning has always been fun for me. So finding glass blowing, a never ending lesson, has been the perfect fit to help me mature into the person I am today. I now get to enjoy my work by spreading the lessons glass teaches us onto others.

Glass Vocabulary Word: Gravity

Megan Sutton

Kiln Forming Stuido Manager

She/Her

Year Started: 2023

Kiln Forming Studio Manager

Three Sentences About You: I wandered into the world of glass at Ball State, where I graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Glass. Not only do I love how versatile glass is as a medium, its unique characteristics and the endless possibilities it possesses; but I also love how glass brings artists and community together.

Glass Vocabulary Word: Pâte de verre

Christa Westbrook

Glass Blowing Instructor

Christa Westbrook (she/her)
Started: 2022
Glass Blowing Instructor
I love all things glass and learning about techniques. I love science and math. I am apart of the Choctaw Nation Tribe of Oklahoma.
Reticello

FRONT OF HOUSE

  • Cylla Neuwirth

    Front of House

  • Rebecca Dell

    Front of House

Cylla Neuwirth

Front of House

Name: Cylla Neuwirth She/Her
Year Started: 2023
Current Job Title(s): Front of House
Three Sentences About You: I graduated college in 2023 studying Animation and Programming. Now I’m taking business classes to start my own online business selling my art. I love learning different types of art techniques as it’s my passion and I wanna work hard to stick with it
Glass Vocabulary Word: Didymium

Rebecca Dell

Front of House

Year Started: 2022

I graduated from the London College of Communication with a Photography BA(Hons) and continued onto Oxford Brooks University to complete my teaching degree. I have lived in five countries, giving me the opportunity to learn from multiple cultures; I feel immensely lucky for the connections, friendships, and adventures those experiences have provided. I’m excited to continue learning and growing, during this new chapter, in the glass studio.

 

Glass Vocabulary Word: cullet

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