Pursue your creativity.

Corina S. Alvarezdelugo is originally from Venezuela where she received formal training in drawing and painting with the Venezuelan master painter and sculptor, Luis Alvarez de Lugo. As a young adult, she studied at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, and later on earned her B.F.A. with Honors and Distinction from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven while raising her three children. Corina served as art teacher at St. Mary School in Branford for two years, where she designed their Visual Arts curriculum. While there, she earned the school a REGI Grant and was in charge of the project from beginning to fruition. Corina also led their Art Club and co-led their Arts Summer Camp.

Corina works in various media from drawing and painting to printmaking and sculpture. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums in South America, the Caribbean, and in the USA, including the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City. Her work has been published in numerous publications and she has been featured on Spotlight on the Arts on the TV Magazine, All Things Connecticut on CPTV. Corina has won awards from major organizations in Connecticut and New York, as well as an Artist-in Residency at the Vermont Studio Center with a merit-based grant. Corina is an accomplished gardener and a member of the Gardening Consultant Council of the Federated Garden Clubs of CT. She co-advises the Garden Club and runs the afternoon Arts Concentration program.

Ben Barker earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Environmental Sciences from the University of East Anglia in England and is a graduate of the Connecticut Film Industry Training Program from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. Ben spent over 20 years in the environmental industry conducting laboratory analysis, site investigations and indoor air quality studies.

What is your favorite part about the subject(s) you teach now? I love teaching ceramics because art teaches life skills. Art teaches students how to problem solve, work in cooperative groups, focus and persevere, and to trust in their own abilities. What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? I'm a runner. I train for and compete in several marathons each year. I find running to be therapeutic, it helps me to clear my mind. What is the most rewarding part about working at Walker's? The most rewarding part about working at Walker's is the small class sizes. This allows me to develop an intimate relationship with each of my students and personalize their art education to best suit their needs and abilities.

Shannen, a classical artist and musician, holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from The Hartt School of Music. She provides musical and theatrical instruction for students from beginner to the conservatory level. Throughout her work, Shannen seeks to share with her students the excitement and joy of making music. Her experience includes musical theatre, opera, jazz, rock, and more. She works with her students to equip them with versatility in vocal styles and a colorful repertoire. As a child, Shannen had the privilege of performing with NETworks Productions on the international tour of “The Sound of Music” starring Marie Osmond, which taught her professionalism and responsibility at a young age. She also toured nationally with Chamber Theatre Productions where she performed classic works of literature adapted for the stage for school groups. Her performance endeavors have instilled in her a deep passion and love of the performing arts, which she hopes to pass on to her students.

Laurie MacAlpine came to Walker’s in 1998 and has expanded the music program to address the needs of a growing student body. She earned her bachelor’s degree in science with a minor in vocal music from Ladycliff College and went on to receive her master’s in music composition from The Hartt School, University of Hartford. An accomplished musician, she studied composition and theory with Arnold Franchetti, classical guitar with Janet Marlowe, and piano with Bridget de Moura Castro. Before coming to Walker’s, Laurie owned her own piano and classical guitar studio for 10 years and started four independent music programs for home school associations in Connecticut. She has conducted several children’s choirs in churches throughout Hartford and is currently the cantor at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. At Walker’s, she has expanded the music program to include a gospel choir and a chamber choir (Voce Felice), Upper and Middle School orchestra, a handbell choir, and chamber ensembles. In October 2006, she was awarded The Natalie Galbraith Mitchell Chair in the Humanities for her work at the school. She is currently a member of Simsbury Town Band in the clarinet section.

Cheri Soule is the Director of the Dance Program at Walker’s. She teaches modern, jazz, ballet, choreography, and improvisation, in both the Upper and Middle School programs. She received an MFA degree in Dance from Smith College, a BS in Dance from SUNY Brockport, and a BA in Fine Arts from Eastern CT State University. Cheri has danced professionally with The New England Dance Theatre and The Judy Dworin Performance Project. She also enjoys designing sets for JDPP’s Moving Matters! program in Hartford. Cheri has also served on the faculty at Springfield College, and as visiting artist at Trinity College. Her favorite part about being at Walker’s is the chance to teach, rehearse, and collaborate with such enthusiastic young dancers.