New instructors expand class offerings at Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts

GLOVERSVILLE, NY  – The Nigra Arts Center is excited to announce three new instructors who will be teaching classes at the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts over the next few months. The arts center is open to the public and classes are open to all. 

Paul Sunday, a multidisciplinary artist and internationally published photographer, will be teaching abstract painting, collage and photography at the Nigra Arts Center along with some creative writing classes.

Sunday’s photography, painting, collage, and installation work has been exhibited extensively in New York City and the Hudson River Valley. His portraits of artists and celebrities have appeared in Interview, Forbes, German Vogue, Paper, Vanity Fair, W magazine and many other publications. He has taught at The International Center of Photography, Pratt Manhattan, and SUNY New Paltz.

Sunday will hold a creative journaling class February 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. and Intro to Creative Writing on February 18, from 5:30-7 p.m. – both perfect for beginners who want to learn how to develop their voice and storytelling skills. Then on February 24, Paul is launching a two-part Photographic Portrait series where participants can learn the basics of portrait photography.

Jake Willwerth is jumping in at the Nigra Arts Center full-time, offering a variety of classes, from a drawing and painting studio series that runs through February, to cooking, sewing and crafting classes each week. His next painting class – Woven Paper Hearts - will be held on February 10, from 10-11 a.m. His studio class can be joined at any time, with each week offering tips and tricks for a different art medium. The next studio class is February 13.

Willwerth has a bachelor's degree in graphic design and master’s in art education. He has worked as a freelance graphic designer creating ads for newspapers and local businesses since 2022, and has been teaching art since 2024. He works in multiple different mediums, ranging from digital art, sculpting, painting, and sewing, as well as many others.

MaryAnn Zicarelli is the newest yoga instructor at the Paul Nigra Arts Center with her next class – Morning Yoga – scheduled February 27, from 8:15-9:15 a.m. This class is designed to welcome all levels to the mat.

Zicarelli is an Experience Registered Yoga Instructor (ERYT) at the 500 and 200-hour levels, with experience teaching many styles of yoga and meditation. Her comprehensive training through New York Yoga and Lakshmi Rising Yoga and Wellness exposed her to expert teachers from around the globe. It is her passion to share her vast knowledge of yoga with others.

Sunday, Willwerth and Zicarelli will be joining the dozen veteran instructors who have been offering classes at the arts center for years. To get the full class calendar, visit the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts Facebook page, stop in at the art center located at 2736 NY-30, Gloversville or call 518-661-9932.

About the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts:
The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts is a beautiful, year-round arts center open to the public. The Center has a large art gallery offering continuous exhibits, hosts fun family events and provides art classes and other educational opportunities for persons of all ages and levels of ability. The Nigra Arts Center also offers exceptional spaces for private parties or business events. The Nigra Arts Center is operated by the Lexington Foundation and The Arc Lexington, an accredited, award-winning provider of disability services. For more information visit www.pncreativeartscenter.org.