The GCWS Leadership Team

The Leadership Team

Listed below are the members who have volunteered their time to make things happen for the Society.  Without them, the wonderful artist demonstrations, annual watercolor show, workshops, plein air events, member banquet, and communications would not occur!

We encourage all members to get involved. It's a great way to meet your fellow members and make new artist friends.  Leadership position duties are outlined in the GCWS By-Laws.  

Want to volunteer? Reach out to us today by filling out our contact form.

President

Sue was born in Pittsburgh and moved to Cincinnati as a teenager.  She went to University of Cincinnati and graduated with a B.S. degree in pharmacy.  She later earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky.  She worked as a pharmacist for 42 years, with her most recent position as the Director of Pharmacy for Encompass Health in Edgewood, KY. She and her husband have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren.  Upon her retirement, she took up watercolor painting.  She enjoys painting in watercolor both in her studio and outdoors.  She has made many friends through watercolor and finds watercolor painting relaxing and rewarding.

Treasurer, Website Manager, and Communications Chair

Art is an important facet of Starr's life.  She discovered a love of drawing in elementary school and took art classes in a variety of media: oils, acrylics, pastels, and charcoal. Later in life, she explored watercolor which has since become her favorite medium.

To pursue her dream of owning her own business, Starr studied Economics at the University of Virginia and earned an MBA in Finance at New York University. Since 1998, she and her entrepreneurial husband, Tarry, have owned and operated a financial technology company of which she is the Chief Financial Officer.

In 2022, Starr opened a fine art gallery, ARTclectic Art Gallery, currently the top rated art gallery in Cincinnati. Its stated mission is to showcase the fabulous artwork of talented Cincinnati artists.

Website Blog Editor and Exhibits Co-Chair

Marcia has spent over 35 years as a medical illustrator, a perfect career for an artist who is just as fascinated with science as she is with creative image-making. She earned her BFA in Painting from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master’s Degree in Illustration from Syracuse University. As a Certified Medical Illustrator, she has won national and international awards for her medical and scientific illustrations.

At Brazee Street Studios in Cincinnati OH, Marcia explores the world of personal art through traditional drawing and watercolor media. She enjoys sharing her love of watercolor painting by teaching small group classes in her studio.

Plein Air Event Chair and Exhibits Co-Chair

Adele took drawing classes in elementary school and has always had an interest in the arts, including dance and music. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in social work from Southern Connecticut State University, a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Bridgeport, and a Master’s degree from the Frontier School of MIdwifery and Family Nursing and Case Western Reserve University. She was an advanced practice nurse for 25 years before joining the faculty at the College of Nursing at Northern Kentucky University where she taught for 18 years. She specialized in public health, women’s health in particular, and lead multiple programs for nursing students in Mexico, India, Cuba and Tanzania. She began painting after retirement in 2017.  She has taken multiple workshops to learn watercolor. Painting is now a major part of her life besides children and grandchildren and she is passionate about it. She is inspired by the work of Tom Francisconi, Frank Webb and Frank Francese among many other loose-style watercolorists. Hurray for color!

Workshop Co-Chair, Member Banquet Chair, Nominating Committee Chair, Young Artist Scholarship Chair

In the mid-1990's, Deb re-ignited her early love of creating art by studying watercolor. Deb currently works in watercolor and fluid acrylics, primarily painting still life. She has taught watercolor classes and workshops in her home as well as for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. Her work has won awards in local, state, and national shows, and has been recognized in national publications and books. In addition, Deb has chaired ViewPoint, a national multimedia juried art competition organized by the Cincinnati Art Club, and is a past president of the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society where she remains an active member. 

Facilities Chair and Workshop Co-Chair

Gary Brooks has earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a focus on painting, and Master of Arts, with a focus on Art Education, from the University of Cincinnati. He has worked as a studio artist with wildlife artist John A. Ruthven and later in corporate theater production.  He then earned a second Master of Arts and Doctorate in Educational Administration. After private tutoring from renown painter and contemporary realist Gary Akers (AWS), Brooks began painting sharp focus watercolors and egg tempera. 

Gary currently teaches a weekly watercolor class at ArtsConnect in Springfield Township. His watercolor and egg tempera paintings have won numerous awards and many can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the Midwest.

Program Chair

Tom grew up surrounded by marshes, lakes, and farmlands in rural southern Minnesota.  He moved to Ohio to study architecture at the University of Cincinnati.  His architectural training instilled in him a strong base in classic compositional skills. He also developed an expertise in drawing in perspective through his architectural illustration work. He is self-taught in various media, ultimately concentrating in watercolor over the past 20 years.  Tom has attained Signature status from many watercolor societies and won numerous awards of distinction.

Hospitality Chair

Society Photographer

Keith is native to the greater Cincinnati area and has dabbled in art since elementary school.  Keith pursued a business degree and currently is self-employed rehabilitating houses in distress.  He married his high school sweetheart over 50 years ago. He and his wife are the proud parents of three grown sons and have five grandchildren. In recent years, watercolor painting has taken a more central role in his life.  Keith paints realistic scenes in vivid colors that convey a story for the viewer.  Keith’s artworks have received multiple awards and recognition in juried art competitions. Most recently, he won first place in ViewPoint, a national annual juried competition organized by the Cincinnati Art Club.

Open Leadership Positions

• Secretary

If you are interested in serving, please contact us.