Ron Stevens, Director

Ron Stevens has been a commercial and art photographer for over 20 years. He has taught photography workshops and seminars around the Midwest and teaches photography in the Department of Art at Miami University. Ron's interests lie in photographing the ordinary world from unique perspectives.

Ron is a member of the Society for Photographic Education and National Association of Photoshop Professionals. He has been part of several regional exhibits and has had 15 images chosen for exhibition by the Professional Photographers of America as well as twice receiving the Hoosier Award from Indiana for outstanding photography and being named one of the top 5 photographers in the state of Ohio in 1985. He has images in private collections across the country and continues to do commercial photography that is used in national advertising campaigns.

Ron has been the director of CraftSummer since 2000 and considers it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of his professional career.

Contact Ron if you have suggestions or questions about our program, matters of policy, or prospective workshop instructors.

Geoff Eacker, Assistant Director

Geoff has been affiliated with the CraftSummer program since 1984 and now serves as the Assistant Director. Geoff, also the Director of the Art Center at Miami University, is a respected woodworker and maker of acoustical musical instruments.

In 1997 Geoff was the co-recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation for the Humanities grant to become the first of many Scholars-in-Residence at Marshall University's Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Gender in Appalachia, Huntington, West Virginia. At Marshall his research focused on women banjo players in Appalachia. The results of this semester long project was a multi-media traveling exhibit featuring Geoff's photographs entitled "Banjo Women in West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky." To date "Banjo Women " has appeared at ten venues in four states.

Geoff's instruments have been featured in the music publications, "Frets" and "The Oldtime Herald," the national exhibit "The Music Makers", at The Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio, and in the collection of musicians including singer/songwriter, Joni Mitchell.

Geoff works closely with instructors coordinating supplies and materials used in our workshops.

Joyce Ponder, Workshop Coordinator

Joyce has been with the CraftSummer program since 1991 and also serves as the Admin. Assistant for the Art Center at Miami University.

Joyce's creative interests lie in designing and creating both traditional and contemporary quilts. She has taught quiltmaking in the CraftSummer program, Miami's ILR program, and local quilt shops. Her quilts have been exhibited both regionally and nationally, including the American Quilter's Society exhibit in Paducah, Kentucky. She credits her role with the Art Center and CraftSummer program for nurturing her own artistic pursuits.

Contact her regarding registering procedures, openings in workshops, fees, or other general questions.