Slate of Officers and Directors

2021 Annual Meeting

August 17, 2021

The AAWS Board of Directors recommends that AAWS Members approve the following Associated Artists’ Officers and New Directors.  

OFFICERS* 

President – Margaret Webster-Shapiro
Immediate Past President – Seth Moskowitz 
Vice President – Susan Powers
Treasurer – Myrna Mackin
Secretary – Marsha McNeely Hierl

*Officers serve two-year terms, except Immediate Past President, who serves one year. 

Brief Board-Member Bios Follow

Suzanne Ribisl Bellomy
Suzanne has been a member of AAWS for more than 35 years and has served on the Board of Directors many times.  She is a photographer who has directed National Aperture and National Exposure exhibits, which helped promote photography as an art form to be featured by AAWS.  

Melrose Tapscott Buchanan 
Melrose Buchanan has served on the Associated Artists’ Board several times and chaired committees plus curated many exhibits for the organization. She is an artist and an educator, teaching drawing and painting classes and workshops at Reynolda House, Museum of American Art, Sawtooth School of Visual Art, and Salem Academy and College. 

Marsha McNeely Hierl 
After 30 years with the WSFC School System, Marsha retired and opened Studio 7 and the McNeely Gallery in the Downtown Arts District. She served on the DADA board for several years. Currently, Studio 7 has moved into a small shared space on Trade Street, the McNeely Gallery has moved to ARTC Theatre, and her studio is in her home. When not painting, teaching art or book binding, Marsha helps run ARTC Theatre and directs shows. She strives to give aspiring artists a chance to succeed and have their first gallery shows in the McNeely Gallery. Marsha has been a member of AAWS for several years and looks forward to having a more active role as a Board member. 

Skyler Holley
Skyler brings her experience as Digital Marketing Director for Girl on the Roof (a strategic marketing firm in Winston-Salem) to AAWS and its “Media Team.” She is an artist and photographer, native of the Piedmont Triad, and enjoys learning from other artists and discovering new points of view.

Jerry Jernigan
Jerry has been a member of Associated Artists for 16 years and has served on the Board for the past two. He began to focus his efforts on creating photographic art after retiring from his 36-year career as an administrator and teacher at WSFC Schools During the past 16 years, he has also worked as a guard and a docent at Reynolda House, which has greatly enhanced his knowledge and appreciation of American art. Jerry’s photographs can often be seen at AAWS’ Every Corner and Wachovia galleries.

Dean Roland Johnson 
Dean Roland Johnson is a painter with work included in the collection of several museums. His visually-oriented career includes college art teaching, developing textiles for the architectural/design trade, and restoring and running a country inn. He is a very enthusiastic member of the AAWS Board and a strong supporter of the mission, to promote the visual arts in the community.

Myrna Mackin 
An active member of Associated Artists for more than 20 years, Myrna has served several terms on the AAWS Board and has been Treasurer since 2018. As the driving force for Associated Artists’ Community Exhibits Program for almost two decades, she has worked to bring AAWS members’ art to countless members of the community by coordinating the quarterly Community Art Exhibits at up to 25 businesses, offices, restaurants and other venues in and around Winston-Salem.

Seth Moskowitz 
An active member of Associated Artists since 2004, Seth has served a number of terms on the Board including twice as Vice President and, most recently, a two-year term as President. A strong supporter of AAWS, he credits Associated Artists and its members with giving him the confidence and support he needed to become a successful artist, and he is committed to helping the organization continue to thrive.

Deborah Petermann
An artist and member of AAWS in the late ‘80s, Deborah returned in 2019 after years in a professional career. She worked in numerous office settings that required a high degree of technical knowledge including web editing, programming, network management, and database management, which makes her a most essential member of our “Media Team” for our website and MailChimp projects.   

Susan Powers 
Has moved from one artistic adventure to another: Jewelry, Metalsmithing, metal clay, painting, always searching to learn and to find  more opportunities.  She owned her own business while raising her family. She has become proficient in Social Media and joined AAWS’s new “Media Team” to focus on our Instragram presence. She hales from Hampton Rhodes, Va., and has lived in Clemmons for the past four years. She is eager to make the most of her affiliation with AAWS. 

Matthew Ragan 
As a member of PNC Wealth Management, Matt has relationships with many community members in the Piedmont Triad. He has been a strong supporter of AAWS for many years and a active advocate for the arts and AAWS.

Wendy Taylor
A native of Winston-Salem, Wendy grew up surrounded by the arts. And more than 35 years’ experience as a full-time real-estate professional has offered her the opportunity to see and appreciate a vast array of artworks in virtually every style and medium. She is a past board member of SECCA and has served on the AAWS Board for the past two years. She is also a very active member of the Rotary Club of Clemmons and of both the Lewisville-Clemmons and Winston-Salem chambers of commerce.

Linda Weaver
Linda Weaver has been an active member of AAWS for many years, including two terms as President. Linda is a professional photographer and portrait artist who has exhibited, judges, and lectured throughout the United States and Europe. Her studio is maintained in a historic building in the scenic Reynolda Village. 

Margaret Webster-Shapiro 
Margaret moved to Winston-Salem in 2010, and joined AAWS in 2011. Since retiring, she has pursued her artistic side, and she’s been an active volunteer at many AAWS events and activities, including receptions and fundraisers. She has been a Board member twice, worked on the STOREFRONTS Public Art Project several years ago, and is active in Community Exhibits. Her strengths are project management, problem solving, and attention to detail. She has served as Vice President for the past 2 years, and with President Seth Moskowitz and Treasurer Myrna Mackin, has worked hard to rebuild and grow AAWS during the past three years.