Patrick Stolfo
Philosophy of Freedom - Study of Man - History through Art - Sculpture - Visual Arts Training
Patrick has an M.A. in Waldorf Education from Mercy College of Detroit and a B.F.A. from Wayne State University. He entered the Sculpture Course at Emerson College, England as a student in 1977 and was an instructor in that program from 1978-81.
He began educating children and adolescents at the Detroit Waldorf School in 1984, and has been at Hawthorne Valley School since 1987, teaching high school History Through Art and Architecture blocks, Sculpture [in clay, wood and stone], and courses in drawing, modern art history, social studies and philosophy. He has taught woodworking, carving, clay modeling and ceramics in grades 4-8. Patrick has taken on a variety of administrative and leadership roles in the school, mostly for 12 years as the High School Chair, but also for periods of time as College, Faculty and Teacher Development Chairs. Over the years he has been active as a freelance artist via private sales and/or professional commissions in sculpture, drawing, graphic design and lazure painting.
He has been a visiting or adjunct instructor in various Anthroposophical programs and trainings in North America, including the Waldorf Institute [Detroit], Rudolf Steiner College [Sacramento], Rudolf Steiner Institute of Quebec and Sunbridge College, Spring Valley, N.Y. He currently teaches in the summer intensive programs of the Antioch, New England Waldorf Teacher Education Program and the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, New Hampshire.
Martina Angela Müller
Painting and Drawing - Inner Development - Visual Arts Training - Administrator
Martina Angela Müller was born in Korbach, Germany, in 1962, and studied art and English at Emerson College in Sussex, England as well as at Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany. She further attended the Waldorf Institute for Education in Witten, Germany. Together with her family she then moved to Eugene, Oregon where she worked independently as an artist, and as the head of the art department at Waldorf Teacher Training, Eugene. She was Artist in Residence at the Lane County Council of the Arts, taught at area schools and led independent courses for adults. She is currently living in upstate New York, where she teaches at the Alkion Center and at Hawthorne Valley School. She has taught numerous courses at the Nature Institute, has designed book covers for Adonis Press, The Association of Waldorf Schools, The Journal for Anthroposophy and created logos for a number of organizations and teaching institutions. She is an internationally published children's book illustrator (Floris Books, Christofoor, Urachhaus, Anthropos, Iona and Balders Forlag) and her paintings are in numerous private collections in this country and abroad. She is the recipient of the Credere Grant through "ThinkOutward" for 2009. She was a co-founder of the Art Collective "Gallery 345" in Hudson that was active for two years from 2007 to 2009. Her work has been shown at Sanford Smith Gallery in Great Barrington, MA at Gallery 345 and the Basilica Industria in Hudson, NY and at Threefold Auditorium in Spring Valley, NY.
Eric G. Müller
Director of Teacher Education - Anthroposophical Studies - History through Music
Eric G. Müller was born in Durban, South Africa, and double majored in literature and history at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesberg. He completed the Foundation Studies at Emerson College in Sussex, England, with an emphasis on drama and creative writing. He pursued Waldorf pedagogy at the Waldorf Institute in Witten-Annen, Germany, specializing in music education. Together with his family he moved to Oregon, where he became a class teacher at the Eugene Waldorf School, carrying a class through the eight year cycle. During this time he also taught German and music (orchestra, chorus and individual classes). He was a co-founder of the Eugene Waldorf Teacher Training Program. Currently he teaches English and Drama at the Hawthorne Valley High School. He is a founding member of the Alkion Center where he heads the Waldorf Education department. He has taught at Simon's Rock College of Bard as an adjunct chorus director, as well as summer courses at Sunbridge College (grade school curriculum). Eric G. Müller has published Rites of Rock (Adonis Press, 2005), a novel that examines the phenomenon of rock music. His latest novel, Meet Me at the Met (Plain View Press, 2010) highlights the strengthening and spiritually rejuvenating forces of art. A collection of his poetry can be found in Coffee on the Piano for You, (Adonis Press, 2008). Articles, stories and poetry have been published in various magazines and journals. He is married to Martina Angela Müller. Together they have raised three sons.
Andy Ward
Early Childhood and Foundation Studies
Andree (Andy) Ward was born and raised in Texas, the eldest of 4. She attended Mills College in Oakland, Calif., and graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with an honors Liberal Arts degree. She received her MA in Early Childhood Education from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1969. By a long and winding path, she and her husband, William, found their way to Anthroposophy and Waldorf Education and moved to Harlemville in 1976 with their daughter Clair. Soon after, Rosemary was born and Andy returned to teaching in 1982. She taught in the mixed age Kindergarten for many years before establishing the Peach Blossom Pre-K and the parent-child classes in 2000. She has been a member of the Alkion core faculty since its inception and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to share her love and appreciation for Anthroposophy and the world of the young child.
Jeanne Simon-MacDonald
Eurythmy
Jeanne Simon-MacDonald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a teenager she studied piano at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She received a Bachelor of Arts in German Literature from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She studied eurythmy in Vienna, Austria, and after receiving her diploma continued her studies in performance in Dornach, Switzerland. In 1979 she moved to Edinburgh, Scotland and worked there for eight years in curative education and social therapy. During this time she completed her therapeutic eurythmy training. She was on the faculty of the Edinburgh Teacher Training Course for seven years. In 1987 she and her husband moved back to the US, to Spring Valley, NY, where she taught at Sunbridge College for ten years. She performed with Eurythmy Spring Valley internationally before founding her own performing ensemble in 1999, Grasshopper Productions, which is active with programs for both children and adults. She moved to upstate NY in the summer of 2001 and works as a therapeutic eurythmist in private practice.
Rachel Schneider
Theosophy
Rachel Schneider received her BA at Goddard College, majoring in education, and her Masters in Education at the Waldorf Institute at Garden City. She taught at the Lexington Waldorf School from 1976-1980 and then married and became the wife of a farmer and began her career as a professional gardener. Since 1983 in both Wisconsin and in Harlemville, NY she has continued to work in the training of young adults who are interested in Biodynamic farming. She also pioneered and managed Hawthorne Valley's 250-member CSA group; co-manages a solar-based, year-round greenhouse. Currently she is the Director of Educational Programs for Hawthorne Valley Farm and develops and teaches in farm based educational programs for both adults and children.