Donald Overbeay
Course Co-ordinator
Donald was born in Columbus, Ohio and at a very young age moved to Atlanta, Georgia with his family, where he was raised.   He attended Ohio State University where he attained his B.F.A. in painting and drawing.  After Ohio State, Don attained his M.F.A. in painting at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  Upon his graduation he moved to Bangkok, Thailand where he taught art in an international school and studied Buddhism.  Before his current position as Coordinator of Art and Design at Waiariki Institute of Technology, he was an Assistant Professor of Fine Art at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas. Prior to Lyon College, Overbeay taught art in Georgia, first at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia for five years and then at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia for four years.  During his time at Andrew College, he was selected as a Fulbright –Hays Scholar and returned to Southeast Asia to continue his research into Buddhist meditation techniques.  Don Overbeay has exhibited his work regionally, nationally, and internationally

Debbi Thyne (18 years teaching experience)
Qualifications:
Master of Fine Arts (Whitecliffe)
Bachelor of Arts(Social Science)(Massey)
Certificate of Māori Studies (Waikato)
Certificate in Adult Teaching
Member of Matakura (National Māori Art Educators collective)
Specialist field:
Paint/ Print/ Art History/ Māori Design/ Design/ Drawing

Eugene Kara (12 years teaching experience)
Qualifications:
Master of Fine Arts (Elam School of Fine Arts)
Diploma in Art Craft and Design Māori (Waiariki institute of Technology)
Foundation Certificate in Craft Design Māori (Waiariki institute of Technology)
Member of Matakura (National Māori Art Educators collective)
Specialist field:
Sculpture/ Whakairo/ Māori Art History/ Māori Design/ Art History/ Design/ Drawing

Jane Matua
Qualifications:
Master of Fine Arts (Whitecliffe)
Diploma in Art (Waiariki institute of Technology)
Certificate in Art (Waiariki institute of Technology)
Specialist field:
Ceramics/ Māori Design/, Art History/, Drawing/ Painting

Kereama Taepa (4 years teaching experience)
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Maori Visual Arts (Massey)
Specialist Field:
Photography/ Māori Art History/ Māori Design/ Design/ Drawing

Helen Cooper (16yrs teaching experience)
Qualifications:
Master of Fine Arts (Elam School of Fine Arts)
Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Arts (Elam School of Fine Art)
Certificate in Craft Design Maori (Waiariki Institute of Technology)
Diploma in Art and Design (Farnham School of Art)
Specialist Field:
Print/ Drawing/ Paint/ Art History/ Art Theory