Art Classes and Music Lessons

Blue Ridge ArtSpace is a building dedicated to community engagement and art education. We have instructors who teach regularly throughout the year. We offer group classes and private lessons.  Learn more about our experienced instructors.

John Bond

John Bond, an instructor of more than 28 years teaches drawing, painting, and more to adult students on a one-on-one basis in a class setting. 

John works with each student to ensure he/she is challenged as an individual. John encourages curiosity of various art mediums. He teaches students anything from foundational principles to more advanced techniques based on their experience, personal skill level, goals, and the medium they desire to learn.

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Raney Rogers 

Raney Rogers graduated from East Carolina University with a BA in Education. She began painting professionally in 1981 and has since then been represented by galleries in NY, CA, and throughout the southeast. Additionally, Ms. Rogers opened Acorn Gallery (studio and gallery representing only Raney's work) in 1994 to present.

She taught art in public schools for five years. Additionally, Ms. Rogers studied with leading artists such as Robert Bateman, Sallie Middleton, Daniel Greene, Chuck McLaughlan, and others. Her work has been included in public and private collections throughout the world.

I have led Plein Air painting groups in Italy and US. I have led Painting with Raney sessions throughout the southeast from 2010 to present. I lead Corporate Team Building Sessions with Painting with Raney. PBS show Painting with Raney in final edits after seven years in creation.

Accepted as Artist in Residence at smART Kinston in Kinston, NC in 2018, Ms. Rogers became Executive Director of smART Kinston in 2019. She has led Art Parties for Watauga Arts Council since 2016 and has been the writer of Arts Articles for All About Women, Mountain Times, Jefferson Post and News on the Neuse.

​Painting with Raney is unique in that she uses the technique of painting upside down with explanations for color, design and contrast that anyone can follow to create a painting. No previous experience is needed at all. This is Raney's joy - to show everyone that they are an artist as she believes "we are all artists".

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Rhonda Lorence 

 Rhonda is a certified Suzuki violin and viola instructor. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor in Music Performance from the University of South Florida. During her 27 years of performance she toured internationally with Mantovanni Orchestra.

Ms. Lorence served as the principle violist with esteemed orchestras such as the Minnesota Philharmonic, Tampa Bay Opera, Naples Symphony Orchestra and Gilbert and Sullivan Orchestra. As a composer she has received critical acclaim and international radio airplay for original compositions on her Winter Moon and Movements in the Moment CD and in 2005 she was nominated in four categories for the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Awards.

Rhonda is the lead violinist for The Mountain Laurels for whom she produced and arranged their 1st CD “Highland Blooms” this year. Ms. Lorence has extensive Suziki teacher training from Furman University and Buffalo Suzuki School.

At the Harper School of Performing Arts she is continuing music development with the teaching of the Mark O’Connor Method and has added a variety of teaching styles for her students from classical to celtic and fiddling.

Her teaching strategies include innovative and interactive methods, which integrate digital recordings and interactive CDs as instructional tools. Ms. Lorence is dedicated to inspiring the joy and love of music in students of all ages.