NISDA STAFF


IAN TORNEY

Ian Torney is an artist, an arts educator and administrator, and an exhibition curator. Mr. Torney has been teaching in the Visual Arts for over four decades – he began his career as a Teaching Fellow at the Hotchkiss Summer School, followed by five years at the Pomfret School and 21 years at St. Paul’s School, where he served as both the Fine Arts Director and Arts Division Head. He joined the faculty at his alma-mater Milton Academy in 2012 to teach in the Visual Arts and served for 10 years as the department Chair – he currently serves as the Nesto Gallery Director.

Additionally, Mr. Torney served for five years as the Co- President of the Independent School Art Instructors Association, and remains on the leadership council of the Art Association of New England Preparatory Schools. Mr. Torney holds a BA in Visual Arts from Bowdoin College, an MAEd from the Rhode Island School of Design, and an MFA from the Art Institute of Boston. He has participated in several summer residencies, most notably: the New York Studio School; the Anderson Ranch Art Center in Snowmass, CO; the Humberside School of Art and Design in Hull, England; at Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy; and most recently at NISDA/the Nantucket Island School of Design & Art.

Mr. Torney is also a practicing, professional landscape painter who exhibits his work annually – he is a member of the Copley Society of Art in Boston, and is represented by the Hurricane Mountain Design Gallery of North Conway, NH. In 2025 Mr. Torney was honored as the Massachusetts Art Education Association as the Independent School Arts Educator of the Year; and in 2026 he has been honored as the National Art Education Association Eastern Secondary Schools Arts Educator of the Year.


See more at www.iantorneyart.com.

Sculptural Clay Whistles

July 30, 2026
2 Day Handbuilding Workshop
August 8 + 9
10 am-12:30 pm
Registration Open

Let’s Paint!

July 30, 2026
2 Day Workshop
August 4 + 6
Ages 9–14

The Art of Repair

July 28, 2026
1 Day Workshop
August 1
10 am-2 pm
Registration Open

Surface Design & Direct Techniques

July 27, 2026
Textile and Fiber Arts at the Heifer Barn
August 4–27
Tuesday + Thursday 4–6:30 pm

NISDA Community Knit-Along... or Crochet

July 27, 2026
Free and Open to the Community!
August 4, 6, 11 + 13
Tuesday + Thursday 1–3 pm

Nature Tapestries

July 27, 2026
2 Day Workshop at the Heifer Barn!
August 10 + 14
Registration Open

Blockprinted Bandanas

July 27, 2026
1 Day Workshop at the Heifer Barn!
Friday August 7 | 1–3:30 pm
RegistratIon Open

Potter’s Wheel | All Levels

July 27, 2026
POTTER'S WHEEL All Skill Levels Adult 18+ (Teens are invited to register) Dates + Times: August 4, 6,11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27 Tuesday and Thursday | 6–8:30 pm Instructor: Helen Mills (read bio) Tuition: $650 (+ Clay #25/$65 includes glazes and firing) No prior experience needed. All are welcome. We are able to adapt techniques to fit ever body of any age or skill level. Learn or expand your knowledge on the clay process as we explore techniques of wedging, throwing, trimming, and glazing. This will be a flexible class with a combination of group demonstration and personalized instruction. As these basic forms and techniques become second nature, you will be able to make more complex forms with confidence and curiosity. The final week will be dedicated to surface treatments and a variety of glazing strategies. Students purchase clay from NISDA. #25 bag for $65 which includes the cost of glaze and firing. Students with a basic knowledge of centering, trimming, etc. will expand their repertoire of forms. Demonstrations will include throwing of vase shapes, plates, lidded forms.. There will be an additional emphasis on developing a personal aesthetic and exploring surface design.

Off-Loom Placemats

July 26, 2026
1 Day Workshop at the Heifer Barn
August 5 | 1–3:30 pm
Registration Open
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