Meet the PWAS Members 2026 Part 1
Introducing the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) Members. The nonprofit art group meets monthly on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA. Our meetings often feature art programs featuring area artists displaying and showing their art process, member "show and tell", and occasionally an art project to work on. Miss a meeting and you miss a LOT!
Let's begin meeting the area's artist members of PWAS...As I get the member's bio and pic, I will post about 10 people per blog post.
PWAS Member Donna Merchant
Bio: Hello everyone! My name is Donna Merchant, and I’m a wife/mom/art teacher/business owner. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, majoring in Art Education from VCU. I’ve taught art for over 30 years in private schools, subbed for PWC public schools, and taught in local art studios. Nine years ago I started my own business, Pencils and Paints LLC. I currently teach weekly art classes with children and adults at the Potomac Shores Community Clubhouse, bi-weekly “Creative Therapy, Adult Art Club” classes at Tony’s Pizza in Manassas, and weekly in-home private lessons with kids. I also instruct monthly Paint Parties at the Potomac Shores Clubhouse, The Electric Palm Restaurant in Woodbridge and travel to people’s homes for private paint parties! I don’t currently create art to sell, but I SO ENJOY teaching drawing and painting, and aspire to once again participate in art shows after retirement. Find and follow me on Instagram and Facebook, Pencils and Paints LLC.
PWAS Member Sandra McClelland Lewin (past President, Vice President
Bio: Sandra McClelland Lewin lives in Dumfries, VA and creates her art in her home studio. She began painting after her retirement in 2009 as a graphics designer for the Central Intelligence Agency. Artwork depicting nature is her specialty, primarily created using acrylic paint with occasional touches of gold or silver leaf. She has been exhibited and won awards in several juried shows throughout the Northern Virginia area and in online juried international shows. Sandra has also been a juror for numerous art exhibits throughout Northern Virginia. She established an artist’s group in the local Four Seasons Over 55 community in 2014 and was President of the group for five years. She served as President of the Prince William Art Society from 2019 through 2021 and again from 2023 to January, 2026. Sandra was also a member of the Prince William Arts Council from 2014 until it’s dissolution in December 2025. She was a member of the Arches Gallery at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center from April 2017 to November 2022.
PWAS Member Lizzy Javier
Bio: Art is like breathing, an integral part of my everyday life. My art is a reflection of my appreciation of the beauty I see in my leisure travel both overseas and domestic trips, and things I experience in my daily life. I am inspired by colorful vistas, scenic landscapes and natural beauty. To me, paintings are portals, filled with ideas and emotions. I like to capture my travel adventures using my own photographs to work from or to paint plein air. I paint my interpretation of what I see instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I see before me. Color is my inspiration. Color gives me a sense of open-mindedness, frankness and transparency. I approach my subject matter without fear of judgement and enjoy the freedom to choose colors that convey mood, energy and adventure. My medium of choice is acrylic but occasionally I use watercolors depending on the technique I want to accomplish.
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PWAS Member Katie Keller Dugan
Bio: Katie Keller Dugan is a mom, educator, and animal lover turned photographer with a passion for capturing images of animals, flowers, and tiny moments in nature. She is a dedicated volunteer at Hope & Serenity Farm Sanctuary in Nokesville, VA where she is surrounded by the most gorgeous subjects to photograph. Katie, originally from Buffalo, NY, now lives with her husband and four boys on a micro-farm in Nokesville, VA. You can see more of her photography and artwork on Instagram at @black_cat_photoart.
PWAS Member Donna Liguria (Social Media, Blog Admin)
Bio: Donna Liguria is a self-taught artist and has been a member of PWAS since 2021. Her paintings are in acrylics with her style mostly based on realism. Before retiring, she worked for an IT company in Northern Virginia serving roles as QA II, Project Coordinator, and as Application Admin. Previously, she was a restaurant owner and had a mural painting business. Her art has been featured in local publications and she has won multiple ribbons for her artworks. See her art at https://donnaliguriaart.com
PWAS Member Patty Gulledge
Bio: Patty Gulledge, a North Carolina-born artist currently living in Woodbridge, loves working in pastel and enjoys participating in local art shows. She’s an active member of the Prince William Art Society and the Manassas p-ART-ners group and has studied with artists Mary Reilly & Lynn Goldstein.
PWAS Member Kat Gates
Bio: Kathleen Gates is a native Virginian who grew up in Springfield and raised her family in Woodbridge. She loves her memories of roaming the woods and faith filled family events. Kathleen's acrylic and oil paintings reflect this love. She uses methods of heavy paint application to explore how texture enhances images of family, faith and nature.
PWAS Member Evelyn Chatters (PWAS Community Liaison 2026-2027)
Bio: Evelyn Chatters is a native New Yorker (Harlem) who moved south after marriage. She has lived in Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Georgia before moving to Woodbridge, Virginia. The Virginia move occurred after retirement in 2021. That is when she began painting. Ms. Chatters joined the Prince William Art Society and chose abstract acrylic pours as a means of expressing herself. She has displayed juried art in the Open Space Arts Gallery in Stonebridge, Three Fox Winery, Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, and the Virginia Art Factory in Manassas. She has also shown art at Occoquan River Fest, Taste of Woodbridge, the Chili Fest and Fall Festival in Stonebridge, and Tall Oaks Spring and Fall shows. In October, Ms. Chatters donated two pieces of artwork to a non-profit in Georgia to be part of a silent auction. This retired educator is a life-long learner. She has taken classes in watercolor, oil, and drawing to expand her repertoire of media. She has served as secretary for Prince William Art Society in the past, and has now taken on the position of "Community Liaison".
PWAS Member Nina Gribov
Bio: Nina Gribov is an oil painter based in Manassas, Virginia, whose work is distinguished by its sensitivity to light, color, and atmosphere. She has pursued extensive training in oil painting, studying for several years at the Creative Brush Art Studio and further refining her technique through coursework at studios in St. Petersburg, Russia. Committed to continual artistic growth, she regularly advances her practice through master classes with established artists. Gribov has exhibited her work in numerous exhibitions and art shows across the United States and internationally. Her paintings are held in private collections in both the United States and Israel, reflecting a growing recognition of her work among collectors. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and the places she encounters in her travels, Gribov creates evocative landscapes, cityscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Her work emphasizes the interplay of light and color, capturing fleeting moments with warmth and depth. She is an active member of the Manassas Art Guild and the Prince William Art Society, contributing to the vibrant local arts community while continuing to expand her artistic voice.
PWAS Member Ginnefine Jalloh (PWAS Member-at-Large 2026-2027)
Bio: Ginnefine Jalloh is a multi-award-winning visual artist and graphic designer based in Northern Virginia. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from Marymount University and a Master of Professional Studies in Publishing (Technology & Design) from The George Washington University. Her work is a bold fusion of pop art, contemporary style, and multicultural storytelling, using acrylic, oil, charcoal, digital, and mixed media to bring each concept to life. Ginnefine brings the same intentionality she applies to fine art into her design work, where bold lines, color, and concept are always front and center. When she's not painting, she enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, gardening, gaming, listening to music, and watching movies.
What is a PWAS Member-at-Large?
The MAL is an executive board member position that has a lot of flexibility, has the ability to vote on decisions, takes part in meetings, may take on special projects, or serve on committees all in support of the group's mission. The communication between the PWAS board and the PWAS membership, and the community as needed are all important duties for the MAL. Specifically, when the membership has questions, concerns, suggestions, or perhaps needs specific guidance or understanding, the Member-at-Large helps communicate and share the knowledge and experience between a Member and the Board. So, PWAS members, Ginnefine is your Go-To person in PWAS for info.
MORE:
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Meet the PWAS Members 2026
If you are a NEW member to PWAS, send your bio and pic to the Blog Admin!
If you want to learn the HISTORY of PWAS, see blog post 1 at https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2021/08/post-1-about-pwas-history-of-prince.html
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).
Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership
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