Kim Howes Zabbia

Kim Howes Zabbia, owner and director of the The Art Station, has 33 years of teaching experience at Ponchatoula High School, 28 in art. The 2006 Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year for the state of Louisiana, Kim is a published author and artist in her own right.  With the opening of The Art Station on June 1, 2007, Kim's vision of providing lifelong learning in the arts has finallly come to fruition.
B.A.--Southeastern Louisiana Univeristy
M.F.A.--Louisiana State University

Click here to view Kim's personal work.

Rosemary Ydarraga

Rosemary Ydarraga has been a tireless quilter since 1992 and has 30 years of teaching experience, retiring from Kentwood High School in 2008. Rosemary specializes in fiber, but her paintings show a direct correlation to her lifelong love of fabric and embellishments.  Not only does Rosemary teach our AQUA workshops, but she also explores arts and crafts with our Special Needs Adults every week.
B.A.--Lousiana State University
Masters + 30--Southeastern Louisiana University

Denise Austin

Denise Austin comes to The Art Station with a wealth of experience in business and the arts. She worked as a purchasing agent for Delta Queen Steamboat Company in New Orleans for five years; held the position of Senior Human Resources Manager for Temporaries, Inc. in New Orleans for five years; from 1985-2005 Denise owned and operated five True Brew coffeehouses in the New Orleans area, ended abruptly by Katrina.

Denise’s experience in the Arts is as varied and rich as that in business. One of her coffeehouses housed the well known True Brew Theater which featured local artists and cabaret personalities. Previous to her experience with True Brew, Denise danced and toured with the Delta Festival Ballet Company for eight years. In 1999, she set out to fulfill a life-time dream, pottery, choosing to study and work under Debbie Kraemer, a master-potter.

Trent Hebert

“I grew up on a small island formed by the canals of the Manchac bayous. Because my entire childhood was surrounded by wetlands, their gritty sediments and black muds became my favorite toys – old habits die hard”.

Trent Joseph Hebert grew up on the outskirts of Lake Maurepas. Growing up on an island allowed his family to become is greatest influence. His mother is Italian and his father is French Cajun. Naturally, Sunday dinners were spent with his mother’s family eating pasta, while Saturdays were spent on his father’s shrimp boat.

Currently applying for his M.F.A, Trent's work documents his past, present, and future. He expresses his childhood memories and dreams the best way he knows how – through handmade pottery. In today’s world of technology, Hebert finds it comforting that society still allows him to take mud and ash and create handmade things from the earth.
B.A.--Southeastern Louisiana University

Diana DiMaggio

Diana DiMaggio has been exploring her creativity for years in paint, textiles and paper craft. Her love of painting progressed from exploring to pushing the media to new limits of mixed media and collage. She describes herself as addicted to beeswax and loves to share that passion with others through her Encaustic classes.
BA, Southeastern Louisiana University, English Education
BA, Southeastern Louisiana University, Psychology