Faculty: Art Direction (2010)
With a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the N.C. State University School of Design, Ms. Wood, a native North Carolinian, started off her career in New York with Jim Sant' Andrea Productions.  She art-directed and designed sets in Manhattan for such companies as IBM,  American Express, TWA, Nissan, Isuzu, Mattel and Toyota.

From New York, her career led to Los Angeles where she began a career as an illustrator in the film business. Her first job at MCA/Universal named Ms. Wood as associate producer and earned her  Directors Guild of American card directing stunts and second unit.  With more than 25 Hollywood productions as art director and production designer (International  Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 800 & IATSE Local 790) under her belt including BEACHES,  PRETTY WOMAN, BACKDRAFT, MR. SATURDAY NIGHT, HEAT, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU and  HONEY, WE SHRUNK OURSELVES, Ms. Wood’s artistic visions clearly raise the bar in the world of environmental design.

Recently, Ms. Wood designed and art-directed themed and interior environments for the Warner Bros. Movie World at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi with Thinkwell's theme-park division in Los Angeles. Her responsibilities included collaborating with architectural firms in designing themed and hospitality environments. Another project she is currently working on is a back-lot design for Raleigh & Celtic Studios, Baton Rouge, LA

Faculty: Art Direction (2010)
Mary Ann Zotto has a dedicated career in studio art as a painter. She has a bachelor’s degree in drawing  and painting from North Texas State University, a master’s degree in painting and weaving from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Fine Arts in papermaking and painting from East Carolina University.

Ms. Zotto’s paintings can be seen in Ron Howard’s film PARENTHOOD and the film HOUSE OF  CARDS starring Kathleen Turner.  Her work has been placed in the U.S. Department of State Art Bank  Project, the state of North Carolina Permanent Art Collection, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the  Mint Museum in Charlotte and the Wake Forest University Permanent Art Collection. Her art has been  collected for corporate collections for Wachovia and other companies and is on display at the IBM  headquarters in Germany, the Kimberly-Clark national headquarters, the Sealy national headquarters,  the Burroughs national headquarters and the McKinney & Sliver headquarters.

Ms. Zotto has taught at Wake Forest University, East Carolina University, Penland School of Crafts  and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Zotto has been awarded residencies as a visiting artist for the North Carolina Arts Council. She was also selected to participate in the 50th  Anniversary Weeklong Retreat sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts Grant and the North  Carolina Arts Council. She has taught workshops for the Tougaloo Art Colony. Her studios have been in Fort Worth, Texas; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Woodstock, N.Y.; and now in Winston-Salem, N.C.