Anita Alley - Guntersville
Anita Alley frequently participates in MVAC Gallery art workshops, artists receptions, and concerts.
After graduating from Guntersville High School, she went on to earn degrees in English and Art. She later became an AP English teacher in Tennessee.
Anita is the proud mother of three sons: John (37), Jim (35), and Mark (31), and she has two grandsons. Her passion for art began early, studying under Lucille Rains during her formative years and later with renowned artist Dawn Whitelaw. Over the years, Anita has received multiple awards for her paintings.
A lifelong traveler, Anita has explored extensively around the world, often collecting art along the way. Visiting famous art museums is one of her favorite pastimes.
In 2019, Anita returned to her hometown of Guntersville and quickly became active in the community. She has served on the boards of GAP and CASA and is currently serving her second term on the Shepherd’s Cove Foundation Board. Anita also enjoys entertaining and is known for hosting elaborate gatherings.
LYNNETTE ZANGHI BROWN - NORTH MARSHALL COUNTY
Lynnette is a self-taught artist who has worked in various art mediums since childhood, often coming up with concepts from her dreams. Previously from Fairhope, she and her husband Rusty moved to Scottsboro for retirement in 2022. Their retirement goals are to live peacefully, travel, and participate in art shows. Art is Lynnette’s therapy as she zones out while painting.
Lynnette creates commissioned work such as children and pet portraits. You can see her commissioned work on Facebook by searching “Dagmar Studio” which is her in-home studio named after her husband’s beloved 1955 Cadillac. Of course, these art pieces have already gone to their forever homes and are not available for the MVAC exhibit or for purchase. Lynnette’s highly creative artwork ranges from children’s book illustrations, multimedia jewelry, miniatures to large paintings. Her art continues to evolve as she puts all the creations in her head to canvas.
EMILY BUSBY - GUNTERSVILLE
Emily Busby makes pottery under the name of Em’s Pots. Her work is often found year-round in downtown Guntersville stores such as the Red Elephant Marketplace and at the annual Art on the Lake Festival in Guntersville, the Kentuck Arts & Crafts Festival in Northport, and the Moss Rock Festival in Hoover.
Emily has also been a regular exhibitor during MVAC’s Holiday Art Markets in November-December each year. Emily says that encouragement from MVAC made her try out for Kentuck Art Festival in Northport, and now she’s exhibited during their huge October show for several years. \
Emily is a retired Nurse Practitioner who lives with her husband on a bluff overlooking the Guntersville River Bridge.
TRACY CONNER - GUNTERSVILLE
JENNIE MCBRIDE - GUNTERSVILLE
Jennie has been involved in some type of art her whole life. She is a writer and a visual artist as well as an amateur living room musician. She recently won the People’s Choice Award in an international memoir contest.
After moving to Guntersville in 1983, she began volunteering for Mountain Valley Arts Council and the Whole Backstage. She became assistant director of the MVAC in 1993 and was made director in 1997. Before retiring in 2005, the Council had grown from an annual budget of $34,000 to $87,000 and the membership had doubled. She wrote many successful grants during that period, but her proudest achievements were to introduce the area to local and visiting artists in the gallery and creating the Summer Concert series, the predecessor of the concerts we have today.
Jennie lives with her husband, Jim Goshorn, who is a metal sculptor. She continues to write and is working on a book of personal essays and memoir pieces. She is a member of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and volunteers for the Epiphany Outreach Ministry, the Guntersville Lion’s Club and the Guntersville Friends of the Library. She and Jim live with 3 cats and a dog and enjoy having numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
KIM KLUEGER - GUNTERSVILLE
Kim is the anchor of MVAC’s concerts program with six concerts in the spring series from April - May, a big 4th of July concert at Civitan Park, and six concerts in the fall series from September - October. She selects bands from all over North Alabama and a few from Tennessee.
She also spearheads Guntersville’s Christmas Parade each year. In her spare time (ha!), Kim is a realtor and real estate appraiser and enjoys her three granddaughters who are growing up in Guntersville.
RANDY NORMAN - GUNTERSVILLE
Randy is in his first three-term on the MVAC board and is a “certified” art fan. The home he and his wife, Renee, share overlooks Lake Guntersville and is full of contemporary art that they have collected over their years of travels. He is looking forward to helping MVAC grow and nurture area artists.
SUSAN PERSALL - NORTH MARSHALL COUNTY
Susan Persall may be a retired realtor, but she’s a go-getter when it comes to organizing acrylic workshops, artist receptions, creative front window displays, and serving as Treasurer on MVAC’s board of directors. She continues to be a huge asset to MVAC and the arts community.
Susan and her husband Allan live on Lake Guntersville where she has regular play dates with their grandchildren. Yes, they do a lot of art projects!
BECKY H. SCHEINERT - WARRENTON
Becky (Hallman) Scheinert is a Guntersville native who spent about 35 years at Auburn, Nashville, and Birmingham before returning to Guntersville inn 2008. Since then, she has retired from international tech marketing and turned her marketing and organizational skills to help MVAC grow. Becky has done just about every job at MVAC including taking out the trash, but she’s most known for serving as volunteer president for several terms. In addition, she helps coordinate workshops and exhibits, participates as an artist in exhibits, and emcees at concerts.
Becky and her husband, Ken, live in Warrenton overlooking Lake Guntersville, along with their menagerie of three dogs.
Paul Schultz - Guntersville
Paul Schultz is an ‘Army brat’ who lived all over the U.S. and overseas, graduated high school in Key West, Florida, moved to Indiana to go to college , then worked as a machinist and cook for 11 years, and finally graduated IU in 1988, and got married. Next came a move to New York City for journalism school. After graduation, Paul worked at the Daily News in NYC for 26 years as an editor and writer in the features department, covering film, theater, food and books. He has also worked at the South Bend Tribune, Newsday and Scholastic.
After his wife retired, Paul and his wife moved to Guntersville, AL for nine months of the year where he plays in the First Baptist Church Pickers and the Ukesters. Paul really likes all aspects of the arts and has written some musicals that have been produced in South Bend, IN, Boston, and NYC, and he's an alum of the BMI Musical Theater Workshop.
CYNDY SIMMONS - UNION GROVE
Cyndy Simmons has served as volunteer secretary and grants chair for MVAC for several years now and is in her second three-year term on the MVAC board. She and her husband, Brian Guckenberger, are always helping with concerts, art workshops, pumpkin bowling during FallFest, and artist receptions.
Cyndy’s background is engineering, but she dabbles in watercolors. She also volunteers with the Guntersville Museum Guild and is a member of the Guntersville Historical Society, Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce, and the Ukesters. These connections help MVAC coordinate with these other organizations.
Cyndy and Brian live in Union Grove with their well-mannered rescue, Mollie.
JOHNNY SMITH - GUNTERSVILLE
Johnny Smith is the source of the unique nautical flag signs that can be found in restaurants, other businesses, homes, boathouses, and lakeside patios. His wife, Denise, is known for her custom-scented candles.
Johnny served as MVAC vice president, but now he’s just a regular ole’ board member helping with receptions and concerts when he and Denise are not traveling.
MJ VENRICK - ALBERTVILLE
MJ (as in Mary Jane, a name she says she outgrew a long time ago) is an MVAC member, volunteer for receptions, and board member and exhibitor. Her artwork has been in the MVAC Member Wall Exhibits, the Probate Court exhibit, and the Lt. Governor’s office suite annual exhibit for three years. She is equally comfortable painting in realistic to abstract to illustration styles. MJ is also a master framer and contributed to a booklet of Framing Tips that MVAC sells for $15.
She has organized the MVAC gallery based on her expertise in retain art sales and art collectives and was the mastermind behind the 2025 renovation of the current gallery.
MJ enjoys fishing and currently live in Albertville with her husband Dave.