Elizabeth Sproul Ross, painter, photographer and teacher, a native of Staunton, Virginia, graduated from Queens College in Charlotte, NC and after teaching art for two years in Winston Salem, attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she received her MFA.
After returning to Charlotte with her husband, Bill, she began teaching at Central Piedmont Community College, becoming the first full-time studio art teacher at a NC community college. At the college she was recognized as an outstanding teacher, not just for her work in the classroom, but for encouraging and arranging travel for study in Europe and other art centers within the United States. She taught at CPCC for over 40 years.
Since retiring from CPCC, Elizabeth has founded the Airy Knoll Arts Project, a 501(c)(3) organization that encourages students of all ages to explore the creative proccess through art, poetry, art, and community. Classes are held each May-July on the “Airy Knoll” farm in the Shenandoah Valley, and are continued online during the rest of the year. Student works are displayed in a yearly exhibition, typically in February. Find out more at airyknollarts.org.
Elizabeth Ross passed away on Oct 24, 2025 from a stroke. Read her obituary on legacy.com.