REACH

Website

Osa Atoe is a Nigerian-American studio potter using her work to honor the heritage of African continental and diasporic ceramicists who molded pots for sustenance, ritual, and community. Form and surface decoration techniques link Atoe's pottery to a lineage extending back to Nigeria, where her parents immigrated from in the 1970s. She also draws inspiration from elder ceramicists such as David MacDonald, Jabulile Nala and Nigeria's most renowned potter, Ladi Kwali. Given Atoe's lack of exposure to any evidence linking Black people to ceramics within educational clay contexts, her work stands as the culmination of years of independent research and study. Through her focus on Black clay cultures, Atoe manages to find a universal language in clay—one that speaks across cultures. Her African- and nature-inspired pottery is a testament to our shared humanity. Atoe's pottery creates points of connection that highlight our commonalities rather than our differences, a balm in our increasingly polarized society. She believes her pottery manifests as symbols of idealism, and are a visual and tactile respite from the division, acrimony, and injustice of the world.

Website

Life is more about the journey than the destination, and I love to hear people's stories. I feel like I have a few to tell myself, but It's my hope to take my love for stories, and tell yours through photography with integrity. Alexandria creates professional pictures that highlight what's special about your personality, business, and family.

She provides all-inclusive portrait services and stand-out print products so you can preserve your legacy, establish your business, and display what's most important.

Krystalcooke.com

I am a fine artist, muralist, and tattoo artist based out of Flint, Michigan. After being accepted into an artist residency, I moved to Flint from my hometown of Salem, Wisconsin in 2017 to further pursue my talents. While participating in the art community in Flint for two years, I expanded my skill set and understanding after being introduced to artists coming from all over the world to paint for the Flint Public Art Project. This new introduction to mural art was the beginning of a new found passion. This passion then led to a teaching opportunity at the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village on the north end of Flint. During my time at SBEV, I taught children and teens between the ages 5 and 17. In my classroom, I taught the importance of murals in a community, basics of executing a mural, different medium styles, and different art styles. My goal as an instructor is to encourage students to build confidence through freedom of expression. I find it very important to learn what works but also what does not. As a growing artist myself, I have found it extremely helpful and also liberating knowing that even when a mistake arises, that I have the ability to problem solve. Letting go of the fear of failure is beneficial when taking on any new endeavor. 

Samira is a professional self-thought artist and designer. She is originally from Iran (Persia), which has one of the richest art heritages in world history. Experiencing two different cultures, helped her enhance creativity and learn a variety of new skills. Although she received her master’s degree in International Business, she decided to peruse her passion for art. Samira also is a teaching artist and shares her knowledge with newcomers. Samira’s artworks and designs include digital art, hand-painted wall murals, fabric painting, sewing, and making hand-painted throw pillows.

www.renswork.com

rEN Dillard is a multidisciplinary creative who uses oil paint, precious metal, spoken word, curation, and collage to convey often complex philosophical ideas through his work. An affirmed contemporary black artisan, Dillard critically examines the western canon, the works of old masters, the traditional notions of authorship and mastery. He was an Instructor for Fulton County Arts and Culture's "Youth Arts Adventures" program with artists Willie Parker at South Fulton Arts Center, and developed “Art Fusion” curriculum where students explore the subtle relationship between spoken word, poetry and visual arts. He was also the lead Instructor for Fulton County Arts and Culture's "Living Out Loud" Arts and Cultural Classes for Fulton County seniors 55+. rEN is also a founding member of the Legacy Youth Arts Mentorship Program working with at risk youth in Atlanta’s West End in association with Gallery 992 and A.W.O.L. [All Walks of Life] organization in Savannah Georgia. AWOL is a registered 501(c)3 that provides arts and technology education for at-risk youth and lastly founded The Spitfire Poetry Group in Savannah Georgia. The group is currently Savannah Georgia’s leading spoken word presence and one of the most creative incubators for spoken word artists in the southeast. Spitfire Poetry artists work in local schools teaching the next generation, emboldening young minds with skills necessary for thoughtful, powerful self-expression. The group exposed some of Savannah’s brightest young people to competitive performance poetry. Spitfire focused on teaching youth alternative ways to express themselves through spoken word instead of resorting to aggression and violence. Dillard is currently Chief Visionary and lead instructor of the "New Narrative" Introduction to Collage program at StudioSwan Center in Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 

Website

Keir Johnston is a community practice public art creator who has spent more than two decades elevating social issues that impact communities of Color through public art. He painted his first mural as a teenager while a student at California State University at Northridge, an experience that fostered an appreciation for the collaborative creative process as well as public art’s ability to affect viewers from all walks of life. Johnston has helped guide diverse populations – including incarcerated youth, prisoners serving life sentences, elderly groups, elementary and high school students, and those with disabilities – in mural production, and has worked with Mural Arts Philadelphia to create Colorful Legacy, Remembering a Forgotten Hero and The Color of Your Voice. A founding member of Amber Art & Design, Johnston has served as the artist-in-residence for The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The National Museum of American Jewish History, Mural Arts Philadelphia, The Village of Arts and Humanities, and University of Chicago’s Place Lab and Living Arts of Tulsa, among others. In 2019, Johnston took part in a 114-mile walk across Puerto Rico. The “learning journey,” titled Sin Cita, offered members of Amber Art & Design an opportunity to gather feedback and refine the collective’s approaches to driving positive change through art.

Website

Shawny Neubecker, a wife, mother, photographer, bgirl, speaker, mentor, and community advocate. Through her business, TRU Heart Photo, Shawny focuses on empowering communityvoice through photography. Her passion is capturing the TRU Heart and story of culture and community. Originally from Detroit, she has been living near Flint, Michigan for 21 years. Shawny has devoted her life to her family, along with mentoring underserved teens and individuals, by being a safe place and helping to empower and guide them toward a path of healing and pursuing their highest potential. In her 40s, Shawny is currently an active BGirl (Breaker) with Vertical Ambition Crew, competing nationwide. She is fueled by faith and the phrases held dear in Hip Hop: “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.” And “Each one Teach One” Despite her battle with Lyme Disease since 2018, she remains fully committed to her passions. Shawny has been featured in My City Magazine and many other articles and publications. Her life and work reflect her dedication to resilience, community, and a true commitment to making a difference.

Website

Charismatic arts educator and public programming director with outstanding presentation and curriculum development skills. Exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at managing multiple projects simultaneously. Analytical, articulate and organized.

www.erinrehil.com

Erin Rehil is a Surrealist painter and visual art educator from Flint, Michigan with a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. Rehil has a background in museum art education, having taught community art courses at the Flint Institute of Arts for five years, and has spent a decade teaching at international schools abroad. Most recently, Rehil worked as the secondary art teacher and MYP personal project coordinator at Al Batinah International School in Sohar, Oman. 
 

Website

Ackeem Salmon is an art director, photographer, and multimedia artist. He received his BFA from the College for Creative Studies in Photography with a minor in Fine Art. He specializes in Fashion and Fine Art portraiture. His personal work is centered around postcolonial theories, and other aspects of critical theory. His professional practice consists of mixed media works, performance, film, and critical writing. 

Website

Kathryn Sjogren is an artist who loves what she does and teaches what she loves. She is a mixed media expressive artist and Florida native. As a community-based teaching artist for more than 25 years she has designed and implemented arts based programs for en, teens, and adults in Florida, Kentucky, New York, and England. Her focus is on those who have disabilities, life threatening illness, and are homeless or in transition. Kathryn attended The School of Visual Arts, New York, Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, and University of Florida. 

Website

Kala Wilburn grew up in Flint, Michigan, and graduated from Central Michigan University in 2007. Wilburn moved to New York City and established her fashion line, Fannie Lucille, which provides custom clothing and handbags designed by Kala herself. In June of 2011, the then-budding fashion designer returned to Flint, intending to put her dreams into action in her hometown. In that same year, she lost her brother to gun violence, changing Kala’s outlook on fashion and her community.  Looking for a way to honor her brother, she discovered a way to share her love of fashion while promoting zero-tolerance for violence in the community. From there, the initiative Fashion Against Violence was born.  The outreach efforts surrounding the initiative exposed the community to fashion through workshops, boot camps, networking with industry professionals, and ultimately creating Vehicle City Fashion week.  The annual event bridges the gap for local designers by sharing programs and opportunities in Michigan. Kala remains in contact with faculty in the Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design department at Central Michigan University. She involves current CMU Fashion students with her initiatives.  Wilburn was featured as a guest speaker for the Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design department’s annual Career Day.  She returned to campus speaking to students about her career thus far and everything she has done with Fannie Lucille, Fashion Against Violence, and Vehicle City Fashion Week.

Website

My name is Matthew Wilson, and I am an interdisciplinary artist in Chicago. I hold a BFA in Integrated Studio Arts and a Masters of Design in Sustainable Environments, both from Iowa State University. I primarily work on 3D prop art for video games and illustrations. I also enjoy coding in Unreal Engine, Python, and JavaScript.

https://www.origamiair.com

A native of Japan, Kuniko Yamamoto received her Bachelor of Psychology from Otani University of Kyoto, Japan in 1983, then started performing professionally in her hometown of Osaka where she grew up studying traditional dance, music and theater. She received national exposure performing Japanese Storytelling on Kansai National TV. The following year, Kuniko traveled to the United States to study with Tony Montanaro, a highly respected mime/actor. Performed and toured with Leland Faulkner Light Theater where she helped present lavish stage illusions and brought ancient tales to life with shadows and magic. Thanks to positive responses from audiences who enjoyed her origami in her storytelling; Kuniko felt compelled to start ‘Origami Air Art Studio’ in Sarasota. The studio aims to create an enduring passion for fine arts in the community and bring creative learning experience into K-12 school classrooms with Origami and Storytelling. Kuniko and her team offer a broad range of services, such as origami workshops, live fine arts events, live streams, Origami tutorial videos, Storytelling video clips. Under the Corona pandemic, Kuniko developed Origami Lesson Plans for K-12 schools to help students study geometry by folding papers. Origami is not only for a cross-cultural, mindful art experience but the math concept behind origami is becoming bigger in today’s world. Kuniko promotes this evolutional art form and more than 3,000 Facebook followers participate in her live streams and in-person classes monthly. 
 

Website

Alexandria “Brinae Ali” Bradley was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and is an interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the conditions of the human spirit. Brinae has served as the artistic director of Tapology, Inc. in Flint, MI, Fourth Wall Arts Salon, and Sound and Movement, LLC in Philadelphia. She has also partnered and served as a teaching artist with organizations such as Ping Chong and Company, NJPAC, Moving History in Baltimore, and the Apollo Theater Education Department.  She has also received awards for Best Short Play at the Downtown Urban Theater Festival for her one woman show “Steps” and the Vox Populi Independence Music Award for “Destination Forever: Vol.1 EP.”  Her broadway and off-broadway experience include Shuffle Along and STOMP.  Currently, Brinae is a lecturer at Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, co-creator of a work in progress with trumpeter Sean Jones called “Dizzy Spellz”, a member of the Baltimore Jazz Collective, and cultural ambassador for diplomacy through the lense of Hip Hop culture as an artist in residence with Next Level-USA  in partnership with the U.S. Department of State Education and Cultural Affairs, the University of North Carolina, and the Meridian International Center.

Website

Alfred Bruce Bradley is a tap dancer, visual artist, actor, vocalist, educator, philanthropist, community activist and is a native to Flint, MI. He is a HBCU graduate of Alabama State University earning a Bachelor of Arts studying theater and visual art. His passion in theater arts led his career towards Off Broadway shows such as One Mo’ Time, Staggerlee, A Raisin in The Sun and Rollin with Stevens and Stewart. Through his experience of working in musical theater he started learning tap dance from Mickey Costello, Lynn Gibson, Kevin Ramsey, and Lloyd Storey. Bradley eventually came off the road for a while to give back to the community of Flint teaching tap dance at Creative Expressions Dance Studio, performing in productions at the McCree Theatre, Buckham Alley Theatre, and to raise his four children. As an educator, Bradley taught theater at Northwestern High School and was adjunct professor at the University of Michigan-Flint for 13 years. Through his mentorship with Detroit native Lloyd Storey, he landed a role as Storey’s dance partner in the Broadway hit Black and Blue European Tour in 1995. Five years later he created a non-profit organization called Tapology,Inc. In honor of the late Bunny Briggs, Bradley has performed David Danced Before the Lord with The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Greystone Orchestra, and the Michigan State Jazz Orchestra led by Rodney Whitaker. He has also played the role of Drosselmeyer in the Flint Institute of Music’s production of The Nutcracker. Bradley also directed Flint Youth Theater productions of Bud Not Buddy, and The Transformation of Malcolm X., the University of Michigan-Flint productions of Zooman and the Sign, He Who Endures and Buckham Alley Theater production of My Sweet Charlie. Mr. Bradley serves on the board of Trustees at the Flint Institute of music, the Whiting Advisory Council, President of the Sunrise Rotary of Greater Flint and former board member of The Greater Flint YMCA. He is also the recipient of the American Tap Dance Foundation’s Tap Preservation Award. 

Starinah “Star” Dixon is an assistant director, choreographer, and original principal dancer of world renowned tap company, M.A.D.D. Rhythms. She has taught and performed at the most distinguished tap festivals in the country including The L.A. Tap Fest, DC Tap Fest, RIFF Dallas, Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World, and MADD Rhythms own Chicago Tap Summit.

She’s performed internationally in Poland, Japan, and Brazil to name a few. Performance venues include Jacob’s Pillow, Kennedy Center, and the Lincoln Center. Outside of M.A.D.D. Rhythms, she’s performed as a guest with such companies as Michelle Dorrance’s Dorrance Dance and Savion Glover’s All Funk’d Up. Star is currently on staff at numerous dance studios in and around Chicago.

Joy, connection, love, a sense of community, empowerment, those are just some of the core ways Rickita felt after taking a yoga class. Rickita Henderson is a Flint,MI native with over 30 years of yoga, meditation and mindfulness experience. Since becoming a certified yoga teacher in 2010, she continued her education with specialized certifications in Yin Yoga, Trauma Yoga, Breath Work, Meditation, Pilates, Mindfulness and other healing modalities. With gratitude, she has had the opportunity to teach throughout Michigan and Internationally. In addition to teaching yoga, Rickita holds a Finance degree from Michigan State University and works as a wellness consultant. Rickita’s motto and approach to teaching yoga is “Come and practice as you are and leave as you allow”.

Website

Quynn Johnson, a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and native of Flint, Michigan, is an award-winning performing, teaching artist and author. She has toured as the tap soloist in the Tony Award-winning production After Midnight(NCL) and performed both nationally and internationally.Highlights include featured soloist in the Washington Ballet production ofThe Great Gatsby, Cirque du Soleil’s Mosaic production, the Festival Folclóricodel Pacífico and in Buenaventura and Cali, Colombia and has toured Peru as part of the Festival Internacional de Cajón Peruano. Quynn is the co-creator of the D.C.-based percussive dance company SOLE Defined with Ryan Johnson. A National Credential Residency Teaching Artist with Young Audiences and a WolfTrap TA, in 2014 and 2017, she won the Individual Artist Award for Dance Choreography (MSAC). As a teaching artist, Quynn has reached over 9,500 youth from pre-k through 12th grade with assemblies, residencies, and workshops. Her arts-integrated residencies bridge tap dance with literacy, math, Social-Emotional Learning. In 2011, Quynn became a self-published author with her children’s book, Lucky’s Tap Dancing Feet.

Dancemotionlabsrq.com

Deb Lombard's career began at Syracuse University, where she taught dance and movement for Actors at the College of Visual and Performing Arts. After moving to Florida, Deb worked as a teaching artist and conducted Arts Integration workshops for The Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, Any Given Child- Sarasota, Sarasota Ballet, and others. Deb was instrumental in starting the Players Performing Arts summer camp program where she served as the artistic director for over 20 years. Deb spent nine years at Gocio Elementary School teaching dance and helped develop a comprehensive and award-winning arts program: In 2008, Gocio was awarded the National School of Distinction in Arts Education, and was named an Arts Achieve Model School by the Florida Alliance for Arts Education. Deb then went on to create a similar program at Southside Elementary School. Deb has been bringing arts integration and dance programs into Sarasota County Schools for over two decades. Deb holds a BS in dance education from SUNY college at Brockport and is certified in K-12 Dance, Physical Education, Health, Creative Dramatics/Creative Learning (2008) and holds a Masters Level diploma in Arts Management. One of her greatest joys is instilling the love of dance and arts integration programs to students of all ages. 

For more than a decade I have been committed to cultivating critical, creative, and compassionate spaces where students can explore their full potential.

I draw inspiration from sophic scholars and practitioners such as bell hooks, Toni Cade Bambara, Katherine Dunham, Penny Godboldo, Cynthia Dillard, Paulo Freire, and Marquis Bey, whose work underscores the power of education and the importance of building an emancipatory space that fosters a sense of global social justice, intellectual freedom, and embodied self-awareness. I prioritize cultivating a classroom where students feel encouraged, supported, and cared for.

As Marquis Bey articulates, the classroom must be actively nurtured to allow for growth. I strive to foster this by continuously asking questions, listening deeply to students, and lovingly challenging them to think critically. My approach is rooted in abolitionist principles, ensuring that no student is punished or disposed of for genuine engagement, regardless of missteps along the way.

Learning is a process, and my goal is to cultivate intellectual love and care, not punitive measures. I aim to nurture an environment where students, particularly those from marginalized communities, can as Cynthia Dillard states, remember themselves, their histories, and their power. By encouraging the creative critical thinking necessary to imagine new worlds my students learn to see their actions as central to personal and social transformation.

My classroom is a collaborative transparent environment where expectations are clear. At the start of each course, we review the syllabus together, allowing students the opportunity to contest or contribute to the document, making it a collaborative contract. This practice establishes mutual respect and addresses counterproductive behaviors within the context of a shared agreement, emphasizing accountability and the collective responsibility we all hold to maintain a productive learning environment. I encourage peer-to-peer workshops, allowing students to learn from one another’s strengths. If a student is encountering difficulty, I invite the student to meet with me during office hours to collaborate in assessing and developing strategies that align with their pedagogical needs. I recognize student contributions by emphasizing that success in my classroom is not only reflected in a letter grade.

I have leveraged my network to provide paid performance opportunities for students that demonstrate proficiency and commitment offering them tangible professional experiences that support their artistic and academic development. My teaching draws upon nearly ten years of K-12 experience, followed by the development and instruction of several university-level courses during my graduate studies.

I have taught “Intro to Tap: Black Aesthetics, Polyrhythms, and Embodiment” for four semesters, “Body Language: Commercial Dance, Sensuality, and Embodiment” for two semesters, and a creative writing and movement course, “Movement Magnetism and Manifestos,” for one semester.

In these courses, I emphasize the holistic connection between mind, body, and spirit, ensuring students understand not only the mechanics of movement but also its cultural and historical significance. Former students have noted the lasting impact of my classes, emphasizing the joy, encouragement, and transformative energy I bring into the classroom.

I am an educator, collaborator, and guide that cultivates a compassionate learning environment where students feel empowered to be confident, innovative, empathetic, collaborative critical  thinkers understanding that their voices and actions are essential to the collective work of building a more conscious and equitable world.    

storiesinmotionfl.com/about

www.tapology.org

Passionate about making creativity a vehicle of expression for people to connect and create, Shanzell is a teaching, movement, and performing artist serving the community of Flint and neighboring areas for over a decade. Outreach Director for Tapology, she introduces and utilizes the rich cultural art of tap dance as a tool for personal growth and advocacy. A devoted choreographer, she also gives foundation and development to all levels of tap, ballet, gymnastics, adults, and competition teams at Motor City Dance Factory. She encompasses a strong effort to make a positive impact on the advancement of youth. Her repertoire includes award winning competitive choreography, including teaching and performing freelance throughout the U.S. 
 

Website

Marissa Rivera is a highly accomplished dance instructor and entrepreneur based in Anaheim, CA, with over 20 years of experience in various dance styles, including Contemporary, Jazz, Salsa, Bachata, and Brazilian Zouk. She earned her Dance Teaching Certification from Mt. San Antonio College and has since become a prominent figure in the dance community. Marissa has achieved numerous accolades, including winning the 1st place Semi-Pro division title at the 2017 US Zouk Open and multiple 1st place titles in Brazilian Zouk Jack and Jill competitions both in the United States and Brazil. Notably, she was the first Brazilian Zouk dancer to win the prestigious New Face of GFranco sponsorship. Marissa co-founded Zouk Vibes of Orange County, where she and her former partner Rinaldo Melo played a pivotal role in expanding the Brazilian Zouk dance community. From 2017 to 2020, they led classes, organized socials, and hosted events that connected dancers across Salsa, Bachata, and Zouk communities. Her efforts were instrumental in establishing Zouk rooms at popular Orange County dance events, significantly contributing to the growth of the local Zouk scene. Additionally, as the organizer of the Zouk and Urban Kiz Experience at the Reno Latin Dance Fest from 2018 to 2020, Marissa helped the festival grow to attract 3,000 attendees. Currently, Marissa is a dance instructor at The School of Arts and Enterprise in Pomona, CA, while also pursuing a CTE certification in Arts, Media, and Entertainment. She directs Marés Dance Company, where she specializes in Brazilian Zouk fusion choreographies for adult dancers. Beyond her professional life, she enjoys practicing yoga, meditating, and spending time with her dog, Frida. Marissa is dedicated to fostering growth, diversity, and community within the dance world. As a leader, she is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for her students, encouraging lifelong learning, and continually developing her skills as an instructor and mentor. Her ultimate goal is to nurture confident and authentic dancers who will contribute to the vibrancy and growth of the dance community she holds dear.

Website

South Carolina native, Monessa Salley, has been with SCD for five consecutive seasons, dancing, performing, choreographing, and teaching professionally with Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company, serving as Production Lead for the past two seasons. After attending an SCD summer intensive in 2015, she knew this was a special organization, but it was not until 2019 that she seized an opportunity to join this unique company. Her desire to build community relations aligns with the company’s mission, in addition to it being a safe and nurturing space that fosters artistic growth in performance, teaching, and choreography. In addition to her work at SCD, she is a Teaching Artist for New College of Florida, an adjunct Dance Educator for the Booker High School VPA Dance Department, and serves as an Arts Integration Teaching Artist for several organizations, including The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Wholehearted Education, and Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative. Salley enjoys choreographing for musical theater and recently served as Assistant Choreographer for West Coast Black Theater Troupe. She began training in dance at a young age and is well-versed in various genres. She holds a B.A. in Dance Performance from Winthrop University and a Master of Education in Divergent Learning from Columbia College. After continued education and serving as a certified Dance Educator and Theater Production Manager for 12 years in SC public school, she went on to pursue her MFA in Dance Performance and New Media at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. She has previously toured and performed professionally with Sapphire Moon Dance Company, Vibrations Dance Company, T.O. Dance Inc., The Power Company Collaborative, and NYU’s Second Avenue Dance Company. Salley enjoys sharing the joy and passion of dance with all ages. She has a “mind, body, spirit” approach to dance and relishes in refining her craft as a performer and teacher, promoting health, healing, and happiness through dance, and enhancing community relations. Predominantly teaching Tap, Afro-Fusion, and Kids classes, Salley is inspired by rhythm, culture, and dance as a universal language. When not dancing, she enjoys reading, spending time with loved ones and her dogs, outdoor and aquatic activities in nature, viewing sunsets, and doing anything that makes her laugh out loud!

https://www.alefficacymovement.org/n-tifafa-akoko-tete-rosenthal.html 

A “body as mind” approach to performance, creating work, and teaching I want my body to create and dance in ways that I can feel. As a child I attended Vodu ceremonies on a weekly basis. I found that dancing was a form of worship for me, and the ceremonies I danced in were the beginnings of my embodied education in West African dance. With dances having been derived from traditional expression or ritual, movement was a means to communicate. Using dance to speak for you. A form of communication that is embodied because of the inclusion of your lived experiences, and cultivated through continued practice. West African dance is a highly personal experience. It asks you to use your entire body and mind while engaging in the movement. I carry this belief with me when I create work that encapsulates who I am as an AfricanBalletModern (in that mashed up order) dancer. My performance and teaching styles have been influenced by my introduction to dance initially through social, and religious ceremonies in West Africa, and later through formal ballet training in an after school program in Flint, Michigan. I later studied ballet in the university followed by modern and African styles in New York city. All these scenarios combined fostered a personal desire to have a dancing experience that was not only structured, required discipline, and had rules (spoken or demonstrated) but that also encouraged the enjoyment of the act and teased it out through full body engagement. 

www.tapology.org

Chicago Native, Nico Rubio, is one of the leading Tap Dancers of his generation. The founder and director of Shuffle Liiife Productions and Tap company 333 (Three Thirty Three). Nico has traveled the world, teaching, performing and choreographing everywhere from Europe to Asia, Central America to South America. Appearing locally on Windy City Live and halftime for the Chicago Bulls, as well as abroad from UCLA’s Jazz Reggae Fest to the Beijing Contemporary Dance Festival. In 2018, Nico received the Chicago Dancemakers Forum’s Lab Artist Award. In 2019, he choreographed, produced and even DJ’d By Way Of Taps: A J Dilla Tribute, which was performed at Columbia’s Dance Center, in Long Beach California, and premiered in full at Thalia Hall in Pilsen, IL. From 2020 to now, Nico has produced virtual and in person events via Shuffle Liiife, such as Shows, Jam, Workshops, and notably his Footage Functions that have furthered his contributions towards preserving where Tap has been, where it is now, and where it’s going. With everything he does, Nico’s mission is not just to expose the majesty and humanity of Tap Dancing and other art forms, but to highlight everyone’s infinite individual incandescence (light), via Shuffle Liiife. 
 

sarasotacontemporarydance.org

Leymis Bolaños Wilmott, a Cuban-American artist, mother, and teacher with rhythm inextricably in her bones, found her voice through dance at an early age. As the Founder and Artistic Director of Sarasota Contemporary Dance and Dance Instructor/Artist-in-Residence at New College of Florida, she has the privilege of using those bones to create art and be an influential member of Florida’s dance community. Leymis has been featured in Sarasota Magazine’s Arts & Cultural Issue: Ladies of the Arts, Top 28 Most Powerful People in the Arts, and most recently SRQ Magazine’s February 2021 cover story. Leymis pioneered the Dance and Healing certificate at the University of Florida and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Performance and Choreography from Florida State University. 

Website

As a past FST student and intern, Kate has been a part of Florida Studio Theatre for over six years. She is a graduate of Flagler College’s Theatre Arts program, where she acted in and directed several productions. She has served as a Teaching Artist at the Tony award-winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Her main goals as a Teaching Artist are to instill self-worth, creative independence, and curiosity through engaging interdisciplinary theatre lessons.

https://rachanthony4u.wixsite.com/rachelchopsuey/

Born and raised in Detroit, MI, Rachel Anthony, also known as “Chop Suey”, began playing drums at the age of 13. Her sound is influenced by Gospel music, contemporary classical music, Hip-hop, Funk, Rock/Metal, R&B Soul, and Jazz. Some of her favorite drummers include Karriem Riggins, Questlove, Nate Smith, Chris Dave, Cindy Blackman, and John Bonham. Rachel attend Detroit High School of Arts where she studied orchestra, symphonic band, jazz band, concert band, marching band, music theory, dance, and visual arts. Chop Suey composes and arranges music, has studio experience in recording drums and percussion. Chop Suey is an all-around team player when it comes to being in a band and has even help start a few in Detroit from the ground up. It wasn’t until 2020 that she began creating a clear plan and path for her musical journey in Chicago, Illinois. Rachel began seeking opportunity and started making goals to grow as a musician in the Chicagoland and the north/north west suburbs of Chicago. Chop Suey Began working at as a Drum Instructor and Show Director at The School of Rock in Arlington Heights, Illinois in August of 2021. She spent time planning on how she will make an impact in her career and how she will build connections in a new city, while strengthening her connections and continuing to build her music projects and book shows in Detroit. Since 2020, Rachel has been writing her own drum method and curriculum. She transcribes her own music manuscripts and makes her own lessons. Rachel Chop Suey’s goals are to become a highly recommended recording session drummer/percussionist as well as to record her own albums. She has always dreamed of playing Internationally in large stadiums, cruise ships, and resorts with her own bands and orchestras. Success to her is building solid relationships, maintaining a solid reputation, learning from mistakes and failures, being a profound teacher and director, to experience consistent growth in every aspect of life. The only life that Rachel has ever wanted to live, was one stable by way of earning income, credit and royalties and traveling the world making great impressions by way of music; drums. 
 

Website

Alexandria “Brinae Ali” Bradley was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and is an interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the conditions of the human spirit. 

Brinae has served as the artistic director of Tapology, Inc. in Flint, MI, Fourth Wall Arts Salon, and Sound and Movement, LLC in Philadelphia. She has also partnered and served as a teaching artist with organizations such as Ping Chong and Company, NJPAC, Moving History in Baltimore, and the Apollo Theater Education Department.  She has also received awards for Best Short Play at the Downtown Urban Theater Festival for her one woman show “Steps” and the Vox Populi Independence Music Award for “Destination Forever: Vol.1 EP.”  Her broadway and off-broadway experience include Shuffle Along and STOMP.  

Currently, Brinae is a lecturer at Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory, co-creator of a work in progress with trumpeter Sean Jones called “Dizzy Spellz”, a member of the Baltimore Jazz Collective, and cultural ambassador for diplomacy through the lense of Hip Hop culture as an artist in residence with Next Level-USA  in partnership with the U.S. Department of State Education and Cultural Affairs, the University of North Carolina, and the Meridian International Center. 

Website

Priya Fink is a Chicago-based flutist, originally from Houston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance with a minor in Communication and Media from DePaul University. Priya is currently the flute teacher at Sistema Ravinia in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood as a part of Ravinia’s Reach, Teach, Play education program. Before starting in this role, for two years Priya taught flute with Through the Staff, an organization that provides students in grades 2-12 with free music lessons. An experienced orchestral player, Priya has played in various musical ensembles including the DePaul Symphony Orchestra, Music School Festival Orchestra at the Chautauqua Institute (MSFO), DePaul’s Baroque Ensemble, Sewanee Symphony, DePaul Concert Orchestra, Cumberland Orchestra, DePaul Wind Ensemble, DePaul’s Ensemble 20+, Virtuosi of Houston, and the Interlochen Philharmonic. In addition to her orchestral work, Priya enjoys chamber music and was recently a part of the Madeline Island Chamber Music Program. A graduate of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Priya has been involved in various creative projects through collaboration with other art forms such as visual art and theater. Priya is currently an Associate Member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and freelances around the Chicago area. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, reading, and making pottery.

Born in south FL and raised in Arizona, Karim has had a passion for music his whole life. He’s been performing human beatboxing, lyricism, and producing music for over 20 years. He discovered his passion for teaching in 2005 when he began working with developmentally disabled children and adults. In 2017 Karim began teaching at Booker Middle School’s afterschool program. His dynamic skills and ability to build confidence in students through his art forms led to him becoming a part time instructor at both Booker Middle and Booker Highschool, for several years before changing directions. He now performs his music regularly around southwest Florida and is a teaching artist at a local private school in sarasota as well as doing residencies as a teaching artist at various schools in the Tampa Bay Area. 
 

Website

Jonathan Marks began playing drums at the age of 5 after taking over a blue-sparkled Rogers kit his older brother received as a gift for Christmas. Before becoming a professional musician, he ventured through an obsession with heavy metal and Lars Ulrich as a youth, jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms, Jeff Buckley, and J-Dilla in high school, and everything in between as a music composition and theory major at Princeton University. He has since moved to Chicago where he performs regularly with the city's best rock, pop, latin, and jazz musicians.  He co-founded the electro-synth-pop outfit Hey Champ, whose highlight performances include the main stage at Lollapalooza and tours with Lupe Fiasco and the Sounds. Jonathan took the throne as drummer for Grammy-nominated, acid-jazz sensation Liquid Soul for 3 years and is the first-call drummer for the Chicago Diamond Trio, winner of the 2014 Chicago Music Award in Jazz.  His latest production/drumming project is Monakr, an electronic pop act signed to Embassy of Music in Germany that released their debut EP in January 2016. That same year, he would begin a 4-year stint with Minneapolis-based pop artist, Dessa, touring across North America in support of her album Sound the Bells. Jonathan embraces the electronic side of music as well, working as a DJ/producer under the moniker Rogue Vogue.  He has spun in clubs throughout the US and Europe and held residencies at such venues as Soho House Chicago and the Waldorf Astoria. Jonathan has channeled these passions for percussion and production into teaching outlets, conducting classes as a teaching artist for Columbia College's Community Schools Program over the last 12 years. Jonathan has performed throughout the U.S. and in Canada, Europe, Russia, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Mexico. He has won a number of awards including an "Outstanding Performance" award from Downbeat magazine and the 2005 Ira Sachs Memorial Prize for Outstanding Musical Performance from Princeton University.

chicagojazz.com/roymcgrath

Roy McGrath is a Chicago based tenor saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and educated in Boston, New Orleans and Chicago, Roy brings to bear these diverse influences in his playing and composing. He graduated fromNorthwestern University in Chicago with a master’s degree in Music, studying under Victor Goines, saxophonist for Jazz at Lincoln Center and Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University He launched the Julia al Son de Jazz project in September 2015, commissioned by Chicago’s Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, where he works as director of the youth Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble and collaborates with folkloric ensembles. The project used the writings of revered Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos as a springboard for new compositions that included spoken word recitations of her poetry. Its debut was followed by successive performances throughout Chicago including three dates for the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks summer concert series in 2016. McGrath has since used ideas developed during that period in his latest endeavor, Remembranzas, a new batch of original compositions that incorporate folkloric bomba rhythms and other Puerto Rican elements in a jazz framework. 

Website

Pharlon Randle is the visionary behind Bangtown Productions & Recordings and the nonprofit BPR Studio on the GO. For nearly a decade, he balanced his role as a school bus driver in Mt. Morris with managing studio sessions from home, producing around 60 albums for local punk, rap, and R&B artists. His career took a pivotal turn in 2006 when he was invited to teach music production at Swartz Creek Alternative Middle School, leading to the creation of BPR Studio on the GO. Since then, the program has trained over 15,000 students in Genesee, Kent, and Kalamazoo counties, with many going on to produce their own music or pursue careers as artists. BPR Studio on the GO is a dynamic nonprofit initiative founded by Pharlon Randle, dedicated to providing hands-on music and video production training to students in Genesee, Kent, and Kalamazoo counties. The program brings a fully equipped mobile studio directly to schools, community centers, and other venues, making professional-grade production accessible to youth who might not otherwise have the opportunity to explore their creative talents. Through BPR Studio on the GO, students learn the technical aspects of music production, including recording, mixing, and mastering tracks. They also gain experience in video production, from shooting and editing to producing finished projects. Randle's success is rooted in his early experiences in a funk band and mentorship from community musicians like Gordon Strozier of Ready for the World and engineer Bernard Terry. One of his proudest achievements is his partnership with the Boys and Girls Club in Flint, which has supported Studio on the GO since 2011. Despite challenges like establishing a board of directors, Randle continues to expand his knowledge and overcome obstacles, driven by his commitment to fostering community-driven music education and mentoring young aspiring artists.

Karen Bell has had a 36-year career as a Professional Circus clown. She is the only female clown with a ring gag on Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus. As a ‘Producing’ Clown for Ringling. Karen created material to perform for herself and other clowns on the show. She has toured the world clowning with Ringling and the Department of Defense. In 2005, Ms. Bell moved to Florida to work as Outreach and Education Manager for The Circus Arts Conservatory and has been instrumental in expanding Humor Therapy outreach program, to include “Memories…Lost and Found” a program to aid dementia and late-stage Alzheimer’s patients. Additionally, she is responsible for the design, development and implementation of The CAC’s Education Program. Creating and teaching circuits curriculum for elementary and middle school students. Along with her partner, Robin Eurich, Karen has presented at the National Science Teacher Association’s STEM conference for two years in a row. One of Ms. Bell’s proudest accomplishments has been being a part of an amazing team that has created circus curriculum for Sarasota High School’s Circus Arts Magnet program and Booker Middle Visual and Performance Arts Circus Magnet program. Karen coaches clowns for the Sailor Circus Academy. 

mamarashidaforman-bey.com

A Certified Nonprofit Professional(CNP) is a native of Baltimore and one of the founding artistic directors of WombWork Productions, Inc. anonprofit Baltimore based social justice theater company, established in 1997. WombWork’s performances focus on relevant social issues endemic throughout the world such as gun violence, domestic abuse, grief, drug/alcohol abuse, gang violence, HIV prevention, sexual assault, health disparities, and racial inequities. “ Mama Rashida” as she is known in the community, has been dedicated to making positive changes in our city, nation and the world. Mama Rashida is a community activist as well as a visual and performing artist, who utilizes the arts to assist in the healing and upliftment of communities that have been marginalized and oppressed.Working many years as an African Rites of Passage facilitator, Master Virtues Project facilitator and Reiki practitioner, she brings the essence of healing, justice and transformation into every space that she enters. She has worked as a teaching artist and group facilitator for over 30 years in schools, universities, and community centers throughout the United States. She has travelled internationally to places such as Cuba, Kenya and Tanzania, teaching and sharing the power of the arts and social justice theater in healing communities. Mama Rashida has been the recipient of numerous awards such as the 2022 Community Healing Award, Aya Education Institute, Atlanta GA, 2021 Sue Hess Legacy Arts Advocate of the Year, Alkebulan Lifetime Achievement,Legendry Healer Award, MUSE 360. “Community Healer Award” from Rewired, Positive People Award , Baltimore Times. She graduated from Coppin State University with a degree with a BA in Urban Arts, Theatre and a minor in Nonprofit management. As the inaugural DistinguishedCommunity Arts Fellow at Maryland Institute College of Art, she graduated with MFA in community arts in 2022. 

As a first-generation graduate student and Afro-Latino, I have a long vested interest to work with first-generation students, low-income students, multicultural education and programming, LGBTQA education and programming, and affirmative action affairs. I am also interested in topics surrounding college access, retention and affordability. Due to my educational and professional experiences, I am confident that I am prepared to act as a mentor, recruiter, facilitator and leader for both students and college administrative offices. I am highly qualified in the areas of multicultural and programming practices, budgeting, recruitment, and leadership development. After I earn my Masters in Higher Education, I hope to continue my educational journey by pursuing a PhD in Performance Studies. As a PhD candidate, I wish study the reminisces of African heritage and traditions that still exist within Caribbean cultures (specifically Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Brazil). In the meantime, I am in search of the next step in my career that will lead me to ultimate goal and allow me to work with students from diverse backgrounds. 

Artistically, I am playwright, poet, actor, designer, educator and director. My goal is to create art that will inspire, mobilize and educate multicultural communities. I am highly motivated on serving and bridging gaps between traditionally and non-traditionally served communities through different performing arts programs and events and sustained dialogue. I seek to act as a voice for underrepresented communities, Afro-Caribbean people, Afro-Latinos, and Afro-women by finding lost and untold stories that I will subsequently weave into expressive pieces of Art through the blending of historical and present events and experiences. I aspire to be a power house that creates new and innovative ways to tell our stories through plays, poetry, multi-media, and design." 

www.Atomica-arts.com

Maria is a Brazilian-born educator and artist with extensive work experience and knowledge in theater, music, arts and literacy, mindfulness, meditation, and cross-cultural engagement. She studied with acclaimed director Augusto Boal and has taught classes and workshops that focus on Theatre of the Oppressed techniques for the American Repertory Theater, Harvard Extension School, Lesley University, and several other organizations. Maria worked at the Harvard Art Museums developing and teaching gallery classes to immigrants in English, Portuguese and Spanish. She is a National Arts Integration Consultant and one of the recipients of the 2019 Arts Leadership Award from The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County and the winner of the 2022 Appleton Arts Integration Award from the Van Wezel Foundation. Maria has served as the Manager for Arts Integration for Any Given Child Sarasota at Sarasota County Schools. Maria is a certified Chopra meditation teacher and Ayurvedic Health Counselor. She studied at The American Musical Dramatic Academy in NYC and has a Masters in Intercultural Relations and Arts for Social Change from Lesley University.

andrewjmorton.com

Andrew Morton is an award-winning playwright and theatre-maker who creates socially engaged theatre with and for vulnerable populations. His plays have been featured or produced nationally at the Write Now Festival, the New England Theatre Conference, and Flint Youth Theatre, and internationally at the Blue Elephant Theatre and the Hampstead Theatre in London. Andrew previously taught playwriting at the University of Michigan-Flint and served as the Region III Chair of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) National Playwriting Program from 2017 to 2020, after which he received the KCACTF Gold Medallion Award, one of the highest honors in theatre education. Originally from the UK, Andrew has a master’s degree in cross-sectoral and community arts from Goldsmiths College-The University of London. While living in London he worked with several educational theatre companies and served as the education officer at the Blue Elephant Theatre, where he ran the Young People's Theatre and the Speak Out! Forum Theatre project. Andrew is currently based in Detroit, where he is a program manager for TimeSlips, an award-winning international nonprofit that promotes creative engagement techniques for older adults and their caregivers. He also works as a teaching artist and facilitator with various social service and arts organizations, including University Musical Society at the University of Michigan, the Ennis Center for Children, and the Detroit Phoenix Center, and was recently named a Kresge Artist Fellow. 
 

Runako S. Robinson has been a performer and educator who has infused arts into her curriculum for over twenty years. Runako received her Masters of Science in Counseling from National Louis University and she is a proud graduate of Alabama State University, where she earned a Bachelors of Science in education. Runako chose to major in Language Arts Education as opposed to English Education because the Language Arts major incorporated more theater and arts. Runako’s early lessons were generally centered around the arts. If it was early African history, there was a lesson on traditional dances from Angola that culminated in a master class of modern Angolan dances that the students actively participated in. During Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, Runako was charged with creating productions and interactive programs for students ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Her programs were steeped in the rich oral traditions of Africa and spanned the African/African American diaspora. Runako’s teaching philosophy can be summed up as such: Every child is capable of learning. If you take the child from “where they are” you can help them to grow and develop; If you incorporate music, dance, poetry and art into your lessons, the children will flourish! Runako’s greatest treasure is her 5 year old daughter, Zuri Adia Soyini.

katebrowardwalsh.com

As a past FST student and intern, Kate has been a part of Florida Studio Theatre for over six years. She is a graduate of Flagler College’s Theatre Arts program, where she acted in and directed several productions. She has served as a Teaching Artist at the Tony award-winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Her main goals as a Teaching Artist are to instill self-worth, creative independence, and curiosity through engaging interdisciplinary theatre lessons.

Sammie Amachree was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He migrated to the United States to study film and media at the Digital Film Academy in New York City. After film school he attended the City University of New York where he received a Master's degree in Media Arts Production. Sammie’s diverse work portfolio includes everything from directing music videos to editing movie trailers and producing short documentaries. While trying to find his voice as an artist he held the role of creative director for Sahara Reporters Media Group, which is a popular Nigerian online news platform. This job allowed him to stay connected to the African community even though he was thousands of miles from home. Sammie’s work on various media related projects has made him realize how much fulfillment he derives from sharing stories about his African heritage with the rest of the world. He has produced and directed various documentary projects that highlight the multicultural and creative Africans living in the diaspora. He is committed to reconstructing the African narrative commonly misrepresented by mainstream media. This also led Sammie to create African Chow, a social media platform that highlights African culture and diversity through food. This platform has generated millions of views across different social media networks. Recently Sammie worked with Rebel Spirit Collective Storytellers as a storytelling coach. He helped Regis University Alumni defend their thesis through the art of storytelling. Sammie is currently a freelancer working for NBC’s The Tonight Show, Madison Square Garden, Wheelhouse Creative, Pivot Podcast, and many more. 
 

Tanya Jackson, M.A., is an experienced freelance videographer, independent media maker, educator and budding archivist. In her wide-ranging media production roles, Tanya has served in a variety of production roles for film, television and video projects. Through her production company, Life Happens Media Works, LLC, Tanya produces videos for corporate, educational, and community institutions, as well as conducting video/film production trainings; she continues to unfold her artistic practice through collaborative installations and cultural programming. 

Website

Bill Ferrell is an award-winning illustrator, graphic designer, and educator. Earning his B.F.A in illustration at the Ringling School of Art and Design, he would go on to earn his Master of Fine Arts in illustration from the University of Hartford. Currently, Ferrell is an adjunct professor at Ringling College of Art and Design, teaches at the distinguished Booker High VPA program, and is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. He began his career as a Knight-Ridder political cartoonist, but has branched out to corporate identity and branding, video game design, children's book, science fiction, and fantasy illustration. His design and illustration clients include Pepsi Bottling, Jane Goodall Institute, The Macon Telegraph, KAC, Gov. Lawton Chiles. Light House for the Blind, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Southeastern Guide Dog School, Manatee County Schools, St. John's Heritage Parkway, Bradenton Women's Center, Pools by Design, CMR CPR, and the Technology Association of America. Ferrell has won two national teaching awards and led teams of design students competing against 1,500 other high schools to five national championships, and six state championships. His students have earned over three million dollars in scholarships, and over twenty-five of his students have gone on to either become professional artists or attend a well-respected art institution.​ In addition, Ferrell was the recipient of the Art Educator of the Year award in 2023 for Manatee County Schools

Website

In-home/organization martial arts, personal training, and nutrition coaching. Making awesome people smarter, stronger, happier, and healthier every day!

Tanika I. Williams (b. 1981, St. Andrew, Jamaica; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is an award-winning filmmaker and performance artist. She investigates women’s use of movement, mothering and medicine to produce and pass on ancestral wisdoms of ecology, spirituality and liberation. Williams holds a BA from Eugene Lang College, New School and MDiv from Union Theological Seminary. Her films have been screened at festivals and broadcast on American television. Williams has been awarded residencies at New York Foundation for the Arts, MORE Arts, Cow House Studios, Hi-ARTS, and BRIC. Additionally, she has been featured on 99.5 WBAI; and in Art in Odd Places; Creative Time; Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, Civic Art Lab, GreenspaceNYC; Let Us Eat Local, Just Food; and Performa. 

Lupita Carrasquillo is queer Chicana Boriqua born and raised in Chicago. She is a poet, educator and organizer with Brown and Proud Press, a collective of artists and idependent publishers. Lupita has been teaching youth art, writing and zine making for over 5 years. Lupita has worked with the Chicago History Museum among other organizations teaching zine making and storytelling to young people. 

gregcorbinspeaks.com

Humanitarian Greg Corbin is an educator, executive, coach, poet and hip hop enthusiast. A Lincoln University grad with 20 years of experience in education, arts, and human development, he strives to innovate and create strategies that amplify holistic community engagement. He is the co-founder of Brainchild Inspiration Group LLC, a consulting and coaching firm that equips educators with culturally relevant teaching tools to empower and uplift the next generation of change makers. Brainchild also works with organizations, companies and small businesses and the everyday individual to think big while facilitating strategic direction towards execution with equitable and innovative solutions. He is also the founder of the award-winning and nationally recognized Philly Youth Poetry Movement and cofounder of the Slam League, both transforming thousands of lives. He has been highlighted as a keynote speaker/presenter at conferences and festivals across the globe. As an accomplished artist, he has shared stages with Nikki Giovanni, Tobi Nwigwe, Sonia Sanchez, The Roots, Mos Def, Common, and others. He has also been featured on HBO, BET, CNN, and Ted Talks. He believes the voices of all generations can unlock the lessons of the past and keys to a brighter future. 
 

www.natashathomasonline.com

Natasha Thomas is a writer, artist, consultant, and a healing justice and liberation educator working at the intersections of women’s empowerment, youth advocacy, spiritual activism, and social justice. She has founded, led, and worked for a number of organizations and public institutions dedicated to equity and social change and her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, National Public Radio (NPR), PBS NewsHour, NowThis, Broadway World,Huffington Post, Hyperallergic , Mashable, Vulture, Yahoo , Revolt, Blavity, and more. In 2021, she teamed up with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, presenting for his Climate Reality Leadership Corps Global Training. She has also worked alongside black feminist and legal scholar, Dr Kimberle Crenshaw (who coined the term “intersectionality”) and the African-American Policy Forum for the #SayHerName/ #BreakingTheSilence initiatives. In 2022, she began working as a strategic consultant for The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) helping them to develop organizational policies and practices rooted in intersectionality, inclusivity, restorative justice, and transformative justice. Natasha is the Buckham Fine Arts Project’s Writer-in-Residence and enjoys reading, yoga, meditation, interior and digital design, photography, tarot, officiating weddings, and spending time with her kids, pets, friends, and myriad house plants. Learn more on her website: www.natashathomasonline.com. 

rEN Dillard is a multidisciplinary creative who uses oil paint, precious metal, spoken word, curation, and collage to convey often complex philosophical ideas through his work. An affirmed contemporary black artisan, Dillard critically examines the western canon, the works of old masters, the traditional notions of authorship and mastery. He was an Instructor for Fulton County Arts and Culture's "Youth Arts Adventures" program with artists Willie Parker at South Fulton Arts Center, and developed “Art Fusion” curriculum where students explore the subtle relationship between spoken word, poetry and visual arts. He was also the lead Instructor for Fulton County Arts and Culture's "Living Out Loud" Arts and Cultural Classes for Fulton County seniors 55+. rEN is also a founding member of the Legacy Youth Arts Mentorship Program working with at risk youth in Atlanta’s West End in association with Gallery 992 and A.W.O.L. [All Walks of Life] organization in Savannah Georgia. AWOL is a registered 501(c)3 that provides arts and technology education for at-risk youth and lastly founded The Spitfire Poetry Group in Savannah Georgia. The group is currently Savannah Georgia’s leading spoken word presence and one of the most creative incubators for spoken word artists in the southeast. Spitfire Poetry artists work in local schools teaching the next generation, emboldening young minds with skills necessary for thoughtful, powerful self-expression. The group exposed some of Savannah’s brightest young people to competitive performance poetry. Spitfire focused on teaching youth alternative ways to express themselves through spoken word instead of resorting to aggression and violence. Dillard is currently Chief Visionary and lead instructor of the "New Narrative" Introduction to Collage program at StudioSwan Center in Chattahoochee Hills, GA.