Maryland Arts Summit 2026 Presenter Bios
Click on the tiles below and follow the links to see more information on our 2026 presenters!
Last Name A-C
From Talent to Tuition: Funding Pathways for Arts Students
Presenter: LaTonya Adams
LaTonya Adams is a college funding strategist with over 20 years of experience supporting students and families across K–12 education. She brings a deep, behind-the-scenes understanding of how academic decisions, activities, and positioning impact scholarship opportunities.
Throughout her career, Adams recognized a consistent pattern: families were doing what they were told—earning good grades and staying involved—yet still facing overwhelming college costs. She defines this disconnect as the scholarship gap.
Through Scholar Dollars, Adams helps families close that gap with early planning, clear guidance, and proven strategy. Her work emphasizes that scholarship success is not about luck or last-minute effort, but about intentional decisions made over time, even as early as middle school.
Known for her clear and direct approach, Adams helps families move from confusion to confidence, both as an educator and as the proud parent of Mark and Hannah. Her mission is simple: to help students fund college through strategy, not stress.
*more information on Scholar Dollars can be found on this session’s webpage, linked above
Presenter: Kendall Arin
Kendall Arin: Hailing from Detroit, MI, Kendall Arin is an Alumna of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and has received her BFA from Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts. As a multi-hyphenate artist, she seeks to tell stories that reflect society, and evoke change on an emotional and spiritual level. A few highlights in her career as an actress include The Bluest Eye (as Claudia), Uncle Tom’s Cabin as Topsy, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as Young Maya (Prime Stage), Season of Lights (Discovery Theatre), FRESHH Inc’s Next to Kin Festival, Crowns (as Yolanda) at the Creative Cauldron, Anacostia Playhouse’s Black Nativity, and Discovery Theater’s Lions of Adventure (Madame CJ Walker). Her proudest work is the selfproduced one-woman show Epiphany: A Journey to Yes. Some film credits include BET’s Angrily Ever After (Bartender) & Hear Me Say My Name produced by Kelly Gardner. As a poet her thought provoking rhymes and faith based themes have reached audiences across the US, to the UK to Lagos! In 2019 she endeavored on her entrepreneurial journey and launched INFINITELY NATURAL JUICE ADN SMOOTHIES LLC, providing custom juice and smoothies cleanses and promoting a healthy lifestyle with “every good thing.” Her faith and love for people compels her approach to art and entrepreneurship, with community in mind, she always reminds herself – it’s an US thing! (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Where Practice Meets Public: Building Programs that Resonate
Presenter: Baltimore Museum of Art
The Baltimore Museum of Art selected Baltimore City’s Lexington Market, which has served countless people from Baltimore and the surrounding communities for nine generations, as the home for its first branch location since the early 1980s. The space is designed to be flexible and welcoming to all in order to bring art-centered experiences to as many local residents as possible. BMA LM offers opportunities for visitors to create and show artistic responses, tell personal stories, and read from and/or contribute to a non-circulating library. Every season, BMA LM focuses on a new theme that acts as an umbrella for free programs, activities, and events presented in partnership with other organizations and individuals. While the BMA LM is unstaffed, it is a site for time-based media presentations from our collection, furthering our mission of bringing art directly to people. Themes are explored from multiple viewpoints and programs and activities spur critical and timely conversations while holding space for everyone’s voice to be heard. BMA LM provides a long-term commitment, enabling deep connections to the many different communities that use the Market and supporting increasingly reciprocal relationships. The space and all programming are designed to allow visitors who otherwise may never cross paths to have meaningful conversations and experiences, through engaging with art together.
Envisioning the Arts and Humanities (Panel Discussion)
Presenters: Alexandra Cenatus, Lindsey Baker, Terri Freeman, Chanel Johnson, & Jaelon Moaney
Lindsey Baker is the CEO of Maryland Humanities, Maryland’s statewide humanities council connecting Marylanders to the power of history, literature, culture, and the humanities. Under her leadership, Maryland Humanities has expanded its reach across the state and made the humanities more accessible to audiences who might wonder, “What does the word humanities mean?”. Lindsey holds a Master’s in History with a concentration in Museum Studies and “grew up” in the small museum world, where she learned to do pretty much anything on a shoestring budget and with the right partners. She lives in Laurel, Maryland with her husband, two kids, and a houseful of pets.
The AATEvolution of Valerie & Steve: Reflecting on Friendship, Puppetry, and Collaborative Practice
Presenters: Steven Barker, & Valerie Baugh Schlossberg
Steven Barker is a faculty technical director, production manager, and statewide arts advocate whose work spans collegiate theatre, K–12 partnerships, and professional development for educators. As President of the Maryland Theatre Educators Association, he leads statewide initiatives supporting arts infrastructure and collaborative practice. Steven’s teaching and design work integrate puppetry, technical theatre, and accessible creative processes that empower students and educators alike. His eighteen-year collaboration with Valerie reflects his commitment to long-term artistic partnerships and the belief that shared creative practice strengthens both pedagogy and community.
The AATEvolution of Valerie & Steve: Reflecting on Friendship, Puppetry, and Collaborative Practice
Presenters: Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg, & Steven Barker
Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg serves as the School Director for Story Tapestries, an arts service and communications nonprofit organization. As a multidisciplinary teaching artist, stage director, musical theater performer and puppeteer, her professional reach extends across generations, encompassing early childhood education, K–12 schools, community engagement, and senior adults. She is widely recognized for her ability to educate and entertain children and adults with equal success.
With over 30 years of experience, Valerie performs, directs, and devises works alongside diverse youth and adult populations. She has led residencies across multiple states, specializing in accessible theater movement, devising techniques and puppetry that invite learners to explore storytelling, character development, and improvisation. Her puppetry practice emphasizes joy, play, and the transformative power of simple materials—from paper bags to shadow screens—to unlock the imagination in settings ranging from Pre-K to adulthood.
Throughout her career, Valerie has developed and implemented comprehensive theater curricula for various organizations and companies across the United States. Her enduring collaboration with Steven Barker, which began at the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE) in 2007, has since flourished into a creative partnership grounded in shared artistry, mentorship, and a deep belief in theater’s capacity to connect communities. She has a BFA in Musical Theatre and has completed various graduate courses in theatre pedagogy, education, and theatre for youth.
Setting The Stage – The Road to Developing a Cultural Plan in Montgomery County Maryland
Presenters: Suzan Jenkins, Todd W. Bressi, and Joe Frandoni
Todd W. Bressi is a public art and cultural planning consultant and urban designer based in the Philadelphia area. He has managed an independent arts consulting practice since 2008.
Todd consults with public agencies, community groups, arts and culture organizations and developers throughout the country. He has worked on more than thirty public art, arts district, cultural and placemaking plans, managed complex public art commissions, teamed with artists on design and community engagement projects, and provided on-call consulting to public art organizations.
His public art consulting has resulted in plans, policies, guidelines, ordinances and other essential underpinnings of public art programs, and has inspired more than twenty projects recognized by the Public Art Network “Year in Review.” His broader arts and culture planning experience has focused on community-based processes that focuses on people’s experience of a creative life, particularly in the service of strengthening their cultural identity, in addition to a traditional focus on arts organizations and facilities. In Maryland, he has worked with the Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council, Frederick Arts Council, Prince Georges County Arts and Humanities, City of Salisbury, Town of Leonardtown, and the Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Bressi has a Master of Science in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s in urban studies from Columbia University. He is a member of the the Public Art Exchange and the American Planning Association’s arts and culture division.
Creative Aging in Action: Strategies for Engaging Older Adults Through the Arts
Presenters: Sharon Burton & Aimee Olivo
Sharon J. Burton has served as a visual artist, poet, teaching artist and creativity coach for 20 years in the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas. She is the author of Creative Sparks: 21 Affirmations and Inspiration for Creativity at Midlife (2024) which focuses on sharing the benefits of engaging in creative pursuits for adults 50 and over. She is a certified creativity coach, SoulCollage® facilitator and has served as a teaching artist with Art Works Now for three years, in the Creative Aging Program. Sharon is a member of the Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic (TAMA) and the National Guild for Community Art Education (currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Creative Aging Unity Network). As an artist she is an active participant of Tribe 55+, a Baltimore-based arts collective for African American women over 55 and the Women’s Caucus for Art. Sharon has a visual art studio and creativity coaching practice based in Prince George’s County, Maryland where she has lived for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. Paul’s College and a Master of Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University. Learn more about her art at http://sjbcreativeart.com and her teaching /creativity coaching practice at http://sparkyourcreative.com
Profiles in Artivism: Amy Sherald, Kara Walker and Faith Ringgold
Presenter: Eileen Cave
Ms. Eileen Cave is a teaching visual artist and grant writer who works/resides in the Gateway Arts District of Prince George’s County, MD. She exhibits work at Arts’tination in National Harbor, MD and the Simply Art Gallery in New York. As past Board Chair of the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, she developed community-based arts education programs, integrating the social justice standards such as “Activating ARTivism” and “Healing Through the Arts.”
Ms. Cave holds a M. Ed. from the University of Maryland, College Park. She earned a B.A. in visual arts from Dartmouth College and currently holds an APC teaching certification in MD.
Envisioning the Arts and Humanities (Panel Discussion)
Presenters: Alexandra Cenatus, Lindsey Baker, Terri Freeman, Chanel Johnson, & Jaelon Moaney
Alexandra Cenatus is a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and also serves as the Director of Programs at Maryland Humanities, where she works to make the humanities accessible and engaging. Her doctoral research explores how Haiti’s social transformation affects culinary traditions and eating practices within Haitian communities. At Maryland Humanities, Cenatus creates community-centered programs while advancing language accessibility through multifaceted strategies. In 2021, she co-authored the Haitian American Dream Timeline, a digital humanities initiative that chronicles the historical trajectory of Haitian immigration to the United States, alongside collaborators Margarita Vargas-Betancourt and Ivanna Moreno. Cenatus extends her research and programming expertise through service on the Maryland 250 Commission, the Baltimore 250 Commission, and as a board member of the Haitian Studies Association.
Presenter: Stacey Cruise & Kadeisha Stothart
Stacey Cruise is a children’s book author and illustrator, grants writer, arts organizer, visual artist, and creative community builder whose work focuses on storytelling, cultural memory, and intergenerational collaboration in the arts. She is one of the founders of Tribe 55+, a collective of creative Black women visual and literary artists 55 and older, representing five Maryland counties.
Through her work with Tribe 55+, Stacey has curated three exhibitions and two convenings that highlight the creative voices and lived experiences of women artists and writers of all genres over 55. The most recent exhibition, Quantum Generations: The Art of Enduring Wisdom, opened on March 8, 2026, and explores themes of legacy, creative evolution, and the wisdom passed down through generations.
Stacey also developed a successful proposal to the Baltimore Museum of Art to facilitate an intergenerational workshop that brings together literary and visual artists, in partnership with the Joshua Johnson Council. The program was presented as part of programming for Amy Sherald’s American Sublime exhibition and created space for dialogue, creative exchange, and mentorship among artists at different stages of their creative journeys. Her work centers on building inclusive creative spaces where artists can learn from one another, share stories, and strengthen Maryland’s creative ecosystems!
Last Name D-E
Intention not Perfection: Disability Justice and Inclusive Practice in the Arts
Presenter: Emily Davidson, Beth Holladay, Levi Lewis, & Simone Sydnor
Emily (Em) Davidson is the Collections Manager & Registrar for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, where she is responsible for the care of the museum’s artifacts and archives. As part of the larger Inter
pretation, Visitor Experience, and Education (IVEE) department, she works on temporary and permanent exhibits as well as educational programs and events.
Davidson has a B.A. in History from Northwestern University and an M.A in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins Hopkins University. Davidson started her career in cultural resource stewardship as an archivist in a series of university archives and special collections. Just prior to joining the Lewis, Davidson managed the private collection and archives of financial firm T. Rowe Price while also performing pro bono archival consulting for non-profits and cultural organizations in the Greater Baltimore-Washington area.
Collaboration & Community Building in the Arts and Humanities
Presenters: Joy Davis, Rob Forloney, Savannah Wade, & Aditya Desai
Joy Davis is an experienced curator, curatorial director, and an independent scholar of cultural and fashion history. In her tenure at the Walters Art Museum she, along with her staff, drove the museum forward with digital programming that encompassed some of the most diverse programming in the museum’s history. From 2015 to present she co-hosts and produces Unravel Podcast, a fashion history and culture podcast. Her scholarly projects include subject matter that is underdeveloped in academia and transcends many fields of study: fashion, history, art, media, and performance among people of color throughout history. She received her B.A. degrees in History and Media Studies from the University of Maryland, and her M.A. in Fashion and Museum Studies from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
Collaboration & Community Building in the Arts and Humanities
Presenters: Joy Davis, Rob Forloney, Savannah Wade, & Aditya Desai
Aditya Desai is the Programs Officer for Literature at Maryland Humanities and Director for Maryland Center for the Book. Prior to this, he has worked as a writer, editor, educator, and publisher in the literary arts. He holds an MFA in Fiction from University of Maryland College Park and is currently a PhD Candidate in English Studies at Old Dominion University. His own fiction and essays can be found online.
Positioning your brand for story publication
Presenter: Ceylon Mitchell & Allison Leigh Eatough
Allison Eatough is the associate director of communications for the University of Maryland. A proud alum, she began her career as a newspaper reporter in Maryland and North Carolina before transitioning to media relations at an Anne Arundel County hospital. In 2022, she returned to College Park, where she works with campus partners and the media to highlight the achievements of students, staff and faculty.
All Fun & Games: Engaging Community Through Play
Presenter: Naelis A. Ervin
Naelis A. Ervin is a dynamic multimedia storyteller, facilitator, and creative director based in the DMV region. Her work, which lives at the intersection of artistry and education, is inspired by Debbie Allen, Angela Davis, and even the fictional Ms. Frizzle, fueling her unique approach to instruction and audience engagement. From school events and retreats to conferences and conventions, Naelis has spent over two decades creating “edutaining” experiences for arts-based programs and underserved youth communities.
As the founder of Creatyve Control, L.L.C., and N.A.E. Games, Naelis skillfully designs and facilitates transformative experiences that often center play and cultural connection.
In addition to facilitating a variety of community workshops and professional developments, Naelis has continued to thrive in her craft as an artist. In recent years, she has become a finalist in the inaugural cohort of Tyler Perry’s Dream Collective, served as Emcee for the DC Early EDX Conference (2024–present), and has brought her high-energy game show, Black Noise, to audiences at BlerDCon and beyond for the last four years. She also serves as a regional board member for Playworks, championing joyful, purposeful learning opportunities for children in schools across America.
Through every experience, Naelis is sure to bring her mission to life. “Igniting Ideas Through Innovation” is not just a company motto but a daily practice she knows will leave a lasting impression on those who take part in her sessions.
Presenter: Davina Etwaroo, Michael Friend & Natalie Monteleon
Davina Etwaroo is the founder and director of Aadi, a Maryland-based dance school dedicated to sharing Bharatanatyam through classes, workshops, andperformances. Her cross-cultural work includes directing a diversity ensemble featuring 5 international dance genres set to live multicultural fusion drumming for special events hosting the President and Prime Minister of Guyana, as well as collaborative work in Fijion the production Where To Utopia, featuring Bharatanatyam and contemporary Fijian dance. Other highlights of her career include performances at the Kennedy Center, Freer Gallery of Art, Baltimore Theater Project, the Walters Art Museum, APAP at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, the DC Mayor’s cultural events, and President Obama’s AAPI events at the White House.
Presenter: Antonio Eyez
Antonio Eyez is a producer, composer, arranger, musician, performer & creative director. He is known for his ability to transform traditional sounds into modern masterpieces, bridging the gap between the familiar and the avant-garde. Antonio plays 21 Instruments and is the founder of “Black God Child” & “SpaceWarMusic. Antonio explores several genres of music from Psychedelic Funk, Rock, Alternative, R&B/Soul to Dream Pop. Antonio has composed, arranged, and collaborated with artists such as; Van Hunt, Christopher Williams, The Revolution-formerly Prince and the Revolution, Algebra Blessett, The Vanguard, formerly, Dangelo and The Vanguard, Chico Debarge, Yolanda Adams, Chante Moore & Arrested Development.
Last Name F-G
So You Want to Teach? Pathways to the Arts Classroom
Presenter: Sophia Fitzpatrick
Sophia Fitzpatrick is the Director of Licensure at the Maryland State Department of Education, where she manages the implementation of educator licensure regulations and policies. Sophia focuses on delivering high-quality service through strategic planning and professional development, previously holding roles in teaching, K-12 administration, and in ed-tech & higher education operations. She earned her Master’s from Johns Hopkins University and her Bachelor’s from the College of Charleston. A Baltimore native and lover of gothic & fantasy literature, Sophia is a proud mother whose daughter is following her “Blue Jay” footsteps at the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins.
Collaboration & Community Building in the Arts and Humanities
Presenters: Joy Davis, Rob Forloney, Savannah Wade, & Aditya Desai
Robert Forloney is the Program Officer, Partnerships at Maryland Humanities. He collaborates with cultural institutions and communities to develop innovative programs, promote partnerships, and facilitate strategic planning. He has worked in the field for almost thirty years as an educator, administrator and consultant at institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Museum of the City of New York, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves as an adjunct professor for Goucher College and Johns Hopkins University. Robert strives to ensure that communities have their voices heard and are empowered by the organizations that attempt to share their stories.
Setting The Stage – The Road to Developing a Cultural Plan in Montgomery County Maryland
Presenters: Suzan Jenkins, Joe Frandoni & Todd Bressi
For the past fifteen years, Joe Frandoni has advocated for increased equity, opportunity, and efficiency in the arts and humanities; helping cultural organizations and individual practitioners develop innovative values-based business solutions that expand their community impact and support the achievement of their strategic goals. A graduate of both the Master of Arts Management program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Public Policy and Management and the Master of Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts program at the University of Bologna, Bologna Italy, he brings a global perspective focused on data-driven decision making and community-first programming to his work. In his current position as Deputy Director of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC), he leads new program development for AHCMC including cultural planning, advocacy efforts for the creative community, and capacity-building initiatives for constituents. Previously, he held positions with the Kennedy Center’s DeVos Institute of Arts Management, the Center for Arts Management and Technology, and The Requiem Project, a nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of the historic Emory Theater in Cincinnati, Ohio.
JUBilant Spaces: Where Teaching Artists and Community Missions Intersect
Presenters: Gen Fraser, Hope McCorkle & Keyarra Johnson
Gen Fraser, Director – Genifer is a community artist and educator who uses a multitude of mediums and expressive colors to create paintings, installations, and immersive experiences. Prior to working as Jubilee Arts’ Program Director, Genifer’s previous workexperiences included teaching at local schools and arts centers, serving as a Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) grant panelist, organizing and consulting on public art projects, and serving two years in the Community Art Collaborative AmeriCorps Program as the Port Discovery Children’s Museum’s Community Artist in Residence. As Program Director of Jubilee Arts, Genifer is responsible for staff management, strategic planning, program creation, financial management, and the development of relationships between Jubilee Arts and various community partners. Genifer is also a current resident artist with the Baltimore County Arts Guild and holds degrees and certificates from both Virginia Commonwealth University and the Maryland Institute College of Art, specializing in Art History, Community Engagement, and Community Art.
Envisioning the Arts and Humanities (Panel Discussion)
Presenters: Alexandra Cenatus, Lindsey Baker, Terri Freeman, Chanel Johnson, & Jaelon Moaney
Terri Lee Freeman was named President of The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum) in June 2023 after serving as its Executive Director since February 2021. The seventh person to helm the State’s largest museum devoted to African American history, Freeman is responsible for providing strategic leadership in furthering the museum’s mission as an educational and cultural institution. Under her leadership, the Lewis Museum has developed outstanding interactive exhibits, including a 20th anniversary commemorative exhibit on the life and legacy of Reginald F. Lewis. She has increased partnerships with organizations and museums across the state. In 2024, a collaboration with the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project led to a new permanent installation, Lynching in Maryland. A frequently sought-after speaker earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism/communication arts from the University of Dayton and her master’s degree in organizational communication management from Howard University.
From Learning to Practice: Integrating Racial Justice into Arts Leadership
Presenters: Quanice Floyd & Alysia Lee
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Quanice Floyd (she/her) is a renaissance woman who wears many capes. Born and raised in NYC, she has spent over a decade in Washington, DC where she has received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from Howard University and Kent State University respectively. Her passion for arts administration led her to pursue her second Master’s degree in Arts Management at American University and is currently a doctoral student at Drexel University. Quanice was recently appointed as the Executive Director of National Guild for Community Arts Education after previously serving as the Executive Director at Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance, an arts education advocacy and service organization. She is also the Co-Founder of the Arts Administrators of Color (AAC) Network, an organization committed to empowering artists and arts administrators by advocating for access, diversity, inclusion, and equity in the arts in the DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas. She has also been a public-school music educator where she taught elementary and middle school general music, chorus, band, and orchestra. Quanice serves as a commissioner for the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities and is an alumna of Fractured Atlas’ Artist Campaign School, the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Leadership Institute (CAELI), ArtEquity’s Racial Facilitator Cohort, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Music Educators and Arts Administrators Academy, 4.0 Schools’ Essentials Program, and the Arts Education Collaborative’s Leadership Academy. Quanice received the Americans for the Arts’ American Express Emerging Leader Award and the Arts Advocate of the Year Award from the Coalition of African Americans in the Performing Arts.
Cross-Cultural Collaboration in the Performing Arts: Tools for Deeper Understanding and Ethical Exchange
Presenter: Davina Etwaroo, Michael Friend & Natalie Monteleon
Michael Friend, Artistic Director/Founder founded Soul In Motion Players, Inc. in 1984. Michael wrote and debuted his first theatrical production entitled, We Are Africa in 1991. His other works include Henrietta Marie, Malcolm, What If., and Ile Ife – House of Love. He started his music/acting career in 1969 with the world renowned Arthur Hall Afro-American
Dance Ensemble and Theatre Advocate, in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Friend furthered his studies at Fisk University and graduated Howard University in 1981, receiving his B.A. degree in Communications. Michael has gone on to record/perform nationally and internationally, including a Jazz tour in 1989 to Cameroon, West Africa. As a percussionist, Michael performed with The Four Kings of Rhythm and Blues for over 10 years, featuring Jerry Butler, Gene Chandler, Ben E. King, and Lloyd Price. Friend’s regional accomplishments include performing in the Arena Stage production of Derrick Walcott’s The Odyssey and with The Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Kennedy Center. He’s a former board member of several local arts organizations: Black Rock Center for the Arts, Joe’s Movement Emporium, and The Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County – serving as Vice President of Grants for 3 years. In 2011, as director of Soul in Motion, Michael won the prestigious Montgomery County Executive’s Community Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities, in 2014 he was the recipient of the Empower Magazine Player Award, on March 19, 2016 Joe’s Movement Emporium honored Michael as a Mighty Joe with the Creative Visionary Award, and in 2023 Michael was presented with the Heritage Award & the Creativity Award from Maryland State Arts Council.
Mural Painting 101: From Concept to Community—A Model for Scalable Public Art Programs
Presenter: Jamie Gerhold, Carly Lederer & Karissa Scaffidi
Jamie Gerhold is an artist, muralist, arts educator, and Art Program Coordinator for the City of Frederick Parks and Recreation Department. With over a decade of experience across government, education, and the private sector, she specializes in developing communitycentered public art programs that bridge creative practice with real-world application.
She is the creator of Mural Painting 101, a municipally supported public art program that equips emerging artists with professional, portfolio-ready experience and clear pathways into the public art field.
Jamie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She teaches workshops and classes throughout the region for students of all ages and experience levels, including at the Delaplaine Arts Center, Give Rise Studio, and with the Maryland Art Education Association. She also serves as the Art Education and Curriculum Chair for Amplified Change, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering youth through art and education.
Jamie has created murals across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and beyond, collaborating with public arts commissions, municipal leaders, and community stakeholders to bring large-scale, community-driven public art projects to life. Her work is grounded in the belief that public art can transform shared spaces, strengthen community identity, and expand opportunities for artists to thrive.
Creating Space: Addressing Equity in Classical Music through Sampling & Performance
Presenter: Maya Giles
Maya “Maestra” Giles is a violinist, teaching artist, and music technologist based in the D(M)V — Maryland. Holding a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Boston Conservatory and a Master of Music in Music Production, Technology and Innovation from Berklee College of Music, she creates accessible space in classical music through her artist-scholar work at the intersection of performance, research, education, and innovative re-invention. Currently a teaching artist at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Orchkids program and a Professor of Audio Production at Howard University, her teaching practice informs her artistic practice in classical music, with the aim of creating an inclusive space for all. When she isn’t teaching, you can find her mixing classical music in her DJ sets as Maestra Chameleon.
Presenter: Alexander Golob
Alexander Golob is a public artist and creative placemaking and placekeeping consultant whose work spans murals, sculptures, site-responsive installations, and holistic arts planning across communities in Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and beyond. Through Golob Art, he works at the intersection of artistic practice and community development – helping clients turn public spaces into places that reflect the stories and needs of the people who inhabit them. His consulting work includes strategy, planning, procurement, and implementation of public art and cultural programming for public agencies, private developers, and community organizations. He led the development of Charles County’s Public Art and Cultural Master Plan, which included original statewide research on per-capita arts funding and the development of novel zoning frameworks for stable arts spaces – both in dialogue with county government, community stakeholders, and private sector partners. Alexander brings to this session not only the planning expertise, but the practitioner’s eye: as a working public artist and organizer, he understands what it means to need stable space, equitable funding, and systems that actually support artists to thrive. More at: alexandergolobart.com and IG@alexandergolobart
Achieving Authentic Collaborations in Arts-Based Community Engagement Work
Presenters: Kate Keeney, Hannah Kelly, Jose A. Granados & Jane Hirshberg
Jose Granados is a Salvadoran-born community advocate who grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He earned a B.A. with Honors in Spanish Language, Literatures, and Cultures, with a minor in LGBT & Gender Studies, from the University of Maryland, College Park. Jose currently serves as the Next Generation Scholars Program Manager at the Latin American Youth Center/Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers, where he leads an afterschool college access program at High Point High School. Guided by his mantra, “De la comunidad, para la comunidad,” From the community, for the community. Jose is passionate about empowering youth through college readiness, leadership development, and community engagement.
Last Name H-J
The Road Ahead: Impacts of National Policy on Arts Education in Maryland
Presenters: Amanda Karhuse, & Amy Hairston
Amy T. Hairston, MMEA President, is in her 20th year as a choral/general music teacher in Maryland (Springbrook HS). She is a proud alumnus of Oakland Mills High School and the University of Maryland. In addition to over a decade of work in Montgomery County, Amy has been a professional development clinician, virtual conductor and adjudicator for multiple school districts in Maryland, and has presented for CMEA, MMEA, NJMEA and the Maryland Arts Summit. She enjoys educational advocacy, vocal coaching for musicals and coaching youth soccer.
The Resort Residency Advantage: Leveraging Guest Relationships for Artistic Growth
Presenter: Amanda Haymans, Claire Hardy & Donald Smith
Pittsburgh-based artist Claire Hardy has been a cherished part of our Artist-in-Residence program since its earliest years, returning annually to create, connect, and grow alongside our evolving arts community. Over many seasons, Claire has become a clear example of how deeply a residency can enrich an artist’s professional journey. Through daily conversations with guests, live painting sessions, and the immersive studio environment our resort provides, she has formed lasting relationships with collectors and supporters who continue to follow and invest in her work long after her residency ends.
Each year, Claire uses the residency as a creative catalyst—expanding her audience, strengthening her practice, and generating commissions inspired by meaningful personal connections. Her openness, warmth, and genuine enthusiasm for engaging with guests have made her one of our most successful returning artists, illustrating how the residency’s unique setting can accelerate artistic visibility and opportunity. Her continued participation speaks to the program’s impact and the mutually rewarding exchange it fosters between artists and guests.
Claire grew up in California, where an influential middle-school art teacher introduced her to realistic drawing techniques that shaped her early foundation. She continued studying art while earning a business degree from the University of New Mexico, later pursuing classical training at the Art Institute of Florence, where she embraced oil painting. After extensive travel through Europe and the Middle East, Claire settled in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. She
has exhibited widely, served on the executive board of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists, and continues to evolve as a painter. Her work is held in private collections throughout the Pittsburgh region, the Southwest, and Europe.
The Resort Residency Advantage: Leveraging Guest Relationships for Artistic Growth
Presenter: Amanda Haymans, Claire Hardy & Donald Smith
Amanda Haymans is an arts leader, curator, and program designer with more than a decade of experience advancing artist development within hospitality and cultural environments. As Gallery Director and founder of her resort’s Artist-in-Residence program, Amanda has spent the past seven years building an innovative residency model that intentionally bridges artistic practice with high-value guest engagement.
Launched with just seven participating artists, the residency began with a clear vision for meaningful artist–guest interaction within a hospitality setting. Through Amanda’s leadership, strategic relationship-building, and commitment to amplifying diverse artistic voices, the program has grown to support twenty-two resident artists annually. This expansion reflects both rising artist demand and the program’s reputation as a career-advancing environment where artists gain visibility, patronage, and sustained professional momentum.
Amanda’s curatorial approach emphasizes organic, authentic encounters between artists and resort guests—conversations that often lead to commissions and long-term creative relationships. She has developed an integrated residency structure that includes live demonstrations, open studios, pop-up exhibitions, and informal guest engagement, all designed to illuminate artistic process and foster lasting connection beyond a single resort stay.
In addition to her work in hospitality-based residencies, Amanda brings extensive experience in gallery management, artist mentorship, and community-centered curation. Her work prioritizes accessibility, creative storytelling, and the belief that thoughtfully designed environments can unlock transformative opportunities for artists at any stage. Today, she continues to champion hospitality spaces as cultural incubators where artists create, connect, and thrive.
Achieving Authentic Collaborations in Arts-Based Community Engagement Work
Presenters: Kate Keeney, Hannah Kelly, Jose A. Granados & Jane Hirshberg
Jane Hirshberg: In her role as Program Director for Development and Community Engagement at UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Jane Hirshberg is a key member of the programming team and leads all programs in the area of campus and community engagement. She is also the staff lead on annual giving and sponsorship campaigns, and facilitates efforts to secure institutional funding for The Clarice.
Partnerships with community-based organizations for the purpose of integrating art making activities for those organizations’ constituencies is a hallmark of Jane’s work. She has led several large-scale projects that have invited participation by community members on and off campus, addressing such issues as racial healing, immigration and displacement, and others. Jane has served as a panelist for grant reviewing in many parts of the country and enjoys talking and writing in various forums about community building through the arts.
Before coming to UMD, Jane had leadership roles at Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, New England Foundation for the Arts, and The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She lives in Catonsville, Maryland with her family and numerous pets and does a lot of hiking in the Patapsco Valley State Park.
Presenters: Courtney Hobson, & Dr. Shauna Knox
Courtney Hobson, M.A. ’14, graduated from Bowie State University with a Bachelor of Science in History and later earned her Master of Arts in Historical Studies with a concentration in Public History from UMBC. She has over 15 years of program management experience at various cultural institutions throughout the state of Maryland. In addition to working at the Dresher Center, Courtney serves on the Advisory Committees for the Orser Center for Public Humanities and the Critical Disability Studies Minor; as well as the Staff Advisor for The Garden – UMBC’s community garden.
Outside of UMBC, she works as a historical consultant, collaborating with organizations including The Southwest Partnership, Inc., Historical Research Associates, the National Park Service (NPS), the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and the National Council on Public History (NCPH). Courtney’s areas of expertise include Black history in Maryland and engaging with descendant communities. She is also a member of the Association of Black Women Historians, ASALH, as well as NCPH, where she currently serves on the Advocacy Committee of the Board.
In her spare time, Courtney is a foodie, amateur archer, collector of unread books, and queen of karaoke at her neighborhood bar in Baltimore where she has proudly lived for a decade.
Performance Artist Showcase: Music & Story Telling
Presenter: Dorothy Adamson Holley
Dr. Dorothy Adamson Holley, also known as Drum Dr. Dot, is a psychologist, clinical social worker, author, recording artist, songwriter, vocalist, percussionist, dancer, harmonicist, and healer throughmusic. She founded Drum Dr. Dot Creative Healing Practices and co-founded Nyame Nti Cultural Healing Arts Therapy (N-CHAT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that integrates mental health and the arts to promote healing. She is also Founder and CEO of Breathe Holistic Counseling, a nontraditional psychotherapy practice supporting clients who have not responded well to traditional talk therapy. Dr. Holley created Drumetry™, an art form that combines two of her passions: drumming and poetry. Dr. Holley facilitates clinical and healing workshops and has shared her clinical expertise with practitioners across many settings. Her passion for African culture and its continuity in the United States led her to the enthusiastic study of African dance and drum, and she has performed locally, nationally, and internationally. She is a percussionist, vocalist, and harmonicist with the Baltimore-based band Roses n Rust and with the DRT-Y Blues Acoustic Duo & Trio. Her books, Talk Therapy (Alone) Is Not Enough: Creative Practices for Trauma Treatment and Drumetry: Drumming with Poetry, are available at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Her Drumetry albums, along with her singer-songwriter album UNBOXED!, are available on Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms. Website: www.drumdrdot.com
Understanding Nonprofit Board Governance
Presenters: Adam Holofcener & Christia Ravenell
Adam Holofcener, Esq. (He/They) is the Executive Director of Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, a non-profit organization that provides pro bono legal services and education to Maryland based artists and arts organizations. In his legal practice, Adam counsels artists and musicians on matters of copyright, trademark, contract, business entity formation, constitutional law, and other issues. He taught a seminar on Art and Media Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law from 2017-2023. Adam is also a practicing musician and sound artist. He is a dad who lives in Baltimore City.
Setting The Stage – The Road to Developing a Cultural Plan in Montgomery County Maryland
Presenters: Suzan Jenkins, Joe Frandoni & Todd Bressi
Suzan E. Jenkins is a mother, Nonna, daughter, sister and wife, and a leader in the non-profit arts and culture sector. Jenkins has served in senior executive positions at the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution and the Recording Industry Association of America and as the CEO of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, MD since 2008.
A Peabody Award winning producer of the radio series Let the Good Times Roll for Public Radio International, Suzan Jenkins has been recognized for her leadership and entrepreneurial endeavors, including by the Gazette of Politics and Business, Women Business Leaders of Maryland, Jazz Alliance International, the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Howard University Jazz Ensemble, the Black American Heritage Foundation and Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. As co-founder of the Nonprofit Energy Alliance, Jenkins is the winner of the Washingtonian Green Giant Award.
Jenkins serves on the Board of Maryland Citizens for the Arts; as a mentor for arts administrators; as Past President of the County Arts Agencies of Maryland and on the Montgomery County MD Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission.
Jenkins holds an Honorary Degree in Public Service from Montgomery College, MD; a BS in Psychology and Management, and an MBA from the University of Maryland. Suzan Jenkins is a International Coaching Federation Certified coach and is dedicated to anti-racist and equitable work that is both organizationally and individually bound.
Envisioning the Arts and Humanities (Panel Discussion)
Presenters: Alexandra Cenatus, Lindsey Baker, Terri Freeman, Chanel Johnson, & Jaelon Moaney
Chanel Johnson is inspired and passionate about her role as Executive Director for the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (BDTM) and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC). Chanel has been a life-long supporter of museums, stating “A museum can be such a powerful place. As a young person, it was my initial visit to museums and galleries that opened my eyes and mind to new perspectives, cultures, and history. African American museums are instrumental in inspiring a new generation of leaders and innovators because it is a place of empowerment, of learning, and a place of individual and collective transformation.”
As Executive Director of BDTM and MCAAHC, Chanel is dedicated to serving the great state of Maryland to amplify and support African American heritage initiatives, groups, and museums to gain further access to resources, partnerships, and reach new audiences and heights. Chanel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University and completed a graduate degree in Arts Management from American University.
She is also a visual artist, expressing Black diasporic experiences, history, and identity through portraits, abstract paintings, and mosaics. She has a home and art studio in Baltimore, Maryland.
JUBilant Spaces: Where Teaching Artists and Community Missions Intersect
Presenters: Gen Fraser, Hope McCorkle & Keyarra Johnson
Keyarra Johnson, YiB Program Manager – Keyarra is a long-time resident of the 21217 area. She is a ceramicist, animator, game developer, and graphic designer, and first came to Jubilee as a teen and member of the Youth in Business Entrepreneurship Program. Through this program, she created the YiB Alumni Mentor Program, developed YiB’s Program Assistant Role by serving three years in the Community Art Collaborative Americorps Program, served as a panelist for the Awesome grant, and helped to develop the Youth Rising Coalition. Additional work experiences have included teaching and program management jobs with DENT Education and the Maryland Institute College of Art. With all of her experience, Keyarra was promoted and is responsible for program recruitment and daily operations of the Youth in Business Program. This includes outreach to local public schools and community partners, supervision of all YiB classes, support and mentorship to staff and program members, social media management, and communication with participant families. Keyarra is also a local business owner in her own right, acting as the creative mind behind 128Art, LLC.
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The Road Ahead: Impacts of National Policy on Arts Education in Maryland
Presenters: Amanda Karhuse, & Amy Hairston
Amanda Karhuse is the assistant executive director for advocacy and public policy at NAfME where she works with policymakers and key stakeholders to promote music as an integral and core component of a well-rounded education. In this role, she coordinates all federal and state policy and advocacy efforts for NAfME, which includes lobbying, coalition-building activities, and strengthening the capacity of music education advocates. Prior to her tenure at NAfME, Amanda was the director of policy & advocacy for the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) where she advocated for issues of national significance to school leaders and led a research initiative on principal turnover and retention. She also represented NASSP as the president of the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training and as chair of Advocates for Literacy. Amanda worked for four years on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant for former Congresswoman Karen L. Thurman of Florida and for the Women’s Congressional Policy Institute before embarking on her career in education policy. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, and a master’s degree from the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Amanda was a proud member of the Yorktown High School marching band in Arlington, VA, and she now resides in Leesburg, VA, with her husband, an avid guitarist, and her son who plays piano and sings in the all-county chorus.
Stories That Matter: The Case for Independent Media Today
Presenter: Camille Kashaka
Camille Kashaka (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Managing Director for Joe’s Movement Emporium and Creative Suitland. She is excited to contribute to the broad and powerful community focused cultural and artistic impact of these institutions.
She is the former Executive Director of Motor House in Baltimore. Camille served as the Interim Managing Director at Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis, TN, where she oversaw the day to day operations of the company. She also was proud to serve as the Director of the Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast Washington, DC. There, she was privileged to curate visual arts exhibitions, music series, and a performing arts season. Camille’s proudest moments in Anacostia include curating the All The Way Live Tuesdays Hip Hop Series, creating the Resident Performing Arts Incubator, and curating “Black Gold,” an exhibition that celebrated Afrofuturistic aesthetics in both abstract and figurative work.
Camille received her BFA from Howard University in Theatre Administration and her Masters from American University in Arts Management.
In addition to her work as an arts manager, Camille is also a lighting designer and stage manager. She has been privileged to work with a number of organizations including Story District, Freshh Inc Theatre Company, Astro Pop Events, and JAMtheRevue.
Camille is originally from Atlanta, GA. Born to a Trini mother and Black American father, she brings a spicy southern sensibility to every aspect of her life: personal, professional, and spiritual. It is also important to note that she is a hardcore Trekkie and much of her philosophy on life itself comes from Jean-Luc Picard’s monologues. It is with this specific blend of cultural, artistic, and professional experience that she hopes to add to the eclectic cultural ecosystem of Prince George’s County.
Achieving Authentic Collaborations in Arts-Based Community Engagement Work
Presenters: Kate Keeney, Hannah Kelly, Jose A. Granados & Jane Hirshberg
Kate Keeney is Associate Professor of Arts Leadership and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland. Her research interests bridge arts management and nonprofit management scholarship with a specific focus on cultural policy, leadership, and organizations. Dr. Keeney is a consulting editor for the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, Cultural Trends, and is a board member of the international scholarly society, Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts. She especially enjoys collaborating with others in interdisciplinary work. Current collaborative research projects include place-based arts branding, program design in the arts, entrepreneurial arts leadership, and arts access afforded by the nonprofit status.
Achieving Authentic Collaborations in Arts-Based Community Engagement Work
Presenters: Kate Keeney, Hannah Kelly, Jose A. Granados & Jane Hirshberg
Hannah Kelly is an MFA Lighting Design student at the University of Maryland. She comes from a background in design, production management, and community engagement. She has experience in house management and tour management, which has allowed her to understand the importance of research and specificity for arts organizations to effectively interact with the community, especially young audiences.
Drawing What Words Cannot Say: Visual Storytelling as Research and Community Practice
Presenter: Joan Marie Kelly
Joan Kelly is a visual artist and educator whose work is grounded in visual ethnography and trauma-informed practice. Her approach centers on community-participatory storytelling and artmaking through sustained, relational engagements with communities in contexts shaped by social disruption, environmental crisis, and structural inequality. She designs and facilitates drawing, portrait, and storytelling processes that create supportive spaces for reflection, expression, and connection, enabling participants to articulate lived experiences that are often difficult to express through words alone.
With over two decades of experience working with local partners, NGOs, ethnographers, and community groups, Kelly uses art as a means of recognition, exchange, and emotional articulation. Her portrait-based ethnographic practice is documented in the research publication Drawing Closer: Empathy, Storytelling & Visual Knowing (Nanyang Technological University, 2023).
From 2005 to 2024, Kelly served on the faculty of Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media in Singapore. She has also held a professorial appointment at Woxsen University, School of Arts and Design in Hyderabad, India. Kelly is an active member of Mediators Beyond Borders International and has presented this work in global policy contexts, including COP28 in Dubai (2023) and COP29 in Azerbaijan (2024)
Performance Artist Showcase: Music
Presenter: HLVII KIRA
HLVII KIRA is an independent “otaku” rapper and musician based in Baltimore, Maryland, known for blending hip-hop with anime-inspired themes.
Presenters: Courtney Hobson, & Dr. Shauna Knox
Dr. Shauna Knox is a researcher, policy activist, philanthro-advocate, and thought leader in Black humanity by way of designated expertise in the decolonization and re-humanization of Black citizens of the Global South. Dr. Knox currently serves as Co-Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent and has been professionally appointed Chief of (Racial Equity) Strategy at Associated Black Charities, a public foundation committed to the closing of the racial wealth gap in the United States through research and practice. Prior to this role, Knox served a five-year tenure at the U.S. Department of Education, during which she received a Breakthrough Award for her work on the team leading the charge to upskill the Department following the eighth reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965. She was also named the sole Subject Matter Expert for Human Trafficking and Child Labor Exploitation at the Department, and in this capacity, she led all of the agency’s inter- and intra-agency work related to Human Trafficking through the critical twentieth anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Dr. Knox was also responsible for the production of the Human Trafficking in America’s Schools: What Schools can do to Prevent, Respond, and Help Students to Recover from Human Trafficking Second Edition guidance document which was released in January 2021.
Mural Painting 101: From Concept to Community—A Model for Scalable Public Art Programs
Presenter: Jamie Gerhold, Carly Lederer & Karissa Scaffidi
Carly Lederer is a charismatic multimedia artist who loves living in Frederick, MD and being a part of an engaged and energized community. A lot of Carly’s art is inspired by and created for local nonprofits. She says that her favorite part about creating is having continued evidence that what she sees in her imagination is real and can be made physical.
Carly is Reiki Level 1 & 2 certified, is a Gateless Writing instructor, and taught group fitness for almost a decade. She has a passion for helping people see and love their gifts, and feel comfortable in their own consciousness.
Her dream is to utilize her uplifting personality, her creativity, and the connections she’s created through Gateless Writing, Leadership Frederick, Rotary International, and other nonprofits, to bring light, art, and creativity to underserved communities all over the country and the world. She wants to see and experience as much as is humanly possible.
From Learning to Practice: Integrating Racial Justice into Arts Leadership
Presenter: Quanice Floyd & Alysia Lee
Alysia Lee’s full circle role as an artist, arts educator, teaching artist and arts advocate, gives her a broad perspective of the arts ecosystem. Alysia received national recognition for advancing access, equity, visibility, representation, and power-sharing between artists, organizations, and communities. Key to her methods are empowerment, partnership construction, and intersectional approaches to community exchange while centering anti-racism, creativity, and social justice.
She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Sister Cities Girlchoir(SCG), the El Sistema-inspired, girl empowerment, choral academy in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. SCG has performed for audiences at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institute, The Kimmel Center, Citizens Bank Park, National Constitution Center, The Barnes Foundation, New Jersey Performing Arts Center and throughout their local communities. The girls cherish their recent performances with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Vijay Gupta, Opera Philadelphia, Westminster Choir College, and a host of community artists.
Alysia Lee is the education program supervisor for Fine Arts education for the Maryland State Department of Education where she shares her vision of statewide equity and excellence across five arts disciplines: music, dance, visual arts, theatre, and media arts. She is a proud member of the State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE). Lee is a Board member of Chorus America.
Recent recognitions include awards from The Kennedy Center, The Knight Foundation, National Association of University Women, Stockton Bartol Foundation, and Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Recent speaking/facilitation engagements include the U.S. Department of Education, The Kennedy Center, Americans for the Arts, Arts Education Partnership, Chorus America, Maryland Citizens for the Arts, Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, TEDX, and Temple University.
A Baltimore native, Lee is an alumna of Maryland public schools. She earned her graduate degree from Peabody Conservatory. In 2011, Lee was selected from an international pool of applicants to the third cohort of the Sistema Fellowship at New England Conservatory in partnership with TED. Alysia also completed Executive Education programs at Harvard University and La Salle University.
Intention not Perfection: Disability Justice and Inclusive Practice in the Arts
Presenter: Emily Davidson, Beth Holladay, Levi Lewis, & Simone Sydnor
Levi Lewis is a filmmaker and accessibility consultant based in Baltimore, Maryland. He works as a freelance videographer documenting the Baltimore arts scene. His work has been shown at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Morgan State University, and the Walters Art Museum, and his video “Nothing About Us Without Us” was shown at the Maryland Arts Council’s 2024 Arts Summit. He has worked on accessibility for the Baltimore Museum of Art and Maryland Institute College of Art. He currently works as an associate with Melanie HoodWilson and Associates and volunteers with Baltimore: The City of Accessible Arts.
Redefining & Reimagining Professional Development
Presenter: Sarah Lewitus
Sarah Lewitus (she/her) is a Baltimore-based arts worker interested in performance, space, and turning imagination into action. She is a white, cis, straight, non-disabled woman. Sarah is a producer, writer, and community organizer. She works as the Program Director, Performing Arts & Accessibility Coordinator at Mid Atlantic Arts. In this role, she manages grant programs that fund exchanges between performing artists and audiences across the midAtlantic region. Prior, Sarah was an Associate Curator at Dance Place in DC, where she managed 35+ weekends of local, national and international live dance performance and a multi-year artist residency program. Sarah is a founding member of Area Woman, an interdisciplinary performance collective that made new work in the DC area from 2017-2023. She was a collaborating author on Phase 1 of Creating New Futures: an artist-organized platform started in 2020 for advancing equity in the performing arts. Sarah is also a parent to two-year-old Ida.
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JUBilant Spaces: Where Teaching Artists and Community Missions Intersect
Presenters: Gen Fraser, Hope McCorkle & Keyarra Johnson
Hope McCorkle, Program Coordinator – Hope is a transdisciplinary, award-winning community artist with previous work experience as a resident artist, muralist, community organizer, and teaching artist with organizations such as Creative Nomads, Maryland Multicultural Youth Center, Culture Keepers, Creative Alliance, and more. Her experience includes partnerships with various schools and permanent installations at prestigious arts institutions across the state and country, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., the Baltimore Convention Center, and the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. As Program Coordinator, Hope is responsible for outreach to local public schools and community partners, supervision of all Jubilee Arts daily classes, support and mentorship to staff, teaching artists, and volunteers, social media management, and communication with program participants, among many other things. Hope also has a BFA in Studio Art and Psychology from New York University, and is a current resident of West Baltimore where she works.
Leading Change in Arts Education: Tools & Tactics for Advocacy
Presenter: Rachel McGrain (AEMS)
Rachel McGrain (she/her) is the Executive Director at Arts Education in Maryland Schools (AEMS). Rachel’s commitment to educational equity and social justice has inspired her career in education and nonprofit leadership. Her work at AEMS includes co-chairing Maryland’s Fine Arts Education Advisory Panel to advise the State Superintendent and collaborating with statewide arts and education organizations on programming and advocacy initiatives. She is the recipient of the 2025 NAEA Distinguished Service Outside the Profession Award and Friend of MDEA. A lifelong Marylander, Rachel is a proud graduate of Howard County public schools and former Baltimore City public school math and music teacher and track coach. Rachel earned Bachelors of Arts in Music/Trumpet Performance and History at the University of Maryland, College Park and a Master of Science in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Building Civic Dialogue Through Art: A Community-Based Artist Residency in Montgomery County
Presenter: Kenya Miles & Flannery Winchester
Kenya Miles is a multidisciplinary artist, educator & the alchemist behind Traveling Miles Studio. A one woman textile and fine art studio utilizing sustainable materials from earth pigments to natural dyes. Kenya’s work honors ancient practices while harmoniously drawing on a distinctive contemporary voice. From the valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico to the red clay roads of Ntonso, Ghana, Kenya’s process is a ledger of years of wandering and apprenticing around the globe.
Kenya has facilitated workshops at the Berkeley Art Museum, Headlands Center for the Arts, the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden and MICA. She was a guest artist at Berkeley Art Musuem’s “The Possible” and in 2019 had a solo exhibition “The Central Sun” at Baana Gallery in San Francisco. From 2019-2020 Kenya was an Artist-in-Residence and farmer in the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative.
In January 2020, Kenya founded Blue Light Junction, a natural dye studio, alternative color lab, retail space, dye garden & educational facility in central Baltimore. Blue Light Junction focuses on growing, processing, and preserving the history of natural dyes and their artistic, practical, and commercial applications. In 2022-23, Kenya was a Civic Media Fellow, through the Annenberg Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California. She is currently a 2023-24 Braiding Seeds Fellow. Kenya is an avid traveler, gardener, and above all else Indigo’s mother (her son).
Positioning your brand for story publication
Presenter: Ceylon Mitchell & Allison Leigh Eatough
Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II is a flutist, educator, and media entrepreneur on a mission to celebrate marginalized voices in the arts. With a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland School of Music, he serves as a flute professor at Bowie State University and the woodwinds department chair at Levine Music. As the CEO with M3 Mitchell Media & Marketing, Ceylon empowers government agencies, non-profits, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and beyond for success in our 21st-century landscape with digital media production and marketing consulting. With the City Lifestyle national publication, he serves as the Director of Photography & Community Engagement with Potomac Lifestyle magazine, managing visual storytelling, event planning, and community relationships.
Envisioning the Arts and Humanities (Panel Discussion)
Presenters: Alexandra Cenatus, Lindsey Baker, Terri Freeman, Chanel Johnson, & Jaelon Moaney
Jaelon Moaney is a descendant of two founding Black families from Talbot and Kent Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. He was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore in 2023 as the youngest to serve on the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture, established in 1969 as the first-ever ethnic commission in America. Moaney currently serves as the Deputy Director of Washington College’s Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. He has extensive experience in public policy, serving Marylanders at every level of government. He is also the founder of The Needle’s Eye Academy, an organization focused on the literary future of the Delmarva Peninsula. Moaney has dedicated service to the Talbot 250 Commission, Uptown and Beyond Advisory Council, Rural Maryland Council, One Maryland One Book Selection Committee, Maryland Sea Grant’s External Advisory Board, Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation Board of Directors, Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice Just Futures Advisory Council, Williams-Mystic Alumni Council, and the Preservation Maryland Board of Directors
Presenter: Davina Etwaroo, Michael Friend & Natalie Monteleon
Natalia Monteleon has been involved in flamenco for over 40 years, as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. Her teachers have included Flamenco with Ana Martinez, Paco del Puerto, La Tati, Carmela Greco, Maribel de Sevilla, and Raquel Pena, and Classical Spanish Dance with Maria Morales.
Natalia has been a soloist at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, Wolf Trap Theater, George Washington University’s Lisner Theater, the Warner Theater of Washington, the Embassies of France and Spain, the University of New Orleans, and the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, among others.
After twenty years of performing both as a soloist and in companies, on stage and in flamenco tablados, Natalia decided to devote her skills to teaching, choreographing and developing new talent. Natalia founded the company “Arte Flamenco” in New Orleans, where they performed to enthusiastic audiences at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. For this event, due to a grant from the Spanish Consulate, she was able to invite guest artist Manolo Leiva to present cante flamenco for the first time ever at JazzFest. Upon returning to Maryland Natalia recreated the company and formed her own studio. As director of Arte Flamenco, she has staged performances at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the University of Maryland, all major Hispanic and international music venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region. She has recorded with Brother Ah’s New World Ensemble cd “Celebration”, and was dance director for the GALA Hispanic Theater production of the House of Bernarda Alba, and coached actors for the Arena Stage’s production of Yerma.
Natalia is very proud that many of the dancers that have emerged on the scene in the DC-Baltimore area began as her students, and with a sound background in the elements of flamenco culture, they are now on their own performing in companies and as soloists.
Creative Aging in Action: Strategies for Engaging Older Adults Through the Arts
Presenters: Sharon Burton & Aimee Olivo
Aimee Olivo, a true believer in the power of the arts to transform lives, is incredibly proud to serve as Art Works Now’s second executive director. She is a passionate community builder and advocate for equity and social justice.
Prior to joining Art Works Now, Aimee served as the Chief of Staff for Prince George’s County Council Member Dannielle Glaros (D-District 3). Aimee is most proud of her work to promote economic development, support non-profit organizations, improve the environment, and promote community in that role. Previously she spent nearly two decades working as a professional fundraiser.
Aimee has held numerous volunteer leadership roles advocating for educational equity and student success. She was appointed by Governor Martin O’Malley to serve on the Board of Trustees for Prince George’s Community College in 2010 and continued in that role through February 2022. She served as a member and chair of the Prince George’s County Commission for Education Excellence under County Executive Rushern Baker.
In 2012, Aimee was recognized by the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund as a member of their inaugural “Prince George’s 40 Under Forty” cohort. She graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University), in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Marymount University in Arlington, VA.
Learn more about Aimee’s work and Art Works Now at www.artsworknow.org
Understanding Nonprofit Board Governance
Presenters: Adam Holofcener & Christia Ravenell
Christia Ravenell (she/her) is the Director of Legal Services at Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. At MDVLA, Christia provides legal assistance to MdVLA clients, develops legal resource guides and professional development workshops, supports volunteer attorneys, and participates in advocacy and stakeholder initiatives on behalf of MdVLA and its constituents. A Baltimore native, Christia holds degrees from Howard University (Journalism – Public Relations, BA), New York University (Music Business, MA), and Georgetown University (JD). After a series of detours, including a clerkship, a law firm, and a career in corporate law, Christia has returned to her passion – supporting artists. When she’s not at an Art Law Clinic, you can catch her dancing, reading, or digging through crates at your local record store.
TAMA’s Fair Pay Journey: Transformative Tools for Moving Teaching Artists from Surviving to Thriving
Presenters: Jennifer Ridgway, Marcie Wolf Hubbard & Lynne Streeter Childress
Jennifer Ridgway is a professional teaching artist with 30 years of experience harnessing the transformative power of theatre. Beginning her journey on stage in the DMV area, she developed a commitment to theatre for young audiences, working with organizations such as Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre Programs and local performing arts venues. She specializes in facilitating creative, arts-based learning experiences that amplify everyday stories, promote empathy, and foster community connection and joy.
Her multidisciplinary practice includes writing, directing, design, and puppet building, integrating theatre, storytelling, music, dance, and puppetry. While she has directed dual-language American musicals internationally, she remains deeply committed to local, community-based work. Notable projects include her collaboration with Building Better People Productions directing Friendlier Fables and Thoughtful Tales. Her work often weaves together academic content with cultural and environmental themes and invites community participation in the creative process.
Jennifer co-authored a case study in The Reflexive Teaching Artist with Cory Wilkerson, focusing on her work with the Neighborhood Bridges program, a critical literacy model using storytelling and theatre. She holds an MFA in Directing/Theatre for Youth from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro; a BA in Acting from the University of Maryland, College Park; and a certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.
She is the founder of YARD DRAMAS, a certified minority-owned LLC creating interactive, community-centered storytelling experiences. As Co-Founder and President of Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic (TAMA), she advocates for the field through policy, organizing, and national workforce recognition efforts.
Presenter: Cary Michael Robinson (Artbae)
Cary Michael Robinson is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and cultural strategist whose work bridges visual art, community engagement, and social impact. As the founder of Artbae, an award-winning arts organization based in Washington, DC, he creates immersive exhibitions and cultural experiences that center healing, storytelling, and connection. His work has been featured in exhibitions and public activations across the region, and he continues to collaborate with artists, institutions, and communities to expand access to meaningful creative experiences.
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Performance Artist Showcase: Movement & Meditation
Presenter: Arpita Sabud
Arpita Rakshit Sabud was born and raised in Kolkata in a musical family, and graduated with a Master degree in Economics. She started learning Odissi dance when she was 8 years old. She received her initial training from Smt Sudha Dutta, followed by a brief training from Guru Smt Reena Jana and Guru Ramani Ranjan Jena. Her dance was further nuanced under the guidance of Padma Shri Guru Smt Madhavi Mudgal. In New Delhi, Arpita completed her Visharad Pratham in Odissi dance from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalay. She has performed in various dance festivals as being her guru’s dance troop member in India. In the U.S., she has performed in various places on the east coast. She runs her own dance institute named KalpaVriksha Center For Performing Arts in the DMV area where she teaches this beautiful art form not only to the younger generation but to all dance enthusiasts of various ages.
Mural Painting 101: From Concept to Community—A Model for Scalable Public Art Programs
Presenter: Jamie Gerhold, Carly Lederer & Karissa Scaffidi
Karissa Scaffidi is a visual artist and botanist based in Silver Spring, Maryland. She has shown pieces in several local group shows, including at the Delaplaine Arts Center and Pyramid Atlantic. Her artwork expresses her love for flowers and the connections people have with nature. She is inspired by her background in environmentalism and flower farming. Spending time intimately studying plants and our ecosystem gives Karissa an in-depth understanding and appreciation for the details of nature. She creates decorative and intricate designs that are botanically accurate. Karissa’s illustrations are translated into a variety of mediums such as murals, prints or underglaze paintings on tiles and vases, all connected through the repetition of motifs and decorative embellishments. Art and nature have the power to inform people and spread a mentality of understanding. Her work celebrates the connection between nature and our human spaces, inviting the viewer to dive into their own understanding of plants and our local ecosystems.
The Resort Residency Advantage: Leveraging Guest Relationships for Artistic Growth
Presenter: Amanda Haymans, Claire Hardy & Donald Smith
Middleton, Maryland–based woodturning artist Don Smith has become one of the most beloved and consistently inspiring participants in our Artist-in-Residence program. Returning year after year, Don brings extraordinary craftsmanship along with a calm, approachable presence that naturally draws guests into his creative world. His live woodturning demonstrations—where raw blocks of wood are transformed into refined, functional forms— have become guest favorites, often stopping visitors in their tracks with curiosity and awe.
Throughout his time with us, Don has fully embraced the residency’s potential to support artistic growth. Conversations with guests frequently evolve into commissions, custom orders, and long-standing relationships with collectors. Guests regularly note Don’s generosity in sharing his tools, techniques, and artistic decision-making, and how his openness deepens their appreciation for handmade work while fostering meaningful, personal connections that extend beyond their stay.
By returning annually, Don has cultivated a dedicated audience, expanded his collector base, and elevated the visibility of woodturning as both craft and art. His continued success exemplifies how the residency’s relaxed, authentic environment can meaningfully support an artist’s professional momentum.
After a 43-year career as an electronics field technician with Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies, Don discovered woodworking in retirement. What began as making toys for his grandchildren quickly became a passion for bowl turning. Today, he spends as much time as possible “puttering” in his workshop, creating tactile works that celebrate natural grain, curve, and quiet dialogue between maker, material, and viewer.
Learn. Show. Sell. — A Statewide Initiative to Support Visual Artists
Presenter: Jen Sterling
Jen Sterling was born in Wisconsin and primarily grew up in Northern Virginia. A graduate of George Washington University, she holds a BA in Visual Communications with a minor in Psychology. She was an entrepreneur in design and branding for 30 years and founded three creative agencies. Jen sold her last company and now focuses on her fine art. Her work was awarded an International Grand Prize and has been shown in numerous galleries and festivals throughout the mid-Atlantic. Her colorful abstracts adorn clothing, skateboards, private homes, and several commercial buildings.
In 2024 she founded the non-profit Artist Open Studios Inc. AOS was founded to assist the visual artists of Maryland to increase visibility and sales by inviting the public into their studios during an annual event. The ultimate goal is to have a weekend long celebration of the visual arts and artists across all of Maryland.
In addition, AOS has built out an online community for all Maryland visual artists to strengthen their business skills, provide support and the opportunity to learn from each other, and grow their art practice. As President Kennedy once said, “a rising tide raises all boats.” The more we can raise up our artists the better for all arts across the state.
Jen maintains a love of business and is an active mentor for emerging businesses and fellow artists. Jen lives with her husband and multiple dogs in Annapolis, Maryland.
Presenter: Stacey Cruise & Kadeisha Stothart
Kadeisha Stothart- My art is deeply personal, rooted in painful experiences and shaped by moments from my past, including time in foster care and surviving mental and physical abuse. I also weave in historical elements, but at its core, my work is about expressing what I carry inside. I explore questions of identity, the difference between who I am internally and how I present myself to others. Putting these thoughts onto canvas helps me process my pain, fears, and doubts. My goal is for others to connect with that honesty, to feel seen, and maybe reflect on their own lives. If my work reaches someone’s heart or mind, then I have succeeded.
I’m excited to engage with other artists, to learn from their perspectives and glimpse how they see the world. I hope to leave inspired and more open in my own creative journey.
My piece, I Don’t Want To Mold, challenges how media shapes ideals about the body. Society often imposes unrealistic standards that affect how people, especially young people, see themselves. In the work, I place myself against the outline of Polykleitos’s Doryphoros, a classical symbol of ideal form. Unlike today, that ideal was philosophical rather than a standard for judgment. I depict myself pushing against this mold, showing how difficult it is to unlearn these pressures. Through digital elements and self-imagery, I reflect on body image and self-acceptance, honoring the strength it took to reach where I am today.
Intention not Perfection: Disability Justice and Inclusive Practice in the Arts
Presenter: Emily Davidson, Beth Holladay, Levi Lewis, & Simone Sydnor
Simone Sydnor is a curator, researcher, and Project Coordinator for Baltimore City of Accessible Arts (BCAA), where she supports the development of accessibility-centered, community-driven arts programming across Baltimore. Her work operates at the intersection of social design and participatory approaches, examining how cultural institutions can more fully align their policies, practices, and processes with equity and care.
She holds an MFA in Curatorial Practice and brings a qualitative, interdisciplinary research practice spanning participatory, creative, and social impact methodologies. Her work engages cultural and historical inquiry across contexts, with a focus on elevating marginalized voices and expanding how knowledge is produced and shared. Simone’s practice sits at the intersection of arts, disability, and community, and centers inclusive, dialogue-based engagement.
Táncház: The Hungarian Dance House Movement with Tisza Ensemble
Presenter: Tisza Ensemble
Tisza Ensemble, founded in 1982, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the táncház movement, a living and modern revival of Hungarian traditional music and dance that began in the early 1970s. Táncház, or “dance house,” draws from communities across the former Kingdom of Hungary, most prominently Transylvania, and emphasizes improvisation, live music, and community participation.
Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Tisza Ensemble holds regular classes and social dances while maintaining a performing group that presents these traditions at a variety of venues. Rather than solely relying on choreography, Tisza’s performances reflect the original spirit of the dance, with men and women improvising—responding in the moment to the music and to one another. In addition to couples’ dances, men’s dances reach the highest level of virtuosity, wherein each man strives to express his personality, sense of rhythm, and athleticism, while women’s ancient circle dances are performed without instrumentation or accompaniment, showcasing beautiful harmonies and serving as a vital link to Hungary’s cultural heritage.
Under the direction of Cathy Lamont for the past 44 years—a folk dance educator recognized with the Hungarian Republic’s Gold Cross of Merit—the ensemble combines deep expertise with a passion for cultural preservation, collaboration, and community-building. Moreover, Tisza has performed and taught throughout the US, Canada, and Hungary, and several of the dancers have studied their art in Hungary and Transylvania. In the DC area, Tisza has performed at the Embassy of Hungary, the Kossuth Foundation, Sandy Spring Museum, the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the Hungarian Bazaar, the Hungarian Heritage Festival, the Maryland Folklife Festival, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Baltimore Lithuanian Hall, the Romanian Food Festival, and has been featured on Hungarian public news channel M1 in honor of the March 15th Revolution commemoration celebrations across the world.
Stories That Matter: The Case for Independent Media Today
Presenter: Robert L. Watkins
Robert L. Watkins Jr. (Rob Lee) — Speaker, podcast producer, host, and educator.
Rob is the executive producer and host of The Truth In This Art Podcast, an independent arts-and-culture series with 900+ episodes. He manages every stage of production— concepting, guest booking, interview prep, recording, editing, publishing, and analytics— and has built audience-first workflows, layered narrative edits, and immersive sound design that have driven engagement, secured sponsorships and grants, and grown a committed listener community.
He teaches Podcasting Essentials at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and leads the podcast curriculum at Baltimore School for the Arts, focusing on hands-on skills (DAW workflows, remote and in-studio recording, editing), show promotion, and audience strategy. Rob is a two-time speaker at the Maryland Arts Summit, has headlined the Baltimore Podcast Festival, and serves on the advisory board of Creative Nomads. His work earned Best Podcast of Baltimore (2022) and has been featured by NPR, Create! Magazine, and Up Magazine, where he discussed the story behind his work.
What I bring to your stage: concise, actionable sessions on launching sustainable podcasts, growing engaged audiences, and using sound to deepen storytelling—rooted in 15+ years of producing real-world shows. References available on request.
Collaboration & Community Building in the Arts and Humanities
Presenters: Joy Davis, Rob Forloney, Savannah Wade, & Aditya Desai
Savannah Imani Wade is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, grants manager, and Creative Director of OARA (Our Art Room Agency) based in Baltimore, MD. Wade holds a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and has performed in Pulitzer Prize-winning operas, Bread & Puppet Theater, The Kennedy Center, and more. Wade founded OARA, an artist collective focused on advancing financial liberation, holistic development, and community-supported sustainability for emerging artists. Currently, Savannah works at Maryland Humanities as a Grants Specialist focusing on foundation, state, federal, and corporate grants.
Building Civic Dialogue Through Art: A Community-Based Artist Residency in Montgomery County
Presenter: Kenya Miles & Flannery Winchester
Flannery Winchester is the Public Art Manager at the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC), where she facilitates public art initiatives in collaboration with artists, community members and County agencies; oversees conservation of the County’s existing public art collection; manages exhibitions and programming at the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery, and more. Before joining AHCMC, Flannery worked with the Grants Team at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to resource artists and arts organizations creating public-facing, community-engaged projects throughout the borough of Manhattan. Previously, she worked with the Cultural Affairs department at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA), where she supported artists in the development of temporary public art projects and managed programming at School 33 Art Center. Raised in South Florida, Flannery moved to Maryland to earn a B.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Goucher College. In her own practice, she loves gardening, tinkering with natural dye and fiber-based projects and building swamp-inspired ceramics.
TAMA’s Fair Pay Journey: Transformative Tools for Moving Teaching Artists from Surviving to Thriving
Presenters: Jennifer Ridgway, Marcie Wolf Hubbard & Lynne Streeter Childress
Marcie Wolf Hubbard is a mixed media and encaustic artist whose work combines collage, drawing, and sculptural construction to explore memory, architecture, and the natural world. Her layered surfaces and small-scale structures merge painting and collage with relief and assemblage, extending two-dimensional processes into space.
Her work has been exhibited widely on the East Coast and has been supported by numerous grants from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, including residencies, project grants, and professional development awards. She is a recipient of the Nancy Frankel Artist Award.
Hubbard teaches workshops and classes at Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts & Culture, Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery, and Smithsonian Associates. She is a member of Washington Sculptors Group and Teaching Artists of the Mid-Atlantic.