Open Studio: Storytime

EMILY CHRISTENSEN

Emily Christensen is a Holland-based artist who is passionate about creating art for communities and creating communities for artists.  With a BA in International Studies and Sociology from Hope College and an MA in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic from the University of Chicago, Emily offers a global perspective on how the arts affect individuals and cultures near and far.  She has volunteered and worked with youth in Holland, Zeeland, Chicago and Lansing for over 20 years through organizations like Young Life, Youth for Christ, Catholic Social Services, Lakeshore Vineyard Church, Cran-Hill Ranch, Holland Public Schools, Hope College and the University of Chicago.  In addition to teaching after school and summer arts programs in Lansing, Holland and Bethlehem, she has served as a founding board member of Capital City Vineyard Church, 3-Sixty, and Eighth Day Farm.  Emily is delighted to be a part of CultureWorks, where creativity blossoms into careers, and where students are encouraged to grow holistically - physically, mentally, spiritually, and relationally - as artists.  

ERIN DREWS

Erin taught with CultureWorks from Jan. 2015 to August 2017.  During that time, she helped develop and teach a variety of camps and classes, but most consistently taught the Open Studio class (ongoing for 2.5 years), in which students explored social & political issues in the context of creative advocacy. 

Erin is excited to be on the CW team as an Instructor Program Developer.  She has a B.A. in Art History from Hope College with minors in Communications and Studio Art, and an M.A. in Theology from Western Theological Seminary.  Erin is also the Program Coordinator at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. When she is not at CultureWorks or the SCA, she can be found teaching art in a number of places in our West Michigan Community.  She also enjoys hiking, painting, reading, and comedy.

JACK BURK

Jack Burk is an independent video producer and photographer. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University, with a degree in Media & Information. Jack has always had a passion for youth development and is committed to building up young artists at CultureWorks not only through photography and teaching, but fostering open community among students as an instructor and member of our board of directors. He and his wife Kailie live in Grand Rapids with their dog, Joey.

CASSIDY STOCK

Cassidy Stock spent her formative years in Holland where her drive for creative expression was continually nurtured.  She earned her BFA in Studio Art and Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she contributed to many multi-media performance productions.  A cartoonist and a skilled draughtsman, Cassidy feels very privileged to share with, create with, and teach like-minded young people!  She is currently active as a freelance illustrator and also spends much of her time coordinating volunteers and co-managing the Community Action House community kitchen.

SAMMIE MIKOLITIS

Sammie is a recent graduate of Hope College, where she studied Studio Art and Sociology.  In college she was introduced to CultureWorks as well as some other local organizations, where she developed a love for teaching youth how to express their voice through art and creativity.  Even though she grew up near Holland, CultureWorks led her to a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the Holland community.  Her favorite mediums to work with are ALL of them, but she most enjoys teaching Botanical Illustration, Landscape Painting, and Ceramics.

MATT ELDER

Matt has been volunteering with and teaching for CultureWorks since 2018 and loves sharing his passion for creativity and knowledge with students.  With in-depth knowledge of physics, history, civilizations, geography, and geology, Matt is an avid world builder through character design, creative writing, and gaming.

JO GRAY

For over 19 years, Jo has produced and directed musicals and plays for schools, summer camps, after-school recreation programs, churches, and community theater groups.  Most recently, Jo worked as a Teaching Artist for First Stage Theater Academy where she created and led youth theater programming. She especially enjoyed teaching First Stage’s arts-integrated education workshops in classrooms throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. These innovative lessons brought core curriculum to life and addressed differentiated learning needs while meeting grade-specific academic objectives.  Jo is thrilled to join the team of teaching artists at CultureWorks, and to share her love for the art of theater with youth in the Holland Area.

SARA SANCHEZ-TIMMER

Sara holds Masters degrees in Education and Theology and has been a volunteer Translator, Intern and creative writing Instructor at CultureWorks since 2019.  Her education and teaching experiences have focused on Curriculum and Instruction, English & Spanish, and Psychology.  Sara is a native Spanish speaker from Honduras and has taught Spanish Immersion and Psychology at Holland Christian High School since 2017 and has actively brought Art, Culture, and Justice to our community through other organizations as well, as a volunteer for Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, a DJ for WTHS Radio, and an assistant with the Visiting Writers Series at Hope College.

JOSHUA

Joshua is a recent graduate of West Ottawa High School and is hoping to continue his studies in film production in New York in the near future.  Joshua loves watching, discussing, and making movies & videos and he is an avid writer as well.  He loves all things art, and working with any and every medium.  We've loved getting to know Joshua in our Earthworks and Improv classes ,and he's excited to be an Intern this summer because it will give him the opportunity to work with artists of all kinds and get to know more people. 

MAR BRIONES CARRILLO

Mar is a global brand manager at Amway with an MBA in Design Innovation Management and a BBA in International Business. Prior to her role at Amway, Mar developed creative strategies in global brand marketing and product marketing at Herman Miller. Her passion for travel, culture, and education led her to create The Adventure Projects, the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland’s first study abroad scholarship focused on empowering diverse students in underserved communities through transformative travel experiences. Mar also served as a member of the board of directors for Herman Miller’s corporate foundation. Mar loves creating art and music in her spare time. She lives in Holland with her husband, Abraham, and two stepchildren.

LLENA CHAVIS

Dr. Llena Chavis earned her doctorate in Education Psychology from Southern Illinois University and has over 20 years of clinical experience working with individuals, families, as well as with couples and groups, and she has been teaching at Hope College since 2013. Her clinical experience has stemmed from a variety of settings including domestic violence shelters, psychiatric units, juvenile detention centers as well as private practice. Dr. Chavis currently is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Hope College and is the Field director. Her clinical background is in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and is also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) which has historically geared towards working with individuals with a trauma background. Her research area of interest is in mental health wellness including but not limited to: mothering and anxiety, mentoring, sex trafficking prevention, and suicide education and prevention. Llena lends her wisdom and advocacy to CultureWorks as we seek the holistic development of students as artists and as healthy individuals. As an African American woman from the southside of Chicago who was a first generation college student, Llena has a heart for advocating for those underserved and advocating for diversity and inclusion in the greater Holland community. Chavis lives in Holland with her four children and dog Ruby.

KEN THOMAS

Ken is the senior pastor of Lakeshore Vineyard Church, where he has served for the past twelve years. He was a manager at AT&T for 25 years concluding his career as Strategic Partnerships Vice-President. In addition to business and computer degrees, Ken has a Masters of Divinity degree and has been involved in leading the planting three churches. Serving the lost, broken, and forgotten has been Ken’s passion for many years which causes him to be involved personally with many broken families and serving in community organizations with those of similar interests. Ken and his wife, Robin, have five children ages 18 to 35, seven wonderful grandchildren, and reside in Holland, Michigan. Fun for Ken is any building project or sports involving the water.

CANDICE ARNWINE

Candice is a Holland-based artist and illustrator with degrees in Psychology and Social Work from West VA University. She moved from Appalachia to Holland in 2018, where she worked until recently with Hospice of Holland, and has served on the CultureWorks Board of Directors since 2019. Candice works mainly with digital illustration as well as gouache, ink, and other mediums. Her work often includes natural elements as well as exploration of heritage and identity. As Program Director, she looks forward to promoting emotional and mental health through the arts as well as diversity and inclusion.

MYLA CABRERA

Myla has been a part of CultureWorks since the 7th grade and graduated from WOHS in 2021.  She was a founding member of the Student Advisory Council in 2016 and received the CultureWorks Creativity in Leadership Award in 2019.  She says: "CultureWorks has always played a big role in my life and I want to share the experience with more youth in our community!"  

ODALIS MEDELLIN

Odalis is a multimedia artist who has been involved with CultureWorks for over 5 years.  She graduated from WOHS and completed programs in Cosmetology and Animal Science through Careerline Tech Center.  She's excited to plug back into CultureWorks as a leader this summer, and to share her passion for the arts with others.

IAIN FOSTER

Iain has been attending Cultureworks since 5th grade and has been on the student board since 8th grade. He loves drawing and painting and plans to go to school for Graphic Design. We love Iain’s commitment to CW, passion for social justice, and dry sense of humor. When it comes to what art and community mean to him, Iain says,

“Art is something that makes the world a better place. A world without art is sad and bleak; art means creativity and life to me. Community is super important and something we all need. It means working together for the greater good of a group.”

SUZY PARKER

Suzy Parker is a self-taught artist based in Chicago, IL, and Holland, MI. Suzy is a photographer and videographer, specializing in editing, producing, and directing. They have used their practice to provide families and businesses across West Michigan with meaningful images for 7+ years. Suzy is also passionate about graphic design and digital media art. They work primarily within Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to make abstract art and logo designs.

Suzy is excited to teach and collaborate with students and artists at Culture Works. They believe in creating a safe space for all to create freely and express themselves authentically. 

ELIZABETH JENKINS

Elizabeth Jenkins is from Holland, Michigan. She graduated with a BA in poetry from the University of Michigan. She has painted people in New Orleans, St. Louis, Washington DC, New York City, and Beijing. She works in charcoal, pencil, gouache, ink, and oil.

EVIE PEACOCK

Evie Peacock is 10th grade at WOHS. She has been involved with Cultureworks since 2017 and has been on the student board since 2021. She loves expressing herself through painting, digital art, and ceramics and is also passionate about music and gaming. She believes that Cultureworks creates an amazing outlet to be creative and socialize with other artists. We're often floored by her level of technical artistic skill and emotional depth of understanding.

"To me, art is an escape from reality and a fun way to let out your feelings and creativity. Community means having others around you who enjoy doing the same things and being creative."

Jax Zavala

Jax Zavala is a Mexican-American Transgender artist who's passionate about music, people, social issues, and video gaming. He has been with Cultureworks since 2018 and loves helping others and expressing himself through artwork. He loves serving the community around West Michigan through Cultureworks. Jax is an amazingly uplifting person, a gifted artist, and a natural leader. We've enjoyed seeing the way he makes new people feel welcome, and brings joy and kindness to the room.

“Art is my way to express what I might not be able to speak. Community is very important because it helps everyone in it stay supported.”

JOSEPHINE SUAREZ

Josephine is a recent graduate from Holland High School and will complete her associates degree next year through Holland Early College. She is a compassionate, bright, thoughtful, justice-seeking individual who has been on the Student Advisory Council since 2019. She loves to experiment with different media, clay, and oil paint, and hopes to have her own practice as a therapist someday.

DUNCAN KAMARA-HAGEMEYER

Duncan, a former CultureWorks student and SAC member, is passionate about Photography and Graphic Design and most of his creative work is inspired by nature. Outside of photography, Duncan is a gamer, and loves biking or skateboarding around the city. He's also wickedly talented at Improv and voice acting, and we'd love to see him on stage someday. Duncan is currently studying at Hope College and looking into majoring in business with a minor in psychology. 

"Art to me is a beautiful thing to look at, a way to calm yourself, it's a hobby, it does so many different things for different people. Community for me is people you can count on helping you and you helping them, Its a place where you feel you belong."

CAMILA LEPE MONGE

Camila has been at Cultureworks since 2018 and on the student board since 2019. She is currently attending UWC ISAK Japan and participating in the IB art program. For Camila, art is a way to share ideas, and a way to make change happen, must most importantly, a way for a community to be together. She loves exploring new mediums and is inspired by learning about and sharing other peoples' experiences and stories, through art.

"CultureWorks has helped me grow both as a person and as an artist, the sense of community and the talented instructors of every class I took were vital to my growth, they provided me with valuable feedback, helped me whenever I needed, and were overall very welcoming. I feel that helped me develop not only my artistic abilities, but also helped me see a side of the artistic community here at Holland that I never thought I would be a part of, helping me to also grow as a team member, and a person in general."

Madden Pasatta

JAZLYN RUIZ

Jazlyn studied dance and choreography at Hope College and has been teaching creative movement and dance for over 4 years.  She's passionate about using movement to reduce stress and improve physical awareness & mental health.  Jazlyn fell in love with dance at an early age while watching liturgical dancing her church, and loves exploring expressions of faith through movement and dance.  She has extensive experience in ballet and modern dancing, along with some hip hop, social, and tap.

VIRGINIA "GINNIE" DREWS

Virginia loves to eat crumbs that people drop on the floor. She emotionally support the staff and students at Cultureworks with a plethora of licks and puppy eyes. As well as these important duties, she also oversees the Public Relations department at Cultureworks.

Zoe Sample

Zoe is a senior at Black River Public School and joined Student Advisory Council in 2021-2022 with an interest in team building and teamwork at CultureWorks. Zoe integrates themes of personal and collective identity in her work, and we contracted her as a lead artist for Juneteenth in 2023, where she facilitated a collaborative project that celebrated Black heroes, mentors, and martyrs. She also designed, screen printed, and sold a series of posters celebrating natural hair and Black pride. Zoe works most often with paints, graphite, colored pencils, and markers, but we love her willingness to try out anything that comes her way. Zoe is passionate about video games, cooking, and her friends, and she'd love to become a video game designer and use video games to work with youth who face mental and physical challenges. She also has an incredible singing voice and stage presence, and we're so grateful to her for sharing these gifts at our last 2 fall benefits.

"To me, art is a way for me to express my thoughts & the stories I have in my head; it’s a good stress reliever as well, and it’s just a very important part of my life so without art, I wouldn’t be me. Community means people that are connected. Despite their differences, we can all come together and celebrate, appreciate, or enjoy the things we have in common."

We love you Zoe and we're honored to be part of your chosen family!

GAURAV TALLAVAJHALA

Gaurav is our youngest SAC member, and has been with CW since fall 2020.  Gaurav speaks Spanish and Telugu, in addition to English, and he's inspired by the past as well as by the comic book works by Greg Capullo, Francis Manupal and Humberto Ramos. He's passionate about music, story crafting, and reading, and hopes to attend art school to become a writer and cartoonist.

“[CultureWorks] has taught me to look within myself & the world for ideas,” Gaurav says. We love his curiosity and perpetual quest for new knowledge.

LUCY ALEXANDER

I

DULCY DAWSON

Dulcy is a midwesterner at heart and has recently moved back to Holland from Hawaii where she taught at an outdoor Project Based Learning School. Dulcy is a super proud mother of a Hope graduate (Vanea ) and a former Culture Works student (Eli). Dulcy is passionate about Equity in Education and believes that after-school programs like Culture Works are the way to a brighter future for our community.

MILES HOTCHKISS

Miles Hotchkiss has been an active member of Culture Works for the past 7 years. They spent three years on the Student Advisory Council before graduating from West Ottawa in 2021. Miles spent the past year at Laguna College of Art and Design working towards their B.F.A in Graphic Design and Digital Media. Miles excels in collage work, screen printing, graphic design, and skateboarding. They bring a fresh perspective and a sense of humor and excitement to the Cultureworks team.

SIMONE GREENE

Simone is a Sophomore at Hope College, majoring in Dance and minoring in Business.  She is currently serving as Secretary of Hope's dance club and Dutchmen Dance Team.  CultureWorks first connected with her when she was volunteering as a mentor for I Am Academy, and she felt compelled to join the CultureWorks BOD because she believes that all children should have access to creative classes, regardless of their socio-economic status.  Simone is a native of Detroit and hopes to open her own dance studio after graduation.

Annabelle Boyd

Kai Dirkse

We've loved getting to know Kai over the past few years at CultureWorks.  Kai's favorite classes have been Graphic Design and Open studio, and he's inspired by a wide range of influences, including history, mythology, horror, animals, literature, philosophy and dinosaurs.  Kai's sketches and digital paintings are loaded with interesting and expressive characters, which will serve him well someday as a storyboard animator.  He enjoys working alongside other students at CultureWorks and joking around with them.  For Kai, art is an important coping mechanism and "community encourages collaboration & cooperation as well as new opportunities to make friends and find support."

Abigail Nasari

Abi Nasari is a recent graduate from Hope College with a Studio Arts Major and Art History Minor. She is a multimedia artist primarily working with charcoal, paints, and fabrics. Her art reflects both her personal experiences and the communities she is been a part of. Art has been a place for her to process and interact with the world around her, she hopes to help others foster their own relationship with art-making and creative thinking.

Violet Villanueva

Vi Villanueva is a freelance comic book colorist and animator.  They've taught classes in both fields at CultureWorks and have taught retro comic illustration online through indie comic company Shape Comics.  The community always brings Vi back to CultureWorks, where they love contributing their time and talent to help make it a great place for all students to learn.

Sam Wolthuis

Born and raised in Holland, MI, Sam is currently enrolled at Hope College where he is studying business finance. At the age of 15, Sam discovered a passion for digital music production and began creating his own compositions on Garageband. Through hundreds of projects, Sam honed his skills in digital production. He now releases instrumentals on YouTube under the alias "dontknowmorgan" and sells his creations to artists through BeatStars. In addition to his work as a music producer, Sam also serves Christ Memorial Church as a sound engineer.

Sam uses his talents to inspire other artists to share their stories through their art, and his music serves as a foundation for other creators to build upon.

Gabby Nelson

Gabby is a Junior at Hope College, where she's studying K-12 Art Education.  She's originally from Ann Arbor, MI, where she has experience teaching a ceramics camp at Clayworks, and she's currently a TA for Hope's ceramics program.  Gabby also focuses on painting and sculpture, and we're delighted to have her as an Intern this semester!  Gabby's internship is funded by the Mellon Foundation, in collaboration with the Department of Art and Art History at Hope College.

Oliver Amerine

We’re so glad that Oliver is returning to SAC this year after joining us in 2023. Outside of art, Oliver is passionate about music, conspiracy theories, fashion, and poisonous plants and animals. They plan to attend college and pursue an art degree after high school. Oliver consistently brings creativity, comedy, and kindness to the room, and we’re grateful they’re a part of the team.

When asked what art means to them, they responded with, "Art is an outlet and a form of expression to me."

Sophia or Avis Streur

Sophia is a senior at WOHS and joined the CultureWorks student advisory council in 2022. She has an intuitive sense of design and color palettes, and I think she can mix colors to match any shade in her sleep. Sophia is inspired by the natural world and loves birds (thus the name Avis), and she works most often with watercolors, pencil, or digital art (though her screen printed posters were among the first to sell out during our Print for Advocacy project. Along with art, Avis really loves chemistry, engineering, writing, photography, reading, and listening to music. We love her kind heart and curious, creative mind - she's a world changer and world builder, and there's nothing more creative than that.

"I gotta say my first class was something special, but I always talk about World Building with M.H. My first year of SAC made a real difference in my life, it being fresh and allowing me to make a change with my ideas. Also getting to help the environment through art is one of my goals in life and SAC gave me a way to explore that interest."

Miranda Craig

Miranda 

Hannah Rumsey

Hannah Rumsey is a designer and artist based in Holland, MI. Hannah has her degree in graphic design and works as a digital marketer for DISHER. Her work is rooted in practical human-centered design and she strives to infuse curiosity and empathy into whatever she does. She is particularly passionate about web and digital product design. She balances her time in the digital world by developing more analog skills like printmaking, and mountain biking, and enjoying the simplicity of nature with her husband and dogs, Finn and Moose.

Jeffrey Long

Jeff Long is a well-rounded Designer, Photographer, Artist, and Model Maker with a strong passion for the environment and for helping others. He grew up in Issaquah, Washington, and graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle with an associate’s degree focused on Industrial Design. He currently works full-time as a Senior Model Maker at Steelcase and lives in Holland where he and his wife Jennifer Long have 3 children. An online portfolio is available at jefficus.com.

Miranda Craig

Miranda Craig is a Holland-based singer-songwriter, potter, and fiber artist. Miranda believes deeply in the importance of art education as a means to empower, build relationships, and work for justice in a community. She's usually juggling a cup of coffee, 3 knitting projects, and her guitar. With a BA in Biology and Songwriting and Recording from Hope College, and an MDiv from Western Theological Seminary, Miranda is interested in the ways that disciplines overlap, and that art is born from the ordinary and pervades our everyday life. When not at CultureWorks, Miranda coordinates worship for a church in Grand Rapids, daydreams in her garden, and takes care of her pet ducks. 

Andrew Fris

Andrew was born and raised in Holland and grew up working at the family business ever since he can remember.  After high school he attended Grand Valley State and Davenport for Business Management.  During that time he worked part time at Fris and also worked part time for Holland High School’s Theatre Department as the technical director for a little over 10 years.  In 2020 he bought Fris Supply Shop in Downtown Holland and now works full time there.  He still lives in Holland and keeps busy keeping up with his two dogs.

Sonnet Quinn

Sonnet is an educator with degrees in Theatre and Psychology from Central Michigan University. She is active in the local theatre community, leads a children’s choir, loves art, and is easily delighted by nature. Sonnet has worked in social justice, addiction recovery, social media coordination, costuming, volunteer management, and as a teacher of Visual and Performing Arts. She has also trained in commedia del arte, clowning, dramatizing scripture, and creative dramatics. She lives in Holland with her spouse, two teenage children, a dog, and a cat. Her family enjoys attending ComicCons, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and watching shows (often involving superheroes or anime) together. Sonnet owns an unreasonable number of costumes, books, movies, puppets, puzzles, and rocks.

Quinn Vise

Quinn was born & raised in W MI, where she graduated from Zeeland High School.  ‘QV’ has been an entrepreneur for 20+ years innovating as a luxury stylist in W MI and curating her own unique design & business approaches, all while bringing modern motherhood in tow with 5 children.  Having grown up with a single mother, Quinn has a unique perspective on youth development, bringing her to a place of lending courage where it’s needed, providing support to others in our community & giving inspiration to women being relentless in using their talents.

Jami Winstrom

Jami has a sincere love for marketing and business design. She’s passionate about storytelling in the marketplace, making experiences more meaningful while meeting real human needs. She encourages both her students and team members to listen, empathize, and lead with honest, holistic, and empathy-driven marketing and business strategies. She has an undergrad degree in English from Grand Valley State University and a Master of Science degree in Marketing from East Tennessee State University, and she is currently in pursuit of her Doctorate of Business Administration with a specialization in leadership. Her dissertation work is using qualitative analysis and grounded theory to understand the return on objective of the activation of design and human-centered design theory within a consultancy. Most importantly, she’s a mom to four amazing kids. She also shows dogs in her “spare” time, advocating for breed health, sound temperament, and AKC events/sports.  

Ava Kathryn

Ava is a former student, SAC Member, and Intern at CultureWorks, where she devoted much of her extra-curricular time and creative energy for nearly 10 years. She is a Holland, MI-based artist and an avid gardener, watercolorist, and poet. Ava works at Waukazoo Elementary School as a Montessori Ed Assistant, and if she had 3 wishes, she would ask for: 1) the end of environmental injustice; 2) red hair; and 3) a pet dog as big as her so they could cuddle while watching cartoons.

Miguel Ayala

My name is Miguel Ayala. I am a father of two beautiful children, I've been married for seventeen years to the same, beautiful, woman. I am a family man.

CultureWorks is an amazing opportunity for our kids today. Something that was not available to us during school. High school was the basics, of history, of art, not modern or graffiti art! I have been asked throughout the years to speak about the differences between graffiti; at hope college on two occasions. I have volunteered at baseball camps my son has been a part of. I painted a few murals, one here in Holland and one in Allegan over twenty years ago. This particular style of artwork, graffiti, starts with pen and pencil then to markers, to paint markers, to spray cans, etc. My daughter has been a part of a few classes through CultureWorks. I hope that my experience with this will help the kids have fun with their creativity and imagination, the sky's the limit. 

Sarah O'Neil

Sarah O’Neil is a senior at Hope College, and studies Studio Art and Communications. When she is not in the studio, she is probably on a long walk, taking photographs of her friends, or in the kitchen baking bread. One of the highlights of her week is being a DJ on WTHS, Hope’s radio station! She has enjoyed teaching her peers in the Art Department as a Teachers Assistant in Photography, Painting, and Sculpture. In high school she taught toddlers how to dance, and adults how to make mugs while sipping wine. Last semester in the Czech Republic, she spent a lot of time visiting non-profit Arts organizations and is looking forward to learning about how they work in Holland. She is thrilled for the new opportunity to be around creative middle and high school students this semester!

Maya Woltman

Maya is returning to SAC this year, and we’re so glad that they're around! Maya brings a quiet, steady presence to the room, and really has a knack for making people feel welcome. They are a multifaceted artist, with a passion for creative writing, guitar and violin, and pottery, as well as the culinary arts! They consistently have the coolest earrings in the room.

When asked about what art and community and community mean to them, Maya said, “To me, art is a way that I can express myself emotionally, be it through drawing, creative writing, or any other art form that I learn. For me, community means a place where everyone feels safe and welcome.”

Ryan Gonzalez

Ryan is returning to SAC this year, and we’re so grateful for his wide variety of knowledge and interests; Ryan feels more comfortable with words than with drawing, and that comes out in his multi-media artworks. He’s also passionate about the world around him, awed by the tiny insects hiding in plain sight. He hopes to become an environmental biologist and work toward a better future for our planet. 

When asked about what art means to him, Ryan said “Art is the most freeing form of expression. It's a way to take any mundane or wild thought you have and bring it into the physical world. Any thought. We live in a society that functions on whether you bring value to the world, but art defies that. Art doesn't have to be anything, because it can be everything.”

Neti Billings

Neti is returning to SAC this year, and we are so grateful for the energy and humor she brings to class. You can often find them trying to catch your eye so they can wink at you, all for the sake of a laugh. Apart from their personality, Neti also brings a wealth of artistic skills. She’s an amazing portrait artist, favoring gouache as a medium, and she can also be found wearing cool clothing pieces she crocheted herself. 

When asked what art means to them, Neti said, “Probably just where I put my thoughts/feelings, or where I'm able to think through things.”

Blinn Connour

Blinn is joining us on SAC for the first time as a senior in high school. When Blinn first started classes here last year, we immediately noticed her ability to provoke deep and meaningful conversations. Blinn is a kind listener, and takes initiative in leading when she sees a need in the community. She’s currently experimenting with a variety of different mediums. After graduating, she plans on moving to New York to work in the fashion industry. 

When asked about art and community, Blinn said, “Art to me means humanity. It means the expression of the human view and the human experience. Community to me means the sharing of this humanity. The shared expression of the human view and experience. In this sense, I do not think art could exist without humanity and vice versa.”

Sophia Streur

Sophia is returning to SAC this year as a senior in high school, and we’re so glad they found time to be here amidst all the AP classes. Sophia uses color and texture so well in their work, creating amazing prints, paintings, and sketches. We love their positivity and persistence; Sophia makes us all feel like we can make it through even the hardest day!

When asked what art and community means to them, they responded with, "Art is the reflection of one's persona or their emotions, it can share someone's story and thoughts but without words. And people can share their story with the world and that's the community - people of similar interests together. A community is important every human needs a place where they can be safe and art is my little town of stories contained in colour."

JAER MEDINA

Jaer Medina is an artist and community organizer based out of Holland, Michigan. His work blends Mexican-American culture and new media practices. Having graduated with a BA from the Visual and Media Arts Department at Grand Valley State University, Jaer is interested in photography, sculpture, and space-making. He believes art can be a tool to strengthen community bonds through cultural appreciation. When not at CultureWorks, Jaer runs a community-based art gallery out of his garage. The space serves as an incubator for emerging and established artists to curate art shows, lead workshops, host lectures, or simply hang out.

JAX ZAVALA

Jax Zavala is a Mexican-American Transgender artist who's passionate about music, people, social issues, and video gaming. He has been with Cultureworks since 2018 and loves helping others and expressing himself through artwork. He loves serving the community around West Michigan through Cultureworks. Jax is an amazingly uplifting person, a gifted artist, and a natural leader. We've enjoyed seeing the way he makes new people feel welcome, and brings joy and kindness to the room. Jax received the 2023 CultureWorks Creativity in Leadership Award and is heading to Northern Michigan University in Fall 2024 to study art.

“Art is my way to express what I might not be able to speak. Community is very important because it helps everyone in it stay supported.”

Tim Hackney

Tim Hackney grew up attending public schools in East Lansing, MI. After graduating with a BA in Art in Grand Rapids, Tim moved to Chicago to pursue a career in advertising. Shortly after, he married his (now) wife of 25+ years, Kendra. Tim’s first job was as a Junior Copywriter at Young & Rubicam, Chicago. His nine years in the city of Chicago also included copywriting jobs at BBDO and J. Walter Thompson. In 2006, Tim and Kendra relocated back to their home state of Michigan, landing in Holland. Tim continued his career in advertising for two agencies in Holland before starting his own (Next Creative Co.) with his partner in 2017. Next has grown to 21 people with offices in Holland and Grand Rapids. Tim is excited to be a part of the Cultureworks mission - specifically exposing students to the many successful careers an art degree can provide that kids might not be aware of. Tim and Kendra have two teenagers, and a very dumb, but sweet, yellow labrador retriever named Willow.

Cristal Felix Trejo

Cristal is a Senior at Holland High School, and she's thrilled to pursue a degree in Art and Business the U of M Stamps School of Art & Design next fall.  She joined CultureWorks classes in 2019 and loved working with natural mediums through our nature-based Earthworks class at the Outdoor Discovery Center.  Cristal has invested her talents for graphic design, leadership, & artistic collaboration through involvement in LAUP, Holland High Theatre, and as a board member of the Evergarden Association, a gardening club.  She brings a warm, welcoming, and engaging personality to our leadership team and she’s eager to share the vibrant artistic and cultural traditions of Mexico with our community.  

Abbie Lopez

Abbie joined CultureWorks classes in 2017 and SAC in 2018 as a Senior at Holland High, and we loved her energy, generous spirit, and work ethic so much we created a summer internship position in order to keep her around longer.  She was indispensable as we grew our summer outreach program in 2019 through community-wide special events and offered valuable feedback as we developed our internship program.  Abbie has 4 years of experience in retail, where she developed skills in financial management, store operations, and customer service.  She’s excited to support daily operations at CultureWorks, using her strengths in hospitality and organization. When not working, Abbie enjoys all forms of animation and loves working on character design, storyboarding, and comic ideation.

Jamie Phonhthalyhane

Jamie is a former student and volunteer at CultureWorks, where she took classes circa 2013.  With a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Holland Early College and MSU, she's now a professional Graphic Designer at ODL and freelances on the side.  She's always loved art and her time at CultureWorks helped inspire her to pursue a career in art. 

She's excited to be involved at CultureWorks where she can give back to a program that holds a special place in her heart and teach teens who remind her of herself all those years ago.  While her degree is in graphic design, she's been drawing characters since she was a kid, and has taken classes in making comics and visual storytelling.  We love Jamie's ability to connect with teens on a wide range of artistic, cultural, and pop-cultural experiences, from gaming to growing up in Holland as a 2nd generation Latin/Asian American.

Kristie Winslow

Kristie Winslow is a dedicated storyteller who is excited to apply her expertise as the grant writer at CultureWorks! With a diverse background, Kristie holds a BEI I ASL interpreter certification and has experience in marketing and communications, ASL interpretation, and development and fundraising. She earned her Bachelor’s in Writing and English Language and Literature from Grand Valley State University, where she received distinctions in writing and creative scholarship. As a former McNair Scholar, she delved deeply into the memetic evolution of fairy tales, while her work as a GVSU Library Summer Scholar focused on the Monomyth, both subjects on which she has extensively presented. Outside of work, Kristie can often be found curled up with a good book and her cat, diving in new hobbies, or keeping up with her active teenage children.

Felina Guerrero

Felina Guerrero is a Holland native and graduate of Holland Public Schools, where she was exposed to the rich diversity of our community, and given the opportunity to develop her leadership skills. Her passion for serving the community began when she won the title of Fiesta Queen for Latin Americans United for Progress. She helped plan their first ever Youth Leadership Conference and made connections among other organizations and community partners.

She attended GRCC and Cornerstone University. In her adulthood, she was able to come full circle with LAUP and served on their executive board of directors. She currently works in sales and service.

Family is #1 to Felina. They love to spend time together outdoors, at community events, and absolutely LOVE live music and dancing. Felina lives in Holland with her 2 children, including Oliver, who serves on CultureWorks Student Advisory Council.

Felina has also served with Black River Public School’s Parent Organization, and she’s excited for the opportunity to not only support the artistic and personal endeavors and development of her own children, but those of our community as well, through CultureWorks!

Alicia Mannes

Madden Pasatta

Madden has been with Cultureworks since 2018 and on the student board since 2021. Now in his senior year at Black River, he is joining us as our high school intern.

He enjoys creating patterns & botanical illustrations, and sees art as sort of a gateway into someone's personal human experience. Madden can combine specialized knowledge and artistry into a single piece, as he did in a recent advocacy project about plastic pollution in our water. Madden loves connecting with others through the shared joy of creating, and he has a stellar sense of humor.

“Art is such a beautiful form of self-expression. Among people from all different places and viewpoints and experiences, art is a common language with which we communicate. I love how limitless it can be...it is so many things but the one thing I see the most is expression.

Community to me is a body of people in which a person can be cared about but also care for. I look at the community as an outlet of support, but also an outlet for change. When people are able to center around a common idea or motive, amazing things can happen.”

Ayanna Njoroge

Ayanna is a Senior at Hope College taking advantage of the great opportunity to pursue her various passions by triple majoring in Environmental Studies, Studio Art and French. Ayanna has experienced a growing interest in education and is more than excited to be working alongside CultureWorks and have the chance to share with the students. Ayanna grew up both in Kenya and in the US. Her love for travel drove her to study abroad in both South Korea and France as well as experience countries such as the Dominican Republic, Scotland, England and Belgium and hopefully many more. As an artist she enjoys exploring her Kenyan roots and is drawn to patterns, drawing, painting, ceramics and printmaking. She is a makeshift creative and pulls inspiration for concepts and materials from people, spaces and experiences. The past few years Ayanna has found herself engaging with CultureWorks and is thrilled to be on the team as our college intern.

Oz Connour

Oz is new to SAC this year, and we could not be more excited to have him around. We first met Oz in graffiti class, where he brought so much skill and style that Miguel Ayala invited him to help teach his peers. Beyond using spray paint to stay connected to his roots in Chicago, Oz also creates band logos for the hardcore scene, screen prints merch, and records and produces his own music. He also has a deep passion for car modifications, and a pretty good relationship with the cats of the world.

"Art means whatever you want. I think the meaning of art is in the eye of the beholder. Community means to me a group of people united over a certain thing (like art). Community to me is a beautiful thing that I think we should create and expand in life."

Oliver Allen

Oliver is new to SAC this year, and we're so glad we got to meet him in our Illustrating Bugs and Botanicals class last spring. Oliver has a knack for using inks to create really dynamic images, usually of people, most often his own original characters. When not inking, Oliver loves to listen to music and to write to find inspiration. He hopes to be a manga creator when he grows up, using images and words to tell stories. Oliver also streams his videogaming, has a red belt in Karate, and is currently really into Stardew Valley. 

"Art to me is something that allows me to express my creativity and personality, and community would probably be a group of people I can be myself around, and feel safe doing so."

Lemmi Bialko

We met Lemmi through Retro Comic Illustration and Open Studio last year, and we're so glad that he agreed to join SAC. Lemmi is an amazing interdisciplinary artist with the ability to make cosplay pieces out of EVA foam, carve delightful stamps for block printing, and paint characters with gouache. Outside of art, Lemmi is also passionate about robotics, cooking, science, and botany, and he hopes to pursue botany or art in the future. If you've ever got a question about a houseplant that is struggling, Lemmi is the one to ask!

"For me art is not only a way to express my feelings and emotions but also a way to bring light to problems in the world. The art community means a lot to me, I had been one of the nicest groups of people that are all around awesome people with very cool and inspiring ideas."

Alex Bialko

Alex is new to SAC this year, and we're so glad that he decided to join us. Alex got really invested in CultureWorks through our Open Studio class, where he enjoyed the opportunity to try new mediums and to see where conversations flowed while working. Outside of art, Alex loves science. He's an active part of the robotics team, and he spends a lot of time drawing, caring for, and learning about bugs. (His insect illustrations are very cool!) After high school, Alex hopes to pursue a career where he can help people by solving problems. 

"Art is like a means of wordless communication- it's a means anyone from anywhere can connect through. It's helped me communicate so many ideas I could never put into words, helped me make friendships with people I couldn't talk to in a traditional way, and it is just a wonderful way I can express my care and love for others.

Community to me is something where everyone is heard and appreciated, and nobody is left out. Somewhere where people are able to work together to change. Hopefully too, it's somewhere where people can feel welcome."

Ben Salinas

Ben is new to the Student Advisory Council this year, and we've really loved the humor and kindness he brings to the group. During Open Studio, Ben has really enjoyed working with pencil to create sketches, but also trying new mediums and doing collaborative pieces with friends. Ben is also passionate about hiking, biking, baking and computers, both on the hardware and software side of things. Did we mention he's also an amazing actor?

"Art is a form of expression, of putting feelings into form. For me, it helps me take pictures in my head that I can’t realize with words and make them reality. It helps me sort out my emotions and understand myself, along with just the happiness I get from creating something I like. Even work I don’t like, I learn from it. What looks bad, what can I change, how can I change it? Art means so many things, but to me art is one of the clearest forms of expression offered when my feelings are confusing and gray.

Community to me is people who don’t know every single person but who still interact with each other, invite social interactions, and care for each other."

Geniveve Sosa

Geniveve is new to SAC this year, and we're so glad they're around more. Geniveve has been around for Animation, Open Studio, and Character Design classes, and it's been so fun to see the animations she has been working on over the past year. Geniveve draws inspiration from music and movies, and is excited about collaborating more with others now that she's part of the Student Advisory Council. Geniveve is close to their family and loves spending time with them when she's not making art. Geniveve hopes to become an art teacher or an animator one day.

"Art to me is just expression of someone's creativity. I think anything could be art, someone's outfit, a poem, a hairstyle. Community to me means coming together and celebrating the differences of people."