Arts Education

Brandon Boat: Boat is one of the cofounders of Danger Boat Productions, which produces The Theater of Public Policy. In more than 600 performances around the country, he has created brand new formats as well as pushed boundaries for improvisational theater. Through live performances, in person installations, as well as digital bots, he's helped audiences explore big ideas through comedy. He received a BA in history from Gustavus Adolphus College and has served on the board of numerous organizations including YNPN-TC, MPR?s Generation Listen, and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association.; Serenity Crego: Crego is a realism artist and has created lifelike artworks since 2016. Living on the Iron Range her entire life, Crego has been inspired to create paintings highlighting the beauty of the region. Crego is a self-taught artist who achieves excellence in her ability to realistically recreate the world around her in paint. She had a solo exhibition at the MacRostie Art Center (Grand Rapids) in 2020 called Declarations of a Teenage Art Queen and has recently been awarded a NEA Working Project Grant through Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to create Beauty with a Blade, three palette knife paintings.; Jessica Mattson: Mattson is a writer and artist living in the Twin Cities. Her love of creative writing brought her to serve as head of development for the Ivory Tower, the undergrad literary journal at the University of Minnesota. Mattson worked as an intern in development for Graywolf Press in 2011 and after serving as a library assistant for many years. She received her master's degree in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University in 2015. Mattson has taught classes at the Loft Literary Center, and in 2021 she started her business, Strongly-Worded Designs, where she sells handmade jewelry.; Ryuta Nakajima: Nakajima was born in Tokyo, Japan. He grew up in many places worldwide, including Lebanon, Kuwait, Switzerland, Egypt, and Japan. He is a professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth department of art and design. Nakajima received his PhD from Kyushu University in design, MFA from the University of California, San Diego, and is an ordained Esoteric Buddhist priest. Nakajima merges biology and art, publishing scientific papers on cephalopods' behavior while highlighting the art and design represented in this class of animals. Nakajima explores various art forms, including painting, sculpture, and installation. Nakajima has also been active in the realm of nature conservation and social reform through a variety of activities. In 2015, Nakajima launched the Okinawa Seaside Laboratory focuses on coral reef conservation, working closely with local scientists and educators to conduct lectures and workshops, especially for children from underprivileged families. Locally, he has been corroborating with Minnesota and Wisconsin Sea Grant to produce a traveling exhibition and zine Black Gold, which promotes the conservation of freshwater ecosystems around the Great Lakes region.; Ann Newman: A Minnesota native, Newman returned to her homeland in the summer of 2022 after experiencing life in warmer states. A creatively diverse dreamer, she has more than 30 years? experience as a performance storyteller (eight years as the storyteller in residence for the Dallas Museum of Art). She is a published poet in several anthologies, and has authored and illustrated books for adults and children. In 2016, she was artist in residence for a gallery in Dallas. She created Interweaving, an interactive, conceptual, process driven experience featuring community participation. She has been involved with community theater, storytelling, and poetry nonprofit groups.; Kristin Prideaux: Prideaux is the owner of Argente Photographie where they have photographed portrait and fine art images for more than 20 years. Prideaux has been an active in the Saint Croix Valley arts community, and volunteers as president of the PTA and on ArtReach St. Croix?s visual arts committee. They have shown in solo and group shows, and has represented the Saint Paul Art Crawl in multiple TV interviews. They graduated from University of Minnesota with BFA and have been active an member in the Minneapolis and Stillwater Area Chamber of Commerce. They also regularly attend music and theater performances in the metro.; Anika Sieh: Sieh currently works at MPLSART.COM as an assistant project coordinator, where she communicates with local galleries, lists gallery events, and assists with general administration. In the past, she has worked with organizations like the Minnetonka Center for the Arts as a registrar, and Caponi Art Park as an art educator and tour guide. She graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with an independently designed bachelor of arts focused on creating a responsible art practice through representation, accessibility, sustainability, and functionality.; Virginia Townsend: Townsend is an emerging artist practicing her art daily. She is connected in the art community of people with disabilities and attends Interact Center for the Visual Arts. Townsend graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with several grant awards including support from the Department of Defense?s National Security Education Program, and the State Department?s Critical Language Scholarship; she received the latter award twice.