Creative Individuals

Sharon Elmore: Elmore is a retired attorney and nonprofit professional with varied corporate and nonprofit experience. Most recently, she worked for bar associations providing continuing education, fundraising events, networking opportunities, and communications. Other work includes website development, grant compliance, quantitative and qualitative research, consumer law practice, nutrition extension (Peace Corps volunteer), and more. She has served on nonprofit boards, including an arts nonprofit providing affordable rental space for small theater companies, a private school, and a condo homeowners association. She has degrees from Earlham College (Richmond, IN) and Iowa Law School (Iowa City, IA).; Judy Gileczek: Karasch is a former arts administrator at Saint John's University, a former Minnesota Craft Council board member, and a visual artist. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from the College of Saint Benedict and completed a master's degree in business at the University of St. Thomas.; Amanda Hamilton: Hamilton works in painting and collage, exploring the contrast of human time and deep time through geology and the contemporary landscape. She has been an artist in residence at Vashon Artist Residency (Vashon Island, WA), Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT), and Crooked Tree Arts Center (Petoskey, MI) among others. She is a contributor to the 2020 book Wicked Art Assignments from Valiz Press and the University of Arts in Amsterdam, and a contributor to the Audubon publication Disappearing Birds of America (2025). Hamilton received a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant in 2019.; Chad Heslup: Longshot is a rapper, producer, and actor from the Midwest. He was raised in Chicago and now resides in Minneapolis. Longshot has worked with prominent producers and proved to be a masterful songwriter. He was a 2021 McKnight Fellow. Through his art, Longshot aims to connect with people and relate to the complex human emotions we all experience.; Timothy Hornseth: Hornseth has been involved with the Winona Symphony Orchestra since 1999. As president, he oversaw the hiring of a new musical director and conductor, as well as several part-time, paid staff positions. His work history as a human resources manager and college instructor facilitated a professional milieu within the board. He presently is a freelance writer and newspaper columnist in two different publications. He also is a member of the Rochester Pops Orchestra as a violinist.; Zamira Mendoza: Mendoza is a multidisciplinary artist and community organizer. She works as a program manager in the nonprofit sector and has a background in marketing and public libraries. Mendoza serves as the chair of the Arts and Culture Commission with the City of Red Wing. She firmly believes that arts and culture programming and creative placemaking serve as a powerful conduit of transformative social change, bridging communities together through sharing creativity and cultural knowledge. Mendoza earned her BS in entrepreneurial studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). She is also a candidate for the master of arts in creative leadership at MCAD.