Creative Individuals-Round 2
Creative Individuals-Round 2
Kern will present a series of community engagement programs at six county fairs in greater Minnesota, each focused on rural youth and 55+ audiences. Programming includes storytelling presentations, workshops, and an exhibition of photography.
Uri Camarena: business consultant; Michael Charron: arts educator, arts and civic leader; Richard Cohen: attorney in private practice, former state legislator; Emily Galusha: arts and civic leader, former arts administrator; Anthony Gardner: vice president, marketing and communications at CentraCare; Ken Martin, political strategist, campaign manager; Philip McKenzie: adjunct college faculty; Michele Sterner: higher education administrator; Dobson West: retired attorney; Christina Woods: executive director, Duluth Art Institute
Marcia Aubineau: Aubineau has been in the field of education for 50 years, teaching at Stillwater Area High School (AP English), the University of Minnesota, and the University of St. Thomas. Aubineau has also taught for the College Board as an AP consultant throughout the Midwest. She has a master?s degree and is currently working towards a doctorate. Aubineau is currently retired but is still teaching for the Minnesota Opera.; Amy Egenberger: Egenberger is an educator, artist and certified life coach living in West Saint Paul. Founder of the coaching and consulting business called Spirit Out!, she facilitates personal and professional development to help creatives achieve their goals. Egenberger previously worked as a public school teacher, curriculum specialist, and mentor. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a MEd in second languages and cultures (K-12), and from St. Olaf College with a BA in mathematics and Spanish. She has served as a volunteer with the Northside Arts Collective and led monthly gatherings for The Artist?s Way Twin Cities meetup.; John Kuntz: Kuntz is the current annual fund manager with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he raises over $700,000 from the broad-based audience per year in support of the orchestra?s annual fund. Kuntz is also a freelance musician and composer in the Twin Cities, most recently completing a composer in residence commission with the Mississippi Valley Orchestra. He graduated from Luther College with a BA in music and minor in psychology and has a master?s degree in music composition from the University of Memphis. Kuntz enjoys volunteering, having served in Fairview Hospice and other nursing homes in Iowa.; Mary Ann Laxen: Now retired, Laxen was chair and member of the board of the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council. Laxen presently chairs the board of the Friends of the East Grand Forks Campbell Library. As director of the physician assistant program at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, they wrote and received many grants. Laxen has a master?s in health care administration from the University of Wisconsin, is a physician assistant, and family nurse practitioner.; Lee Smalt: Smalt is an analytical content creator and creative strategist with more than ten years of experience in creative roles. He graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a degree in cultural anthropology with an emphasis in media analysis. Since 2011, Smalt has worked with organizations and individuals to develop their voices in a vibrant media ecosystem. His career journey started out as a freelance graphic designer and photographer, and eventually moved into videography, Web design, motion design, and 3D animation. Smalt volunteers with the North Dakota State University College of Business to mentor students entering the workforce, and with a global mentorship website called ADPList.org, which focuses heavily on Web design, leadership training, and project management. His working website is www.leeallen.us.; Allison Wyss: Wyss is the author of the short story collection, Splendid Anatomies (Veliz Books, 2022). Her stories and essays have appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, Cincinnati Review, Water~Stone Review, and Literary Hub to name a few. She is a frequent teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center and writes a monthly column on craft for the Loft's blog.
ACHF Arts Access
R.J. Kern will engage with county fairs in greater Minnesota through agricultural photography and storytelling experiences. Attendance and outcomes will be evaluated through audience and participant surveys, presenter feedback and conversations with participants.