Creative Individuals-Round 2

Laura Brown: Brown is a working artist and educator working across the media of printmaking, book arts, textiles, and social practice. Her work takes the form of installations, postcards sent in the mail, and functional quilts. She recently completed the Artisan Development Program at North House Folk School, a two-year craft residency, and she has completed residencies at Kala Art Institute (CA), Women's Studio Workshop (NY), and Minnesota Center for Book Arts. She holds an MFA in studio art from University of Texas at Austin. She teaches at North House Folk School and Minnesota Center for Book Arts.; Em Christie: In addition to being a writer and theatre artist, Em hosts free rock-painting events for all ages as part of a group that paints and hides rocks to spread art and joy.; Jennifer Gorman: Gorman is the founder of Give Back Studio and The Night Makers Market, and is a freelance media program manager. She previously was the program coordinator for an art program that supported artists with disabilities. She has a background and education in art therapy and counseling and has worked with children in a psychiatric residential setting as an art therapist. She graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk, VA) with a MS in art therapy and counseling, has a BA in studio art from the University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA). Gorman serves on the board of Northern Community Radio and CoHaus, and is a commissioner on the Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission.; Emily Hanson: Hanson is program director for College in the Schools at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and has a BA in global studies and a MA in comparative international development education, from that institution. She has work experience in higher education and nonprofit organizations and served on a charter school board. She is a globally minded community member who was raised in a family of educators who modeled artistic engagement and lifelong learning through practice and participation in visual arts and dance.; Connie Lanphear: Lanphear is a visual artist and graphic designer, consulting with nonprofit environmental organizations in the Twin Cities area. She has volunteered with the Minnesota State Arts Board since 2018 as a grant program advisor. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Minnesota and an MA in liberal studies with an arts and literature concentration from Hamline University.; Nicole Montana: Montana is a recipient of a Ricardo Salinas Scholarship for her participation in Aspen Words Summer Words 2022 Program. She received a Minnesota State Arts Board 2020 Artist Initiative grant for her memoir in progress Stay Where I Can See You. Her nonfiction writing has most recently appeared in The Spectacle. She serves on the board of directors for Green Card Voices, a nonprofit multimedia storytelling organization dedicated to immigrant voices. She currently teaches writing at the University of Minnesota. She received her MFA in nonfiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville, NY).; Lowell Weber II: Weber is a native Minnesotan with extensive experience abroad. He served as a volunteer ESL instructor at the northeast site on Lowry Avenue in years past. Throughout his career in IT, he provided continuous documentation and instruction in several roles in the U. S. and abroad. He has had a few minor works published in a literary journals online and is currently retired.