Creative Support for Individuals-Round 2

James Bartsch: Minneapolis resident Bartsch has been active in Minnesota's arts and education communities for many years. A graduate of the University of Minnesota in music education and violin performance, he has taught public school orchestra programs in Northfield, Red Wing and Mounds View schools. He will retire from full-time teaching in June 2022. He was Minnesota Orchestra's director of education from 1999-2013. Bartsch is a longtime conductor with the Minnesota Youth Symphonies and is finishing a term as interim coartistic director. He is a freelance violinist in the area, past president of the Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Association, and has served on the Minneapolis Arts Commission. He enjoys the vibrant arts opportunities in Minnesota---from individual artists to arts organizations of all sizes.; Kathryn Ganfield: Ganfield is the communications associate and grant writer for Dodge Nature Center in West Saint Paul, where she advocates for environmental education for people of all ages. Her creative work as an essayist and poet focuses on the trials of family, the natural world, and climate change. She studied creative writing and journalism at Metropolitan State University.; Roberta Gray: Gray is the grants specialist at St. Francis Music Center, a community school for the arts in Little Falls. Gray also handles all programming for the Music Center. She has been a parent educator for the Little Falls Schools for the past 30 years and volunteers for other community nonprofits. Gray has a BA in theater arts and elementary education from Southwest Minnesota State University.; Jacelyn Johnson: Johnson is a model/writer/director from Minneapolis, by way of Los Angeles, with a love for stories about complex and imperfect people. Jacelyn is the founder/creative director of JahPenee Productions a Los Angeles and Minneapolis based film/TV production company that provides pre- to postproduction with a primary focus on the underdogs of the industry. Johnson received a 2021 Creative Support for Individuals grant. She has won acting awards from various film festivals and has held a presence at the historic Pan African Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival, Black Hollywood Film Festival, REEL Comedy Film Festival, Denton Black Film Festival, Bitesize Film Festival, and more with raving reviews regarding her performance. She is a focused trendsetter with a grateful heart for her community and an innovative giant on her way to quickly becoming a mogul.; Kathleen Kelly: Kelly is a substitute teacher, as well as a teaching artist and spotlight evaluator for the Hennepin Theatre Trust. Having moved back to Minnesota two years ago, she's currently pursuing full-time arts management jobs in the Twin Cities. She previously taught collegiate theater and dance for six years at Clayton State University (Morrow, GA) and one year at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a master's degree in musical theater from the University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL).; James Newman: Newman is the executive director of the Wirth Center for the Performing Arts, an organization dedicated to providing high quality music instruction to students of all ages. Newman previously served as a financial executive for organizations such as Coldspring Granite, Wolters Kluwer, and St. Cloud State University. Newman received his MBA from St. Cloud State University in 2010 and his BA in philosophy in 2001. Newman has served as treasurer of the board of Children's Day Montessori in Saint Cloud.; Rebecca Petersen: Petersen is the director of development for West Central Initiative. She was previously the executive director of A Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls, and partnered with Artspace Projects to renovate the Kaddatz Hotel. She also was executive director of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra for seven consecutive seasons. Petersen performs with Fargo Moorhead Symphony, Fargo Moorhead Opera, NDSU Baroque, Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Itasca Symphony Orchestra, and Fergus Falls Civic Orchestra. Petersen has a BA in music from the University of Vermont (Burlington, VT). She currently serves on the board of Pioneer Public Television and Kaddatz Galleries.