Creative Support for Individuals-Round 2

Maria del Mar Garcia-Valdecantos: Valdecantos is originally from Spain and has been living in Minnesota since 1998. Valdecantos has worked as a writer, visual artist, storyteller, translator for the Northfield School District 659, director of Rice County Neighbors United, member of the Northfield Human Rights Commission, former Governr Dayton appointee to the Task Force on Housing, and radio show host for El Super Barrio Latino, KYMN. She brings all her multidisciplinary background to her community organizing and the advocacy work covers many areas---the arts, housing, health, youth activities, and work with Native communities.; Cecily Harris: Harris has written local, regional, state, federal, and foundation grant applications for more than 35 years for government agencies and nonprofit organizations as an employee and consultant. She currently works as a consultant for two California based firms performing funder research, needs assessments, grant writing, grant administration, and mentoring. She has a BS in renewable natural resources and a MBA in marketing. She currently serves on the boards of ArtReach St. Croix, Stillwater Area Community Foundation, and New Century Club. She also serves as an appointee on the Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Committee and the Metropolitan Council Parks and Open Space Commission.; Melissa Hepokoski: Hepokoski works as an educator and has a passion for the arts and creative writing. In 2018, Hepokoski received a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to complete the first draft of her memoir, An American Lotus. Chapters from her memoir have been published in Pure Slush and Abstract: Contemporary Expressions, as well as poetry published in Talking Stick. Hepokoski is a member of The Association of Writers and Writing Programs, The Loft Literary Center, and Lake Superior Writers. She has a bachelor of arts degree in international studies and a master's degree in education.; Erik Krenz: Born and raised in Minneapolis, Krenz graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2008. He has a long and varied freelance career working with galleries, businesses (large and small), and nonprofits. Krenz has also worked with Blue Rhino Studio for ten years, a business specializing in curating museums around the world. Some notable clients include The Field Museum, San Diego Zoo, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Science Museum of Minnesota.; Rene Meyer-Grimberg: Meyer-Grimberg has been deeply engaged in the Twin Cities and regional art scene through work as an art and film aesthetics teacher, a bookseller, a playwright (children's musical plays), movie maker (Minnesota Greatest Generation), board member, producer (German musicians for schools), and pop-up performances (#pipartpopup). Meyer-Grimberg received her master's degree in art history with a focus on film, and has a MFA in the works with the Transart Institute for Creative Research. She has performed in three pieces at the Walker Art Center.; Fiona Robinson: Robinson is the finance manager at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis and serves several Twin Cities based nonprofits as a financial consultant. She has a BA in psychology from St. Catherine University and an accounting certificate from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Robinson is an active CPA in the state of Minnesota.; Bruce Silcox: Silcox is a freelance photographer; his work is both commercial and personal, serving organizations and individuals. He received a BFA from the School of Visual Art (New York, NY) in 1988. He has experienced much of what the Twin Cities has to offer in the arts in the past 25 years of living in south Minneapolis and especially likes being connected to the community.; Jodi Trotta: Trotta is a lifelong creator living in Saint Paul. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a theater degree. She spent the 1990s and 2000s stage managing and running sound for several small stages in the Twin Cities. When not at her day job on the sales support team at Ross Sportswear, she spends her time making art and taking care of her people, all the while planning the next roadside folk art attraction to visit.; Kathryn Vogl: Vogl is the author of Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers. National ABC news has featured her story, and The Akron Beacon Journal named it among the best of the year. Her essays appear in the bestselling anthologies Listen to Your Mother and Why We Ride. Vogl has received a Minnesota State Arts Board grant and was honored with a residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing. She graduated from Cornell University cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and from the creative writing program at Hamline University. She also teaches creative writing to students of all ages at the Loft Literary Center.