Speakers & Artists

Omari Rush is Executive Director of CultureSource in Detroit and a statewide and national leader in strengthening arts ecosystems and advancing equitable investment in creativity. His civic leadership includes service on the Michigan Arts and Culture Council—appointed by three governors and twice elected chair—and as Board Chair of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

Juana Williams is a curator and writer whose work explores the intersections of cross-border intellectual history, cultural memory, and identity formation as expressed through modern and contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas. 

Williams recently served as Artistic Director and Chief Curator of Detroit Salon, a new contemporary arts initiative dedicated to establishing Detroit as an emerging global arts hub. She has also held curatorial and academic appointments at organizations including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Library Street Collective, Wayne State University, and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art. Her curatorial projects have been presented at institutions across the United States and France, including the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Muskegon Museum of Art, Palais de Tokyo (Paris), and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. In addition, she has presented lectures at various museums and universities and contributed to numerous exhibition catalogs. Her work has been featured in publications such as Artsy, Beaux Arts Magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, Michigan Chronicle, and Observer.

Williams holds a BA in Fine Art and an MA in Art History from Wayne State University.

Laura Zabel is Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, a nationally recognized organization supporting artists through community development, creative placemaking, and cross-sector collaboration. Under her leadership, Springboard’s programs now serve more than 20,000 artists annually and have helped shape national models for artist support and creative community investment.

Ellen Rutt is a Detroit-based artist. Across painting, performance and installations, she creates images, objects, and environments that explore material intelligence, embodied movement, and the porous boundary between gesture and geography.

Ellen will be presenting an artist talk: For Now

Jack M. Senff is a Northern Michigan singer-songwriter, performer, and leader of the so-called Heartland Mission.

Jerry Gretzinger studied architecture and liberal arts and later ran a clothing design company in New York City with his wife Meg Staley. Since retiring to Maple City, Michigan in 2012, he continues to work on his lifelong project called Jerry’s Map—a monumental map of an imaginary world that spans over six decades of work.

Jerry will be presenting an artist talk: The Accidental Artist

Cody Cook-Parrott is a writer, artist, and movement practitioner who builds simple structures that help artists make work.

The author of six books, including The Practice of Attention, Cody’s work lives at the intersection of improvisation and system building. They hold a BFA in Dance from the University of Michigan and an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University

Cody will be presenting the workshop: The Practice of Self-Publishing

Hadassah GreenSky (she/they) Waganakising Odawa from Detroit, Michigan. They are a musician, multi-faceted artist, and cultural worker. They are a 2022 Kresge Arts Fellow and past director and co-founder of Vibes With The Tribes, Michigans First Native American Music Festival.

Jamie Bell is Executive Director of Better Together Northern Michigan, where she leads with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Passionate about building authentic community, she is helping grow the organization into a vital source of connection, support, and belonging for people living with disabilities and their families, strengthening inclusive opportunities through the arts and shared experiences.

Jamie will be a panelist for the discussion: Collaborating with and for our Neurodivergent and Disabled Neighbors

Katherine Corden Bellisario is a contemporary artist based in Traverse City, Michigan. Known for her bold shapes and harmonious color, her work blends her artistic upbringing with a background in anatomy and physical therapy. Held in private and public collections nationwide, her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, licensed by brands like Anthropologie, and includes a permanent mural at Bryant Park.

Katherine will be presenting the workshop: Audience Over Algorithm: The Independent Artist's Guide to Substack

Katherine is also one of our Mentors available for one-one-one sessions

SkyeLea is a singer-songwriter, dancer, and multidisciplinary performer currently preparing her debut full-length album. She performs solo and with ensembles nationwide, sharing Soul-Pop originals with Jazz and R&B influence. She frequently teaches Hip Hop dance at Interlochen Arts Academy and is a member of NYC-based hip hop freestyle crew The Denizens.

Christal Frost Anderson is a media professional and Regional Director for OS Reentry, and serves on the Board of Northern Lakes Community Mental Health. With lived experience of complex PTSD, she is committed to reducing mental health stigma. She believes deeply in the power of art as a tool for healing, resilience, and meaningful connection.

Christal will be our moderator for the discussion: The Role of the Arts in Mental Health

Hannah Berry is the founder and Executive Director of Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, a Grand Rapids based organization rooted in creative placemaking and local activation. With a background in education, she brings people together through activation, helping communities shape projects that reflect their identity and needs.

In addition to leading Lions & Rabbits, Hannah consults on placemaking efforts, from building redevelopment to creative planning—often integrating fundraising strategies to support long-term impact.

She’s known for her practical, people-first approach and her ability to turn big, complex ideas into projects that truly serve local communities and their creative workforce.

Hannah will be presenting the workshop: Creating Upstream: Centering Placemaking as Community Development.

Lesley is co-founder and Artistic Director of Mashup Rock & Roll Musical, and as a writer-director she has produced numerous plays and short film projects. Lesley has also served on the Artistic Committee for the Old Town Playhouse, and has been a part of productions there since 2006. Lesley teaches screenwriting and film critical studies at Interlochen Arts Academy.

Lesley will be a panelist for the discussion: Collaborating with and for our Neurodivergent and Disabled Neighbors

Marivi Bryant is the Founder and President of HOME Agency. With nearly 25 years of experience leading brand and storytelling initiatives for organizations including StoryCorps and The NASCAR Foundation, she helps mission-driven institutions communicate the deeper impact of their work. Bryant serves on several non-profit boards and is a passionate advocate for arts and cultural organizations.

Marivi will be presenting the workshop: Making People Care: How to Talk About Your Work So It Connects

Seven Sisters (Dede Alder, Tracy Barrilleaux and Jillian Votava) is a powerful all-female percussion ensemble devoted to awakening the sacred through rhythm, beauty, and embodied presence. Rooted in ancient lineages and fueled by creative fire, they lead immersive experiences that blend performance, ritual, ecstatic dance, and rites of passage. Each offering is a call to remember the muse within, to use rhythm as medicine, and beauty as a force for transformation and healing.

Seven Sisters will be presenting an artist talk: Frame Drums: Envisioning the Future Through Visions of the Past

Natalie Wetzel is a transdisciplinary artist whose work moves between sculpture and time-based experiential design. She explores how stories, materials, and systems intertwine- reassembling fragments of culture into living forms. She is Co-Chair of Foundations at KCAD of FSU and Co-Director of The Moon GR. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including “Quantum Frog” at the HNF Museum, Germany.

Natalie will be presenting an artist talk: Quilt to Quantum: Systems of Story and Matter

Crystal is the founder of Karasi Fitness and Healing Arts and has served within the health and wellness industry for over 20 years. She is a healing arts creative, soul stirring soundsmith, yoga instructor at NMC and serves as an AmeriCorps-HealthCorps 4-H Youth Healthy Lifestyles Program Facilitator through MSU Extension. Crystal is a mindfulness collaborator and advocate promoting soulful introspection and reflection through the facilitation on healing arts experiences throughout the community encouraging a lifestyle of wellness, resilience, gratitude, grace and grit. She is also a singer, songwriter and producer designing innovative Soul Stirring events featuring unique soundscapes throughout our community creating spaces of connection and compassion fueling inner peace and joy from the inside out.
 

Lindy Bishop is a Traverse City-based artist and a seasoned professional who has spent 20 years as the primary provider for her three children. Her career path has been a masterclass in swimming "Against the Current"—navigating roles as an Economic Development Director, Executive Director of a non-profit, Marketing Director for the National Writers Series, and Research Associate for a Venture Capital firm.

While wearing these many hats, Lindy "moonlighted" with her art, strategically growing her practice until it became her viable, full-time career over six years ago. Today, she continues to expand her global reach through annual international residencies, helping others see the world through a lens of "richness" that transcends mere monetary achievement. Lindy is a living testament to the idea that an artist is not just a dreamer, but the Ultimate Provider for their family and community.

Lindy will be presenting an artist talk: Artist: The Ultimate Provider

Ruby John (she/her)is an Anishinaabe fiddler and a member of the Grand Traverse Band. Raised in Michigan’s traditional music community, she grew up immersed in local Irish sessions, contra and square dances, and Old-Time fiddle jamborees across the state. Her playing spans Old-Time, Métis, Irish, and French Canadian styles, reflecting the diversity of the traditions she carries.

40 years in pursuit of medicine. 43 years in pursuit of Art. Drawings, paintings, carvings:
Installations large and small. Violin Women, Fake Computers, Dutch Cowboys and Puzzleheads.

Lauren is a mother, wife, Family Liaison in early childhood, and stained glass artist. In her professional work, she helps connect families across a five-county region to the resources and support they need to thrive. As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), she brings a deep appreciation for belonging, authentic expression, and creating spaces where people feel seen and valued.

Lauren will be our moderator for the discussion: Collaborating with and for our Neurodivergent and Disabled Neighbors

Based in the Traverse City region, this quartet features Tom Riccobono, Instructor of Low Brass at Interlochen Arts Academy and principal trombone of the Traverse City Philharmonic; Dr. Lauren Hunt, the Linda VanSickle Smith French Horn Chair and Director of Brass Studies at Interlochen Center for the Arts; Kevin LaRose, a versatile freelance musician and classical music host for Interlochen Public Radio; and Dr. Austin Oprean, the Philharmonic's Development Coordinator and Assistant Personnel Manager. Together they bring decades of performing, teaching, and arts leadership experience to northern Michigan.

Kristina is a business strategist and community builder with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, and organizational leadership, including senior roles at Fortune 500 companies such as Dow and Goodyear. After stepping away from corporate leadership in 2019 to pursue a slower, more community-centered life, she founded Green Door Folk School, creating a space where traditional skills, hands-on learning, and local collaboration can flourish. Kristina now combines her background in strategy and communications with a passion for craft, sustainability, and building strong creative communities.

Kristina will be presenting the workshop: Share Your Craft on the Folk School Circuit

Kristina is also one of our Mentors available for one-one-one sessions

The Sandbox Ensemble is the meeting of dancer Benjamin Cheney, dancer and saxophonist Yali Rivlin and double bassists Betsy Soukup and Paul Erhard. The group is dedicated to the art form of instant composition and structured improvisation.

Heather Vaughan-Southard specializes in arts education policy, pedagogy, and professional learning. For the Michigan Assessment Consortium, she serves as the Director of MI Creative Potential, a collective impact initiative to advance equitable access to quality arts education for Michigan’s students. Her career has spanned professional dance, K-12 and higher education dance program direction, arts in healthcare, and clinical mental health.

Amy Lynne will be  co-presenting the workshop: Schooling for Arts Organizations, Teaching Artists, and Educators

Amy Lynne Pobanz is a visual artist and active member of the arts community. She serves as Director of Regional Arts Education Networks for MI Creative Potential, where she is dedicated to strengthening arts education systems and fostering vibrant, connected communities. Her work brings together educators, community organizations, and teaching artists to design collaborative programs and dynamic learning experiences that inspire creativity and deepen engagement. Through strategic planning, resource development, and facilitation, she supports educators and learners in thriving through meaningful, arts-centered experiences.

Amy Lynne will be co-presenting the workshop: Schooling for Arts Organizations, Teaching Artists, and Educators

Johnny Camacho sees Abstract art not as an art-historical relic, but as a living beat that pulses through his portraits and abstractions. Working under the moniker “Ultrathinkers,” he merges colour and line in works that feel amplified where memory, rhythm and identity collide. His creative roots trace back to the Bronx, New York, where the textures of urban life street culture, graffiti, sound formed his early visual vocabulary. From there, he found in abstract art a way to reconcile the fragmented energy of his environment with the emotional core of his memories.

Johnny will be presenting an artist talk: Creative Response in Times of Trauma

Kari de Boer is an art therapist, counselor, and yoga teacher dedicated to holistic healing. As the owner of Hawthorn Hive and Cicada Ceramics, she blends clinical expertise with the cathartic power of art-making. From pioneering pediatric medical art therapy to supporting trauma survivors, Kari’s integrative, strengths-based approach fosters a collaborative space for growth, mindfulness, and resilience.

Kari will be a panelist for the discussion: The Role of the Arts in Mental Health

Lindsay Greer is a performer/improviser, writer, artist/tinkerer, and (former?) academic. She used to tour with the now defunct Bench Press Burlesque, performed in several devised performances at Fringe Festivals, and performed an (almost) solo show in New Orleans at the same theatre that served as Solange’s wedding venue. She’s screened her short experimental films at quirky, niche festivals such as the Strange Beauty Film Festival, Coney Island Film Festival, and Buskopolis Festival of Cinematic Oddities, among others. Her work has been published in such places as Liminalities: Journal of Performance Studies, Technoculture: Journal of Technology & Society, P-e-r-f-o-r-m-a-n-c-e.org, with chapters in the books Home & Away: Lived Experience in Performative Narratives, and Performance: An Alphabet of Performative Writing. 

Lindsay performs with Full Tilt Comedy Collective, dreams of making devised theatre with a group here in Traverse City (please reach out to her!), and is finally trying to turn her dissertation into a book. Later this year, she plans to study clowning at a workshop in Maine. She loves the arts and people and wants everyone to come visit her at Michigan Legacy Art Park in Thompsonville where she serves as the Director of Programs and Public Engagement. If you’re interested in doing a program at the park, please get in touch with her.

Lindsay will be presenting an artist talk: Creating Performance that Resists Narrative Closure 

Full Tilt Comedy is Northern Michigan’s hub for comedy and community, producing high-energy performances that span improv, sketch, stand-up, and parody. Based in Traverse City, the organization presents dynamic monthly shows and offers classes for all experience levels, fostering creativity both on stage and in the community. Founded in 2019, Full Tilt is a nonprofit rooted in the principles of improv—playfulness, collaboration, and the spirit of “yes-and.” Through performance and education, they create welcoming spaces where laughter, connection, and creative risk-taking thrive.

Dr. Libor Ondras is a conductor, violist, and educator with an international career spanning the U.S., Europe, and Japan. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory, the Academy of Music Arts in Prague, and earned his DMA from the University of Houston, going on to collaborate with leading artists and perform at venues including Carnegie Hall. Ondras serves as Music Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra and Kent Philharmonic Orchestra, and is Director of Orchestras and professor at Grand Rapids Community College. An active performer and scholar, he appears regularly as a guest artist and conductor, with recent and upcoming engagements including international festivals, university residencies, and a Carnegie Hall debut in 2026.

Libor will be presenting an artist talk: From Unknown to Unforgettable: Introducing New Repertoire Through Narrative Programming

Lora Frankel has been a dancer, performer, choreographer and dance educator. For over 25 years she was the executive director of VSA Michigan, now called Michigan Arts Access. She created the nationally recognized Artists-in-Residence program that engages local artists to teach their art, dance, drama or music to learners with disabilities. Lora continues to volunteer so that all can experience creativity.

Lora will be a panelist for the discussion: Collaborating with and for our Neurodivergent and Disabled Neighbors

Paul Erhard’s performance background includes classical double bass, jazz, improvised raga music of India and solo improvisations that combine elements of these rich musical traditions. Time Art Space Art is Paul’s collaborations through music improvisation and composition with painters, photographers, dancers, poets, actors, and film makers. Professor Emeritus, University of Colorado, Paul developed and taught the course “Improvisation for Strings.” 

Time Art Space Art will present the workshop: Finding Your Current

Kim provides trauma therapy for children, teens, and their caregivers at the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center. She uses EMDR, Trauma-Focused CBT, TraumaPlay, and the Safe and Sound Protocol to support healing. Kim integrates art and play into sessions to help clients express themselves, build coping skills, strengthen relationships, and move toward greater emotional regulation and resilience.

Kim will be a panelist for the discussion: The Role of the Arts in Mental Health

Kristina Pepelko is the founder of The Typewritery, which she launched while living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A daughter of Croatian immigrants, Kristina is a writer and nonprofit communications professional now based in the Traverse City area. She has been published in The Balkans Insider, Northern Express, The Boardman Review, and Country Roads Magazine.

Kristina will be writing and typing pop up poetry at City Opera House prior to each keynote session.