THESE are the faces of people who care about and participate in what we are about. We are 100% volunteer powered by some of the most talented, hard-working and generous artists and art community members in the Northwest. We are grateful and appreciative of the collaborative and supportive people around us. This gorgeous group has staggering chops in their respective fields as well and you should know what they are about.
This page is for the artists and art community members who have volunteered with events, youth art programs or contributed to articles about their fellow artists. As the list grows (and it is growing) we will keep adding. It’s pretty great! Is your face missing? EMAIL US!
(in alpha order…sort of…)
Janine Beaman
Janine Beaman – poet and curator of 2012 Art Talks!
Janine is a life long lover of the arts and supporter of artists. She is a teacher, mentor, and friend to many burgeoning artists and she strives to create spaces for young people to stretch themselves creatively, express their visions and grow their talents.
Jillian Boshart
Jillian Boshart – filmmaker, actress, singer
Jillian Boshart is an actor, singer, improviser, burlesque performer, and producer living in Seattle, WA. She considers herself to be an amalgam of her time spent in Spokane, Utah and Seattle; One part small town gal, one part obedient and naive, and one part rainy liberal who feels really guilty about using two paper towels. When she was a young’un she got the opportunity to sing with Johnny Cash, at the Vatican, and she also performed as an actor at the Kennedy Center. Since moving to Seattle Jillian has spent much of her time performing on Seattle stages. She has worked with Wing-It Productions, Balagan Theatre, Pony World Theatre, Ghost Light Theatricals, Stone Soup Theatre, Unexpected Productions, and many others. She also performs burlesque as “Sara Dipity,” and was recently seen in Whedonesque Burlesque: Burlesque Inspired by the Works of Joss Whedon and performs regularly with Tuesday Tease.
Kris Boustedt
Kris Boustedt – filmmaker
Kris and his wife Lindy have stories to tell. And they know how to tell them. They’ve written, directed, produced or edited 12 films (including two features; we’re currently prepping ASHLAND, our third) and create media for non-profit fundraisers and corporate promotions. Their clients include The Phoenix Suns, FareStart, Allied Waste, PhRMA, The World Cyber Games and The Seattle International Film Festival. They focus on human dynamics. The electricity of movement. The truth of silence. The power of dialogue. They mine the depths of our stories, our characters and ourselves to create something unique. Something worth watching. Something that will resonate with audiences. They create universality through specificity. And they will continue to do this for as long as the universe will have them.
Scott C. Brown
Scott C. Brown – filmmaker, writer, actor
Scott has over 20 years of professional writing and production experience and has also acted since childhood.
Dawndra Budd
Dawndra Budd – photographer
Dawndra is a Seattle based full-spectrum freelance photographer that has a signature specialty with creative and surreal photos. She is part Lydia Deetz, part Joan Jet, maybe a little Wednesday Adams for mischief and dramtic flair. Not one to be overtly sentimental, her giant empathetic heart is most visible in her portraits of animals and children and her ongoing photographic relationship with Homeless in Seattle.
Becka Brebner
Becka Brebner – photographer
Becka is one of my (and the local film community’s) favorite artistic secret weapons. An expert at silently observing and capturing the magic of behind the scenes and arts event images. She also does beautiful portraits and head shots if you’re lucky enough to track her down.
Lisa Coronado
Lisa Coronado – co-founder of AFA, actress and producer
Lisa is an actress, writer and producer. She grew up in Washington and developed a love for theater at a young age. After several years performing on stage, she transitioned into film. She has played a wide range of roles over the last few years, most recently in the feature films Ghostlight and Different Drummers and short films Box Walk, All My Presidents and Revelation. She also wrote, produced and acted in the pilot The Divine Marigolds as well as performed in the web series The Collectibles, playing the Evil Hand. In her off-time she enjoys hanging with her family, playing scrabble, fantasy football and relaxing with a plate of nachos and a good Irish whiskey
Alex Crick
Alex Crick – photographer
If you follow live music at all in this city, then you run a 97.4% chance of having seen the work of Alex Crick (it’s an official percentage I swear). He’s a freelance photographer in the Seattle area who also happens to be one of the nicest people on the planet. One of the things I like most about Alex is his articulation beyond his lens. Though he is soft-spoken, he contributes actively and thoughtfully to his work, his community and whatever else he is interested in. I took an impromptu photo lesson from him one time during an Art Walk and I still have the diagrams because they make me giggle.
Jonathan Cunningham
Jonathan Cunningham – educator, writer, radio host
Jonathan Cunningham is the Manager of Youth Programs and Community Outreach at the EMP Museum where he is tasked with strengthening teen programming and intentionally building audiences in underserved communities. He’s the former co-editor of MCDM’s digital news blog, Flipthemedia.com, and has worked on staff at several news outlets in Seattle, Florida and Michigan. He has a weekly community radio show on Hollow Earth Radiocalled Central Sounds that highlights music and arts in the Central District.
Angela DiMarco
Angela DiMarco – actress, producer, educator
Angela DiMarco was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She was cast in her first feature film, Waiting For The Light (starring Shirley MacLaine and Teri Garr), when she was just 10 years old. After school Angela moved to Los Angeles where she competed in the IMTA (International Modeling and Talent Association) and was awarded Best Comedic Performance. Since returning to Seattle, she has worked steadily as a theatre, film and commercial actor, garnering praise from peers and press. Angela is a consecutive three-time Gregory Award Nominee (2010-2012). In 2011, she played Rosie Finkelstein in the film All I Want Is Christmas (starring Elliott Gould), which placed in the Best of SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival) 2012 and won the 2012 IFFF (International Family Film Festival). In January 2013, she Mrs. Taylor in By God’s Grace with Cameron Deane Stewart. Angela and her husband David S. Hogan launched their own company, Mighty Tripod Productions, in 2012, where they produce original work while collaborating and coaching local artists.
Joe Fortunato
Joe Fortunato – visual artist
Joe Fortunato grew up in the Pacific Northwest, the child of recalcitrant New Jersey transplants. Since 1999 Joe had worked predominantly with with wood and metal, designing and building furniture. In 2010 Joe discovered painting. He began working with oils in 2011 when he became (and remains) enamored of this medium. His current work focuses on movement, exploring both physical movement and the objects and moments that move us. Joe served in the Marine Corps and holds degrees from Washington State and Gonzaga Universities. He has a passion for motorcycles and all things mechanical. He is an active practitioner of cheekiness and tomfoolery. Joe currently resides in Seattle.
David S Hogan
David S. Hogan – actor, director, producer, educator
David S. Hogan was raised in Seattle, Washington by James and Susan Hogan. He is a member of Actors’ Equity (2010) Association and SAG-AFTRA (2011), and has been working steadily since 2000. His work has been seen on many Seattle stages, including Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, The Seattle Opera, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and more. David has been working as an acting coach and professional consultant since 2008.
Amy M Huber
Amy M. Huber – graphic designer, visual artist
A native to Texas, Amy Huber now works and plays in Seattle, Washington. When she is not working as a graphic designer she enjoys bringing characters to life through illustration and type or finding abstractions on canvas. She often enjoys collaborating with and being inspired by other local artists and musicians. Amy finds adventure wherever she goes, whether she is traveling to somewhere new or exploring her own city.
Rich Jensen
Rich Jensen is a poet, songwriter and independent media activist who helped to establish and grow the K, Sub Pop and Up recording labels in North Pacific America. Rich is a publisher at Souciant and co-host of Hollow Earth Radio’s Central Sounds program. He is passionate about helping everyday people of the whole earth to organize and sustain themselves with dignity and pleasure for the next few centuries.
Mahroo Keshavarz
Mahroo Keshavarz – visual artist
Mahroo is native of the northwest by way of Iran. She has been an avid supporter of the local music scene and art culture since her adolecence, but only recently debuted her artwork to the public in a show at The Station Cafe. Mahroo loves astrology, horses, children, meditating and using ALL CAPS.
Kay LaVergne Jaz
Kay Lavergne Jaz – actress, educator
Molly Leonard
Molly Leonard – visual artist
Molly is a graphic designer at the Seattle Symphony and has contributed her silk screen poster designs regularly to many of the largest music festivals in the area for years. Molly has a sunny and silly disposition that is as sweet and hospitable as her southern roots.
Lisa LeVan
Lisa Levan – actress
Lisa is a Seattle based actress working in film, TV and theatre. She is a sweet and passionate creative force who loves her son and hot yoga very very much.
Michelle Lunicke
Michelle Lunike – writer, actor, performance artist
Michelle is a mutifaceted creative with a background in all things theatrical and stage management related. Lately you can find Michelle honing her writing chops and fostering complex and rich artistic relationships.
Tanya Lutman
Tanya Lutman – writer, artist manager
For the past ten years, Tanya’s industry experience has been all about helping smaller artists make the leap to the next level. Her combined experience includes work in PR, festival marketing, label promotions, event planning, booking, talent management, and production. She started her career in advertising and broadcast production, working at Publicis, local recording studios and some smaller boutique agencies. Transitioning into music, she was trained by names trusted in the electronic music world—helping the Decibel Festival during their formative period, stints at Ghostly/Spectral, XLR8R, and Kupei Musika. This led to spending a few years building relationships with agents, club owners, tour managers and media in all genres while she worked at top national venue Neumos, and later Brown Paper Tickets.
Shazreh Malik
Shazreh Malik – graphic designer, artist, writer
A graduate in Communication Design from National College of Arts, Lahore, she worked in advertising before moving to Seattle in 2011. These days, she likes to collect and create art. An avid admirer of miniature painting, her artistic style is inspired by the discipline. She enjoys being creative, and uses her imagination to craft new projects most of the time. When her brain starts to overflow with the ideas, Shazreh gets to work on one of them.
Shannon McClatchey
Shannon McClatchey – photographer
Shannon is a Seattle based photographer originally from the LA area. Shannon’s work focuses mostly on non-human subjects, atmosphere, and outdoor scenes that convey moods and poetic transitions. She has received multiple awards and her work has been shown both nationally and internationally.
Shyn Midili
Shyn Midili – photographer
Shyn Midili has been a respected makeup artist, hair stylist, and special effects expert in Seattle since 2006. It didn’t matter if it was beauty, blood, or brides: nothing was short of her ability and brushes. In 2011 she moved that same professionalism and energy to the craft of photography. Under the tutelage of numerous professional photographers who travel the world with their lens, Shyn has defined for herself a unique look and style completely her own. That style has garnered the attention of agencies, models, designers, musicians, and actors. With a natural talent and a willingness to learn, Shyn has a vibrant and exciting future.
Anna Mroczkowski
Anna Mroczkowski – visual artist
Anna is a nerd with many many creative passions. Painting, sewing, knitting, writing, singing, overusing parentheses, cooking (to name a few) but probably one of her biggest passions is being able to turn the creative ideas of her friends and colleagues (and her own) into things that actually happen. Helping her friends and discovering ways to use her bossy-know-it-all disease for good instead of evil makes her really happy.
OCnotes
OCnotes – musician
OCnotes, AKA Otis Calvin III, is a Seattle-based producer / singer / MC / multi / multi / instrumentalist (playing 12 instruments at last count) — in the past described in local press as a cross between Madlib and Mos Def, a reductive tag (you’d probably want to add equal parts Daedelus, Dungeon Family and Cody ChesnuTT to get closer to the fact) but a handy enough reference. His solo work and collaborations with such Seattle vibe-setters as THEESatisfaction have made him a darling of the Emerald City’s most forward-listening.
Jessica Papa-Shorts – graphic designer
Jessica is a visual artist and graphic designer based in the Chicago area by way of Texas and California, but a part of her heart will always belong to the Seattle area. Jessica is passionate about women’s studies and is a natural educator. She is a calm creative spitfire and is at her best when surrounded by her family and friends over a home cooked meal and cold beer.
Puja Parakh
Puja Parakh – photographer
Born and raised in Detroit, I have been photographing in Seattle since 2005. Photography has always been a serious hobby of mine; I’ve not only done many photo shoots, but I have also led workshops and tours to engage others in my favorite activity. I adore the artist community of Seattle, and look forward to contributing when and where I can.
Suzi Pratt, photo by Brad Johnson
Suzi Pratt – photographer
Suzi is a freelance photographer in Seattle specializing in event, real estate, architectural, and music photography. She also specializes in online content writing and social media strategy development for tourism and travel businesses through her side business venture Gemini Connect. She tackles every project with the mission of telling a great story, no matter how “ordinary” the subject may seem. There is a story to EVERYTHING, and she is intent and finding and telling them all.
Samuel Moralez aka PSupremo, photo by Becka Brebner
PSupremo – rapper, actor
Samuel “PSupremo” Morales is a rapper and actor from the Seattle area by way of the federal prison system. He hosts a radio program on Hollow Earth Radio called “Welcome to the Yard” that aims to build a dialogue around important commuinity issues that are affected by or directly related to gang life, prison and our nation’s criminal justice system.
Rik Rude
Rik Rude – musician
Michigan native, Rik Rude is a rapper and poet in two crtically acclaimed Seattle based rap groups Fresh Espresso (recently highlighted in XXL magazine as one of Seattle’s 15 rappers you should know) and Metal Chocolates. Rik is flat out one of the kindest people around. It’s rumored that everytime his dimples show, a deserving person gets their wish.
Wonder Russell
Wonder Russell – actress, filmmaker
Gabrielle Schutz
Gabrielle Schutz – dancer, choreographer
Gabrielle is an interdisciplinary artist based in Seattle specializing in original performance. She grew up in the desert, the mountains, the rivers, and the peach orchards of western Colorado. Her youth was spent channeling my rampant energy into learning any artistic craft she could…gymnastics, dancing, acting, playing the violin. The continuous challenge of expression has become her humble pursuit. She has a BA in Theatre from Colorado Mesa University and has been in Seattle since 2007, collaborating, learning, creating rigorously.
Armitage Shanks
Armitage Shanks – The Carney Preacher
Armitage Shanks is an Internationally acclaimed Host/MC, Cabaret Singer, Character Performer and Show Director.
Seattle’s THE STRANGER said “Armitage Shanks has a voice like honey-coated gravel. A Victorian Music Hall barker, he struck just the right tone. He was a sinister and louche presence, who put some sex in the air.” Recent credits include his 3rd year as International Host of the London Burlesque Festival and the exclusive host of the Amsterdam Burlesque Festival; host of Big Top Burlesque Follies in Australia; featured performer at Paleis Van De Weemoed and The Supper Club in Amsterdam; Carnevale di Viareggio and Burlesque Garden in Tuscany; Micca Club in Rome; Club Calavera in Hamburg and La Fete Fatale in Berlin. He is a regular host of both the Pink Door Cabaret and Indigo Blue’s Darkside Cabaret in Seattle.
Kyle Shorts
Kyle Shorts – graphic designer
Kyle creates outstanding graphic designs for print collateral ranging from product labels, packaging and point-of-sale items to direct mail, corporate branding and advertising campaigns. Kyle has produced high profile creatives for a variety of top-tier companies such as Whole Foods Market, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Toasted Head, Kim Crawford, Hogue, Jackson-Triggs, Cost Plus World Market, Publix and The Melting Pot. His work has also been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Oz, The View, The Today Show, Bloomberg and many other popular news affiliates.
Vanessa Small
Vanessa Small – musician
Vanessa is vocalist and guitar player of the Seattle based country tinged rock band The Brambles.
Carollani Sandberg
Carollani Sandberg – actress, filmmaker
Carollani is an actress from the eastern side of our beautiful state. She lives with her fiancé Laura, their dog Butch, cat Tim, two unnamed fish, and four crazy chickens (Barb, Nikki, Margene & Rhonda) at their home in Seattle. She owns and manages a rental property in the area, but mostly she acts. And she loves it. Besides that, she treasures spending time with my “Little” through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound. She also loves getting up to the mountains to ski in the winter, hike in the summer, bicycle all around town, and she try to engage this miraculously functional, body of hers in as many activities as she can.
Alder Sherwood
Alder Sherwood – actress, filmmaker
Alder is as sweet natured as she is intelligent and artistic. Alder has a great mind for the business side of her art and always has something magical up her sleeve. She is dedicated and passionate about supporting female filmmakers (her daughter just debuted her first film over at REEL Grrls!) in the Northwest as well as the film community in general.
Eric Stone
Eric Stone – filmmaker
Eric graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Dramatic Writing and Video Production, and from the Seattle Film Institute’s Total Immersion Program. He recently founded the production company Seattleite Films and is a contributing writer on the Seattle-based film and music website www.willthefire.com. His favorite movie is “Tokyo Story.”
Brian Tang
Brian Tang – DJ, really nice person
DJ Tang along with the rest of the crew of Last Night’s Mixtape really love music that makes you want dance and share it with you on their blog. This postive minded group of friends likes to get down. When not making you sweat on the dance floor, Brian is most likely found hosting a BBQ for his friends with his wife Kayla or supporting the local art scene.
Rhiannon Tangi
Rhiannon Tangi – stylist
Rhiannon is a stylist, makeup and costume professional here in Seattle. She has travelled internationally with Cirque Du Soleil and speaks 6 languages.
James Torchia
James Torchia – aerialist
James is a classically trained and internationally reknowned aerialist. Technically retired from aerial performance, thse days he spends his time teaching gymnastics and aerial performance to the next generations.
Benjamin Verdoes
Benjamin Verdoes – musician
Benjamin is the vocalist and guitar player for Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band and also most recently of the duo Iska Dhaaf (taken from the Somali word, translated roughly: “let it go”) with Nathan Quiroga. Inspired by Sufi poetry, limitation, and an obsessive preoccupation with writing, Nathan Quiroga and Benjamin Verdoes have fused their seemingly disparate musical and personal backgrounds into something searching and honest. Their songs, carried by heavy rhythms and cutting melodic hooks, are at once infectious and sweetly disarming. Thematically, they are a rebellious dismantling and careful rebuilding of self.
Marshall Verdoes
Marshall Verdoes – musician
Marshall has been playing the drums professionally since the age of 12. Now at age 18 he has toured nationally and internationally with his older brother Benjamin with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band and most recently Scarves. Marshall is a natural entertainer and in a matter of a few minutes of meeting him will have you laughing your head off. Also worth noting is his mean Cat Daddy!
Rick Walters
Rick Walters – actor, filmmaker
Before he entered the US Army in 1999, Rick attended Clark College for theater and film acting. He starred in over 30 stage productions including a full run as Hamlet. In 2008, after moving back to Washington state from Hawaii and a deployment in support of operation Iraqi Freedom II as an Infantryman, Rick returned to his acting roots. He’s acted in both lead and supporting roles in over 20 feature and short films including an original short entitled Scamp that he wrote, produced and starred along side his son Race Walters. Rick is currently at the helm of Tacoma’s premier production company Adventus Films.
Jesse Washburn
Jesse Washburn – visual artist
Jesse has been painting for decades and though he can paint anything, gravitates toward evocative abastract works. A globe trotter native to the Northwest, he’s currently in Laos teaching English but prior to that was teaching art in Ghana at a school for the deaf.
Hayley Watt
Hayley Watt – musician
Classically trained at Cornish College of the Arts in violin, Hayley is an incredible talent. She has also been teaching violin for the past 5 years.
Tyler Woods
Tyler Woods – 3-D animator, graphic designer
Tyler is 3-D animator and designer from the Seattle area. He’s a really friendly goofball. One of my favorite memories of backstage at our anniversary show was watching Tyler and his girlfriend Katelyn killing time swing dancing in the middle of Teatro Zinzanni.
Artists for Artists 