Aaron Mann

Teaching Artist, Musician/Singer, Theatre Actor/Technician

Mr. Mann is ecstatic to join the WhyArts? team! After performing in Julius Caesar and The Comedy of Errors (Guitarist, 2012) during the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Aaron visited Pittsburgh, where he performed as Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors. Not long after returning to Omaha, his “home away from home,” Mann became a WhyArts? Teaching Artist/Musician. Aaron’s other Omaha theatre credits include acting company for the national tour of A Christmas Carol (NTC Productions 2011); acting company for Take Me to the River (Great Plains Theatre Conference, 2013); acting company forTitus Andronicus and Twelfth Night (Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, 2013); technical director for The Seafarer (Brigit Saint Brigit, 2012); and acting company/technician for The Adventures of Nate the Great, The Borrowers, Ticket to Toyland, and Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type! along with many other shows at “The Rose” (Omaha Theater Company 2012-13). Mann received his theatre degree from *Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne, appearing inUrinetown: the Musical (Officer Lockstock), A Doll’s House (Torvald Helmer), The Diviners (C.C. Showers), The Taming of the Shrew (Petruchio) andWaiting for Godot (Vladimir). He performed on the regional tour of Brush Up Your Shakespeare (Man One- 2008, 2009). Aaron’s other credits include Wayside Theatre in Virginia- Shenandoah, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage, A Christmas Carol, Southern Crossroads: The New Orleans Adventure, and Macbeth; Tibbits Opera House in Michigan- The Full Monty, Out of Order, and Working: the Musical; and the Fort Wayne premiere of Crime and Punishment (Raskolnikov). Aaron is an experienced Acoustic Guitarist, playing professionally, teaching, and rocking out for over half his life. He has played pit guitar for productions of Grease, Godspell, and Working: the Musical, among other solo and group appearances. He has helped record 3 music CD’s, and performed in over 100 stage productions. Aaron has worked as a theatre professional on numerous productions, not always acting, but sometimes as Technical Crew, Stage Manager, and Props Master. He would like to thank his family, friends, and God for such a blessed life and their unwavering support. *IPFW granted accreditation by The National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).

Amy Kunz

Artist

For 25 years I have been a professional actor, drama instructor and Education Director. I have also utilized my art background through various projects in those years. I worked many years for The Rose Theatre, The Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre Company and performed principle roles for the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival for eight seasons. I teach voice for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and am an active artist with The Nebraska Art’s Council.

Now, through working with “WhyArts?”, not only have I been able to put my years of training to use, but I have gained insight and grown through connections with the diverse and beautiful populations we are lucky enough to work with. My most recent experience was with The Ollie Webb Center. We performed the Greek Myth “Perseus and The Medusa” focusing on the theme of Heroism; through years of experiences in theatre, this group of adults with “disabilities” proved to be one of the most positive, mature and inspiring groups I have ever worked with…their inner strength, warmth and good humor truly made this a story about heroes in all forms. It was a gift to work with them and to co-produce with other imaginative artists like Michael Murphey and Octopus’s Garden.

Carolyn Anderson is an inspiring leader, allowing artist’s a rich variety of experiences. I worked with the senior populations at the Intercultural Community Center and The Dora Bingel Center. We designed and created “masks from around the world”. Their creativity and ability was remarkable, and watching them view their own pieces at an art exhibit for Hot Shops was very meaningful. The junior high students at Marrs and Norris Middle Schools are open to new ideas and love the visual arts. In developing “history collages”, it opened up a world of questions…the dialogue that is inspired through creating art is invaluable. I feel privileged to be a part of “WhyArts?

Carole A. Waterman

Theater Education Artist

For forty seven years I have been a music and theater education specialist, teaching students from pre-school through university in Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, California, and Athens, Greece.  During the fifteen years in Greece, I taught music and theater at the American Community Schools, and I was the artistic director of the Athen’s Children’s Theater.  After our move to Omaha in 1990, I served as The Omaha Theater Company’s Director of Education until my “retirement” in 1997.

For the last several years I have been conducting theater workshops for “Very Special Arts”, now “WhyArts?”.  The participants have been children in day care centers, hospitals, respite care facilities,  family shelters, and child learning centers.  There have been workshops for adults in adult day care centers, senior centers,  and in facilities for adults with disabilities.  In addition, I have worked with staff members who work in child and adult day care centers, respite care facilities, and learning centers.  I have also conducted workshops for nurses who work in hospitals or hospices.

The activities in these workshops have been varied:  making and performing with puppets; creative dramatics; play-making; improvisation; and music for story-telling.  Creating theater is a total experience that utilizes the emotions, the body, the senses, the voice, and the imagination.  In using these “actor tools”, one can develop greater awareness of the self and the world around.  Thus, I believe, theater (and the other arts) can be used as a very powerful tool to create an experience that can encourage, enrich and uplift the participants.  I have seen this happen in the “WhyArts?” workshops over the past years, and I believe that the arts can play a very important role in the lives of children or adults who face challenges in their lives.

My favorite workshops?  I guess it would be the workshop I am involved with at the moment.  Whether the organization is Campfire and the residency is a family shelter, or Munroe-Meyer working with disabled adults, or OPS programs for children, or the Children’s Respite Care Center, or Vodec or New Cassel,  I am always challenged and I am always uplifted by the participants in my “WhyArts?” workshops.

Courtney Stein

Movement and rhythm are universal. Dance is a form of emotional expression found in every culture and in every corner of our world. Although we differ in language and beliefs, dance is a constant outlet for celebration–from marriage to birth to victory in war to victory on the football field. At the core of all dance movement is emotion, and emotion is inherent in all human beings. After graduating from high school, I followed my passion for performance and teaching all the way to the west coast where I was a member of the Young Americans Music Outreach Program, working with underprivileged and troubled teenagers. It was here that I cultivated my desire to help others explore the medium of music and dance as a therapeutic tool for personal growth and interpersonal connection. I next had the privilege of studying at the prestigious New York University–everything from post-modern choreography to Indonesian theatre to African dance and drumming. This path of enlightenment culminated in my earning (and creating) a degree in “Anthropology with a Focus on Music, Dance, and Theatre” from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. While some might question the validity of dance as a form of scholasticism, I would argue that the scientific underpinnings of why we so often feel the need to “shake a tailfeather” are indeed tangible. Every human culture throughout space and time has utilized dance as a mode of personal and communal expression–in times of grief, in times of joy, in times of war, and in times of peace. Therefore, dance is, at its simplest, a means of communication. An interaction without words. Raw emotion. This is why I am so passionate about using the medium of dance to communicate across the barriers that exist in our world–be they socioeconomic, cultural, linguistic, locational, or even related to gender or age. The primal urge for movement is inherent in all of mankind.

With 20 years of dance experience, I have a background in belly dancing, African dance, Japanese dance, modern, lyrical, hip-hop, pointe, and the more standard ballet, tap, and jazz. Currently, I am working with students of all ages in the Omaha area–literally from ages 1-90. I have taught for the Omaha Community Playhouse, Arts for All, the Jewish Community Center, the Bellevue Senior Center, Motion 41 Dance, the Papillion-LaVista Arts Network, the Salvation Army Kroc Center, and the Omaha Academy of Ballet. In my spare time, I enjoy performing throughout the Omaha theatre community and am always striving for more exposure to this medium I love so much. I am beyond thrilled to be working with WhyArts? and am hoping to share my love for dance with even more members of the community.

Deborah Carr

Deborah Carr began her professional career in Boston, MA with the Boston Festival Ballet and then Copley Square Ballet under David Drummond formerly of Boston Ballet. She joined the Connecticut Ballet in 1984 with Artistic Director Robert Vickrey. From there she moved to Omaha to dance with Ballet Omaha until l994. Deborah danced professionally for more than 20 years. After retiring from the stage, she served as Ballet Mistress to the Omaha Theater Ballet for 8 years, under Artistic Director Robin Welch. Deborah was named Artistic Director of the Youth Dance Ensemble, at the Omaha Theater Ballet School. While there she choreographed several ballets for both the student company and the professional company such as; “Pridelands”, “Los Andes” and “Tango Cafe”. She is also the proud recipient of the Nebraska Arts Council’s Merit Award for choreography for her ballet “Pridelands”. Deborah has been teaching ballet for 28 years and is currently teaching at Robin Welch Dance Arts and Core Training.

Denise Chapman

Performer/Director/Teaching Artist

Art in all forms is a basic way of communicating, how we feel, who we wish or hope to be, what change we want to see in the world. Why Arts provides a platform for artist to share their individual gifts with groups of children and adults alike and assist them with finding their artistic voice, allowing them to share their view of the world, how they feel, or what they hope to be. I am honored to be a part of an organization that allows me to bring my talents to the table, share them with a group of individuals and see what happens next.

Donnis Arens

I love to watch people as they listen to a story. Their faces reveal so much. I see reflections of how meaningful the story is to them, whether they are engaged participants on this new journey, what emotions are evoked, and if they are discovering fresh insights and stories of their own.

Stories have great power, regardless of whether they spring from true life or imagination, whether they are kept close to the heart or shared with the world. Storytelling illuminates different ways of thinking and working together, enriching us all.

Storytelling has been essential to me since I could first express myself, and it is a joy to empower others to express themselves through storytelling and creative arts workshops. There is life, mystery and celebration in stories and storytelling. It is an honor to explore storytelling’s unlimited possibilities with people of all ages and backgrounds.

My roots in education and creative expression run deep. I graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln with a dual degree in Special Education and Elementary Education. For thirty-some years, I taught for Millard Public Schools and enjoyed exploring learning with my students. As business owner of Party Kapers by Donnis, I have brought storytelling, creative movement, music, crafts and memories to countless birthday parties and other celebrations. And, for the last twelve years, I have been a stroke survivor with quite a few new stories to tell.

Important influences in my life include my most awesome family and many special people and organizations, including the Nebraska Human Resource and Research Foundation. Some of the groups I have been involved with as a consultant, board member or volunteer are the Omaha Children’s Museum, Rose Children’s Theater, American Heart Association, Methodist Hospital, Board of the Intergeneration Orchestra, Nebraska StoryArts (current president) and Omaha Stroke Club (current president).

Why Arts? and Carolyn Anderson’s leadership touches people in such positive ways, with a limitless exuberance and passion for living. That is why I am so proud to be a part of this amazing team.

Ellen Struve

I began playwriting in earnest after a circuitous route through the arts.  My early training is in classical music.  I participated in the Undergraduate Nonfiction Workshop at University of Iowa and, though I did study playwriting there, I went on to get my master’s degree in arts administration at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the finest visual arts institutions in the country.  In Chicago I had the great privilege of working for Merit School of Music, an organization dedicated to bringing high quality music instruction to all people regardless of their economic status.  Since returning to Omaha in 2003, I found it possible to combine all my interests in theatre.

My plays have been produced in New York, Virginia, Missouri and Nebraska.  I serve on the board of Shelterbelt Theatre and support its goal of presenting locally created work.  I am a founding member of the Omaha Playwrights Group.  My plays have been recognized as both Mainstage and PlayLab selections of Great Plains Theatre Conference and I was a 2011 Nebraska Arts Council Fellowship Recipient.  As part of the Bemis Center for the Art Community Artist Residency for refugee children, I began working with puppets.

I have found that a good story requires a great deal of patience, hard work, and a wide variety of tools.

Felicia Webster

Spoken Word is a uniquely African American art form, which has for decades been part of the historic oral tradition of African peoples. And, in the Midwest, no one is better known for its moving, dramatic, sometimes comedic, always poignant presentation than Felicia Webster. Felicia, also known as Withlove,Felicia, combines relevant,social changing, historical and  heartfelt words into lyrically moving pieces that invite her audience/students to find their reflection in her and to ignite healing in their own writing.  Having performed and taught in schools, arts venues, nightclubs, colleges and universities, community centers, homeless shelters, drug and alcohol healing centers and theaters Felicia Webster has  become a much sought-after artist.
Her workshops include a combination of  historical background, performance and she has also been known to  use other artistic mediums to support the written word with her students, like collaging and drawing.   Felicia says, “The arts gave me a voice when the world ignored my cry. Now I create artistic spaces to share, heal and perform those words we’ve kept hidden from ourselves someone would love to hear, and invite others to do so in a safe space of love.

Fran Sillau

Mr. Sillau has served as a teacher, writer, director, actor, and/or producer. With an extensive background in Theatre for Youth, Fran has worked for both Lexington Children’s Theatre and Omaha Theater Company. Recently he was chosen as a 2008-2009, VSA Arts Teaching Artist Fellow

His most notable professional accomplishments however have been that of teacher and director. Fran has received project funds from both The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and The National Endowment For The Arts. Currently Fran serves as a Arts Educator and facilitator for VSA Arts in Washington, D.C.

In 2004, Fran co-founded and served as artistic director for RUSTY HORSE PRODUCTIONS, an organization dedicated to bringing the arts to rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Under his leadership, the company has produced numerous productions and workshops for youth across southwest Iowa and Nebraska.

For Why Arts? Fran has conducted workshops at Munroe-Meyer, Vodec, Mosaic, South High School, and Omaha Public Schools among others. Fran was recently commissioned to write a play about disability called The Brass Ring. The play will be available to tour to venues this year.

Fran has the ability to use theatre as a tool to help every child, disabled or not to see the good and power within themselves.

Gail A. Schriber

Artist

I have been an artist for as long as I can remember; art and crafts were part of my childhood environment. I was creatively nurtured by supportive people who taught me painting, sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint, etc.  These artistic abilities have equipped me to respond to life’s various questions and challenges. I am grateful for this and feel a responsibility to pass on this knowledge, especially to others who have not had the same opportunities or encouragement.

Teaching is a source of pleasure and positive energy that is often reciprocated by my students. Sometimes instruction is returned, like a gift, and a student teaches me a new technique. But watching someone glimpse art’s magic for the first time is always the greatest reward. I have found a source of comfort and satisfaction in both the process of making art and in my finished pieces. Seeing that same sense of achievement in another affirms my understanding of the joy and possibility at the heart of creating. It is a way of defying our limitations, our mortality.

Materials themselves can express transformation.  In my artwork, I use recycled items, primarily telephone wire, which I have found in office dumpsters. Appreciated only for its assigned function, this wire is routinely trashed when no longer needed. Seen with new eyes, telephone wire, which comes in a rainbow of colors, becomes a beautiful filament. I have developed many of my own techniques, using embroidery stitches and other skills I learned as a child to create both sculptural and functional pieces. As a tangible expression of my ideas, telephone wire acquires a new mode of communication.

Art is a language beyond words—a deeper form of expression. I have felt personal empathy and inspiration through the work of artists and writers, known and unknown, whether a famous painting or anonymous embroidery. Through my artwork and teaching I want to include others in this ongoing conversation.

Hal France

The Arts are one of our most vibrant pathways to connect, communicate and collaborate. They have always been integral to a well-balanced education. What new roles could the Arts and artists play in the 21st century? Will they become more vital and more important to the way we learn? What sensitivities and understandings might they provoke in our future leaders?

During a professional life as an opera and symphony conductor I have had the privilege of working with many talented musicians, performers, directors, artists, choreographers, composers, teachers and students.  In Art I have experienced the reflective quality that brings us closer to our true self and the outward emotion that brings us closer to one another.

In recent years my desire to share this with others has grown. My field is music and my vehicle for personal growth is the music workshop. With exercises in singing, rhythm, movement, performance and listening, I hope to enhance experience in others for the power of the arts.

I joined Why Arts to explore my goals and to work together with other artists who believe that our most important calling is to serve and give back.

Iggy Sumnik

Michigan born and raised multimedia artist Iggy Sumnik creates ceramics, sculptures, prints, collages and more. His techniques focus on texture and balance and include an intricacy and depth that permeates his work. Sumnik received his BFA with a dual concentration in ceramics and sculpture from Detroit’s Wayne State University in 2004. He spent several years working as a sculpture instructor with Detroit’s historic Pewabic Pottery, Camp Tamakwa in Algonquin Provincial Park, and Youthville Detroit, the largest and most comprehensive youth development center in the Midwest. Sumnik recently finished a three-year commitment as assistant at the Jun Kaneko Studio in Omaha, Nebraska.

The artist’s work has been shown in numerous regional galleries, including “Iggy Sumnik – Sculpture,” a highly successful 2009 one-man show at Jackson Artworks in Omaha. He has been commissioned to create several pieces for private collectors. His clothing line, Urbani, is another development in the artists expanding repertoire. Sumnik’s work, which has been said to share a similar visual aeshthetic to that of Tim Burton and Dr. Seuss, has been described as “archaic and fantastical, rife with balance and harmony.” Iggy continues to support young people in their artistic explorations through his most recent work as instructor at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. He currently works through a private studio at Omaha Clay Works and continues to show his work in both traditional and experimental art venues.

Jacqueline Bequette

Jacqueline Bequette is a Nebraska artist who at a young age was drawn to nature, writing, drawing, and losing herself singing into a tape recorder. Scolded for drawing crayon tulips on the underside of the coffee table, she remained proud of her garden. On her tenth birthday, the death of her father changed life as she knew it. Home life shifted to the abusive side.

That is the first time Jacqueline used art to nurture her. She spent hours drawing and writing poetry to access and release her feelings. This continued in high school as she added on classes in the arts, humanities, choir and theatre. Then found, was another love in psychology courses. Jacqueline started to see that there the connectedness of the arts, emotion and humanity. She continued to make art to express herself and her relation to others, and the world. The journey led Jacqueline to a double major in Art Production and Art Education K-12. She graduated with both degrees, married to her junior high sweetheart and a new baby in her arms.

Jacqueline went on to teach art with fervor in the public schools for over a decade, sharing her passion with over 3,200 students. And in 2006, the passing of her dear friend highlighted that life is short and should be full of personal passions. That is when she also took on her own studio at The Hot Shops Art Center to bring back her personal art and voice.

It seemed natural to start teaching from that location as well. Soon workshops were offered for adults, a girls summer camp, and collaboration with Methodist Hospital’s Express Yourself through the Arts program.

That led to further involvement in the community. Jacqueline has completed a mural with The Girl Scouts in conjunction with Westbrook Elementary School. She taught workshops for UNMC at the Life Renewal Center for cancer survivors. And teaching a group of women monthly in the private sector, she infuses art and social community. Working with WhyArts is a perfect fit. Jacqueline believes art can inspire, heal and transform not only herself, but others.

Currently, Jacqueline works from her home studio, offers workshops, and exhibits locally. Knowing that art can express life, and life can be lived as art, she feels passionate about helping others be empowered by their own self-expression

Jill Anderson

Actor/singer

Since I was a child, I have loved and found great joy in the free expression of performance. Music and acting have always come very naturally to me so it is no wonder that I focused those interests into my career. I have done concert work, cabaret shows, regional theatre, workshopping, teaching, directing, writing, composing, recording, commercial work, jingle singing, and voiceover. I have worked professionally in the arts now for 25 years and my work has taken me all over the country. The people I have collaborated with and the places I have been have enriched my life, and circulating in the world of professional performance has been edifying on more levels than I can name. Now, living back in my home town of Omaha, I am having to be creative about how I make my living. Quite unexpectedly I have stumbled upon Why Arts? My dear friend, Amy Kunz described her work for the organization with such passion and such a glow in her face that I couldn’t help but be curious. I am probably the newest member on the roster, my work beginning in early 2010, but so far, it has been an adventure filled with amazing rewards. The negative side of the professional performance world filled with ego, status, and desperate striving has no bearing on this work. To take artistic expression in it’s pure, unadulterated form and share it with people for no other reason than to in some way touch them, fortify and encourage them, make them think in a different way, reach or soothe them when they feel alienated or in pain is TRULY the greatest use of that expression. It has been a great gift to me this year and will hopefully continue to be so for many years to come! For more information about my projects and resume, please visit my website at: www.RedChairRecords.com

Jill Manhart

I have had the pleasure of working with Why Arts since its early beginnings as Very Special Arts. The value it places on sharing creative arts experiences with people of all ages and abilities is such a gift to our community and the world. The arts provide us a vehicle for self discovery and celebration of who we are at our essence. The arts are at the core of learning, discovering and communicating about the world around us. In a time when the arts are in jeopardy in our schools, it is a gift to have an organization dedicated to sharing the value of the arts with everyone.

The arts have played a critical part in my life and who I am today. I began my early career in textiles and costuming in the world of children’s theater, which sparked my interest in finding a path where I could work directly with children through the arts. After getting my Masters in Art Therapy, I went on to working with boys in a psychiatric facility to now my new found passion, preschoolers. To see the world through their pure, uninhibited eyes is inspiring me to fully immerse myself into the PROCESS of art making. Through Why Arts workshops, I have had so many wonderful experiences such as working with seniors creating clay faces to middle school youth making their own journals to creating community collages in respite care centers and to creating mandalas with people with developmental challenges. Why Arts has given me amazing opportunities to work with an array of beautiful people that have truly enriched my life and work.

Joseph Broghammer

Cairns are an artificial pile of stones often erected as landmarks.  Some mark a path or a burial site.  They can commemorate any sort of event, from the site of a battle to a place where a basket of eggs was dropped. Each of The Birds in this series represents an important moment in my life that I want to remember—whether it was good or bad.  They are life lessons that I’m sharing with you.  They are my cairns.

I use birds as a canvas or skeleton for my life experiences.  I chose birds because they are familiar to us all.  They build nests, some fly, some sing.  They are resilient and colorful. My goal was to chose birds with the qualities and color of the feeling I was experiencing. However, life and its decisive moments occasionally bow to the practical.  I spend hours drawing and that gives me a lot of time to think but sometimes I get hungry.  My favorite cereal is Lucky Charms, so occasionally yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers will find their way onto the paper.

The Birds are one of a kind pastel drawings and my intent is to push the medium of pastel and pencil to the point that it takes on an expressive, painterly quality.  In paint, you can be explosive.  The medium is wet and can be textured.  But drawing with pastels is a controlled, dry medium. For this series, I choose bold colors and did all of the creating, thinking, and drawing on the paper.  I’m working to create dry paintings.

I’m really a story teller.  But I draw my stories rather than speak or write them.

Josh Mullady

I am an artist, and I am fortunate to say this. I started as a wee lad with a Fraggle Rock drumset, and since then I was either playing music, drawing cartoon characters, or performing in a band, play, or whatever stage I could get my feet on.

I’ve lived my adult life knowing nothing else except I would be involved in the arts, and most likely teaching it somewhere. I’ve been fortunate to have had the experiences I’ve had. In the last 15 years I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be involved with somewhere near 150 productions, from my start as Eeyore at the Grand Opera House in Dubuque, IA, to my latest home in Omaha, Ne. Here, I’ve been a part of productions at The Rose; Omaha Community Playhouse; Brigit St. Brigit; SNAP! Productions; F-Troupe Collaborative; and SkullDuggery Productions. In between, I’ve performed with many other wonderful groups in the Midwest and down South I was a company member with the Texas Shakespeare Festival for three seasons.

I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa as the first person to receive all three emphases in Theater: Performance; Design and Production; and Drama for Youth. While there I acted, directed, designed scenery, lighting and sound, helped start a 10-minute play festival and stand up comedy night, was President of the Student Theater Association, a TA in both the classroom and the scenic studio, did workshops with people ages 5-85, and occasionally slept . It didn’t matter, because I was living my dream. I got to be whatever I wanted to be, and as an artist it was the perfect training ground.

Now, in Omaha, I get to take all of these past experiences and put them to good use as an artist with WhyArts? And for that, I again, am fortunate.

Kim Jubenville

I’m thrilled to be joining the Why Arts wonderful roster of artists. I’ve been acting professionally and semi-professionally for over 30 years. When I moved to Omaha almost 25 years ago I found an amazingly vibrant and diverse artistic community. I’ve participated as an actor, director, guest artist, mentor, drama coach and volunteer mom. I’ve taught through the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, VSA, Millard and OPS school districts . I have performed on many area stages, recorded a number of voice-overs for both commercials and film. I believe we all have gifts to share. I believe there is an artist in all of us regardless of age or our physical limits. We may not know where the artist lies or how the artist wants to emerge. But then, that’s my job: to ask it to “come out and play!”

Leslie T. Iwai

Leslie T. Iwai is a professional artist/sculptor with experience working in Nebraska, Africa, and Florida. Iwai holds an undergraduate degree is in Mathematics with a minor in Chemistry. She earned a Master of Architecture degree at Virginia Tech and has also studied in Switzerland. She has been widely commissioned for installations, public art and residencies throughout Nebraska. She has worked on local projects, such as the J. Doe project in Omaha, as well as a solo exhibition on her experiences in Sierra Leone, Africa. Iwai has taught at the University of Nebraska in both Lincoln and in Omaha. One of her best-known public art pieces, Sounding Stones, is located at Elmwood Park in Omaha, where she currently resides.

Iwai uses artwork to challenge students to think creatively and find value and beauty where they live. By focusing on the inherent value of any place, she emphasizes the importance of finding beauty in a seemingly unspectacular environment. With a variety of simple organic and everyday materials, Iwai uses methods such as sewing, folding and drawing to allow students to experiment with new ways to connect simple objects and create a new thing or story. In residencies, students are introduced to site-specific installation sculpture, and utilize simple, atypical materials to construct a collaborative artistic installation at their school or in their community. She leads them in individual and group experiences to understand how art physically transforms their immediate environments and encourages community engagement. “

Linda S. Meigs

I am a native of Omaha, and a graduate of the University of Kansas with a BFA in Printmaking. Upon graduation I abandoned printmaking because of its emphasis on “process” in favor of the spontaneity and immediacy of drawing. I began exhibiting expressive figurative drawings. As my life changed, so did my artwork.

After taking a ten-year sabbatical from art to concentrate on four children, I began exhibiting again the year our twins started preschool. My subject matter changed from figurative to the solitude of landscapes. I painted land that I was emotionally attached to. My art often interpreted and explored a particular location along the Platte River near Grand Island. This land was farmed by my family for five generations. It became my quiet place… my “Walden Pond” for resource material.

These days my identity as an “artist” seems to be overshadowed. I am commonly known as the “mill-lady” since taking on the preservation of Nebraska’s oldest business site…the historic Florence Mill. In 1998 I became founder, curator, director, tour-guide and janitor of a non-profit museum, along with creating an art gallery in the mill’s 2nd floor space. Renovation of the Florence Mill is a continuing project. In a sense the mill project functions as an art and history installation and draws from the same creative well as artwork. Inside the old miller’s office I create narrative jewelry using taxidermy eyes to explore personal stories. I call the jewelry Eyecons.

In “Before-Mill” life, I wrote and illustrated a children’s book,
“Nebraska from A to Z.” I exhibited art locally at Anderson O’Brien, the Artist Co-op in the Old Market, other regional locations and many national exhibits. My work is in private collections locally, nationally and internationally. My Omaha Public Arts project, “Birth of the West” (a J. Doe sculpture,) is inside the Florence Library/ Community Center. My “Benchmarks” art-bench is located outside the Florence Mill.

With the 2004 Christmas Eve loss of our son, Connor, my art resurfaced and is again changing. I see life and the world with different eyes. I seek meaning. My artwork is once again incorporating “process,” but it is a process including randomness, order, playfulness…and the transformation of accidents.

Lisa Kalantjakos

Visual artist/dancer

isa Kalantjakos has been a part of WhyArts? for two years now. Her diverse background and degrees in dance, education, and studio art have allowed for many rich art experiences with budding and experienced artists of all ages. Some of the locations at which she has conducted workshops and residencies include: The Douglas County Health Center, New Cassel Retirement Center, Heartland Family Services, Dora Bingel Senior Center, Quality Living Institute, Intercultural Senior Center, Seven Oaks, Maple Ridge Resort, The Omaha Children’s Museum, Ollie Webb, The Bemis Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as for Campfire and OPS at various OPS locations.

Lisa’s workshops focus on both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, as well as creative movement. The visual arts component focuses on drawing basics in graphite and charcoal, life drawing, advanced still life, painting with both watercolor and acrylic, collage, printmaking, and clay sculpture. Creative movement workshops include an exploration of space, meter, rhythm, floorwork, combinations, and many chances for participants to express themselves through their own choreography.

M. Michele Phillips

A mission that inspires, renown leadership, a roster of the area’s finest artists—who could refuse an invitation to join the ranks of WHY ARTS?  It is an honor to be involved with an organization that fosters such inclusiveness. My area of the arts is theatre and I have been an avid practitioner (acting and directing) since age six, when I coerced the neighborhood kids into defcon 1 performance mode. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in theatre from UNO, have acted and directed in venues throughout the metro and currently serve as the Associate Artistic Director of SNAP Productions. It has been beyond gratifying to perform in the Prevention Education outreach program sponsored by Completely Kids, and to be involved with the Nebraska Arts Council’s Artists in the Schools. Teaching is a favorite pursuit and I have taught classes in film, acting, improv, dialects and broadcast at UNO, UNL, Emmy Gifford Children’s Theatre, Ware House Productions, the Omaha Community Playhouse and MCC’s College for Kids. One great thing I’ve discovered about teaching is that the instructor typically learns far more from the students than the other way around.

Matt Bross

Educator/ Videographer

Matt has worked with Why Arts for four years as an educator and a photographer/videographer. He has documented numerous WhyArts projects by co-creating photography displays and short-form documentaries. As an educator, Matt has led workshops in acting, video production, photography, and visual arts. He holds a degree in Theatre from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and has been involved in the creation of music, theatre and film for over 15 years. Matt is the co-owner of Delinea Design, a multimedia design company.

“I enjoy working with Why Arts because it allows people of all backgrounds to open up and express themselves. I have seen people open up to find something new within themselves that they never knew they had. It is truly rewarding work for everybody involved.”

WhyArts? continues to partner with DelineaDesign

Michael Fitzsimmons

Composer

Michael Fitzsimmons is a percussionist, an award winning composer, and a performance and recording artist with Dancing Man Music.com. His most recent recordings include Skin on Skin (2002), which garnered him a Nebraska Arts Council Fellowship Award. Michael performs his Drums of the World concerts throughout the Midwest.

He is a leader of full day music workshops with Creative Healing for therapists, school teachers, hospital teams, and individual groups. He is a skilled performer of diverse percussion instruments including drums, African instruments, Mbira (thumb piano), Plains Indian flutes, Brazilian percussion flutes, various bamboo flutes, and Hang Drum from Bern Switzerland.

Michael says of his experience with WhyArts?… “I love my experiences with this program. In particular I love playing for and drumming with very special people at House of Hope, Munroe Meyers, University of Nebraska Medical Center, VODEC, Quality Living Inc. – all the places served by WhyArts! I love seeing the joy on peoples faces as they let loose and play drums and spontaneously break into dance. Their joy is infectious! I always leave these WhyArts? performances with so much more than I came with! It is a privilege to be part of a program that contributes so much to my community.”

Michael Murphy

Musician

I am a musician. I play, write, record, sing and perform music. It is my gift. It is what I am meant to do. Our world is a gift – the air, water, and earth – and we are to take care of and share that gift with everyone. I believe that we all have gifts, and like the world, we are meant to take care of, and share our gifts, or they will become something stolen from others.

I can’t remember how Carolyn of WhyArts? found me, or how she saw what I do as something for WhyArts? but I am ever so glad. Sometimes I get to teach the Native American Flute, along with its culture, at Munroe-Meyer. Some evenings I will get to share a sing-a-long, like I sometimes do at QLI. Whatever opportunity I get through WhyArts? I take with great anticipation, because I know that I am about to learn something. We all see the challenges, hardships, and handicaps of others, but to me they are all teachers and I need to find the lessons that they have to share. One great flute player said that if you play a flute for a beautiful woman, the song will write itself. WhyArts? is always reminding me how superficial beauty can be, and what real beauty is, and I hope that is reflected in my music.
One of my favorite places to go is the Ambassador. I really believe the greater the challenge, the greater the reward, and when I get to visit the young babies and children there, all I see are angels. Now for me, what can be better than to sing or play a song for an angel. Why Arts? Because it is the right thing to do, it is what we are supposed to do. Art is 99% inspiration, and as an artist if you don’t leave a WhyArts? workshop inspired, then you really don’t know beauty, and you really don’t know art.

April 2009. I just got some good news over the week-end. I was awarded the “Traditional Native American CD of the Year” be the Rural Roots Music Commission, part of the National Traditional Country Music Association.

Nils Haaland

Nils Haaland loves the art of storytelling in all its forms and is committed to passing along the knowledge and skills he’s acquired over the years to others eager to lean. Nils has earned many awards for his skills as an Actor. He has directed professionally for animated television programs and has earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Technical Direction from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Nils has worked as a staff educator/ actor with the Rose Theater. He has acted and taught workshops for The Omaha Community Playhouse, and with University of Nebraska -Omaha touring company, Shakespeare Unbound. Nils is thrilled and delighted to be working with Why Arts and honored to be included in its very fine roster of professional educators.

Patrick Kilcoyne

I began acting in high school both at school and at the Rose Theater. My senior year, I became a high school intern at the Rose and this experience solidified my desire to stay in the theatre for the rest of my life. I originally went to Creighton University to sing, act, and dance but while I was there, I began to gain more interest in the offstage elements of theatre; I eventually earned a BFA in Technical Theatre. While at Creighton I performed, production managed, ran crew, directed, did publicity work, and was able to design lights, set, and sound.

Theatre has truly changed my life for the better. Due to the profound positive impact theatre has had on my life, I have chosen to promote theatre and theatre education both as an educator and as an administrator. This has led to work with the Rose Theater, the Lexington Children’s Theatre, the Pride Youth Theatre Alliance, and the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.

These experiences have reinforced my beliefs about how beneficial theatre education can be in the development of young people. Many school subjects emphasize memorization, and the lines learned by actors certainly help this skill, but it goes so much beyond that. By speaking in front of an audience, a young person can learn confidence; the presence of this audience can help him or her learn to perform under pressure. When a young person is part of an ensemble, he or she learns to work as part of a team. Other skills such as speaking clearly, thinking quickly, the importance of deadlines and self-trust are also developed. I know that I have worked on all of these skills throughout my time in the theatre world and I look forward to seeing what else this art form will teach me.

Paula S. Wallace

“Much of my work has found its genesis in literature, theater, music, or the spiritual. While most of my work is figurative with an emphasis on the human face, my range of styles may be from representational to whimsical. Often I employ an uncluttered or almost austere background, permitting the viewer to be wholly engaged with the subject of the painting or print, concentrating on the intimacy of that encounter, the imperative of a glance or gesture.

I enjoy the collaborative process, understanding that collaboration is not only key to enriched creativity, but also to successful personal, professional, and community relationships. Art is the language of my work: to delight in beauty and to share in the human experience and its many emotions are aspects of that language. What better way to explore the themes and characters in the narratives we know as folk tale, in poetry, or stories of the day to day? Why not record our delight and dismay, our history and our astonishment through the lens of the artist, a visual language?

Art is its most powerful in context. Literature brings the might of word, art the visual might of the imagination. I marvel when I see work by artists who use a visual language to tell a story, to understand history and humanity, to give form to the word. So much can be said in a Chagall or a Caravaggio painting or in an illustration by Barry Moser or Arthur Rackham.”

Ms. Wallace is a graduate of the University of Iowa, with additional study in Chicago and Ireland. She maintains a studio at the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha, Nebraska, and exhibits widely. Her work is held in private collections internationally .

Portia Vivienne Love

I have been writing since I was 13 years old. In my childhood and early teens, I was very shy and unable to talk to people and learned to use writing to express my anger, feelings and fear.

At 15, one of my poems was chosen from a contest, all of the high schools in the United States and published in an Anthology. From then, I began to keep my writings. I have poetry book, Eclipses of the Sun, which was self-published with a grant from the Nebraska Arts Council. I have published numerous poems in the “Omaha Star Newspaper,” for two years I wrote a column in the Alzheimer’s Association of the Midlands newsletter, entitled “Forget Me Nots,” my essay, “The Alien,” was published in the Alzheimer’s Association Caretaker newsletter, I was the featured writer in the June, 2005, Fine Lines, a national, quarterly, creative writing journal, I published a poem and short story in Creighton University’s literary magazine, Shadows and also won an award from Creighton University for my short story, “Stories My Grandmother Told Me,” I taught poetry classes to teenage females at Girls, Inc., in Omaha, Nebraska. One of my students from this class received a college scholarship for winning second place in a national contest for the poem she wrote with my assistance, I taught poetry classes and have done poetry residencies for a number of organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs, Metropolitan Community College and Quality Living. These were done through VSA. I was the opening poet for the fourth annual Malcolm X Poetry Festival at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, I read my original poetry and taught a poetry writing workshop at Joslyn Art Museum, to coordinate with the jazz paintings, entitled “Portraits of Music I Love,” by world-renowned artist, Frederick J. Brown.

In addition I have been a professional singer in Omaha for over 10 years. I was lead singer for my father’s band for 9 of those years, sang with the choir at my church, for weddings, funerals and memorial services, and with different groups throughout the city of Omaha. Through VSA I conducted a number of singing workshops with developmentally disabled youth and adults, and groups of elderly at nursing homes and senior centers.

I believe that it is so important to expose our children to art. Teaching children to write or paint or create sculpture, etc, to express themselves, can alleviate some of their despair and acts of violence because we have given them other options. Also they get an opportunity to work with people who have a set of positive expectations for their behaviors and their success!

Rachel Vickrey

Growing up in a unique environment, with two parents as professional ballet dancers, I was surrounded by art from the moment I was born. Everything about dance, music and theater has always made sense to me and to this day is still a driving force in my life. Dance is a way of communicating, it goes far beyond it’s athletic appearance. There is a huge connection between art and humanity and I want to work for an organization that believes in enriching peoples lives through art! Everyone and anyone should be able to experience dance and that is why WhyArts? is the perfect fit for me.
I have been so lucky as a dancer. My professional career lasted for twenty two years as a member of several different ballet companies across the country. Although my career was longer than most ballet dancers, I always knew that it was important for me to look ahead to a future without performing. Instructing dance seemed the be the perfect progression, I love both children and dance so it made sense to head in that direction. Now I teach over 17 children’s dance classes a week at Robin Welch Dance Arts. My favorite part of teaching is that I get to pass on my love and passion for the art form. I get to do what I love and through WhyArts? I get to share what I do!

Roxanne Nielsen

I have had the great honor of learning movement, dance, and choreography from master instructors and I continue to learn about myself and how to be a better teacher from the students with whom I work. I have been a dancer, choreographer and instructor for most of my life and every project I am involved with offers me more wonderful learning opportunities. Dance / movement can be an empowering art from and is accessible to all. My experiences have led me to work with Alzheimer’s patients, students with learning disabilities, limited movement capabilities and low self-esteem. I have seen dance break through barriers of mistrust, communication issues and lack of confidence. I have witnessed joy, surprise, pride, collaboration and creativity take hold and grow. I have been blessed to work with many wonderful people in the arts community and my hope is to give back and share what I have learned with others.

I am on the Nebraska Arts Council roster, a board member and Teaching Artist for The ARTery, and I have served as a teaching artist for African Culture Connection and Diavolo Project: Nebraska. My training includes the National Dance Institute, Dancing Classrooms, and Diavolo in addition to workshops sponsored by the Nebraska Arts Council, the Lied Center for Performing Arts and many other locally sponsored workshops. I am thrilled to be part of the work of WhyArts?

Stacy Wonder

Stacey Wonder teaches inclusion through the arts.

She began her dance career in an unusual way. Following a spinal cord injury in 1994, she founded Wonder Wheels, a dance company that blends able body dancers(known as stand up dancers) with dancers using wheelchairs(known as sit down dancers). Wonder Wheels was modeled after the Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels. A dance school was developed to teach techniques used for inclusive dance for individuals with disabilities and able body dancers. Wonder Wheels dance troop has performed throughout the Midwest, entertaining its audiences and educating on inclusion. In 1998 Stacey received the Victory Award from Immanuel Rehabilitation for integrating back into the community and creating awareness and opportunities in the arts for other artists with disability.

As Executive director of VSA arts Nebraska, Ms. Wonder used Express Diversity to create disability awareness.  While working with VSA arts she was introduced to Arts for All program. This is a unique program uses a roller that is attached to the wheelchair and paints on to paper as the wheel chair rolls around. This rekindled her love for visual arts. Ms. Wonder returned University of Nebraska at Omaha the fall of 2001. While attending classes she taught art at Holy Name Elementary school. She also volunteered for AmeriCorps for two years. Graduating with a Bachelors in Studio Art with a minor in Art history and K-12 endorsement.

Ms. Wonders philosophy is encapsulated in the quote by Erica Jong, “Everyone has talent what is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the unknown place where it leads.”

Stephanie Anderson

After studying Dramatic Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska-Omaha I began working as an instructor and director with what was then called the Emmy Gifford Children’s Theater, and is currently known as the Rose Theater. In my 14 years with the professional children’s theater I directed countless productions including The Sound Of Music, The King and I, Bambi, The Boxcar Children and the national touring production of Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. As an instructor with the children’s theater I worked with children age 4-18 both as performers and as students in classes.

For the last ten years or so I have worked with Campfire USA; performing in two plays in local elementary schools. The first play, the Bubbylonian Encounter, serves to teach young children about inappropriate touch and what to do. The second play, The Adventures of Natalie the Net Nanny, teaches internet safety to upper-elementary students.

Although my background is primarily working with children, through my work with WhyArts? I have discovered a love for working with adults and senior citizens as well. Whether a person is 4 or 104, the arts have something to teach us all.

Tom Kerr

Artists

I’m a self-taught artist, and I have spent the better part of my career using lines, shapes and colors trying to get people to react. Sometimes I get a smile, sometimes the goal is to try to provoke anger. I use art to communicate-to tell a story, and that’s what I try to pass along to the children and adults I reach through the Why Arts program.By the way, I also teach cartooning because it’s fun.