Sierra Leone
Entrepreneur, Poet, Wholistic Urban Creative Arts, & Theatre
Poet, producer, activist, educator, and entrepreneur Sierra Leone captivates audiences with her unassuming ingenuity, profound insight, and comedic sense of “knowing.”
A Governor’s Award winner and writer, Sierra is the president and artistic director of OFP Theatre and Production Company. For more than a decade, Ohio has benefited from Sierra’s vision of creative urban arts as a powerful artistic medium to bring communities together across racial, cultural, ideological, and economic divides. Her project “The Signature: A Poetic Medley Show” presents a hybrid of urban poetry, music, dance, and visual arts from local, regional, and international talent.…
Ami Majmudar
Dance/Movement: Classical Indian Dance, Creative Writing, & Storytelling
Ami Majmudar is a teacher, author, storyteller, dancer, and choreographer. With a degree in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of California at Davis, Ami began her career as a high school English teacher. While raising her three children, Ami began writing short stories and then books. Her debut novel, The Torchbearers, published by Penguin India, was shortlisted for the Neev Book Award for Distinguished Children’s Literature.
Ami learned Bharatanatyam over a rigorous sixteen-year period from her Guru, Mythili Kumar, artistic director of the Abhinaya Dance Company.…
Ray McNiece
Drama/Theatre: Performance Poetry & Storytelling
Ray McNiece is the author of eight books of poems and monologues, most recently Breath Burns Away, New Haiku. He has created two solo theatre works: Dis – Voices From a Shelter and Us? Talking Across America; two music/poetry collaborations: “Mouth Music” and “A Rust bowl Hootenanny;” and an autobiography on stage: The Lives of A Poet. The Orlando Sentinel reporting on Ray’s solo show at the Fringe Festival called him “a modern day descendant of Woody Guthrie. He has a way with words and a wry sense of humor.” In a review of Us?…
Vicki Murphy
Visual Arts: Mosaics
Vicki Murphy is a mosaic artist who works primarily in Ohio and New Orleans. She has trained extensively with master mosaic artist Laurel True of True Mosaics Studio for many years focusing on studio work and professional development in large scale public art. She worked with True on multiple projects in New Orleans including the Global Mosaic Project and Universal Garden’s Lotus Fantasy Bench, the Green Project, and the Edible Schoolyard murals. Vicki’s combined years as artist, educator and licensed social worker give her a unique perspective regarding the healing power of art and the beauty of creative expression.…
Pamela O’Loughlin
Multidisciplinary: Dance, Creative Writing, & Visual Arts
As a multidisciplinary artist, I do not begin with a predetermined style. Instead, my creative process is driven by the unique challenges, opportunities, and questions presented by each project. The problem, situation, or invitation itself becomes the catalyst that shapes the final work. Whether working in paint, sculpture, mixed media, installation, or public art, I approach each commission as a process of discovery. Researching, listening, observing, and developing solutions that respond authentically to a specific place and audience.
In recent years, I have completed several large-scale murals and public-facing projects. These experiences have deepened my interest in creating artwork that transforms environments, invites curiosity, and fosters connection.…
Meghan Patijarevich
Dance/Movement: Ballet, Modern, & Jazz
Meghan Patijarevich is an imaginative and energetic dance educator. She is a native Ohioan and currently resides just outside of Columbus with her husband and daughter. Meghan enjoys bringing creativity, energy and a love of dance into each class she teaches. Her goal is to provide quality dance instruction while maintaining a positive and encouraging learning environment.
She is a graduate from The Ohio State University where she received a Masters of Arts in Education with an emphasis in Dance Education. She studied under Professor Melayne White-Dixon. Prior to that, she received her Bachelors of Arts and K-12 teaching license in Dance from the University of Akron.…
Stephanie Stewart
Visual Arts: Acrylic, Mixed Media Collage, & Bookmaking
Stephanie Stewart is the multimedia artist and owner of P31 Art & Design. She has been a contributor to the arts and culture sector for many years and has built a creative business from the ground up. Stewart consistently produces original works of art that are used as a central point of inspiration for all of her handmade products and print goods. Stewart works in the mediums of acrylic paint, watercolor, and mixed media content. With her love for art with a focus on the contemporary genre, Stewart’s artwork has been exhibited in galleries and art venues throughout northeast Ohio.…
Kerri Wilde
Dance/Movement
Kerri Wilde firmly believes that dance builds community and that each dancer brings energy and creativity to each class, allowing them to collaborate to create a dance that is uniquely theirs. Kerri views her role in the dance process as to encourage the development of ideas, to encourage dancers to tell their stories through movement, and to provide a safe environment where all ideas are welcomed and encouraged. She believes dance can help students express their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
In an education environment, Kerri’s goal is to collaborate with teachers and show them how concepts from history, language arts, science, math and other art forms can be expressed through dance.…
