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
Pamela O’Loughlin is a gifted creative, avid learner, and passionate teacher.
She is an innovative, thoughtful, and skilled educator; from budgeting supplies for activities to last-minute changes that tend to come up when dealing with multiple groups, classes, and organizations, Pamela handles any adverse situation seamlessly.
Pamela is passionate about brainstorming with teachers, students, and administrators. Believing that if she understands what needs to be taught, a creative activity can be developed. Grounded in her early efforts centered around social emotional work that pairs well with Ohio’s Social Emotional Learning Standards, she believes she can teach to any standard of which she has a clear understanding.…
Suzanne Ondrus
Creative Writing: Poetry
Suzanne Ondrus’ work explores cultures, identity, history, gender issues, racism, and women’s sexuality. Her first book, Passion Seeds, won the 2013 Vernice Quebodeaux Pathways Poetry Prize for Women, and its contest judge, Richard Harteis, in an introduction to the book writes: “These poems speak to both what we want to keep invisible, such as shame and racism and speak to what we want visible, desire and love. … Ondrus taps into both the dream world and reality so that the invisible becomes visible and audible.”
Changes: Suzanne was the 2013 Reed Magazine Markham Poetry Prize winner, a 2017 UNESCO World Book Capital featured poet in Guinea, Conakry, a 2018-2020 Fulbright Scholar to Burkina Faso, West Africa, and will be a 2022-2023 English Language Fellow to Nigeria.…
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.…
Hyacinth Paul
Visual Arts, Mixed Media & Fiber
Dr. Hyacinth Paul is a retired scientist and professor who started her career as an artist later in life. Her art works are both abstract and realistic; mostly done in oil’s, acrylics, and mixed media. Her paintings are very colorful because she believes color sparks synesthesia and involuntarily evokes feelings of joy. Her mixed media work is done in fiber and textiles from India. Sculptures made out of Recycled Saree Fabric are a new passion of hers. She is telling the stories of the immigrant Indian women and their contributions in almost every field in Dayton, OH.…
Mary Rekers
Music: Multi-disciplinary Music & Movement
A life-long music educator, musician, gardener, and bird watcher, Mary Rekers designs and leads music classes and special events that bring all of these to life! Her mantra: if it’s fun, they will learn!
As a musician and educator, Mary is ever mindful of bringing an audience to music appreciation through playful echoing of rhythm and tone patterns. Through this exploration, audiences and children become aware of their own ability to make music and to enjoy it! Simple folk dances and singing games add to the enjoyment and build a sense of community.…
Brianna Rhodes
Dance/Movement, Visual Poetry, Modern, West African, Afrobeats, & Hip Hop
Brianna Rhodes is an Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University Department of Dance. She formally danced as a fellow with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Currently, she is working with Dianne McIntyre and serving as a freelance dancer and dance teacher. Her talents span concert, street, and commercial dance. Primarily, she works with the youth teaching dance, along with dance history, in many corners of Columbus, Ohio. Her professional career has allowed her to perform at the Bermuda Dance Festival, in a Brazil tour group, and at City Center in New York.…
Marlene Robbins
Dance/Movement: Creative Movement & International Folk Dance
Marlene Robbins is a dance educator/dancer /choreographer who has been sharing her love of dance with people of all ages for over 40 years. Marlene was fortunate to serve as the Dance Specialist at Indianola K-8 for 23 years, teaching thousands of students and developing an integrated curriculum K-5 as part of a full-time arts program. Early in her career Marlene worked as teaching artist for the Ohio Arts Council developing works in schools and communities across generations, the Greater Columbus Arts Council Artists in the Schools program, and Days of Creation (Artist Collaborative dedicated to process-oriented experiences in the arts) where she developed dance residencies and workshops in schools, community centers and camps across Ohio.…
Rikki Santer
Creative Writing: Poetry, & Film Studies
Rikki Santer has worked as a journalist, magazine and book editor, co-founder and managing editor of an alternative city newspaper in Cleveland, poet-in-the schools, high school teacher of English and film studies, and director of a student writing center. Currently she is serving as a vice-president of the Ohio Poetry Association, education consultant for Film Columbus, member of the performing poetry troupe, Concrete Wink, and she holds an Ohio Department of Education Lead Professional Educator teaching license as well as National Board teacher certification.
She earned an MA degree in journalism from Kent State University and an MFA degree in creative writing from The Ohio State University.…
Mansee Singhi
Indian Dance/Movement
“To dance is to express!” is the mantra of Mansee’s life.
Mansee Singhi is a Columbus, Ohio-based Indian classical dance performer, choreographer, and teacher. Her artistry has been shaped profoundly by renowned Gurus from India since the age of seven, performing experiences in various countries such as Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and various places in the U.S. and collaborations with a multitude of artists in the field of dance and music.
Mansee has been a member of the United Nations Dance Council since 2012 and more recently joined the Board of OhioDance.…
Klaire Smith
Visual Arts: Printmaking
Printmaker and collaborative artist Klaire Smith was born in the hills of Southern Ohio and raised in Portsmouth, Ohio, the region and its beauty having always been a point of inspiration. Attending the University of Rio Grande, Klaire graduated with honors in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While in college they took a special interest in supplemental education methods and collaboration. Klaire was certified as a Professional Printer at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico studying lithography and was trained professionally as a collaborator. Personally, Klaire’s work touches on regionalism, Appalachia, and its social complexities.…
