Padma Chebrolu
Indian Dance/Movement
Padma Chebrolu is an accomplished teaching and performing dance artist and is the artistic director of the Cultural Centre of India (CCI) which she founded about 30 years ago in Cincinnati. Her exemplary artistic abilities, leadership, and creativity have created tremendous impact on the arts education and public appreciation for the heritage arts in Ohio’s schools and community organizations.
Padma is the recipient of the 2021 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) in recognition of the dedication and significant contributions she had on the community through the advancement and preservation of traditional arts.…
Amy Dennison
Music, Wind Instruments, Instrument Making, & Active Music Making (preschool – seniors)
Amy Dennison retired in September 2021 from the University of Cincinnati (UC) College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). During her 20-year tenure at UC she held the positions of program manager, director, director of education and assistant dean. She is the coauthor of “One Voice – Music and Stories in the Classroom.” Primarily a woodwind specialist, Ms. Dennison also plays several string instruments including the mountain dulcimer, the cello, and most recently, the ukulele. She performs in a harp/flute duo, the New Horizons Orchestra (cello), and the wind player in the Twi-lites, a cover band that features music for the baby boomer crowds.…
Zak Morgan’s sense of humor and penchant for wordplay are gifts passed down from his grandpa George. Zak and his siblings grew up hearing wonderful stories about magnetic feet, kissing the Blarney Stone, and catching a lion with bare hands. Zak began writing his own stories in elementary school and honed his writing skills at Kenyon College. He did this while having adventures of his own, including ascending Mt. Rainier and sailing across the Atlantic. After college, Morgan moved to Wyoming where he entertained children during the day and adults at night.…
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.…
Carol Tyler
Visual Arts, Comics & Graphic Novels
Carol Tyler is an influential pioneer of American Comics, known for her beautifully written and drawn by hand autobiographical stories.
Carol was born and raised in Chicago, received her Masters from Syracuse in 1983. After some years in NYC, she moved to San Francisco and began getting her comics published in R. Crumb’s Weirdo. In 1988, Carol received the Dori Seda Memorial Award for Best New Female Cartoonist.
Carol has many books, including the graphic masterpiece “Soldier’s Heart: The Campaign to Understand my WWII Veteran Father, A Daughter’s Memoir” (2015) which began as the “You’ll Never Know” trilogy.…
