ARTSNOW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Music Consultant
Barry is a professional actor, storyteller and arts educator based in Atlanta. A graduate of Harvard University with an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of San Diego, Barry is also on the faculty of Lesley University's M.Ed. Program in Integrated Teaching through the Arts. Barry has performed at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre, the Florida Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Rep, and Studio Theatre in D.C., as well on such local stages as Theatrical Outfit, Theatre Emory, Horizon Theatre, and the Atlanta Shakespeare Theatre. Barry is a performer and teaching artist with the Alliance Theatre, Georgia Wolf Trap, Georgia Council for the Arts, Fulton County's Teaching Museum, and Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning. He also teaches workshops in drama integration at numerous colleges and universities.
Job Titles:
- COO
- Executive Vice President
Job Titles:
- Chief Marketing Officer & SVP, Milliken & Company
As a mother of three, digital marketing executive, and life-long learner, it is clear to me our education system needs a transformation that puts the student at the center. The approach ArtsNOW takes by integrating the arts into core curriculum is brilliant. Infusing creativity naturally encourages students to unleash their curious minds. I am honored to be associated with this work and the impact it will have on students today and in the future.
Job Titles:
- Senior Principal of Arts & Cultural Division, Blackbaud
As a parent of two children who have gone through the public school system, I've seen firsthand how they engage and learn differently. I am proud to leverage my technology background to help ArtsNow to reach new audiences, become a world-class fundraising organization, and expand our integrated approach into as many schools as possible.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Artist
- Dance Consultant
Julie Galle Baggenstoss is a full-time teaching artist who uses dance as a vehicle to explore the world. She has spent over 20 years working nationally as a flamenco artist in K-12 schools and is a published scholar. Julie is an adjunct lecturer in the dance program at Emory University and a collaborator with Mathematics in Motion, which presents math-inspired choreographies. She is a former instructor at the Atlanta Ballet. She has choreographed and performed for clients, such as Georgia State University School of Music, the Atlanta Opera, the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, The Flame Foundation in Dallas, Coves Darden P.R.E., Coca-Cola, and Visa.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Dance Consultant
- Integration Specialist
Laurin is a movement integration specialist with over ten years of in-classroom teaching experience and is focused on K-12 Teacher Professional Development and Teaching-Artistry in the classroom. Laurin is passionate about using movement to motivate and teach across all curriculums and was recently appointed the project manager for Georgia's Department of Education's Dance Standard revisions for K-12. Laurin holds a BFA in dance performance from Brenau University. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and when she's not dancing, you can find her spending time with family and collecting rare plants.
Job Titles:
- Consultant in September 2006 and Taught at the University of North Carolina
- Music Consultant
Maribeth joined ArtsNOW as a consultant in September 2006 and taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Appalachian State University. She is sought after internationally as a consultant and clinician in the areas of choral music education and as an Orff specialist. Maribeth is currently President of the Southern Division of the National Association for Music Education and previously served as president of both the North Carolina American Choral Directors Association and the North Carolina Music Educators Association. Maribeth earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Lenoir-Rhyne College, as well as a Master of Music Education and a PhD in Music Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Job Titles:
- Confluence Educational Consulting
As an educator and consultant to schools, I see the unique and transformative impact that ArtsNOW has on students and teachers. The integration of the arts builds creativity, critical thinking, and confidence in ways that meet the diverse needs of students across schools. I have seen how ArtsNOW brings joy and energy into a school community in ways unmatched by traditional professional development.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Dance Consultant
- Dance Education Consultant
Melissa is a Dance Education Consultant and choreographer and works with Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, Brenau University's dance department, and other arts organizations in the southeast. As a dance educator, she has taught in the public schools of North Carolina and Georgia, Atlanta Ballet, Brenau University, co-authored the Gwinnett County Public Schools dance curriculum, and served on the team to review the Georgia dance standards. Melissa received her BS in Dance Education and minor in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Melissa has won numerous awards for her choreography and she presents at conferences and professional development workshops sharing her love for dance and its place in every classroom.
Job Titles:
- Group Executive, Indicor, LLC
As the child of educators and someone who personally benefited from the arts in my education, I believe in the power of integrating the arts into a comprehensive education. I'm particularly impressed by ArtsNOW's data-driven approach demonstrating how their programs improve results for students in STEM studies.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Music Consultant
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Visual Arts Consultant
Shannon, a former museum educator at the High Museum of Art, is a practicing visual artist and has created installations for Art on the Belt Line in Atlanta, Dashboard Co-op and Flux Projects. She is the co- founder of the Indie Craft Experience, a local organization featuring hundreds of local, regional, and national artists. Her classroom experience includes working with students and teachers to integrate visual art into curriculum and promote visual literacy. She is currently merging science and art through the process of creating natural pigments and paints from native rocks and plants. Shannon holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and studio art from the University of West Georgia and is also certified from the National Center for Montessori Education. She is passionate about working with students and teachers to create meaningful connections through the arts.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Developement
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Theater Consultant
Susie has been acting and teaching theatre arts for more than 30 years, with a long resume in television and film. She is currently the Director of Synchronicity Performance Group's Playmaking for Girls community outreach program, developing curriculum and training a teaching staff of 15 female artists to empower teen girls in Georgia detention centers and DFACS Group Homes as well as refugee girls in their playwriting and summer programs. As a former program director for The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company in Los Angeles, Susie developed curriculum to help imprisoned boys write plays and perform in front of large audiences. Susie teaches Film acting classes and Meisner Technique acting classes to adults and children in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Visual Arts Consultant
Taylor Spreeuwers is an art educator with over 15 years of experience in the classroom. She spent half of her career teaching middle school art in the public school system. The other half has been in her private home art studio, where she teaches home-schoolers, after-school art classes, and summer art camps. Since 2018, Taylor has returned to the public school system setting in various forms as an Artist in Residence, art consultant, and occasionally as a substitute at her children's elementary school. Taylor believes visual art is a tool for connection and creativity to open the mind and explore all subject areas, ourselves, and the world around us. Taylor has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art Education from the University of South Carolina and a current teaching certificate from the State of South Carolina. She is also a working freelance artist. Her hand-built clay sculptures and painted murals can be seen in local establishments and private homes in the Columbia area.
Job Titles:
- Arts Integration Specialist