MARINARTS - Key Persons
Adele Gilani Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in Sausalito, CA. It was founded in 2019 and ...
The Albert J. Boro Community Center, formerly Pickleweed Park Community Center, is a 24,000 s/f ...
Alma del Tango is a non-profit 501©(3) organization dedicated to encouraging artistic expression ...
Art Maker Studio is an art studio providing classes and camps for kids in Marin County. We ...
When vocal jazz artist Audrey Moira Shimkas considers Marin music venues, she first thinks of rock and roll and country music. She got a big break early on as a jazz musician, although she loves to combine many different genres. When she plays what she wants to play as an entertainer, she has a couple of country tunes, then some rock and roll tunes, though all done in a jazzy kind of way. She likes to mix up genres.
Audrey Moira Shimkas Jazz Ensemble is gonna' keep you entertained with swinging jazz standards ...
Daisy has been a passionate advocate for arts access and equity since 1992. She co-founded Fort Mason Artists, which provides art classes for elders, and has facilitated craftspersons in product design and business operations throughout her long career and specializes in traditional Italian crafts. Her company Daisy Arts Inc employed over 30 disabled adults to produce traditional Italian handcrafts at full wages. Daisy has helped craftspersons find income opportunities in Kenya, Peru, Italy, Indonesia, and Myanmar. Currently, she lends her expertise in development, strategy, and marketing to nonprofits in Marin County and beyond.
Dan is a modern jazz bassist/composer/producer with long-standing experience in online services including the launch of Consumer Reports Online and Discover Magazine's web site. He also holds a Master of Public Policy degree, with an elective focus on nonprofit management and media policy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Gregg is an attorney with Alliance in Petaluma. He attended college at UC Santa Barbara and law school at Santa Clara University. He resides in San Rafael with his wife, Stephanie. Gregg enjoys outdoor activities including biking through the beautiful hills of Marin County and is a huge fan of the San Francisco Giants.
Job Titles:
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
- Artes Latino Ambassador
Hilda's manages and coordinates programs in the social services, education, and the environment in the United States and in Latin American countries. She is the founder and President of Latinas In Power and co-founder of Marin Latino Leaders and serves on the Steering Committee for the City of San Rafael 2040 General Plan Development. Hilda has also served on the boards of numerous nonprofit agencies including Marin Conservation League, North American Association for Environmental Education, Marin Advocates for Children (CASA), Latino Council of Marin, and the Marin Hispanic Business Chamber of Commerce. Hilda has received numerous awards including induction into the Marin County Women's Hall of Fame in 2003 for her environmental work and the 2013 the Spirit of Marin Awards as the Community Volunteer of the Year. Hilda holds an M.A. in Education from Sonoma State University.
Kate Fitzsimmons is a freelance writer and fund development professional. Her writing skills were honed as a Contributing Editor to The San Francisco Review of Books where she interviewed John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Bobbie Ann Mason, Alice Walker and others. She works with businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs to assist them in raising their visibility through their stories. When she isn't writing, she is cooking for friends, collecting art or engaged in a good novel.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
Kathleen helped launch MarinArts, and served as the Marketing & Development Director during its first four years, building partner relationships across the Marin arts sector and the community. Before that, she worked in marketing communications for such North Bay arts organizations as Marin Theatre Company, di Rosa Art, and Lark Theater. She also had a long career as an artist and graphic designer. Kathie served on the Youth in Arts Board of Directors for twelve years and was a volunteer stage manager with the YIA Italian Street Painting Festival. She holds a BA in art from Sonoma State University and an MFA from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Youth
- Executive Director, Youth in Arts
Earlier this fall UPTAKE sat down with Kristen Jacobson, the recently hired executive director of Youth in Arts, to learn more about the organization and what's in store for arts education in Marin.
My name is Kristen Jacobson. I'm the Executive Director of Youth in Arts.
One is a lovely student named Anna, who was in our ‘Til Dawn Program for the entirety of her high school career. She credits ‘Til Dawn, specifically the mentor artist Austin Willacy and his impact, with really guiding her formative years - understanding who she is, advocating for who she wants to be and what she wants, and asking tough questions about herself the people around her. Just seeing Anna's ability to speak eloquently about the experience and the transformation, she speaks very eloquently about the ability to be mentored by a professional artist and a cohort of teens who were experiencing similar things she was, as she was developing and growing and learning.
Lauren Arrow is a powerful, engaging singer who has performed several recent Zoom programs through B&R for developmentally disabled adults at Cedars in Ross. She's also a teacher. She planned to teach a 50-to-60-person choir last winter, and all that had to change. She explained, "It was very much like the universe laughed at any plans I had for 2020. Working with a group that big ‘virtually' is impossible."
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
Linda directed the Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts for 13 years, where she held a number of positions within the performing arts within her 24-year tenure. Her creative arts management introduced multi-cultural, multi-generational and community programs while building community through partnerships with nonprofits, local businesses and schools. Cornerstone events included the popular Summer Nights Outdoor Series, the New Year's Eve Annual Comedy Showcase and the annual "An Evening with Paula Poundstone", as well as concerts from multiple musical genres, dances, literary events and films throughout the year. Linda was one of the founding board members of MarinArts.
Lyle Belger graduated from high school in 2020 and is taking a gap year before starting at Stanford in the fall. She has a beautiful voice, plays guitar, and brings a fun repertoire of pop songs to her audiences. She's volunteered for about six years. She feels she's grown as a musician, as well as a person, "Volunteering has gotten me through this year. Before, it was great to go in person and see the expressions on everyone's faces. Once the lockdown happened, I was worried I wouldn't be able to perform for them anymore, and I was looking forward to doing more during my gap year. Then Bread & Roses reached out and explained about the virtual shows. Now, I still get to see people sing along and to see their faces, so my audience's energy pushes me forward and motivates me to keep going."
Job Titles:
- B & R Communications Manager / Producer
B&R Communications Manager/Producer Marian Hubler said, "We've seen a steady upward curve among our performers expressing interest in and availability to do Zoom shows. Many of our performers are doing regular Facebook ‘live' shows or other virtual concerts on social media. Last year, we had a special initiative in our social media to share news of these regular live streams of our volunteer performers. Bread & Roses has expanded the capacity of our volunteer performers to share their music with isolated audiences during the pandemic."
As someone who took trumpet lessons from an early age and played on stage at the age of 13 with Louis Armstrong and his band, Guarneri understands the value of mentoring. Jazz in the Neighborhood created their Emerging Artists Program to provide aspiring jazz musicians with an opportunity to take part in the time-honored tradition of learning on the bandstand.
COVID has impacted this program's progress, but the hope is it will flourish in the future once bandstands are thriving again.
"Learning on the bandstand has always been a huge part of the jazz tradition," Guarneri explained. "We've had somewhere between 15 and 30 emerging artists, young people coming out of high schools or college programs, join us. Some of those kids have now become young professionals. Apprenticeships exist in other fields but not for musicians."
Mario Guarneri of Jazz in the Neighborhood agrees that being a musician is a profession that requires dedication and education. That's why he wants to see musicians get a decent wage rather than being reduced to playing for tips. Guarneri would also like to see more support coming from local schools, though he is grateful that teachers let their students know that his Emerging Artists Program and others like his that exist to help emerging musicians learn the skills to build their career, especially during these challenging times as music venues are struggling.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Director
- Executive Director of MarinLink
Mary is the Executive Director of MarinLink. She brings over 10 years experience helping community-minded people realize their dreams in Marin. Mary is also Board Member of the Marin Economic Forum and member of Marin Forum. A graduate of San Francisco State University, she holds an MBA in Strategic Leadership from Dominican University of California. She is currently Core Adjunct Professor at National University.
Job Titles:
- Editor UPTAKE Culture Feed
- UPTAKE Editor
- Writer and Editor
Pamela Coddington is a writer and editor. Full disclosure: She is a big supporter of the arts in Marin County and has done work with Youth in Arts, Image Flow Photography Center, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Smith Andersen North, and Headlands Center for the Arts. Pamela is a graduate of New York University with a B.A. in Art History, and holds a post-baccalaureate degree in writing from U.C. Berkeley. Pamela lives and works in San Rafael with her family.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the ADVISORY BOARD
Pam is the former Executive Director of Drawbridge (an arts program for homeless children in Marin). She has deep roots in Marin's art community as former Program Director at Marin Arts Council. She is currently the Executive Director of the National Basketry Organization.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Peter retired from the County of Marin as County Welfare Director in 1989. He then became Executive of Centerforce at San Quentin, a non-profit serving the families and children of California's 33 prisons. During that time he served on the San Anselmo Town Council, serving four times as Mayor. Peter is currently a Senior Fellow for the Child Welfare League of America in Washington DC.. Peter is the current the Board President of Side by Side, formerly Sunnyhills Services' in addition to serving on several other Boards in Marin. In his spare time, he is a member of the North Coast Rail Authority Board.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Secretary of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Business Management Coach for MarinLink, Inc
Richard is a Business Management Coach for MarinLink, Inc. and he enables non-profits to succeed by providing them with strategic and marketing planning advice with a focus on goal formation, fund raising, board governance and financial control. MarinLink promotes and executes community connections and collaborative projects in the arts, education, environment, health, and business communities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- President of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Tamara Hull, CPA with Janisse Hull in Novato, is passionate about the environment. As a member of Sustainable San Rafael, she promotes and advocates sustainability in areas of green building and waste management. In addition, she is an advocate for affordable housing and works closely with local government to create opportunities for low income residents. Tamara generously donates her time to many nonprofits by providing tax advice pro bono. In her spare time she races BMWs!