YouthCity Artways

YouthCity Artways Teachers

Visual Arts Music Dance New Media Theater

Visual Arts

Heidi Ferguson

Heidi Ferguson grew up in Sandy and graduated from Alta High. She then went on to the University of Utah to receive a BFA in printmaking. In printmaking she focused on Etching & Lithography. Being some one who likes to learn she also took classes in metal smithing, ceramics and many classes in drawing & painting. After leaving college she became interested in publishing prints into book form. Her training in the book arts have included courses at Penland School of the Crafts in North Carolina and at The Minnesota Center for the Books Arts were she was an artist co-op member. While living in Minnesota for the past 10 years, she learned many books structures and decorative paper techniques. These include making recycled paper, marbled paper, paste papers, Coptic journals, accordion books, long stitch books & Japanese stab bindings. Heidi enjoys gardening, bird watching, knitting and camping.

Paul Heath

Salt Lake City & Nostalgia are the primary themes for my artwork. If I had to categorize my work, I think it falls into the “Pop-Nostalgia” movement. I specialize in nostalgic interpretations of our urban landscape and my work is available for public & private commissions. I graduated from the U. of U. in 1985 and I work in a variety of mediums: from silkscreen, acrylic on plywood constructions, oils on canvas, and even ceramic tile.

Lenka Konopasek

I was born in the Czech Republic where I attended School of Applied Arts in Prague. After immigrating to the United States, I completed BFA degree in painting at the University of Utah and received MFA degree from the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. I did artist residencies in Vermont Studio Center, Chicago Art Institute and Little Falls, Minnesota. I have been teaching for over ten years at U of U, Westminster College, Visual Art Institute, Salt Lake Art Center, Rowland Hall School and other places. My primary interest is in oil painting but I also like to work in mixed media, printmaking and sculpture. My sculpture, Reflection Tree, has been commissioned as part of Flying Objects public sculpture series for downtown Salt Lake City. I have exhibited widely throughout United States and Europe. My work is represented in galleries in SLC, Denver, Seattle, Tulsa and Sedona, AZ.

Rob Marquardt

Rob Marquardt is a transplant from the midwest. He started academic life at the University of Dubuque in Iowa by getting a degree in environmental science. The republicans finally wrecked things in the mid 90s and a quick academic career change led him to Southern Illinois University where he received his Master's degree in analytical chemistry. A job offer lured him to Salt Lake where he stays because the weather is pleasant and no other place has yet caught his attention enough to make him move. Currently he works as an analytical chemist at a small local start up contract laboratory. At the avenues street fair one year, he saw a sign for pottery classes and signed up. Finding that it really seemed to scratch an itch, he just kept going with it. He took classes at Circle Pottery under direction of Don MacDonald until the school closed. Eventually, after finding no other local ceramics studios to set up in, he built his own. He signed on to the latest incarnation of Poor Yorick Studios under the direction of Brad Slaugh and continues to spend as much free time in his studio space as he can without disrupting his day job.

Tracey Matthews

Tracey Matthews graduated from the University of Utah with a secondary Art Education degree in 2005. Her emphasis in her coursework was painting and drawing, however she also studied sculpture, ceramics, graphic arts, photography, design and screen-printing. During school she worked as an assistant in the Education Department at the Utah Museum Fine Arts. In 2005 she was chosen to be an Arts Bridge scholar and taught printmaking with students at Wasatch Elementary. She has worked with all age levels, and completed her student teaching at Taylorsville High School in the spring of 2006. She has continued her work in the museum education field and currently works at Discovery Gateway as the School Education Coordinator, in addition to being an instructor for Youth City.

Lisa McAfee-Nichols

Lisa McAfee-Nichols has worked as an arts educator for ten years in Salt Lake City teaching art to 1st through 6th grades. In 2004 she received an artist residency from Salt Lake Arts Academy where she taught Printmaking to 5th through 8th grade students. In 2006 she taught children with disabilities in the intensive unit at Meadowlark Elementary. In 2007 Lisa worked as a teaching artist at Wasatch Youth Center working with youth in custody on a mural project for the facility. Lisa is originally from Newport Beach, California where she obtained her BFA Degree in Drawing and Painting, with a Minor in Printmaking from California State University Long Beach. She is currently working on her Master in Teaching at the University of Utah focusing on Secondary Arts Education. Lisa’s own paintings and woodcuts have been privately commissioned and exhibited in California and Utah.

Tracy Strauss

Tracy received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art from the University of Utah in 1998. Her favorite art media are printmaking, photography and drawing. Tracy began working for YouthCity Artways in 1999 at the Jewish Community Center, Camp Creative. She has been involved in the completion of several murals YouthCity Artways has created. She has organized and facilitated art making activities for participants of all ages at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake for YouthCity Artways. Projects have included "glow in the dark self portraits" at the Lights-On Celebration and hand pulled fish prints at the Fish Festival.

Louona Tanner

Summary: *Teacher of art books for Youth City Artways * Presenter and chairman of the Treasure Chest Program University of Utah * Workshop instructor for the University of Utah Book Arts Program and Utah Calligraphic Artists Association. * Instructor for Utah Humanities Council “The Art of Illumination” * Twice president of the Utah Calligraphic Artist Association * Employed by the Jordan School district for 12 years Education: Bachelors Degree in art from Weber State University 4 years of book art classes from the University of Utah Participation in numerous workshops on book art techniques and calligraphy Participation at Calligraphy national conventions. Book artist and Calligraphy: Works exhibited at Springville Museum of Art, Odgen Eccles Center, University of Utah Marriott Library, Rio Grand Gallery, Covey Center for the Arts, various Salt Lake City and County Libraries, and calligraphy national conventions.

Roger Whiting

Roger graduated Rhode Island School of Design in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. Since graduation he has painted murals in numerous locations including The Children's Museum of Utah, Hill Air Force Base, and Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Roger's YouthCity classes have included Zines, Comic Making, Puppet Theater, Robotics, Web Creations, Piñata Party, Experimental Art, Mural Making, and Lego™ Filmmaking. Roger currently teaches art at Midvale Middle School in the Jordan School District. Examples of his artwork may be seen at: www.rogerwhiting.com

Music

Laura Bayn

I am a Board Certified Music Therapist and I've been an instructor with YouthCity Artways since 2000. I received my degree from Utah State University in Music Therapy. Prior to this, I studied as a percussion performance major at the University of Utah. I love teaching and sharing my music with all people, especially children and those with disabilities. In addition to being a YouthCity Artways Instructor, I teach private music lessons, volunteer in various schools helping to create music based opportunities, and perform in my community in Davis County on piano, percussion, flute, and guitar.

Maggie Beers & Julie Mark

Maggie Beers and Julie Mark have been playing and teaching music in Salt Lake City for many years. They have performed in concerts, festivals, benefits, private functions, special occasions, and more. In the summer they perform at Ruth’s Diner, in the winter at Alta and Deer Valley. They have participated in the Utah Arts Festival, Park City Arts Festival, and the Salt Lake Brown Bag series. In addition, they’ve worked with the Children’s Dance Theatre, writing and performing their music, and traveling to elementary schools to perform with them. Both Maggie and Julie teach group guitar lessons to kids through YouthCity Artways. Julie teaches private guitar lessons at the Alan Weight Music Studio and for Westminster College. Maggie plays music at local care facilities for those with Alzheimer’s Disease. Maggie and Julie have released their third collection of original songs entitled “Perennial.”

David Payne

David Payne loves music and loves to share it. He has taught privately, at the Paul Green School of Rock Music, and has pioneered successful scholastic rock and roll at the Rock'n'Roll Academy. He also has one of the finest shmups collections in the U.S, and is never caught playing in less than four or five groups around town, singing, playing, composing, recording/mastering, and producing. You can currently catch him on the Drums, Sitar, Keytar, Guitorgan, Piano, Bass, and Guitar. He's also slowly working on a book entitled 'One Million Jokes- all guaranteed to be got'.

Dance

Breezy Berryman

Breezy hails from the halibut fishing capitol of the world, Homer, Alaska. In 1997, she moved to New York and in 2000 graduated from New York University-Tisch School of the Arts with her BFA in Dance. She is currently working on her Masters of Fine Arts at The University of Utah and dancing with The Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. While attending Tisch, her piece “Bound” was selected to be in the Retrospective Concert for The Second Avenue Dance Company. Since graduation, her work has been seen at: The 92nd Street Y, The Cunningham Theater, Dancers Responding to Aids, Dancespace’s Raw Material, The Elizabeth Pape Scholarship Allocation Fund Performance at Dancespace, The Dumbo Arts Festival and Cool New York Festival, DanceNow NYC, Hatch, SUNY-Potsdam, SWEAT-Hoboken, NJ, The Wow Café, The Joyce-Soho Presents and The Dance Sampler at Symphony Space among others. She Co-Curated the first “In the Company of Women” at the Williamsburg Arts NeXus in 2003. Residencies include The Bessie Schonberg Residency at The Yard, and Robin Staff’s Residency at The Silo. She has taught at: Adelphi University, Rhombus Dance, Marianne’s school of dance, The University of Utah and most currently with Youth City Artways.

Corinne Cappelletti

Corinne Cappelletti received her Interdisciplinary Studies B.A. from Goucher College in 2001. She studied Anthropology, Dance, and Photography at Goucher and in Ghana, West Africa Bali, and Java, Indonesia. Corinne has developed a teaching technique that is collaborative and exploratory. She integrates digital technology, individual voice and world traditions. Recently drawing from somatic practices, such as Laban Movement Analysis, Yoga, Alexander Technique and Qi Gong, her work is diverse. In Italy she worked with NYU and InfoMus Lab to compose dance with interactive technologies, musicians, and dancers. Corinne recently left her teaching and performing career with InfluxDance in Boston, Massachusetts as well as Falling Up and New Dance Collective in Portland, Maine to pursue her MFA at the University of Utah’s Modern Dance Department.

Jasmine Draper

Jasmine Draper loves teaching dance and music classes to all ages. She began dancing at age five and has continued ever since. Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Instrumental Performance from Weber State University, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She plays the flute and piano and enjoys composing and arranging music in her spare time. She currently teaches music and dance classes for YouthCity Artways and also works as a dance specialist for Tanner Dance.

Arwen Ek

Arwen Ek is a teacher, student and performing artist from Salt Lake City, Utah. She recently received her Bachelor Degree from the University of Utah in “Integrated Arts”, a degree that she created combining music, dance and theatre with physics and philosophy. For the past five years, Arwen has been training in various movement and theatre techniques with Jerry and Jean LaSarre Gardner. She is a company member of Rakan Butoh Dance Theatre and has performed extensively in Utah, Chicago and France. Arwen has taught with Youth City Artways since 2006, and also teaches dance and French at the Salt Lake Arts Academy. Arwen is a passionate teacher and is always looking for innovative approaches to arts pedagogy with youth. Arwen’s teaching expertise ranges from Eastern and Western theatre, mime, creative movement and contemporary dance, to French, chess and meditation.

Karin Fenn

Karin enjoys dancing with people of all ages and abilities. She began her dance and theatre training in Santa Barbara, CA. Later she migrated to Salt Lake City, where she earned a BFA, and MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. After her BFA, she joined the Ririe/Woodbury Dance Company where she performed, choreographed and taught throughout the United States, Europe, and South Pacific for 7 years. During this time, she was also a rostered artist with the Utah Arts Council’s Artist’s Bank. Karin left Salt Lake City in 1992 for a 3-month Arts in Education Residency in American Samoa; that lasted for 4 years. She taught language and social studies, for elementary schools, studied traditional Samoan Dance and cultural arts, created an integrated language and dance curriculum for the Headstart Program, and taught creative dance residencies to over 2,000 children. From American Samoa, Karin traveled to White Rock, British Columbia, where she took a hiatus from dance to raise her two children. Later she accepted an adjunct position at Western Washington University for three years. While at Western, she conducted integrated arts workshops for elementary schools in Whatcom County, WA. For the past three years, Karin has been teaching for Tanner Dance’s Arts in Education program at many Salt Lake Valley schools, reaching an average of 500 students per semester. She has also been a member of the dance company Raw Moves for the past three years. Karin loves teaching and believes that the inherent joy of dance creates community, confidence, and a lasting sense of accomplishment.

Halima Hanni

Halima Hakim Hanni is a native of Peru. She is proud to have spent four years in the Iowa cornfields during her undergraduate studies. A recent University of Utah MFA graduate, Halima is thrilled to teach dance for YouthCity Artways. Halima began dancing in the living room at age two, and now hopes to instill a passion for movement in children.

Hillary Jean Van Moorleghem

Hillary Jean Van Moorleghem, raised in the lush Oregon hills of the Willamette Valley, currently unites her passions for dance and mentoring children in Utah, with Youth City Artways, where she is a specialized instructor of dance. Her B.F.A in Modern Dance was earned at University of Utah's Modern Dance program in 2008 along with a minor degree in Nutrition. She also teaches dance in after-school programs through Central City Recreation Center and dances in local productions in the Salt Lake City area. To know more, visit www.hillaryjean.com.

Anna West

Many arabic cultures believe every child is born a dancer, and that is the philosophy behind Anna West's belly dance classes. Anna's students love being imersed in the culture, costuming and music of belly dance. Her students reap physical benefits of belly dance like endurance, flexibility and coordination. But, more importantly, Anna is a devoted mentor, teaching and modeling social skills, confidence, creativity and positive body image. Anna has performed since 2003 with the advanced urban tribal belly dance group, Dragomi. Directed by Fvorboda, Dragomi creates palpable power on stage with their rare combination of sisterhood, physical energy, and unique costume. Anna owns Illusial Studios, in Salt Lake City and studies hip hop with Transfusion Hype Dance Company. Learn more at www.illusial.com

New Media

Kerri Hopkins

Kerri Hopkins is a media artist originally from Buffalo NY. She moved to Utah in 2004 to pursue her MFA in film. As she moved from photography into filmmaking, she developed a love for animation, and the process of and making her films one frame at a time. She enjoys helping young people learn about and appreciate these art forms.

Rachel Laser

I graduated American University in Washington DC with a Bachelors of Art in Sociology. While in DC I interned with a non-profit called Critical Exposure: an organization that encourages the development of education equity through documentary photography through youth development, public engagement, and policy change. I developed curriculum and helped select pictures and installed the exhibit. I have also worked for NPR in the Youth Voices program teaching high school kids to tell stories through radio. All the while I would spend my summers at Pierce Camp Birchmont in New Hampshire working and mentoring kids and staff for five years.

Darin Tinney

Darin is a graduate of the film department at the University of Utah. In addition to being a freelance video producer, Darin has also worked for KSL-TV and KJZZ-TV. He has produced training and promotional videos for private businesses and public agencies. Darin has also worked as an assistant producer on a public television historical documentary as well as having written, directed and produced a number of films of his own.

Theater

Arwen Ek

Leslie Ford

Leslie Ford has a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After moving to Salt Lake in 2002, Leslie started working for YouthCity Artways teaching Basic Acting and Theater in the YouthCity after school program and to kids from The Road Home, as well as public Acting classes. She is also the theatrical director for the Liberty Park Players, a teen theater program that performs Shakin’ Up Shakespeare annually at the Utah Arts Festival, and participates in the Fall Harvest Festival at Tracy Aviary. Leslie loves visual art as well, and teaches a super fun collage class at YouthCity at Liberty Park. In addition to her work with youth, Leslie volunteers for the Underground Artist Association and for the Utah Arts Alliance, where she staged a production of Christopher Durang’s Wanda’s Visit in 2005. In May of 2007, Leslie and her husband Brad welcomed their first child, Sofia Rose Elizabeth. Leslie loves being a mom, and is excited for Sofia to grow up and join the YouthCity programs.

YouthCity Artways

YouthCity's Arts Education Program