Staff

Creative Co-Director

Claire LaRose is an interdisciplinary artist, educator and arts administrator, devoted to creative exploration and observation through interactive, process-based learning. She has been a Visual Arts Teaching Artist with ArtWorks for 6 years and has taught at numerous museums and arts organizations including the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the Museum of International Folk Art and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Before moving to Santa Fe, Claire served as the Artists in Education Director at Southern Exposure in San Francisco. Claire received her teaching degree from Bradley University and her Masters in Art History at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Program Co-Director

Katy Gross is a photographer, educator, multimedia producer, and mother. Katy has worked in the arts nonprofit world for 13 years, as Program Director for Youth Media Project, and Education Director and Co-Director of Little Globe. Born and raised in Santa Fe, NM, she fell in love with photography as a teenager when she took a black and white darkroom class at the local teen arts center, Warehouse 21. She holds an MA in arts education from NYU and a BA from Brown University in International Development Studies. She studied documentary photography at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, ME and at the former College of Santa Fe. She is passionate about creating opportunities for young people to be exposed to the arts and to find exciting ways to express themselves.

Teaching Artists

Melinda Baker (Visual Artist) is a watercolorist from the Monterey Bay area and began teaching art to children and adults with the SPECTRA Visting Artist Residency program after receiving her BFA in printmaking from University of California at Santa Cruz. With additional studies in illustration, textiles, and education, Melinda taught in Northern New Mexico with FACT (Fine Arts for Children and Teens) and accepted the Presidential Arts and Humanities Award during the Obama Administration. She also teaches with ARTsmart New Mexico, and the Santa Fe Community College where she developed a series called “Fearless Creativity”. Melinda enjoys developing art curriculum which encourages choice and strives to create an atmosphere of freedom and inspiration in her classrooms. Her work can be seen locally at Fine Art New Mexico.

Melissa Briggs-Bransford (Dancer) is a graduate of New York University/Tisch School of the Arts and Smith College. For over 20 years, she has taught young people ages three to university age in schools and arts programs in New York City, Brooklyn, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and Albuquerque. Melissa is currently on faculty at both NDI New Mexico and UNM. A former New York City resident, she was listed as one of “Gotham’s finest dancemakers” by The Village Voice, and has enjoyed artist residencies from several organizations, including the Joyce Theater Foundation and The Yard. Melissa has had work presented by numerous New Mexico organizations, including the Center for Contemporary Art, the N4th Theater, the University of New Mexico, the Railyard Performance Space, and in PERPENDICULAR.

Wendy Chapin (Visual & Theater Artist) is the Artistic Director of Adobe Rose Theatre and has taught acting to ages 7 – 70 for over 30 years. She directed such plays as Good People by David Lindsay Abaire and Gideon’s Knot by Johnna Adams. Wendy is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Directing Fellowship.

Joseph Ewatuya (Musician) is a musician, songwriter, producer, & teacher from Dallas, TX who is also working to raise awareness for Sickle Cell Anemia, an autoimmune disease that he currently lives with. In high school he became a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and continued to train as a classical & contemporary vocalist. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music, he went on to pursue music as an artist by the name of TEGA. Their music is influenced by jazz, soul, & electronic, and they are constantly innovating their music with each new project.

Moira Garcia (Visual Artist) is a multidisciplinary visual artist and experienced bilingual educator. She is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts and holds a Master’s in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico. Recently, Moira has partnered with the Museum of International Folk Art and the Identity Project as a visiting artist in the Santa Fe and Espanola Public Schools. This is her first year as an ArtWorks instructor.

Michelle Holdt (Visual Artist) is a bold & creative voice in the world of educational change. Michelle is an artist, a mom, and a passionate art education advocate. She brings her years of leadership experience combined with a commitment to access for all students. Some of her highly acclaimed workshops include The Art of Self Care & Lead with Your Humanity. She is also the co-producer of Arts is the Root. Michelle was the Founding Executive Director of Arts Ed Matters and the Arts & Restorative Learning Coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education. She truly embodies living an arts-driven life & makes the arts accessible for all she reaches. Michelle holds multiple degrees and credentials in education including a BA in Drama and Human Development from Harvard.

Lucy Ranney (Lead Teaching Artist) is a fiber and visual artist and a native of Santa Fe, who currently works in the public schools as a visiting artist and has been teaching in the community for a number of years. She studied Fine Art at the University of New Mexico and has a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies, as well as an MA in Spanish from Colorado State University. Lucy is passionate about connecting students to art in a hands-on, cross-cultural and multi-dimensional manner.

Ivy Ross (Musician) is devoted to a collaborative and creative vision of an emergent equitable world. She is a nationally recognized facilitator, musician, writer, and educator who addresses challenging social and environmental issues with compassion, critical thinking, playfulness, and flexibility. As Founding Director of IvyArts she has served as consultant, facilitator, and performing artist for a multitude of organizations nationwide including Children’s Defense Fund; Columbia Hospital For Women; Writers Collaborative; Young Audiences; Children’s Cancer Association; MyMusicRX; the Anti-Defamation League, and The Boys & Girls Club. She is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, bringing together musicians all over the country to record and perform original music. She is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Instructor, Hatha Yoga Teacher, Student Success Coach, and A World Of Difference Institute Trainer.

Oriana Lee (Poet/Visual Artist) (open to all pronouns; name preferred) identifies as an educator, entrepreneur, interdisciplinary artist, well-being coach, and mother of five. Lee earned a B.A. in English/Professional Writing with Teacher’s Certification (Tennessee State University), pursued an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy (Harding School of Theology), ordained as a Minister and certified as a Life Coach. For over 20 years, Lee has been on the leading edge of the home-education movement and has organized educational support groups, and developed curriculum across a diverse range of subject areas and ability levels. Lee has served hundreds of students in schools and organizations across New Mexico teaching visual arts, Hiphop, writing/poetry, and circus skills. Lee’s contemporary art practice includes recycled/upcycled art, visual, installation art, music, literature, performance, and circus arts. Lee is currently a member of Vital Spaces (Santa Fe, New Mexico) and founder of E.S.H.E. Wellness & Art.

Liberty Yablon (Visual Artist) is a Santa Fe native with over 10 years experience in creative industries including visual art, fashion, film production, and 5 years with local art collective Meow Wolf. She attended the University of Southern California on a Fine Arts scholarship where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2005 with a BA in Visual Arts. Before that she attended Santa Fe High, Alameda junior high, and Carlos Gilbert Elementary. She believes that visual art can be a great tool for attaining creative problem solving skills that can be applied to all aspects of life; as well as art being an invaluable tool to cope with mental and emotional difficulties. She worked as a public school art and theatre teacher for 3 years before joining ArtWorks and loves working with children and young adults of all ages and backgrounds.

Rulan Tangen (Dance) Rulan Tangen’s work explores movement as an evolving language of intercultual relation building, rooted in inclusion of diverse cosmologies from her own experience interwoven with those of cultural guides and artists with whom she co-creates. Her contemporary dance practice strives to serve as a functional ritual for transformation and healing, integrating concurrent universes of ancient futurities in the moment of now, expressing energetic connection with all relations – human and beyond. As Founding Artistic Director/Choreographer of DANCING EARTH, she has passionately cultivated successive generations of global Indigenous contemporary performing artists as intercultural ambassadors and conduits for social change She is recipient of the Kennedy Center Citizen Artist award for Service, Justice, Freedom, Courage, and Gratitude – and is grateful for all that roots her, for the dreaming and doing of Dancing Earth : moving the world into renewal.