Candido Crespo is more than an artist; he is a storyteller, an educator of eighteen years, and a devoted father whose work pulses with the vibrancy of everyday life. A graduate of The State University of New York at New Paltz and at Stony Brook, Crespo spent years refining a multidisciplinary approach that dances between the precision of drawing and the tactile, layered worlds of printmaking and collage. Today, his practice is a celebration of the human experience. Whether through the athletic energy of his Hoop Screams series, the cultural resonance of the Vejigante mask, or his intimate explorations of Fatherhood, Crespo's work invites the viewer to find joy in the complex. Beyond the studio, he is a catalyst for community. Through his creativiDAD project, he empowers fathers and male guardians to embrace creativity as a vital parenting tool, proving that art isn’t just something you look at—it’s something you live.
Sheila Daniels, a multi-disciplinary theatre-maker based in Seattle, is an associate professor at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University. She teaches directing, acting and devising. Her theatre credits include directing at Seattle Rep (Indecent, Dancing at Lughnasa), ACT (The Wolves, The Ramayana), Strawberry Theatre Workshop (Lydia, The Bridge of San Luis Rey), Seattle Shakespeare Company (A Winter’s Tale, Pericles, Macbeth), Seattle Children’s Theatre (Jackie & Me), and Intiman Theatre (A Streetcar Named Desire, Crime and Punishment), where she served as associate director under Bart Sher from 2007-2009. Her devising work has been commissioned by Tacoma Museum of Glass, UMO Ensemble, and her own company, Baba Yaga. Productions in 2026 include Gypsy: A Musical Fable with Cornish and Jiehae Park’s The Aves at ACT Theater. Daniels is in the multi-year process of making the documentary Hidden Bodies: Stereotyping and Shaming of the Femme Body in American Theater.
Lynnette Gilbert is an associate professor of art education at Arkansas Tech University and the director of the Windgate Summer Art Launch Program for Arkansas art educators. She received her doctorate at the University of Houston, and has twenty-three years of teaching experience, including sixteen years teaching art in secondary schools in Tennessee and Texas. Throughout her career, she has presented sessions locally, regionally, and nationally, including the National Art Education Association, the Texas Art Education Association, and at the Kent State Symposium she presented Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair. She also has been published in the Journal of Folklore and Education and Panorama. Her goal and platform are creating a space for more distinctive voices in the field of art education. Her artwork reflects the beauty, strength, and value of black women through her bold use of colors, play of pattern, textures, and mixed media.
Alan Hawkins is an improviser, educator, and author with more than twenty years of experience in teaching and directing. He has trained at many of the nation’s leading improv institutions, including the Second City Conservatory and Musical Conservatory in Los Angeles, the iO West program, the Chicago ComedySportz Training Center, and the Annoyance Theatre. Since 2004 he has taught improv and theatre, developed curriculum for high school instruction, and served as a teacher and director at the Chicago Teen Comedy Fest. Hawkins is an ensemble member and instructor at Unexpected Productions in Seattle, where he teaches improvisation, including his signature “Improvising in the Style of Shakespeare” workshop series. He is the author of You Can’t Learn Improv From a Book, a resource designed to help drama teachers introduce and strengthen student improvisation. Hawkins’s teaching emphasizes emotional honesty, active listening, and expressive storytelling, assisting educators to empower students to create bold, connected, and imaginative work.
Jonathan Jones serves as a program administrator for the Program in Educational Theatre at New York University Steinhardt. He has taught courses there in theatre education, pedagogy, assessment, and theatre history, and was awarded the Steinhardt Teaching Excellence Award. He also teaches courses in public speaking and theatre history at the City University of New York. Jones, who received his PhD from New York University, was previously a theatre and English teacher at North Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, where he was honored with the Inspirational Educator Award by Universal Studios. Jones has given presentations on theatre education, research, creativity, and pedagogy in Canada, China, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He serves as chair of the board for the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) and as editor for ArtsPraxis. His book, Assessment in the Drama Classroom: A Culturally Responsive and Student-Centered Approach, was published by Routledge Press in 2024 and awarded the 2025 AATE Distinguished Book Award.
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David H. Knapp is assistant professor of music education at Florida State University, where he also earned his doctorate. His research and teaching focus on removing barriers to participation in music education. He teaches courses in digital music making and modern band, with a focus on diverse and accessible teaching practices. Knapp’s research has been published in the International Journal of Community Music, Music Education Research, Research Studies in Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education. Prior to his teaching at Florida State University, he served on the music education faculty at Syracuse University. While there he began the Music in the Community program, a collaboration with community partners to establish lab spaces throughout the community. This work helped him to earn the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unsung Heroes Award in 2022, presented by Martin Luther King III.
Erika Knapp is assistant professor of music education at Texas Woman’s University, specializing in elementary and choral music education. She received her doctorate at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, and taught elementary and secondary general music and middle school choir for thirteen years. Knapp has presented for many national and international venues, where she focuses on inclusive practice and empowering educators to create joyful musical experiences. She is an Orff pedagogy teacher-trainer for the American Orff Schulwerk Association and teaches level I and II courses across the United States. Her research interests include music for students with ability differences, teacher professional development, and equity in music education. She has published research in the Journal of Music Teacher Education, Music Education Research, The International Journal of Music Education, Psychology of Music, Music Educators Journal, and The Orff Echo.
Ashley Laverty is the founding artistic director of Kerfuffle, a theatre and dance company that creates original performances for children up to age six. Under her leadership, Kerfuffle has partnered with many arts and non-arts organizations to bring aesthetically exciting, engaging, and accessible theatre experiences to children around the country in museums, libraries, parks, and community centers. She has more than twelve years of teaching artist experience, specializing in early childhood drama. In Chicago, Laverty is proud to be a teaching artist with Lifeline Theatre, Writers Theater, Imagine Theatre, and the Stage School. She has led professional development workshops focusing on integrating drama in early childhood with educators across the country. Laverty holds a degree in theatre for youth from Arizona State University and a degree in theatre arts from Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Andrew McMasters is an actor, director, author, and entrepreneur with more than thirty years of experience in the arts. He is a founder of a non-profit theater that he managed for twenty-five years and has worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Microsoft, GE, Hasbro, Google, Valve, Nike, and Apple. McMasters serves as a lead training designer and facilitator for his company, ImprovMindset, which provides leadership development and presentation support all over the world, as well as training for team building. Known for fostering safe yet challenging learning environments, he pushes leaders to deepen self-awareness, lead with purpose, and stay agile under pressure. As the parent of two teachers, McMasters is dedicated to experiential learning, providing opportunities for self-discovery, and driving innovation in our everyday lives. His book Listening Without Agenda is available online and in bookstores everywhere. His website is www.ImprovMindset.com.
Catie Nasser is an art educator, art therapist, and visual artist who has been working with children in the arts for more than twenty years in public, private, and therapeutic settings. She is a veteran elementary art teacher of the Middleton Public Schools, and in 2021 was named the Massachusetts Elementary Art Teacher of the Year. Nasser teaches a range of fine art mediums that incorporate arts integration, social emotional learning, and project-based learning. She loves showing young artists how to take their creativity to new levels with animation, robotics, kinetic sculpture, and coding. Nasser is committed to using art to help youth find their voice and fully express thoughts and ideas. She has presented at both state and national conferences for the Art Education Association. She has appeared as a guest in several podcasts such as Everyday Art Room, The Creativity Department, and Get a Cue. Nasser is also an adjunct faculty member with the Art of Education University.
Scott Rush is the team lead for the Habits series published by GIA and currently serves as the conductor of the Charleston Wind Symphony. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of South Carolina and is the former director of bands at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Under his direction, the Wando Symphonic Band performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and were Grand National finalists. Rush is active as a conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the United States and Canada. He is the author or co-author of eighteen books, some of which include: Habits of a Successful Band Director, Habits of a Successful Musician, Habits of a Successful Middle School Band Director, Habits of a Significant Band Director. In 2010, Rush was elected to the American Bandmasters Association, and he currently serves as past president of the Servant Leadership Association for Music.
Joel Scholten is an elementary art educator, curriculum designer, and practicing artist based in Omaha, Nebraska. He earned a degree in art education from Northwestern College in Iowa and a master’s degree from Concordia University in Nebraska. Scholten strives to help students experience art in meaningful and deeply personal ways, introducing them to diverse contemporary artists and showing them how art can communicate story, message, and meaning. He has worked with learners of all ages in communities ranging from Seattle to Iowa and Nebraska. In addition to classroom teaching, he has contributed to art education through his work with The Art of Education University, where he supports the development of the FLEX curriculum. As an artist, Scholten works primarily in encaustic and mixed media. Drawing inspiration from everyday life and the natural world, his art explores visual storytelling through the balance of control and chance.
Thomas Rinn serves as assistant professor of choral music education at Texas State University and artistic director of the Austin Gay Men’s Chorus. He holds a PhD in music education from the University of North Texas, a master’s of music education from Florida State University, and a bachelor’s of music from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Prior to his current appointment, he spent twenty years as a high school choral director. Rinn’s research focuses on music teacher education, social media in music education, teacher retention, and effective instructional strategies. His work has been published in the Journal of Music Teacher Education, the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, and the Journal of Research in Music Education. A past president of the Texas Choral Directors Association, Rinn currently chairs the University Scholastic League Choral Sight-Reading committee and serves nationwide as a choral clinician, guest conductor, adjudicator, and presenter.
As the supervisor for general and choral music, dance, and theatre for the Cobb County School District, Sara Womack is filling her district with arts-rich schools by providing opportunities for student engagement, building the capacity of teachers, and partnering with community organizations to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality, sequential arts education. Previously she served as an elementary music teacher in Birmingham, and as the fine and performing arts coordinator for Atlanta Public Schools. Womack has earned three degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an EdD in music education from the University of Georgia. She achieved National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Music, served as president of the Alabama Music Educators Association and the Southern Division of the National Association for Music Education, and currently serves the Georgia Music Educators Association as president-elect.
