One of the greatest strengths to the success of Mariposa’s Art are our classroom teaching artists. Because of the intimate class size and year-long involvement, youth are able to develop meaningful mentor relationships with our teaching artists. Each teaching artist is an accomplished artist or musician with a strong classroom teaching experience, amazing skills of patience and humor, and love of teaching youth.
2011-2012 Arts Facilitators
Isabell Fearnsby, contemporary realist painter, art teacher, and mother, was born in 1974 in Wales, UK and grew up in California. She finds inspiration from the beauty she sees, “For me, painting is a process of seeing and feeling. As I work time seems to fall away. When I finish a piece, I feel like Ive been given a great gift.” That feeling comes though in Fearnsby’s paintings. “Being an art teacher brings me deep joy. My students and their artwork are ever reminding me that we are creative beings!” Fearnsby just completed her Masters in Fine Art from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and resides in Santa Cruz, California. www.isabellkfearnsby.com
A Watsonville native, Adrian had been a part of Mariposa’s Art for the past seven years, teaching the Art Teach programs at various elementary schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. He is a 10+ year ensemble member of the world renowned El Teatro Campesino (ETC) theater company in San Juan Bautista, founded by artistic director Luis Valdez. There, he has been featured onstage in roles such as “Henry Reyna” in Zoot Suit (2007), “Satanas” in La Pastorela ( 2003- 2007), and “El Diablo” in La Carpa de los Rasquachis (2008-2010). He also is a trained workshop leader for “Theater of the Sphere,” a unique approach to theater based on ETC’s principles, and has built and tailored curriculum to fit different grade levels for the migrant education programs in King City, Salinas, and Monterey, and Watsonville. Adrian added “director” to his credits in 2008 when he co-directed the ETC’s beloved holiday show “La Virgen del Teyepac.” In collaboration with WatsonvilleHigh School, Adrian directed the first ever Watsonville & Pajaro Valley High production of Luis Valdez’s “Zoot Suit” at the Henry J. Mello center in 2009. Adrian can also been seen in a number of independent films; his most recent “The Crumbles” will be making its premiere Spring 2012 at the Asian American film festival in San Francisco.
Ali Copus has been part of the Mariposa’s Art Team now for seven years. A graduate from San Jose State Univeristy, she received her BS Degree in 2001 in Illustration/Animation and Graphic Design. After College she worked as a Painting Assistant for Disney Artist, Trevor Carlton in Los Angeles. After moving back to her home town Santa Cruz, in 2004 she began substitute teaching and started her own mural painting business. Ali has worked as a teacher within various school districts for the past ten years. Mrs. Copus works presently for Susun Art Gallery as a pre-school art teacher and for Mariposa’s Art. Ali is delighted to have a chance to work with High School Students and watch them grow as they teach and inspire 50 elementary school students, daily, within PVUSD. Instructing children in art history and bringing smiles to their faces is her greatest joy in life!
Amanda Mehl West is in her second year of teaching music with Mariposa’s Art and is thrilled to be carrying the torch for the Guitar Teach program. The work combines many of her passions including music, creativity, multi-culturalism, youth-empowerment, social justice, education, compassionate communication, and navigating life with an open heart. Previously, Amanda has taught music privately, and at the Bay Area Rock Camp for Girls. She cares deeply about the future of humanity and sees music as a vital path towards world peace & understanding. Her favorite thing about her job with Mariposa’s Art is witnessing the light of inspiration ignite in the eyes of the next generation. When not bouncing around classrooms in Watsonville with her guitar, Amanda is writing, recording and performing her own songs which she has done for over half her lifetime. She performs locally as well as tours the West Coast whenever possible, and has self-produced five CDs. You can learn more about her “philosophical-folk-songstress” music here: www.amandawestmusic.com.
Maria Orr was raised by an artist mother who helped her hone her drawing skills and eye for beauty and detail. As an adult, Maria explored theatre and writing, returning to visual art after teaching elementary school and children’s theatre, where she created original plays with her students and produced a variety of performances. As Maria Silvermoon, she has exhibited her artwork in various venues since 2006 and continues to explore different ways to create beauty, inspiration, and change. In addition to her duties as an Art Teach facilitator, she has taught art and theatre at Gateway School’s summer program, offers grief support at Hospice of Santa Cruz County, and is a graduate student in psychology. She plans to use artistic modalities in her future practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist, bringing together her love of many arts and her passion for supporting human and social transformation.
Rebecca Hendershott is our amazing art supply goddess! She is a student of life, always looking for new things to learn. She got her undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UC Santa Cruz, and her graduate degree in Primate Behavior from Central Washington University. Art is a lifelong passion that gets heavily interwoven into her understanding of the natural world and biological systems. Alternatively, perhaps it is her passion of the natural world and biological systems that ends up heavily interwoven into her art?
McCoy Tyler Gurmin received his BA in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2011. A musician since age 12, he began performing in bands at the age of 16 and has played extensively throughout California both as a guitarist and a songwriter. He believes music has the ability change the way we view the world and those around us, and he enjoys the challenges he faces with the craft of songwriting on a daily basis. As the newest member to Mariposa’s Art, he is excited to learn and cultivate ideas with both his colleagues and his students. He is currently hard at work on his first solo full-length album to be released in Spring 2012.
Sarah Brothers was born and raised in Ithaca, New York. She was exposed at an early age to museums, arts and music festivals, art classes, community theater groups, and music lessons, making an enormous impact on her own personal appreciation for the arts.
Sarah received her bachelor’s in fine art and graphic design at the State University of New York, Oswego, and also minored in anthropology and music. She has attended the Masters of Art Education Program at Florida International University, and just completed her Masters in Arts Management at the University of Oregon.
Sarah has held various leadership positions in non-profit arts and education organizations in New York, Florida, California, and Oregon. She has a strong background in strategic planning, program and arts curriculum development, staff and volunteer management, marketing, events planning, and evaluation.
Working with youth, teens, and adults from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, she has developed and provided engaging, enriching, and supportive art and educational programs that meet educational, social/emotional, and artistic needs.
Throughout her time as an arts educator and facilitator, Sarah has continued to create her own art. She enjoys painting, printing, and mixed media.
Carmina Eliason…
…more coming soon…
