Anniessa Antar (she/they) Sign up for a Consultation
“I can advise artists on web design and development, advocacy and navigation of art institutions like museums, curation, MFA programs and/or other educational pathways, grant writing, artist/organizational statements and other copy editing advice.”
Skills: Web design and development, arts advocacy, curation, education, grant writing, copy editing
Bio: Anniessa is a software engineer, educator, and cultural organizer. She has worked at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Saint Catherine University, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and with organizations such as Mizna, Confluence: An East Lake Studio for Community Design, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum and the School for Poetic Computation. Her practices center on the power of creative, playful, and collective work to confront and heal systemic oppression.
Alison Bergblom Johnson (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
“I can advise artists on dreaming big and then attend to the details (event planning, proposal and application writing, marketing and promotion, creating partnerships) that make such dreams feasible. As a disabled artist whose work and arts organizing often centers people with disabilities I’m equipped to help other artists navigate access and accommodation needs in addition to career planning.”
Skills: Literature, storytelling and performance, public relations, teaching artists, collaborating with community care and art organizations (small, grassroots endeavors and very large, established institutions), public speaking, artists with disabilities, artists in emergencies, crowdfunding.
Bio: Alison Bergblom Johnson is an artist whose work explores disability and joy. She collaborates with numerous community care and art organizations (some examples: Fresh Eye Gallery, Strike Theater, the Loft Literary Center, Springboard for the Arts, and the Walker Art Center). With Mixed Blood Theatre she created a theater piece with other people with disabilities about disabled lives. Her collage, storytelling and essays often approach taboo topics (disability, sexuality) in inclusive ways. Visit her website at alisonbergblomjohnson.com
Anitra Budd (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
“I advise artists on navigating traditional publishing and self-publishing pathways; design workflows, productivity, and time management systems; uncover, track, and analyze business metrics; organize physical spaces, including desks and studios; create content calendars for websites and social media platforms; design and execute brand strategy; write and edit artist statements, grant applications, and other kinds of copy.”
Skills: Publishing, productivity, organization, brand strategy, artist statements, and grant applications.
Bio: Anitra Budd is an experienced freelance editor, copywriter, consultant, and public speaker whose clients include Fortune 500 corporations, literary publishers, marketing agencies, universities, and local and national magazines. Over the course of her career, she’s presented workshops on publishing, editing, and organization for artists at a variety of venues. She holds BA and MA degrees from the University of Minnesota. Visit her website at www.colfax wordsmiths.com.
Cecilia Cornejo (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I advise artists on general career planning, goal setting, and grant-writing. I can also help those working on documentary film, community-engaged art, and/or those interested in Latin American Cinema, Third Cinema, and Essay Film."
Skills: Documentary film, public art, socially engaged art, Latin American cinema, Third cinema, essay film
Bio: Cecilia Cornejo is a Chilean-born documentary filmmaker, artist, and teacher based in Northfield, Minnesota. Known for placing community members at the center of the creative process, she uses a range of approaches and production methodologies to engage them as active participants and co-creators of meaning. Locally rooted yet globally minded, her work examines notions of belonging and the immigrant experience while exploring the traces of historical trauma on people and places. Cecilia is an inaugural recipient of the 2020 McKnight Fellowship for Community-Engaged Artists and has received support from the Minnesota State Arts Board, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), the Jerome Foundation, and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council. She teaches in the Cinema and Media Studies department at Carleton College. Visit her website at http://thewanderinghouse.com/ and read more about Cecilia on Creative Exchange.
Desdamona (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on lesson planning and curriculum, meeting MN educational standards for teaching artists, developing multiple income streams, navigating and networking in the local arts scene, recording, performance, and artistic collaboration."
Skills: Curriculum development, Songwriting, Performance, Recording, Event Hosting, Teaching Residencies, Bio/Artist Statement
Bio: Desdamona is an international, award winning poet & hip hop artist. She has traveled the US & abroad touring and leading workshops, working in over 300 schools and prisons. She co-founded B-Girl Be, a celebration of women in Hip Hop, that took place in Minneapolis between 2005-2011. Des has been featured on 8 French releases and has toured France as well as collaborating with international Grammy award winners, Sly & Robbie. In 2014, Des was chosen to feature in a national "Back to School" campaign for Kmart, as a rapping lunch lady. She’s created commissioned work for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s as well as lyrics for the WNBA Detroit Shock theme song. Desdamona’s 2016 release No Man’s Land features an all woman cast of singers, poets and emcees from the Twin Cities. Des currently works as the Poetry Ambassador for TruArtSpeaks and leads the Re-Verb Radio on WFNU and Re-Verb Open Mic at Flava Cafe in St. Paul. www.desdamona.bandcamp.com
Mikha "Mikhamik" Dominguez (they/them) Sign up for a Consultation
"As someone passionate about supporting artists, there are various ways I can lend a helping hand. I can advise artists on promoting their work by leveraging social media platforms, organizing exhibitions or events to showcase their art, grant writing or connecting them with potential clients and art communities. Additionally, I can offer my skills in areas such as graphic design, photography, or writing to create compelling visuals and descriptions for their portfolio or promotional materials. My genuine appreciation and active engagement in their artistic journey will undoubtedly provide valuable encouragement and motivation. We can make it happen, If you dream it, We can Create it."
Skills: Fine Arts, Documentary film/Photography, public art, socially engaged art, Latin American cinema, Theatre (producing, directing, pre/pro/post production), Arts Education (all ages and abilities), Event Planning, Dance, Interdisciplinary Art. Community engagement.
Bio: Mikha Dominguez (aka Mikhamik) is a Queer non-binary Latinx Venezuelan artist based in Minneapolis since 2014. With a background in set design, Mikha’s work explores identity, migration, and resilience. They have worked at the Walker Art Center, exhibited at MCAD, University of Minnesota, St. Catherine University, and the University of Omaha, and participated in the Art Shanty Projects. Mikha leads Mikhamik House of Arts and teaches at Springboard for the Arts while studying at MCAD. Visit their website at mikhamik.com.
Kandace Creel Falcón (they/them) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on problem solving through co-collaboratively dreaming up innovative, heart-centered, and interdisciplinary solutions to complex challenges they face in their artistic practice or in regards to their career."
Skills: Painting, fabric arts, grants, creative non-fiction writing, community organizing, strategic planning and goal attainment (with special expertise in the cross-roads of rural and historically marginalized persons), research informed artistic practice (archives, oral history, ethnography etc.)
Bio: Kandace Creel Falcón, PhD. is a formerly tenured Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies who spends their days painting, writing about the joy of creative inquiry, and developing a more peaceful relationship with their nervous system. KCF maintains a research-informed studio practice in their home in the Erhard Hills of rural Otter Tail County. They are involved in community efforts across the region rooted by the power of narrative to shift the world toward the queer utopias we deserve. Visit their website at www.kjcfalcon.com.
Aaron Fiskradatz (he/him) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on live streaming and related technology."
Skills: Theatre (acting, directing, writing, puppetry), Arts Education (all ages and abilities), Live streaming and related technology
Bio: Aaron Fiskradatz is a theatre artist, educator, and technician from the Twin Cities. He collaborates with artists in the disability community through Upstream Arts, and is an active theatre teaching artist for youth. As a freelance artist, he works as an actor, writer, director, and puppeteer. In 2020, he began assisting theatres and other organizations in their moves to live streaming platforms. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota. Visit his website at https://fiskradatz.com and read more about Aaron on Creative Exchange.
Luis Fitch (he/him) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on building a solid cultural identity, navigating cross-cultural markets, and leveraging opportunities in the corporate, industries, gallery, and public art spaces. My guidance includes strategies for engaging diverse communities and maximizing commercial opportunities through culturally resonant design, art, public art installations, product design, licensing art, and commercial illustration. I help artists and creative entrepreneurs craft a cohesive career strategy that incorporates these elements to thrive in today's dynamic creative landscape."
Skills: Cultural identity building, Cross-cultural market navigation, Corporate and industry opportunities, Gallery and public art spaces, Community engagement strategies, Culturally resonant design, Public art installations, Guerrilla art installations, Product Design, Art licensing, and Commercial art
Bio: Luis Fitch is a Mexican artist and creative entrepreneur specializing in visual art and working across gallery and urban art settings. Luis's artwork has garnered widespread recognition. His art pieces are featured in private and institutional collections throughout the USA and Latin America, including institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the National Museum of Mexican Art, National Hispanic Cultural Center, and the Tamarind Institute. Visit his website www.luisfitch.com
Candida Gonzalez (they/them) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on public art engagement, visualizing next steps in their career paths, mapping out how to become a career artist, grants and funding resources, and social media."
Skills: Visual art career development, grant writing and fund sourcing, budgeting, arts admin, accessibility
Bio: A Puerto Rican native of South Minneapolis, Candida Gonzalez is passionate about arts education, community engagement through the arts and equitable arts access. They have worked as an arts program coordinator, curator, arts integration educator, co-founded a national public art business in 2016 and now works as an arts consultant and independent artist. They enjoy helping artists visualize and reach for the next steps in their careers. Read more about Candida on Creative Exchange.
Naomi Ko (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on grants and fellowships. I can help artists navigate the national film scene, particularly in narrative fiction projects."
Skills: Grants, filmmaking, strategic planning, and comedy
Bio: Naomi is an award-winning Korean American filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian, cultural producer, and grant writer. She is an experienced grant and fellowship writer, has won over 50 grants and fellowships, and sat on local and national panels. Naomi is a Sundance Episodic Fellow and Bush Leadership Fellow, and a former McKnight Media Arts fellow and Jerome Hill Artist Fellow in Film. Visit her website at www.konaomi.com
Ka Oskar Ly (she/her/they/them) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on ideating/adapting projects, developing their creative brand, and identifying grants, resources, and opportunities. I also offer peer coaching on creative entrepreneurship and nonprofit development strategies to help artists identify options and next steps."
Skills: Creative Ideation and Strategy, Artistic Branding, Planning and Management.
Bio: Ka is a multi-disciplinary artist ranging from textile art, murals, installations, and events through the power of culture and identity. They co-founded Ua Si Creative, an artist collective that emerged out of ArtCrop.co. They have a background in community development, organizing, and facilitation and have been a recipient of McKnight, Jerome, Forecast, MRAC, MSAB, and CURA grants and fellowships and more. Visit their website at oskarlyart.com and read more about Ka on Creative Exchange.
Jessica Lopez Lyman (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on negotiating MFA or other academic programs, envision new directions for the work and strategize accountability practices. Plus grant writing, developing CV/resume and artist statement, arts engagement and academic scholarship."
Skills: Research, Screenprinting, Grant writing
Bio: Jessica Lopez Lyman, Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary performance artist and Xicana feminist scholar interested in how Indigenous and People of Color create alternative spaces to heal and imagine new worlds. Jessica built, La Luchadora, a mobile screen printing cart as part of the Ready Go! program and prints political posters with communities across the state. She is a an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Read more about Jessica on Creative Exchange.
MaLLy (he/him) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on individual career planning, ASCAP registration, social media campaigns, music distribution (physical/digital), live event coordination, networking, artist statement/resume development and project management."
Skills: Music (songwriting, recording, performance), Entrepreneurship and Arts Education.
Bio: MaLLy is an independent Hip-hop artist, educator and entrepreneur born and raised in south Minneapolis. MaLLy has released four critically acclaimed albums, received the McKnight Foundation Fellowship, has toured nationally and internationally with legendary rap acts Atmosphere and Brother Ali. MaLLy currently works for TruArtSpeaks as the Host for the Re-Verb Open Mic at Flava Cafe in St. Paul. MaLLy desires to connect, uplift and transform the lives of those who might listen to his work and recently dropped a brand new album entitled, The Sweetest of It All. Visit his website at https://www.mallympls.com/
Ifrah Mansour (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on multimedia art projects, visual storytelling performance, installation, poetry, puppetry, community centered collaboration, building sustainable relationships and navigating identities of Muslim/refugee/immigrant."
Skills: Playwriting, acting, experimental film, puppetry, poetry and Somali language.
Bio: Ifrah Mansour is a Somali, refugee, Muslim, multimedia artist and an educator. Her artwork explores trauma through the eyes of children to uncover the resiliencies of blacks, muslims, and refugees. She interweaves poetry, puppetry, films, and installations. She's been featured in BBC, Vice, OkayAfrica, Star Tribune, and City Pages. Her critically-acclaimed, “How to Have Fun in a Civil War” premiered at Guthrie Theatre and toured to cities in greater Minnesota. Visit her Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/ifrahmansourart and read more about Ifrah on Creative Exchange.
Sharon Mansur (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on dance, interdisciplinary art, artistic & community collaborations, improvisation, public art, site-inspired art, somatics, performance/installations, socially engaged art, dance for film, dance education, arts admin for the independent artist."
Skills: Dance, Interdisciplinary art, Public art, Dance Education
Bio: Sharon Mansur is an Arab/SWANA American dance and interdisciplinary experimental artist, educator, curator, community mover and shaker. Her creative practice weaves movement, multi-sensory landscapes, food, and audience participation. Sharon currently directs The Cedar Tree Project, presenting and amplifying creative voices from the Arab/SWANA diaspora, and curates SHIFT~ performance salons. She teaches at Winona State University, and is also a therapeutic bodyworker. www.mansurdance.com
Yan Pang, Ph.D., Ed.D. (she/they) Sign up for a Consultation
"As a music panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, I can advise artists on grant applications (for individuals, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions). As an assistant professor of music, I help artists with any projects that involve music creation."
Skills: Music (composition, performance, scholarship), Theater and Dance (interdisciplinary collaborations), and Mandarin language.
Bio: Yan Pang is a composer, performer, and scholar. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts and Composer/Music Director at Pittsburgh Playhouse. Pang's work focuses on intercultural composition and performance. She received her Ph.D. in Music with a minor in Theater Arts & Dance at the University of Minnesota and her Ed.D. in Leadership and Administration at Point Park University School of Education. Visit her website at yanpangcreate.com.
Felicia Perry (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise creative entrepreneurs on career planning, goal setting and strategy mapping, identifying resources, grant writing, and offer tools for managing a life of creative entrepreneurship."
Skills: Radio/Podcasting (hosting, producing), Dance, Visual Art (performance, teaching), Certified Yoga Instructor, Arts Administration, Project Management, Grant Writing, Public Speaking, Creative Placemaking, Marketing, Non Profit Leadership
Bio: Felicia is an ARTrepreneur based in Minneapolis, MN specializing in fashion design, performance art, and curating spaces. Felicia is a 2019/20 Springboard for the Arts 20/20 Artist Fellow, 2019-2020 , serves on the May Day Council, is a Northside Awesome Fund Trustee, and proudly serves as Board Chair of Vivid Black Paint. With a passion for community development, Felicia previously held key roles, including Executive Director of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition and Business & Commercial Real Estate Manager at the Partnership in Property Commercial Land Trust.
Jes Reyes (she/her/they/them) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can provide guidance on various ways to manage a career as an artist, including income strategies, studio practices, grantwriting, finding opportunities, project management, and goal setting. I draw on my experience as a self-employed, multidisciplinary artist and the knowledge I've gained as an arts administrator, supporting other artists over the last ten years. My approach is person-centered, patient, resourceful, and non-judgmental. I also have a background in supporting artists with disabilities."
Skills: Skills: Visual Arts (interdisciplinary); Arts Administration; Exhibition planning and installation; Grantwriting (development, budgeting, management); Career Planning
Bio: Jes Reyes is an interdisciplinary artist and arts administrator. Their artwork roots itself in play, vulnerability, experimentation, collaboration, and the integration of disciplines. She has exhibited and screened her work throughout Minnesota. Jes has a strong history of collaborating with community organizations to improve art access, coordinate exhibitions, and provide artist career support. Visit Jes' website at www.jesreyes.com and read more about Jes on Creative Exchange.
Naomi RaMona Schliesman (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation Naomi is unavailable for consultations until April 2025.
"I can advise artists on career development, project planning, setting goals to advance their careers, guidance on teaching/facilitating, public art, exhibition planning/curation, creative placemaking, grant writing, arts advocacy, arts administration, rural arts, residencies and fellowships."
Skills: Interdisciplinary Art (career development, studio arts, installation and teaching), Arts Administration, Public Art, Project Management, Art Education, Grant Writing, Public Speaking, Creative Placemaking, Toolkits and Community Organizing.
Bio: Naomi is an interdisciplinary artist with an MFA. Schliesman has received multiple Fellowships, grants, awards and has attended residency programs nationally and internationally. She has traveled abroad to study art and art movements. Her practice consists of studio art, education, collaborations with artists, organizations and communities in creative placemaking nationwide as a freelance artist, and as an active Arts Advocate in her community. She serves on multiple boards and committees. https://www.instagram.com/naomi.schliesman/
Patrick Scully (he/him) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on career planning and grant writing, as well as with questions related to space acquisition, nonprofit startup and graduate school. I can also help mature artists confront the challenges of ageism."
Skills: Interdisciplinary art, improvisation, public site-inspired art, and performance/installations
Bio: Patrick is a long time Mpls artist - choreographer/dancer/performance art/theater, entrepreneur, gay and HIV+ activist. His works range from intimate/autobiographical, to boat ballets on rivers in MN and Germany. In 1986 he founded Patrick’s Cabaret, making the local performing arts ecosystem more inclusive and democratic. He's had 8 different spaces in town. A mature artist who has persevered, he’s thought about artists' sustainability. He's been a successful fundraiser & grant writer. patrickscully.org
Sun Yung Shin (she/they) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on understanding and navigating the publishing world, local and national opportunities, applying for grants, envisioning and organizing creative writing projects, working as a freelance writer, business and logistical aspects of being a professional author and speaker, MFA programs and/or other educational pathways, and other aspects of the writer's life."
Bio: Sun Yung Shin (she/they) is a Korean-born poet, writer, and cultural worker. She is the author, or editor, of 11 published books and has been awarded fellowships and grants from the Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota Regional Arts Council, & MacDowell. Her work has received regional, national, and international recognition including a Minnesota Book Award, Society of Midland Authors Award, & others. She is the co-founder of Poetry Asylum with Su Hwang. Learn more at https://www.sunyungshin.com/.
Dana Sikkila (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on individual career planning, social media marketing, creative placemaking specific to rural communities, grant and statement writing, and creative curriculums."
Skills: Administration, Grants, Statements and Proposals, Place Based Projects, Rural Arts, Education
Bio: Dana Sikkila is a Minnesota-based interdisciplinary maker and creator. At just 36 years old, Sikkila has been named one of the most well-known creative leaders of Southern Minnesota. Known for her social practice and activism programs, creative consulting, public speaking, and her theory development within creative curriculum, Sikkila's practices span from working in communities from rural to the Twin Cities. Her self-defining administration style has bridged the gap between arts creation and administration. Developing numerous grassroots cultural projects and exhibitions throughout the state. Visit her website at danasikkila.com and read more about Dana on Creative Exchange.
Krista Soukup (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise literary artists on the publishing process, author branding and book marketing. For artists of all disciplines I can help define their brand, identify their goals and channel their marketing and publicity to create action. Let’s talk about how to best present ourselves as an artist to the outside world to garner the attention of a target audience, achieve goals and continue to grow an artist brand."
Skills: Branding, Marketing and Promotions
Bio: Krista Rolfzen Soukup is a literary marketing consultant and owner of Blue Cottage Agency. She supports writers in all stages of their publishing journey, from guidance on publishing to promoting and marketing books. She has a passion for helping authors successfully promote their work and establish their brand platform. Through her expert guidance, knowledge of the industry and vast experience, she has successfully supported authors across the country. Through Springboard, she supports artists of all disciplines with branding, social media and websites to position themselves for success. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Visit her website at https://www.bluecottageagency.com/ and read more about Krista on Creative Exchange.
David Unowsky (he/him) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise artists on getting their book ready, published, sold, and marketed."
Skills: Writing and publishing: sales, marketing, event planning
Bio:For 34 years, David Unowsky owned and ran Hungry Mind (later known as Ruminator), one of America’s great bookstores which also fostered a literary magazine and a publishing company. He later helped create successful event series at Magers and Quinn and SubText bookstores. A published writer, he is a recipient both the Kay Sexton award and the Pat Bell Award. Currently doing sales and marketing consulting with 4 publishers. Read more about David on Creative Exchange.
Moira "Miri" Villiard (she/her) Sign up for a Consultation
"I can advise on creative placemaking, community engagement practices, art in "non-art" settings, collaboration, navigating "next steps" in your art career, recommending funding sources, providing insight on my personal experiences with different grant opportunities (i.e. Jerome, McKnight, Bush, MSAB, etc.), identifying good vs. bad opportunities (scams or otherwise), and providing feedback on grant proposals. For folks in arts nonprofits, I can offer some of the same insight, in addition to advising on ways to find and work with artists. "
Skills: Painting, public art, murals, community-engaged exhibits, intersections between art and research, teaching (all ages), illustration, graphic design, gig work, animation
Bio: Moira “Miri” Villiard grew up on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Cloquet, MN and is a Fond du Lac direct descendent. Through public art collaborations across Minnesota, Villiard is a multidisciplinary artist who uses art to uplift underrepresented narratives, explore the nuance of society’s historical community intersections, and promote community healing spaces. She is proficient in a variety of artistic genres, but considers her primary medium to be space and people's interactions with it. Visit her website www.artbymoira.com
Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay (she/her) Sign up for a consultation Saymoukda is unavailable for consultations until February 2025.
"I can advise artists by reviewing their artist grant and fellowship proposals."
Skills: Artistic/Creative Project Ideation, Grant Proposal Writing, Artistic+Professional Planning
Bio: Saymoukda is an award-winning Lao American artist. She's an experienced grant review panelist and grant program developer and designer. She's received 50+ awards - including fellowships from the Bush, Jerome, & McKnight Foundations, and the Center for Cultural Power. Current awards: Mellon Foundation Playwright in Residence, Jerome@Camargo Residency (Cassis, France), Kennedy Center REACH Residency, MN State Arts Board. www.refugenius.net @refugenius