Panelists

Panelists

Learn more about the nationally known musicians, dancers, filmmakers, founders of arts collectives, studios and arts advocates appearing at the OHIO ARTrepreneurship Summit.

Ellie Clark

Ellie Clark (she/her) is an Atlanta-based actor and teaching artist. Her most recent credits include The Wonder Years on ABC, First Wives Club on BET, and a recurring role on Season 5 & 6 of Tyler Perry’s Sistas. She has performed on stages throughout the United States and in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ellie has been an educator for 20+ years and is currently the Artistic Director for Arvold Warner Studio, a training ground for Southeast artists pursuing film and TV, founded by Emmy-nominated casting director Erica Arvold and esteemed master teacher, Richard Warner. She is the Movement Specialist and Chair of the Drama program at Kentucky’s Governor’s School for the Arts and is the Co-Founder of Voices Amplified, an arts activism initiative that generates brave and equitable spaces for voices historically underrepresented in dominant culture. Ellie obtained her MFA from Ohio University’s Professional Actor Training Program. She is trained in the Meisner Approach to acting and has trained extensively with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company in Viewpoints, Suzuki, and Composition. Other notable endeavors include Project SEE Theatre and Actors Room Atlanta. - ellieclark.org

Steven Evans

Steven P. Evans hails originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance and Choreography at Ohio University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Evans apprenticed with the Sean Curran Company in New York City in 2012. Evans joined Mutual Dance Theatre when it was MamLuft&Co. Dance in 2014. He has performed lead roles since his very first season in the original productions and canon of works, /SHIFT/, The Tragedy of Time, Maps, and Memoriam. He starred in The Double, an evening-length work based on the eponymous Dostoevsky novella. Evans has premiered work at Contemporary Dance Theater’s Area Choreographer’s Festival in 2014 and 2015, and regularly contributed sections of choreography for MūDa’s aforementioned stage works. In 2016, he was tapped to create an evening-length work with Elena Rodriguez Moore, titled Double|Sided, which became one of the Company’s most successful productions selling at 138% capacity, standing-room only. He returned to the company in 2020 as Company Co-Director. While at Ohio University, he was the recipient of the Undergraduate Student Enhancement Award and the College of Fine Arts Creative Research Award for his project “Improvisational Dance: Performance Development, Exploration, and Movement Stylization.” Evans is also a Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resources Management.

Luke Frazier

Luke Frazier is a conductor, music director and pianist who believes that the future of music depends on breaking down barriers between musicians and audiences. His philosophy is that the most important priority for a modern conductor is not only musical excellence, but also creating diverse and engaging programming that brings communities together through the joy of music. Luke believes that conductors are the bridge between the audience and the orchestra and what he programs and how it relates to the listeners, is the heartbeat of what keeps orchestral programming alive.

Luke started The American Pops Orchestra in 2015 to present a broad array of popular and classical music in innovative ways to bring new audiences into the orchestral world. Most recently, APO has been featured in more than sixteen national broadcasts on PBS with programs ranging in genre from classical to country, jazz to musical theatre. Artists like Midori, Patti Labelle, Joshua Bell, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Josh Groban and so many more have joined the orchestra in sharing orchestral music with an audience of over sixty million viewers across the country, completely free of charge. In addition, APO is thrilled to announce a 5 week 2023 residency at 54 Below, Broadway’s premier supper club in New York City.

Creating opportunities for the next generation of music makers and music lovers is always a priority for Luke. Each year, Luke spends at least three weeks touring live shows to underserved schools for free, and through virtual tour streaming, has reached students in all 50 states. Additionally, Luke is excited to launch a partnership with Children’s National Hospital network that will bring free live and virtual children’s programming to the young patients under their care. Luke is passionate about finding outstanding college vocalists through APO’s NextGen Vocal Competition, where winners earn cash prizes and career-boosting performance experiences. In addition to these programs, Luke maintains a busy schedule as a clinician, speaker and panelist for educational organizations across the country.

In addition to his work with APO and PBS, Luke is the Artistic Director of Nouveau Productions and Principal Pops Conductor for The National Philharmonic. Luke appears regularly in venues from Lincoln Center to The Smithsonian, The Los Angeles Music Center to The Kravis Center and many more. Luke regularly works with orchestras across the country, conducting both classical and popular repertoire.

Luke is fortunate to call many of the world’s most incredible artists both friends and collaborators. Renée Fleming, Chita Rivera, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Sandi Patty, Kristin Chenoweth, Jamie Barton, Vanessa Williams, Arturo Sandoval, Peter Frampton, Ricardo Morales and so many more have joined Luke on stage and screen for original programs of all varieties. - lukefraziermusic.com

Yaphet Jackman

At the tender age of eight, an HBO trailer piqued my interest and ignited my passion for filmmaking - the rest is history! Since that moment, I’ve worked non-stop in the world of media, television & film as a camera operator and Director of Photography.

My love for cinematography knows no bounds. Playing & painting with light coupled with capturing motion is synonymous with breathing for me. With over 20 years of industry experience, I’ve honed my craft to produce quality projects with soul and impact.

As a Cinematographer, I’ve always been passionate about preserving and developing culture through filmmaking, especially in Guyana and the Caribbean. As a commitment to this cause, I've since established my film production and consulting company Bent Street Films LLC - a name inspired by the colorful culture and characters of my childhood neighborhood - to use film and new media to bring Guyanese & Caribbean stories to mainstream distribution. 

I have experience working with all formats, from super 8mm film & DSLRs to solid-state systems for ARRI, RED & Sony in both independent & studio productions. Along with my years of experience, I’ve earned a bachelor's in Communication from the University of Guyana & a Master's in Fine Arts - Film from Ohio University.

Each moment I capture the essence of a project by bringing to life an intangible idea on a screen is a moment of fulfillment and satisfaction in my career and craft. - linkedin.com/in/yaphetjackman

Heidi Latsky

Heidi Latsky, a committed leader in the physically integrated dance field, began Heidi Latsky Dance (HLD) in 2001. The company has toured internationally and been presented at institutions like Peak Performances, Kennedy Center, American Dance Festival, Joyce Theater, Whitney Museum, Cooper Hewitt, National Portrait Gallery, ICA Boston, and multiple years at Lincoln Center since 2015. HLD has received support from funders like NEA, NYSCA, Ford Foundation, Creative Capital and the MAP Foundation. Latsky has presented at TEDxWOMEN, a feature on her work GIMP (2008) was nominated for an Emmy and she has spoken at Harvard University, Maxine Green Institute, Chicago Humanities Festival and the 7th International Conference on Movement and Computing. As HLD is dedicated to disrupting space, dismantling normal and redefining beauty in a broad way, the company has a portfolio of educational toolkits. Latsky was the Head of the Movement Department at the School for Film and Television for 7 years, on faculty at STEPS and American Dance Festival and has served as an adjudicator of dance numerous times. In 2015, she was commissioned by Peak Performances at Montclair State University to create her first film "Soliloquy". 

In 2020, Latsky was commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to create a film titled SOLO FLIGHT for the 30th anniversary of the ADA. Currently, she is creating a series of 10 films/movement portraits as well as collaborating with digital artists creating interactive experiences. Throughout the month of July 2021, SOLO FLIGHT- which featured 3 holograms and 3 films- was presented at the Astoria Performing Arts Center. RECESSED, Latsky’s browser-based, dance-driven experience created with Maya Man, premiered in Shanghai in June 2021 as part of  the Cyber Garden at Museum of Art Pudong and then at MOCO’s 8th International Conference on Movement and Computing. ON DISPLAY (since 2015)-her live sculpture court series- is now a global phenomenon, performed annually on December 3rd to honor the UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities with, to date, over 250 sites and 30 countries including Indonesia, Korea, Israel, China and Peru. ON DISPLAY GLOBAL 2020 and 2021 were 24-hour Zoom events. 2021 also brought HLD a commission by Peak Performances at Montclair State University to film ON DISPLAY for broadcast and the company's first live in-person dance event since the pandemic began when two HLD dancers activated Rashid Johnson's RED STAGE for CreativeTime. HLD had a one- month long installation at Astoria Performing Arts Center which featured her films and holograms. She recently toured to Maryland, Cleveland and Miami. Heidi was one of the Grand Marshals at NYC’s Dance Parade and recently received the 2021 Martha Hill Dance Fund Mid-Career Artist Award. - heidilatskydance.org

Summer Logan

Summer Logan is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Shawnee State University. She’s a Performer, Choreographer, and Educating Artist from Portsmouth, Ohio. She holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Ohio University (2008) and an MFA in Creative Practice (Dance and Choreography, 2018) with a Certificate in Lighting Design from Saint Mary’s College of California. Ms. Logan has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum and Teacher Certification from Acrobatic Arts. Her technical training includes concentrated studies in Ballet, Jazz, Theatre Dance, Contemporary, Modern (Horton and Cunningham), Release Technique, West African, and Somatic Movement studies.

Throughout her career Ms. Logan has worked in non-profit programming throughout the tri-state area teaching, choreographing, and collaborating with local artist. In the past 10 years Logan has worked with the Cabell County (WV) School district, Huntington Museum of Art (WV), Cabell County (WV) and Lawrence County (OH) libraries, and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (WV). As a performer and choreographer Logan has exhibited her work in Ohio, Kentucky, Utah, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, and California.

In 2012 Logan joined the Theatre faculty of Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. As a member of the faculty Logan created the Shawnee State University Dance Minor and the dance curriculum for the BFA: Musical Theatre Program. In 2018, while relocating to Portsmouth, Logan created the Shawnee State University Performing Arts Academy, a training program designed for dancers ages 12 months through 18 years of age. The PAA focuses on pre- professional training by professional artists.

In 2017 Logan founded Bone & Fiddle Dance Collective (B&FDC) which has formally organized as Bone & Fiddle Arts Collective, inc. a federally recognized 501c(3) in 2020. BFAC is a contemporary performance company located in Portsmouth, Ohio. Bone & Fiddle Arts Collective's mission is to educate and celebrate the Appalachian lived experience. The Collective believes in enhancing and promoting culture through movement, music, and theatre. B&FAC hosts the Boneyfiddle Fringe Festival each year in June, which enhances the experiential, social, political, and historic views of Appalachia through music, dance, and storytelling. The Collective explores gender roles, social engagement, and issues of poverty through the lens of contemporary movement.

Patty Mitchell

Patty Mitchell is an artist and social entrepreneur specializing in collaborations between artists with and without developmental differences. Her dream is to turn sheltered workshops/day programs into creative art making spaces. Working through the art process, participant’s talents and passions become visible and the core of program design. Creativity and enthusiasm are the tools for developing a new culture and lifting expectations for what is possible. Collaboratively creating art and inviting community participation offers a vehicle for staff and agencies to move away from institutionalized thinking and develop individualized programming. Sewing, painting, photography, sculpture, giant puppetry, repurposed materials, and innovative approaches manifest as on site-specific public artworks. These spectacular installations leave no doubt as to the individual genius of the artists, encourage conversation, connection, and cultural development for the larger community. Product lines designed through the artwork create employment options and funding streams for continued arts programming. 

Mitchell founded Passion Works Studio in Athens (1998), Ohio and designed the studio’s signature product “The Passion Flower”. The flower is made of recycled printing plates painted and decorated in bright, bold colors by Passion Works Core Artists. To date the studio has sold over 30,000 Passion Flowers, they are “The Official Flower of Athens, Ohio”. A product line including; jewelry, clothing, tiles, ornaments, stamps, cards, prints... commissions and sale of fine art have generated over $2,750,000 in sales. 

As an artist in residence, Patty Mitchell has helped organizations nationally and internationally start up arts programming ventures. Some examples: Flor de Arte, Soaring Arts Studio, Pieces of Heart Studio, Up and Away Studio, Hope Studios, Kudos Studio, Kan Du Studio,  Colores del Alma, Just Imagine Studio,  AccessPoint Studios and others.

Ms. Mitchell is Executive Director of Passion Works Studio and CEO of Creative Abundance Consulting. She has received a Distinguished Alumna Award from Ohio University’s College of Fine Art, an Ohioana Citation for Art and Education, an Individual Artist Award from the Ohio Arts Council, a Citizen of the Year Award from Civitan, and the Keystone Award from Ohio University for outstanding community service. Patty Mitchell received her BFA and MFA from Ohio University. - passionworks.org

Chaz O’Neil

Chaz O’Neil, from Columbus, Ohio, received a BA from Otterbein University a MFA from Bowling Green State University. He has worked at Otterbein as a Museum & Gallery Assistant, Collection Registrar, and as an instructor. He has taught drawing courses in Shanghai, China in partnership with Otterbein and Shanghai Publishing Printing College. From 2005-2019, O’Neil was a part of the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, where he was Assistant Director for ten years. O’Neil moved to his current role as Individual Artist Programs & Percent for Art Coordinator at the Ohio Arts Council in 2021.

In recognition of his studio practice, he has recently exhibited work at the Columbus Museum of Art and ROYGBIV. In 2019, he also took part in the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Residency Exchange Program in Dresden, Germany and the Ohio Art League Residency Exchange Program in El Bruc, Spain. He currently exhibits his work with Rela Art and maintains a studio in his home in Westerville.

Michael R. Reese

Michael R. Reese Co-Owner Reese Brother with a demonstrated history of working in the furniture and arts industries. Notable projects were 2019 Havana Biennale, Matanzas Cuba.  From the Tsars to the USSR, Lancaster Decorative Arts, currently Letters from Ohio - Cartas De CUBA.  Hilton Hotel in Columbus, Ohio with additional 200 artists’ works added to the permeant collection. Michael has a Bachelor of Science (BS) from Ohio University. - reesebrothersproductions.com 

Ami Scherson

Ami (ah-mee) Scherson (she/her), is a Queens, NY based Japanese-Chilean-American arts administrator, musician, and facilitator. She is passionate about program development (in-person and online), field education, community engagement, justice and equity work. Though much of Ami's work and interest has been in the nonprofit arts field, she is committed to uplifting emerging leaders, cultivating spaces for new ideas and creativity, as well as supporting BIPOC and immigrants communities throughout all sectors. Ami is the Audience and Donor Data Manager at Brooklyn-based arts venue National Sawdust and co-founder of Mixt Collective, an arts collaborative for mixed identifying people in the arts field.

Lucy Sexton

Lucy Sexton, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Culture & Arts. Lucy is a Brooklyn born producer, administrator, and performing artist who has worked in the fields of dance, performance, film, and public advocacy. She has served as Executive Director of the NY Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies, building them for the first time into an independent organization. From 2013-16 she worked as a Consulting Associate Artistic Director of the planned performing arts center at the World Trade Center, conducting field-wide outreach and developing the center’s artistic mission and plan. As a dance artist she works with Anne Iobst creating and performing the dance performance duo DANCENOISE which was founded in 1983, had a retrospective exhibit and performance at the Whitney Museum in 2015, and premiered a new piece at NY Live Arts in 2018. She has also directed and dramaturged plays by Spalding Gray, Tom Murrin, Nora Burns, and Heather Litteer; and produced documentaries by Charles Atlas for the BBC and Arte. 

Elisa Smith

Elisa G Smith is an artist, curator, space facilitator, and educator, in non-hierarchical order. Her work began by utilizing photography, video, installation, and performance to examine internal structures of memory, abstraction, process, and storytelling. In working collaboratively alongside artists in alternative spaces, her work evolved into a practice of community building and examining the histories and narrative qualities of performed labor. Smith received a BFA in Photography from Ohio University in 2009 and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from University of Pennsylvania in 2013. Her projects have been exhibited in The Netherlands, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Ohio, and Philadelphia. She is currently Co-founder and Executive Director of Columbus Printed Arts Center and mother to her two young children. - columbusprintedarts.org

Shawn Smith

CPAC Co-founder and Instructor, Shawn Smith, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from Ohio University and a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from The University of Arizona. Shawn has presented his work internationally and in a number of group exhibitions including the 8th International Printmaking Biennial of Douro in Portugal, the 24th Annual International Small Print Show in Chicago, Illinois, New York Society of Etchers 3rd National Exhibition of Intaglio Prints, and the Los Angeles Printmaking Society Members National Juried Exhibition where he was awarded the LA Printmaking Society Foundation Award. - columbusprintedarts.org