ACW’s Cabin Fever Reliever 2025!

When: 6-7pm Central time

Last two Tuesdays in January

Every Monday in February

First two Tuesdays in March

ONLINE and FREE!

8 online zoom sessions to warm your cup of tea!

End of January through the beginning of March 2025.

PRIZE for the most attended classes.

FREE! Invite your friends! You don’t have to be an ACW member to attend.

To register for classes, please email Kelly kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com at least 48 hours before the class with the class name and code. See class codes below.

Jan 21 Tuesday 6-7pm Creative Chair Yoga CODE: J1

Jan 28 Tuesday 6-7pm Connections Part 1 CODE: J2

Feb 3 Monday 6-7pm Connections Part 2 CODE: F1

Feb 10 Monday 6-7pm Jumpstart Creative Flow CODE: F2

Feb 17 Monday 6-7pm Joan of Arc CODE: F3

Feb 24 Monday 6-7pm Folktales CODE: F4

March 4 Tuesday 6-7pm Critique CODE: M1

March 11 Tuesday 6-7pm Movie Discussion CODE: M2

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:

Creative Chair Yoga with Angela Ogle Jan 21 Tuesday 6-7pm (central time) CODE: J1

During this one hour chair yoga class we will focus on breath work and movement while using a chair for support.

We will start with a 10-15 minute warm up then move into a more dynamic sequence that can be done still seated or standing and we will end with a cool down and a bit of meditation.

All our welcome and there will be space to move at your own pace throughout.

We will also have some time at the end for questions and comments.

Connections: Art/Poetry/Life Part 1 with Mary Frandson Jan 28 Tuesday 6-7pm CODE: J2

Like biting into fruit at the peak of its ripeness, this two-part workshop celebrates the collaborative relationship between artists and writers by providing an inviting space to both create art and write poetry that imitates, dramatizes, reflects upon, or is in conversation with a work of visual art. “The goal of art isn’t to attain perfection,” Rick Rubin once said. “The goal is to share who we are and how we see the world.” And while artists allow us to see what we are unable to see, but somehow know, experimentation with the ekphrastic form can show us how poetry can be liberated beyond a mere unit of composition by drawing inspiration from art, and in the process, may just remind us of who we are, who we can be, and our connectedness to one another.

Connections: Art/Poetry/ Life Part 2 with Kelly Frankenberg Feb 3^rd Monday 6-7pm CODE: F1

This second part of the two-part workshop works off of what was created in the first workshop and teaches you how to create a new piece in a new media while keeping the essence of the original piece that inspired the ekphrastic journey. Normally used as a literary device to create poetry inspired from art, we will use ekphrasis to recreate a new piece of art, showing the connection and evolution of an art piece from different media while sharing our views of the process and creation. (you do not have to take part 1 in order to take part 2. We will catch you up if needed).

Jumpstart Creative Flow with Symbols and Allegory with Karen Daphne McDonald Feb 10^th Monday 6-7pm CODE: F2

When you feel as if your ideas are flat or banal, try upping your game by focusing on themes. Converting abstract concepts into concrete 3d and visual form that resonate on deeper levels, getting your audience to think and reflect on their own lives and beliefs. This webinar explores strategies and resources to add thematic heft to your Art by integrating symbolic imagery, atmospheric details, and visual allegory.

Joan of Arc as Muse in Art, Writing and Women’s Suffrage with Scott Manning Feb 17^th Monday 6-7pm CODE: F3

Join author Scott Manning as he talks about Joan of Arc, starting with the earliest depictions in art to Joan’s stint as a symbol for the suffragist movements in the US and Great Britain. Scott will also talk through his inspiration and process for writing a book on Joan of Arc’s world.

Invoking the Magic of Folktales with Ulana Zahajkewyck Feb 24^th Monday 6-7pm CODE: F4

This class will explore the rich tapestry of folk tales, examining their narrative structures and the visual interpretations that enhance their magic. Participants will engage in a creative exercise, developing their own artistic rendering of a folk tale character. All skill levels and artistic styles are welcome.

Suggested materials include a sketchbook, drawing implements, and a selection of quick-drying color media (colored pencils, Posca pens, watercolors, etc.

Critique, Juries, and Discovery with Layl McDill March 4^th Tuesday 6-7pm CODE: M1

We will talk about the different forms of critique and our own personal experience with critiques and being judged. How do you build up a rhino skin to handle the inevitable rejection of being an artist? How can a critique turn into a positive experience that helps you grow as an artist. If you would like to put forth a piece you are working on for a short critique, bring it to the Zoom meeting and we will all do our best to give you what you are looking for.

Movie Discussion: Woman of the Hour with Deb Rip March 11^th Tuesday 6-7pm CODE: M2

An aspiring actress crosses paths with a prolific serial killer in ‘70s LA when they’re cast on an episode of “The Dating Game.” Based on a true story. Directed by Anna Kendrick

“The reason I chose this film to discuss is because it highlights the kind of sexist attitudes present in the 1970s. It also addresses issues of personal safety and assertive autonomy. I was impressed by the film’s sincere sympathy for the female victims, but also the way it encouraged a feminist philosophy.” -Deb

(Must watch the film on Netflix before coming to the discussion. Contact Kelly if you need a place to watch it).

Jan 21 Tuesday 6-7pm Creative Chair Yoga CODE: J1

Jan 28 Tuesday 6-7pm Connections Part 1 CODE: J2

Feb 3 Monday 6-7pm Connections Part 2 CODE: F1

Feb 10 Monday 6-7pm Jumpstart Creative Flow CODE: F2

Feb 17 Monday 6-7pm Joan of Arc CODE: F3

Feb 24 Monday 6-7pm Folktales CODE: F4

March 4 Tuesday 6-7pm Critique CODE: M1

March 11 Tuesday 6-7pm Movie Discussion CODE: M2

To register for classes, please email Kelly kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com at least 48 hours before the class with the class name and code. See class codes above.

https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/acws-cabin-fever-reliever/

PRIZE for the most attended classes!

INSTRUCTOR BIOS:

Angela Ogle, RYT

Angela is a registered yoga teacher with 450 hours of yoga teacher training who has been teaching since 2019.

She specializes in teaching beginners, older adults, and those recovering from injuries. Her goal is to make yoga accessible for every body!

Angela has been told by her students that her cues make them feel safe and comfortable exploring and trying new things –

And also that when she teaches a Restorative Yoga class they feel like she is giving them a big hug –

She loves teaching at retreats and has been traveling and teaching around the world!

She is excited to meet new students and share new experiences and teach breath work and simple chair exercises that can help you feel better in your body!

Angela is very knowledgeable about yoga and how to adapt for injuries and different body types and loves teaching inclusive yoga class for people of all and differing abilities

Mary Frandson

Mary Elizabeth Frandson is a Teaching Specialist at the University of Minnesota and an Editor and Writer for Amplitude Magazine. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School in New York City and a BA from the College of St. Benedict. As editor-in-chief of Studio One literary arts magazine, she led an editorial team to three consecutive gold medal awards from Columbia University Press and has published her creative work in MARGIE: The American Journal of Poetry and The Bellevue Review. She served as an Adjunct English Professor at St. Thomas University, Saint Paul College, and Vanguard University where she spent over fifteen years teaching Composition, Creative Writing, Contemporary Poetry, Re-envisioning American Literature, and Sports Journalism. When she’s not teaching you’re likely to find her surfing the waves.

Kelly Frankenberg

Kelly Frankenberg is a painter and a writer with her MFA in Creative Writing and her BFA in Illustration. When she isn’t teaching or painting, she’s helping Art to Change the World pay artists and develop and execute projects, as Assistant Director. Some of her accomplishments have included commissions by the City of Eagan, the City of Burnsville, the City of Crystal, The Governor’s Residence Council, Fox National News, and more. Her creations have appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and she has several published books. Her art appears on windows, walls, mailboxes, electrical boxes, pianos, doors, and concrete barriers. She has recently taken up violin.

Kellyfrankenberg.com

Karen Daphne

Karen Daphne hails from a family of educators. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Art and Education and a master’s in Language, Literacy and Culture. She is an artist, writer and public speaker who has spent her life teaching in the U.S. with assignments in France, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco, Comoros (Peace Corps), Republic of Georgia and the U.K.

Scott Manning

Scott Manning is the author of Joan of Arc: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works (2023) and the co-editor of Cinema Medievalia: New Essays on the Reel Middle Ages (2024). Scott also has essays published in peer-reviewed journals such as Studies in Medievalism, The Year’s Work in Medievalism, and Film & History.

Ulana Zahajkewycz

Ulana Zahajkewycz is a freelance illustrator and an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design in Phildelphia, PA. She is also the co-owner of the Carnival of Collectables Antique and Art Mall in Sicklerville, NJ. Ulana exhibits her art nationally and her print, “Murder She Wrote,” is part of the permanent collection at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art in Minneapolis, MN. Ulana lives in New Jersey.

Layl McDill

Layl McDill grew up in Gillette, Wyoming where she began creating at a very young age. Her early works were dollhouses, marionettes and even an entire “Smurf Village”. Layl received her BFA in Illustration from the Columbus College of Art Design but she found it more exciting to make sculptural work and sell it through galleries and art fairs.

Layl lives in Minneapolis and is co-owner with her husband Josh Blanc of Clay Squared to Infinity, a tile and art studio and showroom in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District. She has two grown daughters. She has exhibited her work around the country since 1994 at

galleries, art centers, festivals and museums.

Polymer clay has been her medium of choice using the millefiori technique and some mixed media materials added. The theme of wonder permeates her sculptures that are covered with endless details. Her work can also be found in numerous books and publications. Social media: https://www.facebook.com/layl.mcdill http://laylmcdill.com

https://www.instagram.com/laylmcdill

Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/layl-mcdill https://www.tiktok.com/@laylmcdill Twitter: @laylm https://twitter.com/laylm https://www.etsy.com/shop/laylmcdill Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/laylmcdill

Deb Rip

Debra Ripp I am a native Minnesotan born in Mankato and based in the Twin Cities. I welcome you to come visit my studio in the Dow building and in the Creative Zone of St. Paul. The Dow building is on the Green Line of the Twin Cities Light Rail System~ Tobersonstudios, 2242 University Ave. W. #201B, St. Paul. MN 55114

Tobersonstudios is home to a broad range of spirited images by Debra Ripp in mixed media. Toberson is the doghead figure that you see in much of my work. He is an original insignia character in my work, the guide to all of my imagery.

I am Mixed Media artist which means I love to explore all possible media, anything that will make the image emerge stronger to obtain the voice it is meant to have. My favorite thing is to vacillate between media and observe how the image can transform and mature as it is manifested in different media, including 3D media. Debra Ripp/ Tobersonstudios

See last year’s sessions below!

ACW’s Cabin Fever Reliever 2024

Winter Programming every week between January-March on ZOOM! 2025 Schedule coming Soon

Those of us living in cold climates and those of us who are place bound and those of us who are spread across the globe miss our ACW Fellowship during the winter months. Our digital programming provides opportunities to gather for a variety of offerings.
These weekly experiences are FREE

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODES WHICH ONES YOU WANT TO ATTEND, IF ALL, JUST SAY ALL.

SCROLL DOWN FOR COMPLETE SESSION DESCRIPTIONS.

April 1^st: A Prize will be awarded to the person who attended the most workshops!

______________________________________________________
2024 Winter Programming

Most workshops the majority of the content will finish in an hour, but some may run up to 2 hours depending on discussion, questions, and participation. Plan for longer than an hour if possible.

Prep for the workshops. What you need to know!!

There is a supply list for some, so get that all ready! See below for details and who else plans to attend!

Katie Palmer’s painting done watching demo

Link to the painting video demo in fast speed! https://youtu.be/u2o_ih7SGkM

Recipe illustration idea created from the class, by Kelly Frankenberg

Feedback:

“I used muscles I hadn’t used before.”

“I learned several tips.”

“I’m remembering to laugh!”

“I think I’m going to take out my watercolors again.”

“I really enjoyed it. It makes me think a lot about all my teachers and the way they taught me the theories that I need to remember again while I’m starting to paint.”

April 1^st: A Prize will be awarded to the person who attended the most workshops! A beautiful quilt framed art piece by Lucy Schroepfer!

Full Class Descriptions and Bios:

Yoga and Breath Work for Artistic Souls –

This class is accessible to every BODY and offers many options/variations to access the poses and make them work in your body. You will start in your chair with breath work and then add movement – doing some great exercises for the shoulders, neck, wrists and hands as well as some poses for all of your body. Then you will do some standing movements with chair assistance as desired and the class will conclude with some meditation and mindfulness. Plan to learn a few new things and have some FUN with it!

Level: EASY (chair, sitting, breathing, leaning on chair)

What you will need for this class: Chair, optional yoga mat

Instructor: Angela Ogle

Date: January 7^th SUNDAY 12-1pm

Attending Members: Layl McDill, Kelly Frankenberg. Linda Fox, Barbara Bridges, Tom Lyseng, Brenda Lyseng,

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: J-PRE-1

Discovering your JOY Superpower: How hobbies and passion projects can transform your life

Passion Projects and wholesome hobbies help us connect more deeply to our joy, and they have the power to heal us on many levels. They fuel our creative spirit, add richness to our lives–and keep us from losing our minds. It’s time to get back to a place where we do things, just for fun or just for trying something new. Passion projects and hobbies matter!

What you will need for this class: Notebook, pencil, optional her book Practical Joy available on amazon

Instructor: M. Shannon Hernandez

Date: Monday January 8^th 12-1pm

Attending Members:Layl McDill, Barbara Bridges, Kelly Frankenberg,

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: J-PRE-2

Healing and Humor with Karen Williams

Big name in comedy, Karen Williams, who has her own HaHa Institute and healing practices will talk about the healing powers of comedy and might do some funny bits!

Tips Welcome!

CashApp: $kwilliam89

Venmo: @Karen-Williams-114

Paypal.me/hahainstitute

(Use Friends & Family for Free)

What you will need for this class: bring your laughter

Instructor: Karen Williams

Date: Monday, January 8^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: J-A

Plein Air Painting Secrets

Plein air means open air, so it’s basically painting live, painting outside, and painting on location. Everyone paints differently. Each master will tell you what works for them, some of those techniques even contradict each other. It’s up to you to figure out what works best for you. Kelly will share the secrets and takeaways she learned from the Plein air convention and how you can sharpen your skills as a plein air painter and observation painter. New to plein air painting? Learn what it is and see if it’s something you might enjoy doing. Want some feedback on a painting? Bring one to share.

What you will need for this class: sketchbook or notebook, pencil/pen, colored pencils, watercolor, paint optional, a painting to share to get feedback on optional

Instructor: Kelly Frankenberg

Date: Monday, January 15^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: J-B

Illuminating Your Recipe_A Guide to Illustrating a Family Recipe

Nearly every family has a box of old recipe cards, some of which have passed down from generation to generation. As a way to honor those beloved recipes, we will be creating an illustration to illuminate your favorites. Any style works! Perhaps your recipe is more esoteric, like a recipe for peace or a recipe for the perfect fall day. The instructor will show examples and talk about their process. All levels of artists are welcome!

We will use your recipes to create a single or double spread illustration.

What you will need for this class: several recipes (the shorter the better), sketch pad, sketching tools, some quick color mediums (colored pencils, posca markers, watercolor, etc).

Instructor: Ulana Zahajkewycz

Date: Monday, January 22^nd 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: J-C

Selling Your Art: Making AND selling what you love to make-finding the right market.

“The Joy of Creating Art for Sale”

The key to pure bliss as an artist is making art you love and then finding a way to sell it that you also love. Layl McDill has been working as a full time artist for over 30 years and selling her art in many different venues from art fairs to art centers, internet sales and pop up shops. We will hear about her journey and philosophy and then spend the rest of the time sharing each other’s journeys and having conversations about what has worked and what hasn’t for each participant.

SEE LAYL’S RESOURCES HERE: https://www.arttochangetheworld.org/layls-resources/

What you will need for this class: optional notebook and pencil

Instructor: Layl McDill

Date: Monday, January 29^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: J-D

WOKE: The Cultural Evolution of Toxic Words.

One of the super powers of ACW is our commitment to communicate across age, gender, abilities, and orientations. Words are a living, evolving component to our culture. Barbara collected over 200 toxic words in her 20-year experience teaching Human Relations. Let’s work together to discuss and update the list and learn about trigger words.

What you will need for this class: READ THIS LIST. Bring any words you want to discuss. Ask if they are currently toxic or share words you know are toxic

Instructor: Barbara Bridges

Date: TUESDAY, February 6^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: F-A

“Disrupting Colonial Narratives through Storytelling and Theatre”

Join ACW Member and theater artist Laura Mann Hill in a storytelling and movement session centered on how art and storytelling can build relationships and break down narratives constructed by centuries of imperialism and colonization. How do we get to know ourselves and each other beyond colonial narratives presented to us in the media, art and society? Laura will include opportunities for reflection on how our own cultural lens and experiences shape our perceptions shape our ideas about race, class, culture, gender, and sexuality. We will collaboratively explore the role art can play in the global struggle against colonialism, imperialism, white supremacy and systemic forms of discrimination through embodied movement and storytelling.

What you will need for this class: none

Instructor: Laura Mann Hill

Date: Tuesday, February 13^th 6-7pm

Laura’s Notes for the Session

An ACW Reading.

This is a chance to share something you’ve written by reading it in front of a group. There will not be a critique or feedback, but just a place to read, whether it’s an excerpt from a longer piece you’ve written, a poem, a short story, an essay, a comedy sketch, spoken word, song lyrics, something that can be heard that you’ve written.

What you will need for this class: come to just listen or bring a piece you’ve written to read.

Instructor/facilitator: Frances Bates

Date: Tuesday, February 20^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: F-C

Write Hear: Regenerative Writing Workshop

Write Hear is a generative writing workshop facilitated by Mimi Gonzalez-Barillas. Through prompts inspired by literary examples, participants are encouraged to “stop time” together and write in the comfort of in-the-moment community. Sharing what came through is optional but strongly encouraged.

What you will need for this class: notebook and writing utensil

Instructor: Mimi Gonzalez

Date: Tuesday, February 27^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: F-D

Watch Party: Kiss the Ground

Watch the film Kiss the Ground on Netflix and come and discuss your thoughts on it.

What you will need for this class: Watch the film ahead of time, watch party in person may be possible.

Instructor: Layl McDill

Date: Monday, March 4th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: M-A

“Mastering Online Marketplaces for Makers and Creatives”.

“Join ACW Intern Lin Boemer as they explore the options for and process of selling your art/goods on an online marketplace! What are the pros and cons of selling your art online? What do you need to have before launching an online marketplace? What websites can you utilize to sell your art online? Answers to all these questions and more in “Mastering Online Marketplaces for Makers and Creatives”!”

What you will need for this class: notebook and pencil

Instructor: Lin Boemer

Date: Monday, March 11^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: M-B

Cultural Appropriation Discussion

In the current political atmosphere, artists are being asked to consider and censor the images they use. This is an important topic, a challenge and a slippery slope.
Join Melodee Strong as we try to identify how artists should proceed. Is it possible to create policy? Should we?

What you will need for this class: optional examples of artists creating art from other backgrounds other than their own and your opinion on if that’s okay and successful or disrespectful.

Instructor: Melodee Strong

Date: Monday, March 18^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: M-C

Watch Party Film Discussion: Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate

Watch ahead of time (Netflix) and come to discuss the film about what part of the LGBTQ+ community was lost from the Nazis in Berlin.

What you will need for this class: Having watched the film ahead of time (currently available on Netflix). For an in person watch at someone’s house option, contact Kelly

Instructor: Deb Rip

Date: Monday, March 25^th 6-7pm

TO ATTEND YOU MUST EMAIL kellyfrankenberg@gmail.com LETTING HER KNOW YOU WANT TO COME AT LEAST 4 HOURS BEFORE CLASS STARTS WITH CLASS CODE: M-D

BIOS:

Angela Ogle, RYT

Angela is a registered yoga teacher with 450 hours of yoga teacher training who has been teaching since 2019.

She specializes in teaching beginners, older adults, and those recovering from injuries. Her goal is to make yoga accessible for every body!

Angela has been told by her students that her cues make them feel safe and comfortable exploring and trying new things –

And also that when she teaches a Restorative Yoga class they feel like she is giving them a big hug –

She loves teaching at retreats and has been traveling and teaching around the world!

She is excited to meet new students and share new experiences and teach breath work and simple chair exercises that can help you feel better in your body!

Angela is very knowledgeable about yoga and how to adapt for injuries and different body types and loves teaching inclusive yoga class for people of all and differing abilities

Shannon Hernandez

Shannon Hernandez is ALL ABOUT THAT JOY and has dedicated her life to helping others discover their version of joy and live it fully. She is a former teacher, is the founder of Joyful Business Revolution™, and has been featured on CBS, ABC, FOX, & NBC. Her newest book, Practical Joy, continues to inspire and teach people that joy is an inside job. Shannon loves reading fiction, snuggling her cat, traveling the world, and hanging with the love of her life, Maria.

Shannon Hernandez

Joyful Business Growth Strategist

646.397.1234

Karen Williams

As the first openly lesbian Black comic in the United States to include specifically lesbian material in her act, Karen Williams changed the game for a number of communities. Since then, she’s had a prolific career in comedy. She’s released “I Need A Snack,” a one-hour comedy special that regularly aired on Logo TV; is featured in “Laughing Matters,” an award-winning film about four lesbian comic pioneers (Karen Williams, Kate Clinton, Marga Gomez, and Suzanne Westenhoeffer); and “We’re Funny That Way,” an internationally-acclaimed film that put Williams on the world comedy scene. Known for her quick repartee, insightful commentary, and audience rapport, it all comes naturally to Williams thanks to her passion for comedy and for being unabashedly herself. In addition to her stand-up, the comedian —who created her own major in “Humor and Healing” — is also the founder and CEO of the International Institute of Humor and Healing Arts (HaHA), which offers live and virtual educational programs, workshops, and seminars on the healing powers of humor. She put the humor and healing to good use this past year, performing a series of solo shows like “Karen Williams Alive” and “Heart Healing: From Pookie to Pandemic;” she also hosted comedy panels, brunches, and student shows, sponsored by the HaHA Institute and other organizations like NOBLA, the National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is sharing the healing power of humor with the world to relieve suffering and to bring out individual and collective happiness and enlightenment.”

Tips welcome!

CashApp: $kwilliam89

Venmo: @Karen-Williams-114

Paypal.me/hahainstitute

(Use Friends & Family for Free)

Kelly Frankenberg

Kelly Frankenberg has painted in every type of paint. She has painted plein air in numerous countries. Kelly has taught beginning Watercolor and Drawing for various institutions and companies. She competed in live art battles and has painted live in front of audiences. When she isn’t teaching or painting, she’s helping Art to Change the World pay artists and develop and execute projects, as Assistant Director. Some of her accomplishments have included commissions by the City of Eagan, the City of Burnsville, The Governor’s Residence Council, Fox National News, and more. Her creations have appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and she has several published books. Her art appears on windows, walls, mailboxes, electrical boxes, pianos, doors, and soon-to-be concrete barriers.

Ulana Zahajkewycz

Layl McDill

galleries, art centers, festivals and museums.

https://www.instagram.com/laylmcdill

Barbara Bridges

Bio: With a PhD in Art Education, 20 years of experience as an art teacher K-12, and 20 years of experience on top of that training general education teacher candidates, Dr. Bridges knows how to make art an educational and fun experience for all ages. Founder and director of non-profit, Art to Change the World, her vision carries out in projects, events, and shows that not only build community and create opportunity, but also get artists paid. A life-long artist herself, her work has been exhibited in Maine, Mexico, Maryland, Florida, Spain, Chicago, Canada, the Virgin Islands, and she has recently lead workshops at the Mill City Museum and Guthrie Education. Voted Art Teacher of the Year twice, she created the first online art teacher licensure program for Bemidji State University.

Laura Mann Hill

Laura is a theater artist, playwright, educator, administrator and facilitator using art for social change with various arts-based organizations in the Midwest including serving on the administrative team of Million Artist Movements. She received a Music Theater International Honor for Creating Sustainable Theater Education in 2013 for her work to establish a theater program at MS 57 in Brooklyn, NY. After nearly a decade of teaching English and directing theater arts programming in New York City public schools, she returned to the Twin Cities to join Making Waves: Hamline University’s Social Justice Theatre Troupe as the Assistant Director.

Laura worked as a teaching artist and administrator with Children’s Theatre Company (CTC), where she engaged with communities through the nationally recognized Neighborhood Bridges Program. Laura is a founding member of local arts organization Speaking Out Collective and board member of Language Attitude and Art to Change the World. Most recently she was on stage at Youth Performance Company in the world premiere of a play she also wrote, Inspired by Claudette & Rosa. In 2023 she was featured in an episode of SciGirls on PBS during her time at the Friends of the Mississippi River, where she served as the Education and Stewardship Program for three years. Laura is currently teaching theatre and dance as a specialist at Minneapolis Public Schools.

She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Education from Hamline University and earned her Master’s Degree in Teaching Secondary School from Pace University in New York City.

Mimi Gonzalez

Detroit native Mimi Gonzalez has traveled the world as a stand-up comic while committing random acts of publishing, freelance journalism and poetry. A lifelong activist, performer, poet, agitator, and “Elderzon” in the LGBT civil rights movement, she’s transformed her experience of slammed doors into a politics of radical inclusion. Mimi continues to build intersecting networks of support that aim toward justice and she welcomes anyone who is ready to join her to do the heavy lifting to bend that arc.

Madeline (Lin) Boemer – They/Them

“Madeline Boemer, known as Lin to most, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. They keep themselves busy on campus being part of both science-based organizations and the Dungeons and Dragons Club. In their free time, they are an acrylic painter, both on canvas and digitally.

Within their art, they explore their love of animals and often overlooked expressive nature. Animals create a feeling of silliness that helps to distract them from their rigorous university schoolwork, allowing for a sense of momentary escape. Lin’s Tabby cat, Charles, has been a big inspiration for the frequent cat-themed art they create. In their other works, you can see their background in DnD and all things fantastical in nature.

Social Media/Contact Links:

Email: LinsLameLife@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: etsy.com/Shop/LinsLameLife

Instagram: Instagram.com/LinsLameLife

Melodee Strong

Melodee Strong has completed over 60 mural and large-scale projects in the Twin Cities and Jamaica. She has a BFA from MCAD and a Masters in Arts Education from the U of M. Her multifaceted practice as an artist allows her to create using a wide range of materials and techniques but her portfolio largely consists of murals giving attention to diverse cultures, feminism, and social justice. She is currently teaching visual art at Franklin Middle School in Minneapolis and is an adjunct instructor at MCAD, Augsburg, Metro State, and the U of M teaching courses in foundational art studies, K-12 Art Methods courses, and professional practice in illustration. She has recently earned The Minneapolis Educator Leadership Award from the Graves Foundation in 2020 and 2022. Her personal work includes symbols from her Peruvian background and the juxtaposition between the two very different cultures.

Deb Rip

I am a native Minnesotan born in Mankato and based in the Twin Cities. I welcome you to come visit my studio in the Dow building and in the Creative Zone of St. Paul. The Dow building is on the Green Line of the Twin Cities Light Rail System~ Tobersonstudios, 2242 University Ave. W. #201B, St. Paul. MN 55114

Frances Bates

(She/Her) is a jack of all trades with experience in art, design, and engineering. Growing up her dream was to become an inventor who made the world a better place. At a young age, creating found object art and homemade gifts was where it all started. She explored her interest in engineering by participating in as many summer camps and classes related to Science, Technology, engineering, and Math (STEM) as she could.

This enthusiasm for both art and engineering led her to get a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Wisconsin Stout. This gave her the best of both worlds as industrial design is considered the art side of engineering. While at Stout she expanded her knowledge of a variety of art forms including graphic design, sculpture, jewelry, sewing, photography, and woodworking.

Currently, Frances is a freelance artist/designer doing a bit of everything depending on what comes her way. Her art often reflects just how much she cares about helping others. She has a particular passion for issues of diversity, the world of dancing, and camping gadgetry. As a lesbian with autism, she understands how important it is to empower your community.

Her advice: “Be like Dory and Just Keep Swimming.”