About

Earlier in her career, Katie taught visual language and culture and English courses at The Art Institute of California San Diego, Intermedia at The University of Iowa, performance and installation at the College for Creative Studies and The Essay as Form—a graduate seminar while serving as sabbatical cover—at Eastern Michigan University. She has guest lectured at The Academy of Applied Arts Rijeka and the Arts Academy of the University of Split (both in Croatia), Western University (London, Ontario), and Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN).

Katie’s creative work straddles literary art—autofiction and experimental poetry, in particular—and performance art. Her practice is rooted in participatory observation, or what she calls invisible theater, through which she explores ideologies different from her own via participatory observation.

Katie’s performative and literary work has been presented at the University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities (Ann Arbor, MI), Provisions Library at George Mason University (Washington D.C.), GALERIE8 (London, UK), The Museum of Contemporary Craft (Portland, OR), Galerija Kortil (Rijeka, Croatia), and Detroit Artists Market and N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art (Detroit, MI), among others. Her residency history includes Craft Advanced Research Projects Agency|CARPA, (Joshua Tree, CA); Udruga Filmaktiv (Rijeka, Croatia); and Prostor Plus (Rijeka, Croatia). She holds an MFA from The University of Iowa in Intermedia as well as M.A. and B.A. degrees from Wayne State University, in English. Katie has served on the board of directors of Detroit Puppet Company since 2016.

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Previously based in New York, Christina co-founded Bushwick Open Studios and Arts in Bushwick, and was the Managing Director of Chez Bushwick, a Brooklyn nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of interdisciplinary art and performance, with a strong focus on experimental dance. From 2009 – 2016, Christina was the co-director of Spread Art, an artist-run nonprofit providing residencies to local, national and international artists, and presenting contemporary and experimental work across all disciplines.

She graduated with departmental honors in both majors, and received first place in the research essay category of writing awards for three consecutive years. Nicole has been involved with Kresge Arts in Detroit since 2014, holding various titles such as Administrative Intern, Program Assistant, and Interim Operations Manager.

Jordan’s work is grounded in narrative change. She’s inspired by the narrative power-building strategies of people experiencing marginalization. Jordan has shared her developing knowledge of anti-oppressive language and framing at the Council of Michigan Foundations annual conference and state roundtables. Jordan holds a B.A. in Journalism from Howard University and earned her Master’s degree from Georgetown University. She is interested in typography and enjoys handlettering and calligraphy.

Asukile has worked in the art sector for years with such notable institutions as the Virgil Carr Center, Detroit Institute of Arts, and the community+public arts: DETROIT program at the College for Creative Studies. He received his B.F.A. in drawing and printmaking, and completed his M.A. in fine art at Wayne State University.

She enjoys collaborating and building partnerships within the focus areas of Workforce Development, Arts and Culture, Afterschool Programming, Environmental Justice, and Green Design.

Angelina started her career at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, coordinating and curating arts and culture programming. She is a graduate of Wayne State University, where she received a B.A. in Film with a minor in New Media.