Meet Creative West’s grant awardees and fellows—artists, culture bearers, arts agencies, and organizations fostering creativity in their communities.
Grants awarded from FY 2021 - FY 2023
Leaders of Color alumni
%
of FY 2023 Tourwest grants supported arts participation in rural areas
Thank you and si Yu'us Ma'asi for supporting Indigenous art and artists, and for giving me this opportunity to build a very special traditional canoe for our community!
Pete Perez
2024 BIPOC Artist Fund | Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
It was an amazing experience that fueled me to work toward my goals in arts and culture. I hope that the connections we built throughout the last year will continue with support from the program. I'm grateful for all the work from the staff and am inspired by their passion for making a difference. The program certainly made a difference in my life.
Sam Zhang
23-24’ LoCF Fellow | Michigan
These funds will kick start a 2 year long process of become a Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council. My focus is on small business, entrepreneurship, placemaking, tech and how to finance small businesses including those in the creative economy. My goal is to obtain my credential over the next 2 years and transition in to a professional economic developer or chamber director role
Discipline: Folklife/Traditional Crafts&Visual Arts
Adina Zamora is a cultural artisan born in California and raised in Harmon, Dededo, Guam. Of Chamorro heritage, she is the eldest of 21 siblings and grew up helping raise her family. Inspired as a teenager by her Palauan neighbors, Zamora developed a passion for coconut leaf weaving, later learning from Samoan, Yapese, and Chamorro teachers. She creates handmade shell jewelry and hopes to open a shop in Chamorro Village where she can sell her work and teach weaving to all ages—preserving a fading cultural tradition and sharing it with the next generation.
The founder of Marianas Visuals is a dedicated videographer and filmmaker from the Northern Mariana Islands. Their work is deeply rooted in capturing and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the CNMI through documentaries on traditional practices, local artists, and cultural events.
Primarily self-taught with a 2004 film school certification, they also contribute to cultural and language preservation as a media specialist at the Chamorro Carolinian Language Policy Commission. Beyond cultural documentation, their diverse portfolio includes sports and special events, product commercials, hotel promotions, family portraits, and wildlife photography. Through Marianas Visuals, they actively uplift Pacific traditions and connect with their community by sharing its unique stories and beauty.
Antonette Tudela Labausa is an Indigenous Chamoru/Chamorro shell carver from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Using Mariånas spondylus, clam (hima), and other shells gathered along the coastlines of the Mariånas, she shapes each piece as a tribute to her heritage. Her work carries the spirit of traditional Chamoru shell carving—honoring ancestral knowledge, promoting cultural pride, and fostering a mindful connection between land and sea.
April Repeki is a cultural dancer, educator, and tradition bearer from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. She began her dance journey at the age of six, studying Chamorro and Spanish dance under the guidance of Frances Sablan. In sixth grade, she began training with Jonas Barcinas, a first-generation dancer with the Taotao Tano dance group, who introduced her to Polynesian styles and deepened her understanding of the cultural ties across the Pacific. Through Barcinas, Repeki was also mentored by Frank Rabon, the founder of Chamorro cultural dance, Taotao Tano dance group and one of its most influential figures. These mentors instilled in her a deep passion for honoring ancestral stories through movement. For her, dance became more than performance, it became a vessel for memory, identity, and pride.
With over two decades of experience, Repeki has taught more than 300 students, many of whom have performed on Saipan and internationally. She has proudly represented her community at the Festival of Pacific Arts (FestPAC) in Guam (2016) and Hawai‘i (2024), performing alongside her students as proud cultural ambassadors. Today, Repeki remains committed to nurturing the next generation through dance that celebrates heritage, strengthens identity, and keeps island traditions alive.
Cami Diaz Egurrola (she/her), familian Kabesa, Bodig, yan Gayegu, is an indigenous CHamoru photographer and climate justice activist from the Mariana Islands. Born and raised on the island of Guåhan, her photography focuses on depicting the environmental and social harmony (inafa’måolek) of her Micronesian homelands and the people who inhabit them. By creating imagery of the landscapes and humans that exemplify the CHamoru values she was raised in, she hopes her photography can be a tool used for environmental justice, the perpetuation of culture in Pasifika, as well as express her deep appreciation and connection to her ancestors and homelands.
Carlos Tenorio Laguaña is a musician artist born and raised from Guam. His passion for playing musical instruments began at a young age, as he was taught by his father who was also a musician. He studied music and graduated at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. With his knowledge and experience, he was able to share his passion with the people of Guam by teaching at public schools, private lessons, and at the University. He is also a member of a nonprofit organization called Inetnon na Låhen Guåhan (YMLG) that promotes culture, language, and heritage within the community.
Devine Pua, a Spondylus shell collector, restorer, and carver, was born on Saipan to Chamorro and Carolinian parents. Though born in the Northern Mariana Islands, she spent most of her life in the mainland U.S., growing up primarily in Kent and Vancouver, Washington. Being away from her homeland for so long left her feeling lost and disconnected from her roots.
Chef Devynne Fuga Ah-Mai is a community-rooted chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Samoa Food Security, an initiative dedicated to preserving Samoan food traditions while addressing the urgent need for accessible, healthy, and locally grown food. Through her work, she bridges culinary arts with community well-being, hosting food demonstrations, cultural events, and educational programs that uplift local farmers and promote sustainable food systems in American Samoa. Her culinary storytelling highlights the connection between heritage, health, and the environment, making food not just nourishment but also a vehicle for cultural preservation and resilience. As a recipient of the PJAF grant, Chef Fuga continues to champion the intersection of art, food, and culture to strengthen her community’s future.
Elyssa Lim was born in the Philippines and raised in American Samoa. She gives credit to her high school art teacher for giving her the encouragement to pursue art. She is a multidisciplinary artist, ranging from traditional to contemporary art. Lim posts her projects online to share with other creatives. She is currently working on a project that highlights obscure creatures from Filipino legends. As a Teacher, Lim hosted a mini art show to highlight young artists and hopes to make it an annual event for the community. She believes art and storytelling are the foundations of human culture.
Born and raised in American Samoa, Gabby Langkilde is a Samoan storyteller. With a bachelor’s degree in Gender and Sexuality Studies from Harvard College and a master’s degree in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, her interests have always met at the intersection of dreaming, creative storytelling, and the (re)production of culture, politics, and identity. She is currently the executive editor of “Pasefika Presence,” an online magazine that platforms Pacific Islander stories and art.
Jan Reyes is a meditation facilitator and early childhood administrator from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Through a spiritual awakening in 2019, she learned breathwork, meditation, and grounding practices that honor and acknowledge the Marianas’ deep ancestral presence through offerings and developing profound relationships with the surrounding nature and ocean.
Reyes shares her gifts with the local spiritual community, the children in her care, schools, and anyone who feels called to her path. Her unique integration of modern and ancestral traditions helps pave the way for others to pursue their own unique paths to healing and cultural connections.
H. Larry Raigetal is from Lamotrek atoll in Yap state. He is a Pairourou (Pwo) traditional navigator of Weiyeng school and from the lineage of Haboilol in Polowat. His teachers include Petrus Pakamai, Serphin Ochaitir, Baskas Mark and Edward Rainam. Raigetal teaches at the University of Guam as an assistant professor for MARC.
Johnny Sablan is a proud son of Agat, Guam and singer of Guam’s greeting song, “Hafa Adai, Todo Mauleg How Are You”. He released the first Chamorro recording album in 1968, named Dalai Nene, and subsequently released 15 original Chamorro music albums. With the goal of keeping culture alive through music, he opened a recording studio and helped local artists throughout the Marianas record their music.
He spent decades perpetuating Chamorro culture, and served in various cultural roles in the Government of Guam, notably leading the department that opened the Guam Museum in 2016. Johnny Sablan looks to continue to keep the Chamorro culture alive, and nurture the next generation of Chamorro artists.
Jonathan Rai Sablan is a filmmaker from the island of Guam. His passion lies in capturing authentic Chamorro cultural stories and preserving them through film, with hope that it can be shared with future generations. Having worked in the film industry, he learned that Guam has just as much talent and great stories to tell the world. He is excited to continue his filmmaking journey through cultural documentaries that inspire and connect us all.
Tuifa’asisina Korina Seiuli Lee currently resides in American Samoa but hails from the mighty villages of Apia, Faleasi’u, Papauta, Solosolo, Papa Sataua and Sa’asa’ai Savai’i. Her life has always been infused with the Samoan performing arts for many years. Proudly coming from the musically renowned Le Au Salamo Family where she holds the High Chief Title of Tuifa’asisina. Tuifa’asisina serves as founder, owner, director and choreographer of Le Taupou Manaia Academy of Traditional Samoan Dance, Music & Arts in Pago Pago, American Samoa, Auckland, New Zealand, & Apia, Samoa. In the pageantry realm, she is co-gounder of Manaia Events est. 2016, which, for eight consecutive years, has managed the Miss Samoa Pageant, and has helped numerous former Miss Samoa, Miss American Samoa, Miss Samoa Utah, and Miss Pacific Islands contestants in the Talent and Traditional Attire Category. Tuifa’asisina has also choreographed numerous opening numbers for Miss Samoa, Miss American Samoa, and the Miss Pacific Islands pageants. Tuifa’asisina is the owner and manager of Measina Samoa Creations in American Samoa. This past year, Tuifa’asisina showcased 20 traditional laei samoa designs at the Utah Pacific Fashion Show. She is also a Certified Fitness Professional for the American Council on Exercise, and a mother to her beautiful daughter Lorrina. One of Tuifa’asisina’s greatest accomplishments as a Master Tuiga Fafau artist, is creating a one of a kind 3-stick tuiga in which the lave is covered with plain u’a and hand painted with natural dyes on a siapo-mamanu by Tupito Gadalla – the late Mary Pritchard’s granddaughter. This intricate tuiga fafau is now housed at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand.
Leilani I. Marciano of Saipan, CNMI, carries the wisdom and love passed down from her mother and the women of her community. A traditional craftswoman and teacher of local modernized dance, she nurtures culture the same way she nurtures her family—with patience, care, and deep-rooted pride. A mother to one, but a guiding hand to many, Marciano has helped raise countless nieces, nephews, and grandchildren, all while keeping tradition alive.
She generously shares her knowledge not only within her family, but throughout the wider community—teaching in schools, workshops, and participating in cultural events to ensure these traditions continue to thrive. When she’s not teaching, she turns to her quiet craft—creating lighatutuur, delicate beaded necklaces. Each piece is created with intention, preserving the essence of her culture and passing along its meaning, one bead at a time.
Discipline: Folklife/Traditional Crafts&Visual Arts
Leonard Leon is a multidisciplinary artist whose practices stem from Pacific cultural values and heritages. As a carver, photographer, graphic designer, and a filmmaker, Leon leverages visual arts to invoke conversations on shared cultural practices as well as for interpretive storytelling. As a Marshallese, Leonard was raised in a family with great respect and love for the ocean. Later moved to the Northern Mariana Islands, Leon was adopted and raised by Francisco Babauta and his Chamolinian family. In this family, he was taught the value and respect for land, where he spent many years tilling native fruits and medicinal plants in the former botanical garden, Fruitland, now an abandoned mall in Saipan.
Losalia Ah Chee is a revered traditional weaver from Pago Pago, American Samoa, whose artistry is deeply rooted in Samoan heritage. Entirely self-taught, she honed her craft through keen observation and an intuitive connection to her surroundings, mastering the intricate techniques of weaving with dried pandanus and coconut leaves. Over time, weaving has become more than a skill, it is an extension of her identity and a source of strength. Her passion for the art was nurtured by the enduring wisdom of her late mother, Telesia Ah Chee, whose words “‘E te ola i ou lima” (“You live by your hands”) that continue to guide her journey. Through weaving, she has cultivated resilience, purpose, and a profound sense of cultural pride. Committed to preserving the traditions of her ancestors, Chee actively shares her knowledge with youth and community members, ensuring that the legacy of Samoan weaving lives on through intergenerational learning and cultural stewardship.
Magdalen Santos is an emerging bead-maker from Talabwogh, also known as Tanapag. She is learning her craft through the guidance of her maternal aunts and relatives, whose knowledge deeply shapes her journey. Through bead-making, she connects with her cultural roots and contributes to the preservation of her community’s traditions. Her growing practice is both a personal exploration and a tribute to the history, skills, and resilience passed down through generations.
Malosi Tanielu Lui is happy to communicate with the community with his talent. Growing up, music was instilled through church choir, youth, and Sunday school. Started playing piano at the age of 10, and since then he was able to use the God given talent in high school choirs— Leone High Taumafai Swing Choir & Samoana High Tautua Choir. He was also blessed with the opportunity to play for American Samoa’s Choir at the Festival Arts of the Pacific this past summer.
Marcella Fitisone, a proud daughter of Samoa, is the visionary owner of Sinavemafiti Photography and Creative Studios. Her creative work is a tribute to two core values that define her life: family and culture. Through her lens, she captures the essence of the Samoan way of life and strong bonds of family, creating timeless photos that tell stories of heritage and love. From birthdays to weddings, family faalavelaves, and the beautiful landscapes of American Samoa, Fitisone believes that preserving these moments through photography is a gift to future generations and a tangible documentation of living narratives.
Benito is a member of the Houpolowat clan and canoehouse, Utt Wenimai. He also belongs to Utt Hopweilal. Benito was educated in the Weriyang school of navigation and as a child studied under some of the most famous and revered old-time navigators from Polowat, including Hipour Edward and Manipy Rapung. As an adult, Benito studied with the late Teo Onopey and Rainam Edward.
A long time cameraman, photographer, and archivist of Polowat images based in Saipan, Benito was the lead photographer for the documentary “Sacred Vessels: Navigating Tradition and Identity in Micronesia” (1997) and shot for many visiting documentary teams over the past two decades. Benito serves as an informal ambassador of Polowat seafarers in Saipan, served as one of the coordinators and translators in the building of the Lien Polowat in 2012 and its sail to Guam and final resting place at the Oceanic Culture Museum in Okinawa in 2013. In 2016, Benito was one of five navigators ordained by Grandmaster Navigator Rainam Edward of Polowat.
In 2023, Benito sailed from Palau to the CNMI and in 2024, in Hawaiʻi during the Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture. Benito teaches Basic Traditional Navigation at 500 Sails in Saipan.
Mary Elizabeth is an employee at the Rota Mayors office under the leadership of Mayor Aubrey M. Hocog. She is the supervisor under the hospitality division, they are responsible for maintaining and cultivating traditional chamorro medicine at the “Hatdin Åmut CHamorru”.
She and her team facilitate demonstrations in the islands of the CNMI and the island of Guam. She and her team also work together to provide demonstrations for the students at PSS events and accept requests to make chamorro medicine for the community. She thanks her grandparents for providing her the knowledge about chamorro medicine and how to make them.
CaFÉ is an online application submission system that strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering arts organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply.
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