Maria Nancy Thomas is a photographer born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and based in South Phoenix, Arizona. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Thomas’ photographs reflect the acculturation of her Mexican and American experiences. Focusing on portraiture, her work examines gender roles, stereotypes, cultural parallels, and social issues.
Her artwork has been exhibited at Arizona State University’s Gallery 100, the New School for the Arts and Academics, Yuma Art Center, Phoenix Center for the Arts, the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center, the Alice Gallery in Washington, and other venues.
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.
Marissel holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies from The Graduate Center, CUNY. She is a Black Puerto Rican Independent Scholar and Afrofeminist currently serving as a Senior Program Associate at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI). Marissel is one of the recipients of the prestigious 2022 Soros Equality Fellowship for her project Saberes Afrorriqueños, a digital project that seeks to advance racial equity through art and culture She is also the founder and coordinator of the projects De coco y anís. Proyecto Cortijo Marissel has presented her work in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and the United States. She also relates to a general audience through op-eds published in the newspapers Claridad, Revista Marea, Afroféminas y Afrocubanas, and La Revista, addressing issues of racism and anti-racism and Blackness in Puerto Rico. Among her passion for music, food, Brazilian literature, and sci-fi, is her activism to eradicate racism by dismantling the established narrative.
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.
Mary Welcome is a multidisciplinary cultural worker and rural avant-garde artist based in Palouse, Washington. Born into a military family, her upbringing across the American landscape shaped her as a keen observer of people and place—how communities are built, broken, made, and unmade. For more than two decades, she has developed art projects that nurture local culture, reflect a sense of place, and deepen community relationships.
Welcome’s work explores the rural condition, addressing both the challenges and assets of place while advocating for diverse, resilient, and culturally rich shared realities across the rural-urban divide. As an artist-organizer, her projects are rooted in community engagement and the creation of intersectional programming that addresses equity, cultural advocacy, visibility, queerness, and imagination. She brings a nuanced perspective to the contemporary arts field, working as an organizer in service to small towns, a cultural producer across American geographies, and a facilitator of place-based arts programming.
Welcome is the founder of More Parades, a nonprofit cultural incubator dedicated to sustaining artistic practice in rural and under-resourced communities.
Mary Zhang is an accomplished artist and cultural enthusiast residing in Spokane, Washington. Over the past eight years, she has served as Director of the Spokane Chinese Dance Group (SCDG), where she has exhibited exceptional artistic skills in Chinese dancing, as well as leadership and organizational abilities in community service. She has organized and coordinated over 48 cultural exchange events with various local organizations, including senior centers, schools, libraries, cultural fairs, and holiday celebrations. Under her guidance, the SCDG has performed over 150 diverse dance performances, including Classical Han Dynasty dance, Qipao Dance, Tibetan dance, and Mongolian dance. Mary has been a Vice President of the Spokane Chinese Association since 2014, contributing significantly to the organization and the Spokane Chinese community at large. In recognition of her artistic talents, Mary was awarded the Spokane Arts grantee of Mary’s Chinese Dance Studio for the year 2022-2023.
Matauaina Gwendolyn To’omalatai Whitcombe is the President and Creative Director of Teine Lalelei Dance Academy, which she co-founded with her husband, Terrence Whitcombe, in August 2019 in American Samoa. The academy has grown to include around 80 dance students. Whitcombe established the academy with a heartfelt mission: “to preserve our culture one siva at a time.” Having studied dance in O’ahu, Hawaiʻi, under the guidance of many skilled kumu (dance instructors), she draws from her rich experience in various Polynesian dance styles. Teine Lalelei Dance Academy offers a diverse range of dance lessons on the island. Over her six years in American Samoa, the academy has aimed not only to teach dance but also to enlighten young women about the diverse cultures of the Pacific, helping them cultivate an appreciation for their heritage and cultural values.
Mestre Jamaika (Mauro Romualdo) is an internationally recognized practitioner of the Afro-Brazilian art form of capoeira, and has engaged and positively impacted students and audiences of all ages and backgrounds for over 30 years. Born in the heart of capoeira’s birthplace and his ancestral land, he discovered his passion for capoeira as a young child. His exceptional skill and explosive acrobatic talent put him on the world stage, and he was invited to live and teach in Israel in 1998, followed by an invitation to teach in the United States where he has lived since 1999. He’s a three-time Brazilian Capoeira Confederation Champion, and director of Salt Lake Capoeira since 2005. Additionally, he has inspired video game characters, lectured at universities, and participated in documentaries, music videos, and podcasts. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Amanda, and will continue honoring his roots by sharing his culture and strengthening the community through these arts.
Maya Simone Z., New York City, New York
Artist & Independent Producer
Maya Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Georgia, and has lived and worked in NYC for over five years as an artist, performer, advocate and arts administrator. They have enjoyed working with Sydnie L. Mosley, Jasmine Hearn, Lisa Fagan, Cinthia Chen, and others. They have had the pleasure of working as an arts administrator and freelancer with NY-based artists including André Zachery (Renegade Performance Group), Edisa Weeks (DELIRIOUS Dances), zavé martohardjono, Nia Witherspoon and more. They are a practicing artist, producer, and collaborator that enjoys working closely with BIPOC artists in creative and producing capacities. Learn more about their work and follow their journey at www.mayasimonez.com
Micah BlackLight can perhaps be described as a defiant, volcanic force of Nature’s creation, wearing the body of a brown-skinned catalyst and bursting with perpetual enthusiasm. A multi-media, multi-platform, multi-dimensional artist, writer, orator, coach, mentor, and fashion designer proficient in a myriad of mediums: visual, graphic, audible and otherwise. He is determined to create as many different works of art in as many mediums as possible while detonating spirits along the way and leaving trails of empowering, inspiring experiences in his wake like a spirit boat on the lake of existence.
Miguel Petris is an arts administrator based in Boston, MA. In Boston he earned his Master’s degree in Horn Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. He believes that music is a bridge builder and is able to connect humans across the world.
Miguel has had the opportunity to work with the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, The Boston Early Music Festival, and with The Silkroad Ensemble. Recently, Miguel has started working as the Community Engagement Coordinator with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. Through this role, he is working with an organization that puts equity and inclusivity at the forefront of their mission.
Miguel hopes that this fellowship will give him the knowledge and the network to continue supporting organizations that build community through the arts.
Michelle Antonina Burdex, a Tulsa, Oklahoma native, boasts a dynamic 25-year tenure as the Program Coordinator at the Greenwood Cultural Center (GCC). Renowned for her stewardship, she’s pioneered acclaimed initiatives such as the Young Entrepreneurs’ Summer Program, GCC’s Performing Arts Program, and the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Summer and After School Program.
A storyteller and tour guide, Michelle has guided thousands of students, educators, and tourists through the vivid tapestry of Greenwood’s history. Notably, she led a tour for U.S. President Joe Biden during GCC’s 100-year remembrance of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in 2021.
Her gift lies in educating about both the tragic legacy of the massacre and the resilience of Black Wall Street, weaving together narratives that resonate deeply.
Recognized for her leadership, she joined the Oklahoma Arts Council’s Leadership Arts Program and Leadership Tulsa’s Thrive Tulsa Leadership Program in 2020. Presently, as a Bloomberg Tech Fellow, she’s engaged in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program, showcasing her commitment to innovative progress in cultural education and advocacy.
Michelle Amador, a lifelong singer and songwriter, has been acclaimed as “a new breed of musician” (Mercury News) by figures ranging from jazz bassist Buster Williams to legendary electronic producers like Osunlade. Most recently, she has recorded and released singles created with producer Eli Crews (Kathleen Hanna, Yoko Ono, tUnE-yArDs). Known for her “silken-voiced” (San Francisco Chronicle) original music, Amador draws inspiration from artists such as Solange Knowles, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Björk, and more.
From 2022 to 2024, Amador was a member of the Western States Center musician cohort for Inclusive Democracy and an organizing co-founder of the Cultural Solidarity Fund. She is also a California Established Artist Fellow. Beyond her artistic endeavors, Amador serves as Chief Growth Officer for the Equity Accelerator, a board member for California for the Arts, and a member of the Equity and Inclusion Leadership Alliance of North Carolina.
Michelle Huynh is an intercultural theater artist, performance studies scholar and arts administrator born and raised in Hawaiʻi. Her work is rooted in creating spaces where diverse stories and communities intersect and in using performance as a tool for cultural empowerment and social engagement.
She holds a doctorate in theater and drama from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s in fine arts in Asian theater performance from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Huynh has taught widely across the United States and abroad, including at universities in California, Hawaiʻi, New England, Singapore and Vietnam. She is a faculty member at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Outreach College in the Arts, Community & Engagement Department.
Her practice spans Hawaiʻi, California and the Asia-Pacific Rim, where she engages in cultural organizing and collaborates with local and international artists across performance, research and community engagement on university campuses and in public venues. Her multimodal works have been presented at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, East-West Center, Asian New Play Festival and Journey Theatre Company.
Michelle Pier is a Guam-born artist, creative entrepreneur, and mother of two with over 20 years of experience creating, exhibiting, and selling original paintings locally and internationally. Alongside her studio practice, she is dedicated to fostering creativity in the community through classes, workshops, and events that emphasize the creative arts, personal expression, and entrepreneurship. She is especially passionate about mentoring young artists, equipping them with practical tools and encouragement to pursue art as both a calling and a career. Above all, she shares her journey to inspire others to feel empowered to create and thrive.
Passionate to connect people through Chinese culture and fusion musics; Actively involved in Chinese community’s development; started to bring Asian communities together from 2022 for showcasing Asian creative expression and cultural traditions through the power of arts.
• 2004 – Present, Worked at GE and then Honeywell as a senior professional leader;
• 2020 – Present, Committee member, Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC);
• 2018 – Present, Appointed as the Chair of Alliance of Chinese Culture & Arts USA (www.acca-us.org), a 501c3 non-profit organization fully operated by the volunteers. It is composed of the local chapters across regions in the spirit of collaboration;
• 2008 – 2019, Led a volunteer group to partner with Philharmonia Orchestra of CCM ( College Conservatory of Music in UC), defined programs and organized the annual Chinese New Year concert as an executive producer in 12 consecutive years, created fusion music programs, and named by Cincinnati Enquirer as one of the highly received concerts in the year;
• 2012-2019, Partnered with the social studies teacher of 6th grade in a local school to initiate the annual event “Connecting Kids to the World” in 8 consecutive years. The event was to create the dialog opportunities for the 6th grader to talk with the similar age of the kids in India and China face-to-face through video;
• In early 90s, came to the United States from China to pursue higher education and received MBA degree.
Midori Hirose, born in Hood River, Oregon, is a Japanese American interdisciplinary artist based in Portland. Through sculpture, sound, and social ritual, she explores material storytelling as a portal to memory, perception, and transformation.
Her practice bridges care labor and poetic research, turning complex histories and communal connections into dimensional, tactile forms. Hirose co-leads a mutual aid collective supporting protest safety and community resilience, informing her ongoing inquiries into collective care and embodied resistance.
Her work transforms shared spaces into sites of relational alchemy and slow, subversive repair. It has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including “Labor of Love” at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, “Of the Unicorn (and the Sundowner Kids)” with the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, and East/West Project in Berlin. Her installations invite intimacy, tension, and radical possibility.
Dr. Miriam Padilla, Executive Director of Bomba Marilé, is a proud LGBTQ Puerto Rican woman, a registered Taino tribal member, a doctor, and a community organizer. Dr. Padilla is board certified in Endocrinology, Obesity Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine. She currently is the Medical Director of the LiveWell Center at Utah Valley Hospital. When Miriam is not seeing patients, she is the Executive Director of Bomba Marilé which is a non profit organization that shares Afro-Puerto Rican bomba music and dance with the community in Utah. Dr. Padilla has received multiple awards for her community involvement including the “30 Women to Watch” award from Utah Business Magazine, the “Mujeres Destacadas” award from La Opinion Newspaper, and the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the United States Congress. Miriam is grateful for the WESTAF support and hopes to continue lifting up brown, black, and indigenous voices through her work as a cultural artist in the state of Utah.
Mitchell Rudolph is a Māori cultural practitioner, haka educator, and first-grade teacher based in Utah. Raised on his marae in Aotearoa, Rudolph learned haka, waiata, karakia, and Māori performing arts through intergenerational teachings rooted in cultural responsibility, ancestral knowledge, and community care. His grandfather, a tribal leader, instilled values that continue to guide his work today.
Rudolph serves as a teacher at Mana Academy Charter School and works as a cultural mentor for Māori, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous youth and families across Utah. His creative practice centers on haka as a tool for healing, identity, belonging, and collective voice. He leads workshops, performances, school programs, and community gatherings that honor tikanga Māori while fostering connections across Indigenous and multicultural communities.
Much of Rudolph’s work focuses on supporting youth in the diaspora, helping them reconnect with their ancestors, build confidence, and see their cultures reflected with pride. Through teaching, curriculum development, and community collaboration, he carries haka forward with integrity, care, and purpose.
