Juneau Jazz & Classics

Kait Glasswell began working as a public folklorist for the Oregon Folklife Network in 2023. She is responsible for developing and implementing programming that serves Oregon’s culture bearers, who dedicate their knowledge, skill and agency to transmit cultural practices across generations. This work joins her two previous career paths: community advocacy and arts education.

Glasswell was born in Pullman, Washington, and has a deep appreciation for rural communities of the West. She earned her bachelor’s in East Asian studies and Chinese language from St. Olaf College, where she had the opportunity to live in community with the Asian Rural Institute in Nashushiobara, Japan.

She believes in the inherent worth and dignity of all people and finds joy in creating with others. She currently lives with her wife, dog and two cats in Eugene, Oregon.

Project Manager, The Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Kane County Center for the Arts

Program Coordinator, Mana Maoli

My name is Kapali Bilyeu and I’m a kanaka maoli (aboriginal Hawaiian) born and raised on the island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i. From birth I was exposed to the creative process of music; my father is a founding member of a popular Hawai’i band called Kalapana and I had the privilege of meeting many talented artists, some of whom I still have a close relationship with today. The music industry in Hawai’i is very close-knit and has been an environment I always imagined myself being a part of when I’m an adult. My journey into traditional Hawaiian arts began in elementary school when I attended Kanuikapono Public Charter School, which specializes in place-based learning. My daily schedule was full of Hawaiian music, chanting protocols, Hawaiian history, cultural practices, and STEM programming done directly on the land, from the mountains to the sea. This experience inspired me to pursue and earn a BA in Hawaiian Studies and completion of the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program, both offered through Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo.

Kathy Weber is the product of the American Dream and the Peace Corps.
She was born on a small family ranch in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana, the daughter of a hard-working forester and a first generation immigrant from the South Pacific Islands.

The neighboring rancher cut her umbilical cord. She grew up playing in dirt, curious about everything and inspired by the work ethic of her parents and ancestors from the Pasifika islands of Rotuma and Samoa. Thanks to encouragement from her family, Kathy became the first person in her family to earn a master’s degree studying broadcast journalism and political science. Today, Kathy draws upon more than 20 years of experience as an award-winning journalist, political strategist, campaign advisor and business consultant to add firepower to her clients’ capacity. She’s a trusted ally for small businesses, corporations, cooperatives, professional associations, non-profits, major events and organizations who value her ability to get the job done right.
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Kathy is blessed to be raising her two children in Western Montana, exploring the rivers, lakes and mountains around the West. She passionate about the practice of hula and an active community member of the University of Montana Pacific Islanders Club.

As a passion project to honor her Rotuman heritage, Kathy is the co-founder of The Rotuma Project, the first virtual reality tour of a Pacific island disproportionately impacted by climate change. The Rotuma Project aims to document and honor Rotuman stories, language, cultural practices, geography and traditional knowledge while empowering indigenous voices. Learn more >>> www.therotumaproject.com

Kauai Concert Association

Kayenta Arts Foundation

Kayla Desroches is an artist and journalist based in Billings, Montana. She writes about science, culture and Indigenous issues for local and nationwide outlets. Community is a common denominator across her work in writing, audio production and visual art.

Desroches grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Barnard College in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing. Convinced she would be a car-free New Yorker for life, she took a reporting job in Alaska to explore the world outside her bubble. She ended up with a driver’s license, a career in journalism and a love for the U.S. West.

Desroches is using her time as a fellow to develop a workshop based on her personal experience with art and grief.

Kayla Fuentes was born in Comayaguela, Honduras but currently resides in Meridian, Mississippi. She is a mezzo-soprano, vocal pedagogue, and quirky theatre teacher from Starkville, Mississippi, where her passion for music and singing found its roots. She joined the Meridian Symphony Orchestra as the Director of Education and Community Engagement as she returns for her “reprise” role in Mississippi from a nine-year stint in NYC. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Mississippi College (2014) under the guidance of Meridian native, Dr. Kristen Johnson-Gunn. She then went on to graduate from Manhattan School of Music with a Master of Music: Classical Vocal Performance (2016), under the tutelage of Mignon Dunn. While in New York, Kayla found herself called to inspire, motivate, and entertain. Upon graduation, she invested her musical talent and passion back into the community while working for Opera America’s outreach program as their Education Assistant. She taught voice and piano privately and at Larchmont Music Academy for 5 years working with students of all ages. She thrived as an acting coach, and voice instructor for Manhattan School of Music summer program for 6 years and had the honor of performing on many great stages in NYC. She has joyfully spent the majority of her 9 years in New York combining performance, educational outreach, and diversity to re-energize the allure of the musical arts. Kayla looks forward to continuing her passion for education, performing, and music at MSA. She wishes to excite young minds, pique the interest of the musical weary, and maintain a current and diverse future audience of music appreciators for years to come.

Kelly Jung is the Assistant Director for Haverford College’s John B. Hurford ’60 Center for the Arts and Humanities. Her work focuses on building inclusive communities in higher education settings by advocating for the arts and supporting students. As a first generation Korean immigrant, creating a sense of belonging is at the core of her work. In her current role, she is focused on bridging the gap between the institution, community partners, alumni network and students by launching new programs such as the Philadelphia artist-in-residency, Arts and Culture Mentorship, VCAM club-in-residence program and more. Previously, Kelly worked as a middle school English teacher, and still continues her passion in teaching by volunteering at organizations such as the Welcoming Center and the Asian Arts Initiative.

Kendell Newman Sadiik is a writer, educator and community organizer based in Fairbanks, Alaska. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she is now the associate director of transformative teaching at the Center for Teaching and Learning. In this role, she helps seed innovation and inclusive practices across the university’s systems, partnerships and learning opportunities.

A co-founder and collaborator in the Learning Inside Out Network, or LION, Sadiik has spent the past decade expanding education and art-making opportunities for justice-impacted Alaskans. As a member of LION, she has helped publish work by incarcerated writers, facilitated courses inside carceral facilities and is currently co-designing “Lil’ Windows,” a video game that simulates an experience of incarceration in which thriving is built through literacy and social connection.

Sadiik’s essays and short stories have appeared in Grist, Iron Horse Literary Review and Jabberwock Review, among other publications. The driving question of her creative work is: What else is possible?

Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre