Discipline: Photography

Noelani Montas (she/her) is a proud Kanaka Maoli and Dominicana from Southern California. She is currently an MFA candidate in the Hawaiian Theatre Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and received her BFA in Theatre Design & Technology from University of the Arts. Recent credits include: Glitter in the Paʻakai (ʻĀnela) – UHM, Haku Wale (Scenic, Lighting, and Projection Design; Hula) – UHM, Kaisara (Emma Nāwahī) – UHM, Primero Sueño (Scenic & Lighting Design) – Repertorio Español, and La Extinción de los Dinosaurios (Scenic & Lighting Design) – Repertorio Español. She is a recipient of the 2022 Brind School Award for Storytelling in Design, the 2021 Pat Mackay Diversity in Design Award, and was a lighting design mentee in the 2021-2022 Wingspace Mentorship Program Cohort. Upon her graduation from the Hawaiian Theatre Program in December 2024, she will be moving to Seattle, WA, to continue her work with Indigenous arts and performance. E holomua, sigue pa’ lante.

Discipline: Folklife/Traditional Arts

Nofo T. Alofagaimanu proudly from Vailoatai and Tula villages in American Samoa. A traditional weaver in Samoan handicrafts, participated in Pacific Arts Festival for 2 years as a student representing American Samoa as a siapo(tapa) maker, loves braiding hakus(pale) and leis(ulas) for traditional occasions if requested. Taught by her Late grandmother, ASCC instructor Regina Meredith, practices all these skills and knowledge through traditional and visual arts. Her art honors Samoan Culture, women duties in connection with family, church, village as well with her community as a whole. She also shares her gifts in schools, church, women committees and a vision to preserve these Indigenous arts in any form of activities through storytelling, exhibits, performs orator duties through family functions, creativity and cultural healing as well.

Her passion is to let all single artists in American Samoa work together so that we can make a difference to uplift our Pacific traditions with respect, especially speaking our own mother tongue languages. She dedicated her accomplishment for loving to write short children’s stories to her mother Sara Unasa-Teo, her daughters, grandchildren and her husband Aofagaimanu for never ending support. 

Norman A. Branch is a Huntington, WV native. He is the third child and son of the late Norman H. Branch and Lanita C. Hatcher. Norman is a 1995 graduate of Huntington High School and a 2009 graduate of Marshall University with a Regents Bachelor of Art degree and double minor in marketing and social work. Norman is a former multi-cultural scholarship award winner and Marshall University Thundering Herd Football player. He lived in Nashville, TN from 1998 to 2001, where he continued his education and worked with community organizations including; being a member of the AmeriCorps Nashville HealthCorps, working with families and communities in education and health. Working at the Bethlehem Centers of Nashville as a Teacher/Counselor and mentoring youth. Norman is the CEO of Positive People Association, a community development organization that promotes education, health and wellness to at-risk youth and young adults, through interactive multi-media and theater arts. He has produced. Directed. And performed stage plays in WV, Ohio, GA. Norman operates a podcast with his wife called The Biz with NormBeezy and Lady Tiger.

North Star Community Foundation/Healing thru Music & Dance

Northeastern Arts Network

Northern Arizona Book Festival

Northern Colorado Intertribal Pow-wow Association, Inc.

Northglenn Arts & Humanities Foundation