Fine Arts Advisory Council Arts College Night Program

1. Arts College Night
Majoring in Theater, Dance and Visual Arts
Sponsored by the HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council
Monday, December 14, 2009
Atholton High School
PROGRAM
Opening
Stephanie Gurwitz, Coordinator Arts College Night,
Chairperson Theater Arts Committee, HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council (FAAC)
Welcome
C. Thomas Payne, Coordinator Advanced Programs and Fine Arts, Howard County Public
Schools (HCPSS)
Welcome
Todd Kriner, Guidance Department Chair, Atholton High School
Introduction: Fine Arts Advisory Council
George Wilson, CoChairperson HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council (FAAC)
Janis McNutt, CoChairperson HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council (FAAC)
Getting The Most Out of Tonight’s Program
Stephanie Gurwitz
Majoring in the Arts Panel Discussions
In each group there will be panel presentations and
an opportunity for questions and answers.
Please complete our exit survey so that we can better serve your needs.
Refreshments are on sale in the lobby – funds raised will help the Drama Boosters of Atholton
High School.
Please take an opportunity to pick up information that is available in the lobby.
If you would like to be involved in the works of the HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council please
contact George Wilson or Janis McNutt.

2. Arts College Night Majoring in Theater, Dance and Visual Arts
Sponsored by the HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council
DANCE
Moderator, Kelli Shimabukuro, Communications Chairperson FAAC, Community Education and
Partnerships Coordinator Howard County Library
Renee’ Brozic Barger, Dance Instructor at Howard Community College
Renee graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County as a dance major. She has served as
Coordinator of Dance at Howard County Community College since 2008. She had previously been selected as
Adjunct of the Year at HCCC.
Holli Tucci, Dance Instructor Oakland Mills High School
Holli Tucci has been growing as a dancer since the age of 3. She spent most of her grade school years in
Howard County and graduated from Hammond High School where she was a member of the Dance Company.
After high school, Holli continued her dance training at Jacksonville University. As a college student, her
choreography was showcased at the Kennedy Center for the American College Dance Festival National
Showcase. In 2002, Holli graduated with a BA in Dance Performance and Education and was recognized as
the Education Student of the Year. Holli started teaching dance at Oakland Mills High School in Howard
County, Maryland in 2002. She was named Oakland Mills High School PTSA Teacher of the Year in 2008.
Holli is currently working toward a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
Jennifer Hennessie, Dance Instructor River Hill High School
Jennifer has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Her training began at a Dance studio in Laurel, MD and
continued traveling up and down the east coast as a member of the Competition Team. She danced all four
years in high school; 3 of the 4 years as Sr. Company Captain, under the direction of Patricia Spruill. She is a
graduate from the UMBC Dance Program, with a Major in Dance and has a Teaching Certificate. She student
taught at Marriotts Ridge High School under Patricia Spruill, and was lucky enough to land a position as the
Dance Teacher at River Hill High School. This is her second year at River Hill.
Nysia White
Nysia reluctantly started dancing at the age of 11 and then found she loved it. She studied jazz, tap, lyrical,
ballet, and point. By the age of 16 she was an apprentice and at 19 started teaching at Backstage Dance Studio.
Nysia graduated from Howard High in 1996. She then went to the University of Maryland College Park where
she studied dance. From 1998 through 2000 she was a part of a professional touring African dance company
called Aurora in residence at Howard Community College. She has choreographed and danced up and down
the east coast including working with local artist Fain. Nysia also danced in a documentary call "Only in
Baltimore" a fashion industry special. Nysia currently teaches at Phoenix Rising Dance Studio, Coppin State
School of Dance, and Studio Inspire. In addition she owns and operate Dance Solutions LLC and Dance
Solutions Youth Outreach Incorporated a nonprofit organization. DSYO currently is working with Howard
County Public Schools to provide enrichment activities to children who participate in the county's Bridges
Program.

3. Arts College Night Majoring in Theater, Dance and Visual Arts
Sponsored by the HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council
VISUAL ARTS
Moderator, George Wilson with the assistance of
Monica Herber Columbia Art Center Day and Youth Art Programmer
Jennifer Lackey, Lecturer in the Department of Electronic Media and Film
Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Denison University in 1994, a Master’s in Speech
Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University in 1996 and a Master’s Degree in Film Studies from Emory
University in 1998. She has taught film history and women and gender in media courses in EMF since
coming to Towson in 2000. In addition, she also helped create the Women and Minorities in Media Festival,
serves as an FYE advisor from incoming EMF students, works with several EMF student groups and serves
on numerous committees within the department.
Janine D'Adamo Admission Counselor and Scholarship Coordinator, Maryland Institute College of
Art
Janine is a practicing artist and has shown in Baltimore and New York. She has her MA in Digital Arts from
MICA, 2004 and a BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute, 2002.
Megan Rogers, Admission Counselor, Maryland Institute College of Art
Practicing artist and has shown in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York
MFA in Painting and Printmaking from University of Pennsylvania, 2008
BFA in Painting from MICA, 2006
Jon Barnes, Creative Director of Jon Barnes Design and Consulting
Jon Barnes is CEO of The Munich Group, Inc., a Maryland consulting, design and advertising strategy firm.
Jon also creates and sells video content, stock photos, electronic music and is a Youtube Partner. Jon is a
graduate of Howard High after which he went on to the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. He then left art
school and studied youth ministry and theology. Since leaving school he has both worked in the ministry and
as an artist.
Laverne Miers-Bond, Visual Arts teacher, Marriott’s Ridge High School
LaVerne is a graduate of Hammond High School. She attended The Maryland Institute College of Art,
recieving a BFA in General Fine Arts with a Minor in Art HIstory as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching
K-12 art. She is a National Board Certified Teacher who has taught in Baltimore County and Howard County
for 15 years. She currently teaches at Marriotts Ridge High School.
Cheryl Smith, Junior at Philadelphia Academy of the Art
Cheryl, a graduate from Glenelg high school, currently attends the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in
Philadelphia. She is finishing her fourth and final year at the school and will be receiving her certificate in
painting in May 2010. Next year she will continue her studies at the University of Pennsylvania to receive her
Bachelor in Fine Arts. Her main love and desire in art has always been relating to and depicting human nature.
This love translated visually into portraiture and figurative imagery. The experience of painting and/or drawing
from life for a minimum of six hours a day has greatly improved her skills and working habits; preparing her
for solitary studio work.

4. Arts College Night Majoring in Theater, Dance and Visual Arts
Sponsored by the HCPSS Fine Arts Advisory Council
THEATER ARTS
Moderator, Stephanie Gurwitz
Jay Herzog, Theater Chairman, Towson State University
Jay is a graduate of Brooklyn College (BA) and The University of Massachusetts/Amherst (MFA). Jay came to
Towson from East Carolina University as an assistant professor and previous to that was the production
coordinator for the Brooklyn College Department of Theatre. His primary focus (pardon the pun) is Lighting
Design with a second emphasis on Sound Design. His work has been seen or heard in professional theatres
worldwide. He is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and is the resident lighting designer for the
Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. Other local theatres where his work has been seen include the Woolly
Mammoth Theatre, which has been quoted by the New York Times as being the "most daring theatre company
in Washington, DC ", RepStage, Theatre J, Baltimore Theatre Project and The Roundhouse Theatre. In 2000,
Jay was the recipient of the Helen Hayes award for best lighting design in the Washington region, and he has
had numerous "best of" awards for outstanding work from Baltimore newspapers and organizations. Most
importantly, Jay is the father of Asher and Seth.
Nathan Rosen, Head of Theater Atholton High School
Nathan has been directing, designing, and teaching theatre since 1984, at Atholton High School since 1997. He
directs the Slayton House Conservatory in the summer and has directed more than 100 productions, including
high school, community, summer camp and professional plays, musicals, and world premieres. He also
designed scenery and supervised graphics for most of them. A number of former students have been awarded
talent scholarships to study theatre in college and a few are working as actors in New York and Los Angeles.
Nathan has an MA in theatre, Provost Fellow, University of MD, College Park; BA liberal arts, St. John's
College, Annapolis; graduate work at Trinity College, Catholic University, and LaSalle University, and the
University of Nevada. He has been honored with the NEH Teaching Fellow, Washington Theatre Festival Best
Director, and was a Washington Post Grants in Education recipient.
Katie George, Professional Puppeteer
Katie has her BA in art from Salisbury University. (And plenty of time spent in their theatre dept.) She has a
graduate degree in theatre with a specialization in Puppet Arts from University of Connecticut. Katie
performed with Onstage Productions at the Little Theatre on the Corner in Ellicott City, performed as
puppeteer in Walt Disney World, and built full-body costumes for VEE Corporation (produce Sesame Street
Live shows). Katie is the resident puppet builder for Center for Puppetry Arts. She is also a Columbia native
and a graduate of Howard High. In addition to her puppetry Katie is the Teen Program Coordinator for the
Howard County Public Library.
Elizabeth A. Cheslock, Freelance Stage Manager
Selected credits in New York include Ariadne Unhinged, Arianna in Creta (Gotham Chamber Opera); worked
on Manhattan School of Music’s previous productions of Later the Same Evening, Riders to the Sea, A Dinner
Engagement, and A Month in the Country; Die Zauberfl’te (Mannes College, The New School); The Blowin of
Baile Gall (Off-Broadway); The Lepers of Baile Baiste (Off-Off-Broadway); and Shout! A Mod Musical
(Amas Musical Theater/PLUS Entertainment.) Selected Regional credits include Chautauqua Opera, Opera
Carolina, Sarasota Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, Opera Omaha, Shreveport Opera, and
Williamstown Theatre Festival. A graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts, Lizzie is a member of
Actor’s Equity Association and American Guild of Musical Artists.
Amanda (Mandy) Hall, Associate Production Manager Everyman Theater
Amanda also serves as the resident stage manager at Everyman Theatre where she has managed over 25
productions. Some of her favorite shows include Proof, Red Herring, The Pavilion, Fences, The Glass
Menagerie, The Road to Mecca, Blues for an Alabama Sky, and Side Man. She also stage managed A
Midsummer Night's Dream for the Maryland Stage Company and has worked for The Guthrie Theater in
Minneapolis and Rep Stage in Columbia, Maryland.
Beth Leader Rosas, Theater teacher Mt Hebron High, Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts
Beth is the theater arts teacher at Mt.Hebron HS and serves as the Director of Education for Columbia Center
for Theatrical Arts. Beth has developed educational programs for Baltimore City Public schools and Loyola
University. She has created theater curriculum for speech counseling and anger management programs. At
Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts Beth currently oversees the summer programs and a variety of programs

5. throughout the year. After graduating high school Beth attended college majoring in English and Theater
education.