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Community Art Collaborative

Meet Our CAC Members!

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Community Art Collaborative
Meet our CAC Members

CAC Members bring a wide variety of skills, interests, and experiences to their positions as Community Artists-in-Residence. CAC cohorts build connections, support each other in their work,  and even collaborate on creative projects! 

Learn more about our current and previous CAC cohorts below.

Previous CAC Cohorts

Learn about CAC members who served in past years.

2023-24 CAC Cohort

Grace Aranaga-Hill

GRACE ARANAGA-HILL (she/they) is an illustrator, painter, and overall artist based in Baltimore. She is studying Art & Design at Towson University. Grace's work is a reflection of her vibrance and displays her passions through bold colors throughout her artwork. She plans to continue to work with youth of Baltimore as a teaching artist to help future artists of tomorrow express themselves through a multitude of mediums. She believes that art can be a method of healing and wants to explore art's therapeutic properties. Her Instagram is @GraceOfSpaceArt. Grace is a second-year CAC Member serving at Access Art.

Nell Arnett

NELL ARNETT is a student in MICA's MFA in Community Arts program, and has a BA in Communication as well as a BFA in Graphic Design, both from the University of West Florida. Driven by a passion to advocate for, inspire, and amplify the voices of queer youth, Nell relocated from Pensacola, FL to Baltimore in the summer of 2023. Nell currently works with Baltimore Youth Arts (BYA) and enjoys teaching graphic design, social media, and more. Overall, Nell is passionate about art that is unconventional, rebellious, and messy. Nell is a first-year CAC member serving at Baltimore Youth Arts.

Eli Copperman

ELI COPPERMAN (he/him) is an animator, short filmmaker, creative writer and aspiring theater enthusiast, living in Baltimore but originally from Highland Park, New Jersey. He studied animation at the Delaware College of Art & Design where he received an Associates in the Arts before going to MICA for a Bachelor in Fine Arts. Since graduating, he has been a part of numerous projects within his favorite fields, ranging from independent film production for Painting in Darkness and Jay JinxFilms, volunteer theater involvement for the Baltimore Rock Opera Society, music videos and podcasting. As a first-year CAC member, Eli sees the program as a worthwhile opportunity to engage in youth development by means of sharing his artistic knowledge and experience to others who are just as passionate about creating visual stories and experiences. "I believe that art is one of the most diverse fields anyone can indulge themselves in, both as a means of self expression and bringing people together." Eli is currently working with youth at Access Art and has been helping encourage his students to reflect on their artwork during and after the process. You can check out some of Eli's work at his youtube channel EMCstudiso527 & @emcanimation. Eli is a first-year CAC member serving at Access Art.

Damario Fair

DAMARIO FAIR is a Baltimore-based designer specializing in space planning and concept design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from the Cleveland Institute of Art. A self-taught graphic designer, my skills have found purpose in activism, currently engaged with I AM MENtality, a Baltimore-based nonprofit aiding male youth leadership. Damario’s unique journey has been shaped by a nomadic life, having resided in four states so far – Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, and now Maryland. Each location has provided him valuable insights into various cultural nuances, design preferences, and community dynamics, enriching his perspective and influencing the authenticity of his work. Currently he plans empowering art events, designs impactful marketing materials for community projects, and leads the creation of a building plan to secure funds for I AM MENtality's future home. Proficient in a number of editing and creation softwares, Damario melds his fine arts background into design and architecture, offering out-of-the-box solutions. Passionate about problem-solving and diversity, Damario thrives on workplace variety. Eager to expand on horizons, he is committed to cultivating professional relationships and bringing innovative ideas to the forefront. Damario’s dual commitment to design excellence and social impact drives his work, contributing meaningfully to both realms. In every project, Damario aims to infuse creativity with purpose, making a positive impact on communities and individuals. Damario is a first-year CAC member serving at I AM MENtality.

Anaya Fraser

ANAYA FRASER is a Baltimore based digital illustrator and graphic designer who graduated from Baltimore Design School in 2020. They are currently teaching, assisting in administrative work, and operating as Jubilee Arts' gallery curator. As a teaching artist, their goals are to motivate younger artists and encourage growth. One of the ways Anaya has and continues to support their students is by hosting a curating the "Comic Artist Festival." In their free time, Anaya also offers commissioned art. Doing this helps them to explore themselves as a creative, offers a way to express themselves, and stimulates their imagination. Every day they work hard as a freelance illustrator and an activist to help anyone who is dealing with the unfairness that the world gives to people. Anaya is a third-year CAC Member serving at Jubilee Arts.

Amy Louttit, JD

AMY LOUTTIT, JD is a youth homelessness advocate with lived experience and a multidisciplinary artivist. She attended Humboldt State University and received her BA in Fine Arts Education. Amy then began her first term of AmeriCorps working with students experiencing homelessness, and learned she was not just a mentor, but also a peer. Since then, her career has been focused on improving the lives of generations after her. Amy took time to attend law school and go into policy where she could support changes to laws and regulations impacting young people around the country. She's bringing her love of art and expression as well as her advocacy, community and youth engagement experiences together at MICA through the MFA in Community Arts program. Amy is currently proudly serving her in her first term as a CAC member, but her third term as an AmeriCorps member at Youth Empowered Society in Baltimore, MD!

Lydia Mastrangelo

LYDIA MASTRANGELO is a Baltimore-based mixed media animator and a recent MICA alumni. In their practice, Lydia loves to play with texture, symmetry, loop, layering, and the unconventional marriage between different mediums. Thematically, Lydia's work focuses on nostalgia, sexuality, and femininity. Both of Lydia films Amathus and Dear Kaleidoscope have screened at several film festivals including the Student World Impact Film Festival, Sweaty Eyeballs, Lift-Off Global Network, Flamingo Film Festival, First Cut Youth Film Festival, MICA's Golden Cockroach Festival, and Aniya Syros. Currently, Lydia is serving as an after-school facilitator with Access Art. Lydia hopes to teach animation skills that push the youth to blossom into the storytellers that they already are. Lydia is a first-year CAC member serving at Access Art.

Audrey Lee Naiva

AUDREY LEE NAIVA is a multi-disciplinary fiber artist and educator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Audrey got her start in community arts by dipping her hands in indigo with the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative and stitching squares for the MICA Quilt Group. Working as a Residential Advisor, she learned to create monthly educational programs for students living in the dorms. Audrey graduated with a BFA in Fiber at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She is back in Baltimore to serve with the Community Art Collaborative, partnered with Baltimore Clayworks, where she supports after-school and other community arts programs. Audrey is a second-year CAC Member serving at Baltimore Clayworks.

Nia Parks

NIA PARKS is a Baltimore-born multidisciplinary artist utilizing various visual and written art forms as tools of introspection to explore herself, her juxtapositions in the world, and others in similar contexts. She obtained her B.A. in Studio Art with a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from University of Maryland, College Park. Her personal work acts as a sort of diary and lifelong study of relationship with self and God; utilizing the inquiry of poetry, the mood of photography, the freedom of film, and the process of abstraction to explore the depths of life. She creates to learn, to heal, to self-reflect and ponder; allowing herself a fluidity and freedom to use various mediums within one piece and/or to step into completely new expressions of art. Her facilitation style integrates creative arts and entrepreneurial mindsets to inspire new thought and foster hope in Baltimore and beyond. Nia is a first-year CAC member serving at Baltimore Youth Arts.

Anna Sellheim

ANNA SELLHEIM is originally from Washington DC. She earned her MFA in comics from the Center For Cartoon Studies in 2016. She has been published by the Nib, Oni Press and Seven Days (Vermont’s Alternative Weekly Newspaper). She also has contributed to a number of anthologies, most notably Dirty Diamonds and Comics For Choice. She has taught adult literacy in DC to native English speakers that read below a 6th grade level, and has taught art and comic classes throughout The DMV Area and New England. She is now the Community Art Collaborative AmeriCorps staff at the Refugee Youth Program, where she teaches art and comics to refugee youth ages 5-21 throughout Baltimore City. Her work primarily deals with mental health, trauma, and the healing power of art. She loves getting coffee with her friends, annoying her boyfriend, and is obsessed with her two terrible dogs. Anna is a second-year CAC Member serving at Refugee Youth Project at Baltimore City Community College.

Jalen Thomas

JALEN THOMAS is a graphic designer and photographer from Prince George's County, Maryland. Her work explores Black queer femme storytelling traditions. As a CAC AmeriCorps Artist-in-Residence at 901 Arts, she hopes to motivate youth to explore and express their identities through art! Jalen received a B.S. in Graphic Design from Stevenson University and is currently pursuing an MFA in Community Arts from MICA. Jalen is a first-year CAC member serving at 901 Arts.

Naomi Weintraub

NAOMI WEINTRAUB (they/them) is a Jewish, gender-queer, multi-media artist and educator from Silver Spring, MD, on the lands of the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. They are currently serving as the Communications and Public Art Coordinator at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. Naomi’s art practice is interdisciplinary and focuses on themes of play, jewish ritual, queerness, anarchism, and ecology. Check out more of their work on their website: https://sites.google.com/view/naomiroseweintraub/home Naomi is a third-year CAC Member serving at The Jewish Museum of Maryland.

Susan Tuberville, Program Manager

Susan (she/her) is an Artist and Educator dedicated to expanding access to transformative experiences in the arts. After completing her BFA in Studio Art and P-12 Visual Arts teaching certification, she began her career teaching K-8 Art in international schools. She moved to Baltimore to complete her MFA in Community Arts at MICA. After several years as a CAC Member, Teaching Artist, and Site Manager, in partnership with wonderful CAC host site organizations, she returned to MICA to serve CAC in this new role. This is Susan's third year as Program Manager and she is thrilled to support teaching artists, youth and families, and organizations in Baltimore City.

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