People

The OSU Urban Arts Space relies on the strengths of a variety of people, ranging from dedicated staff to high school interns, from special projects staff to OSU student assistants, from graduate fellows to volunteers, all contributing to a diverse learning laboratory and a wonderfully vibrant arts space. Meet some of the people that make the Urban Arts Space possible.

Staff

Valarie Williams
Director

contact: 614.292.2090

114 University Hall
230 N. Oval Mall
Columbus, OH 43210

Valarie Williams serves as Associate Dean for Arts and Humanities, Executive Director of The Arts Initiative at The Ohio State University, Director of Urban Arts Space and is Professor of Dance. She received her BFA from The Juilliard School, her MFA and PhD from Texas Woman's University, and is a Certified Professional Notator and Teacher. She studied at the Paris Opera Summer Study in Evian les Bains, France; toured with Lincoln Center Institute Touring Programs for four years serving as dance captain; and performed with The Dallas Opera and Sharir Dance in Austin, Texas. She has set works on the national dance companies of Peru and Ecuador, Repertory Dance Theater, and the Jakarta International School in Indonesia, as well as Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Emory University, and University of Texas at Austin. Valarie has directed works from score by Taylor, Humphrey, Momix, Sokolow, Morris, and Petipa and has received grants from National Endowment for the Arts to restage, notate, and design content for CD-ROMs/DVD-Videos. Valarie also received the first of The Ohio State University's Multidisciplinary Arts and Humanities Awards with ACCAD and Near Eastern Languages to design a prototype and work on a digital library interface for documented dance works using notation, video, and motion capture. In 2009 she was selected as a fellow in the OSU-CIC Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) Academic Leadership Program and selected as a Rising Star Fellow at the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD). At Ohio State she teaches repertory from score, ballet technique, grant writing, and Labanotation.

Liz Celeste
Deputy Director of Exhibitions | Programs

contact: 614.292.5184 | celeste.1@osu.edu

Liz is honored to be continuing her work with the Urban Arts Space as Deputy Director. Liz joined the Space in 2008 as a graduate student intern while working towards a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Policy & Arts Administration from The Ohio State University. After interning, she was hired as a student assistant and received the Barnett Fellowship to work and conduct research at the Space. Liz's Masters thesis covered the "greening" of arts organizations, particularly the efforts the the OSU Urban Arts Space has made with regards to environmental responsibility. After receiving her degree, she worked as an events coordinator for VSA Arts of Ohio and as editor for the Space. Additionally, Liz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Wake Forest University in North Carolina and is an alumna of the Americorps program where she spent two years volunteering with Habitat for Humanity affiliates in California and Mississippi. In her free time, Liz is a photographer, a mother, a food lover, a wife, a local business supporter, an environmental enthusiast, and community volunteer.

Zoey Boyles
Deputy Director of Operations

contact: 614.292.4437 | boyles.30@osu.edu

Zoey is a small-town California native who relocated to Columbus in 2009. With a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (CSU Long Beach) under her belt, as well as several years in the business world doing corporate recruiting, Zoey is delighted to return to her love and roots of academia and the arts. To round out her work at the Space, Zoey also puts time in at the OSU Theatre Department and volunteers with local organizations SARNCO and BRAVO. In the meager amounts of free time she has, Zoey takes classes at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center, and also enjoys plenty of reading, traveling, baking, photography, and being an enthusiastic animal lover. Until recently Zoey did not consider herself an artist but after selling her first pieces of metalwork in the inaugural Urban Arts Space staff exhibition (Internal Affairs) she no longer shies away from the epithet.

Leigh Lotocki
Communications Coordinator

contact: uascommunications@gmail.com

Leigh Lotocki graduated from The Ohio State University in 2010, receiving a dual degree in Dance and English. She has been working at the Space since summer 2009. In 2010, Leigh interned with the Ohio Arts Council's Public Information Office and the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission. Leigh is involved in performance, improvisation, and choreography in the Columbus area dance and theatre community, particularly at Feverhead, a new creative space in Grandview Heights.

Scott Neal
Senior Exhibitions Preparator

contact: uasexhibitions@osu.edu

Scott Neal (www.scttnl.com) is a recent Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from The Ohio State University with a focus in Printmaking while also attaining a minor in Design. He also served as the President of the Student Art League at OSU, and was a free-lance photographer for the school paper, The Lantern. He is currently enrolled in the continuing education program at OSU, and is focused on fine-tuning skills in printmaking. Scott has tentative plans to receive his MFA and/or participating in an artist residency in the near future. Until then he continues to create work and exhibit work in the Columbus area.

Jeremy Stone
Senior Exhibitions Preparator

Jeremy Stone is a recent Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from The Ohio State University with a focus in printmaking as well as photography. He is currently enrolled in the continuing education program at OSU where he continues to make work that examines human perception as it is formed through the collection and recollection of visual information. He received multiple grants and scholarships through the university and his work has been exhibited in several galleries in the Columbus area. He volunteers his time at ROYGBIV gallery, a local non-profit gallery located in the Short North where he helps with day-to-day tasks. He intends to return to graduate school in the future.

Justin Luna
Exhibitions Preparator

Justin Luna recently joined the Space Cadets as an on-call Exhibitions Preparator. One day, Luna, Scott Neal and Jeremy Stone will start a reality show called "The Install." Luna graduated in the Spring 2009 Ohio State Bachelor of Fine Arts class with the sharpest Photography undergrads to roam Haskett Hall (R.I.P.). He served as the Gallery Director of the ROY G BIV Gallery for Emerging Artists (www.roygbivgallery.org) from 2009 – 2011. He still serves ROY on the Curatorial Committee and as a Gallery volunteer. Luna recent artwork focuses on the creation and tangibility of memory on color film.

Brianna Dance
Communications Consultant

Brianna Dance has been working at the Space since October 2009 when she was a undergraduate student, where she started as an Exhibitions Assistant. Shortly after graduating, she served as the Space's Communications Coordinator from June 2010 through the January 2011 and now as its Communications Consultant. When not at the Space, she works full time at the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission as Project Coordinator, where she continues to work for the support of the arts. As an artist herself, she loves working in a creative atmosphere and passionately devotes her efforts to the amazing opportunities the Space brings to the community. While in school, she received numerous awards, grants and scholarships with the university (many of which supported her research of the Absurd), and was featured as "Outstanding Art Student" in Art Calendar magazine.

Student Staff

The OSU Urban Arts Space creates professional development opportunities for Ohio State students and community high school interns by using a teaching model similar to that of a hospital. Much of the administrative work that keeps the space vibrant is performed by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in various programs throughout the university.

The Barnett Fellow On May 7, 1993, Lawrence R. Barnett and Isabel Bigley Barnett in support of the Arts Policy and Administration Program established two endowed funds. The Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Fellowship Funds provide tuition, fees and an annual stipend for selected incoming students. The Art Education Department has designated one of these fellowships for work in the OSU Urban Arts Space, providing the student selected with hands on arts management experience.

Carrie Krochta
Student Outreach Assistant

Carrie came to OSU after receiving her Bachelors degree in Fine Arts from the College of Wooster. As a Barnett Fellow in the Arts Policy and Administration program, she came to the Space to help coordinate Idea Lab in the fall of 2011. Carrie is working on her Masters thesis, which explores the intersection of Columbus city branding and arts organization branding. Outside of the Space, Carrie enjoys chowing down at local restaurants, crafting, and all things Martha Stewart. As a Canton transplant, she loves discovering everything that the Columbus creative scene has to offer… which is a lot!

Our Student Outreach Assistant administers the Idea Lab program, a student-run entrepreneurial program that aims to be a creative incubator for OSU students' original and impact-making ideas. In order to run the program, the Idea Lab Coordinator conducts, markets and manages call for proposals and selection processes; works with Deputy Director to match Space student assistants with individual projects. The assistant works with contacts from selected projects to refine proposals, make campus and community contacts, and prepare for implementation; organizes workshops on areas of interests for program participants during winter quarter. To see the program fulfill its projects, the coordinator works with project contacts; plans final reception for all Idea Lab awardees; coordinates and collects final reports on all projects; prepares annual evaluation of program during spring and summer quarters.

Student Assistants

All current, full-time students at The Ohio State University, our Student Assistants are responsible for the daily operations of the gallery and serve as docents for visitors. Each Student Assistant is responsible for a unique administrative project. Students are expected to coordinate with the Accessibility Coordinator to maintain a working knowledge of all accessibility best practices for exhibitions and ensure they are followed. Part of following a best practices model includes working with artists to gather items for touch, audio and visual description tours. In addition to accessibility, sustainability is built into our philosophy and students work with the Operations Assistant to adhere to current policies.

Connie Hill
Grants

Connie Hill is currently pursuing her masters in Art Education from The Ohio State University. After receiving her BFA from Moore College of Art and Design in 2006 she has enjoyed working as a theatre technician, decorative house painter and teacher. She will always remain active in her studio practice and believes in the impact art has on individuals and communities. She is excited to continue her education at OSU and OSU Urban Arts Space and looks forward to becoming a participant in Columbus’s art community.

Kelly McNicholas
Design

Kelly is an undergrad at The Ohio State University studying Visual Communication Design with the hopes of a long future in Graphic Design. Her favorite aspects of design are its ability to be unconsciously appreciated and the strangely complex world of typography. Kelly also spends a portion of her creative bank making art; her mediums of choice are collage and ink and her favorite kind of art is street art.

Our Design Assistant is assigned projects varying from the development of t-shirts, brochures, signage, etc. Responsible for understanding OSU and Space brand and logo use policies, developing concepts, gathering feedback, tweaking current designs, creating finished, polished products. Experience with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign required. Portfolio review required. Visual Communications Design major preferred.

Rachel Sowell
Video + Media

Rachel is currently a junior at The Ohio State University, majoring in Film Studies and minoring in Video Art. Originally born in Arkansas and raised in Kentucky, she appreciates the casual style of a a southern lifestyle and likes to incorporate its easy pacing into her work. In addition to her work at the space, Rachel is also a freelance videographer and editor, a member of the Media, Marketing and Communcations Scholars group and an associate with 8th Floor Improv. As a fairly recent transplant to Columbus she is very excited to be working at the Space and to become more involved in the Columbus arts community.

Jeremy Tinianow
Design

Jeremy Tinianow is a senior at OSU studying Landscape Architecture with a minor in Design. Studying in these fields has inspired in him a deep interest in sustainable design, as well as a strong focus on the creative process. Jeremy’s design experience is diverse, including a range of projects from small scale visual pieces to regional development plans, and everything in between. He was honored to work recently with the City of Dublin on a local redevelopment project, as well as to participate in KSA’s Sustainable European Cities research program. As a Columbus native, Jeremy was drawn to working at the Space as a way to contribute to the arts in his home town. After graduation, he plans on continuing his design education and traveling as much as possible.

Annie Bobbitt
Education

Annie Bobbitt is working towards her BFA in Sculpture with a minor in Psychology at The Ohio State University, hoping to graduate in the Spring of 2012. Annie likes exploring tension and interpretation through multi-media sculptures. Outside of school and the Urban Arts Space, Annie works for the Hilliard-City School District's School-Age Child Care program. She loves bringing art to kids and helping them discover creative ways to express themselves. Annie also enjoys performing at local community theatres and volunteering her time to community events. After graduation, Annie plans to continue bringing art to kids, and maybe opening a bakery or becoming a flight attendant along the way.

Jordan Boeke
Operations

Jordan Boeke is a third year undergraduate student at the Ohio State University, majoring in Marketing. Raised in rural Ohio, Jordan has a passion for traveling and capturing the fast-paced urban life behind the camera. In 2010, Jordan interned with the Columbus International Film and Video Festival, which sparked an immediate interest in working for the arts. His experience of being a collegiate athlete on the OSU Men's Track and Field team taught him having an active, healthy lifestyle is important as well as staying involved within the community.

Kaycee Moore
Communications + Exhibitions

Kaycee Moore (kayceemooreart.com) is working towards her BFA in Drawing and Painting and will graduate June 2012. She's been working at the Space since the fall of 2010. At the Space, she started as an Education Intern, became the Social Media Assistant, and is now a Communications + Exhibitions Assistant. Basically, she can do a little bit of everything! In art, her focus may be painting, but she also has an interest in performance art.

Our Social Media Assistant creates and maintains on a weekly basis email blast, constant contact database, blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts. The assistant is responsible for using the correct public language and works closely with the Communications Coordinator to ensure successful representation of all occurrences in the Space. Students with experience with Constant Contact are preferred for this position.

Katie Poole
Education Coordinator

Katie Poole is a Junior at The Ohio State University, majoring in English and minoring in Design. Katie is also involved in the Mount Leadership Scholars program and Off The Lake Productions at OSU. She serves as stage manager for Off The Lake Productions and has been able to do tech work on other performing arts projects through the group. Community service is also very important to Katie and she spends a lot of her free time volunteering at various places around Columbus. Being involved in the arts is something that Katie has always loved, so she is looking forward to continuing her growth and soaking up all that the OSU Urban Arts Space has to offer.

Our Education Assistant works with the Deputy Director to develop and maintain K-12 partners. The assistant is responsible for creating a bimonthly email blast highlighting upcoming events that is sent to an educators mailing list, maintaining and growing a list of educators in Franklin and contiguous counties, developing tours in the Space and outside of the Space, creating workshops and programs geared towards school-aged children, and much more. Education Assistants must be familiar with and use the Ohio Fine Arts Academic Content Standards when planning programs, workshops and tours for K-12 groups.

Wendy Qi
Design

Wendy Qi is currently an undergraduate studying Visual Communication Design at The Ohio State University. She joined the Urban Arts Space and City Center Gallery in 2010 because they combine her interest in art, design and community. As a designer, Wendy has experience working for a variety organizations in print/publication, web design, photography and video. Her portfolio is especially diverse, but throughout, her work is humanistic, contemporary and elegant. Wendy is a strong believer that art and design are two sides of the same coin and both are a powerful vessel to express identity and connect.

College Interns

Abby Schmautz
City Center Gallery + Education

Abby Schmautz is currently a senior at The Ohio State University, majoring in New Media & Communication Technology. Her focus is on Human-Computer Interaction and she plans to graduate this spring. When not at the Space or attending classes, Abby works as a supervisor at a campus cafe. Abby spent her earliest years living in East Glacier Park, Montana before she moved with her family to Springfield, Ohio. These days, however, she is proud to call Columbus home. Abby possesses a strong passion for the arts and is thrilled to be working in an art gallery for the first time. She enjoys travel, photography, and exploring the outdoors whenever possible. She is also interested in design and sustainable practices. Abby is excited to work in such an inspiring environment!

Emily Benfer
Events

Emily Benfer is a Junior studying event planning and working toward a degree in Hospitality Management. Originally from Central Pennsylvania, she is now proud to call Columbus, Ohio home. In her spare time Emily loves to find treasures at vintage and thrift stores. Emily is so thrilled to be able to work on events in an environment as fun and enthusiastic as OSU Urban Arts Space.

Sarah Greene
Professional Writing

Sarah is a native of Beavercreek, Ohio and a senior at The Ohio State University studying Strategic Communication and Social Psychology. She began working with the OSU Urban Arts Space in September after completing a summer internship with the Short North Business Association where she fell in love with the dynamic and provocative Columbus arts scene. A love of characters and eccentricity has always drawn her to the creative world and she hopes to pursue a public relations career in an arts or entertainment related industry.

Sarah is also enthusiastic about sustainability and works with Green Columbus as a communications and marketing intern in addition to her involvement at the Space. She hopes to promote the missions of both organizations with her writing and by building connections and relationships throughout the community.

High School Interns

Gabby Robinson

Gabby is a senior at Dublin Scioto High School and Mosaic. She is a spontaneous, hard-working girl, who if given the opportunity will complete any project she is assigned to. Her goal in life is to become a film-maker, but is currently using Urban Art Space as a way to get those creative juices flowing again. She has been making short films and documentaries since the age of 12, which you can see on her Youtube Channel. In her spare time she enjoys listening to people's stories, analyzing different movies and making plans for the future. She hopes that in working at the Urban Art Space, she will learn advanced skills in editing and storytelling on the video production team. For now, she is glad to be welcomed into the Urban Art Space family.

Sam Rietenbach

Sam is a senior at the Columbus Alternative High School and Ft. Hayes Career Center. He interns at the Space on Wednesdays for the High School internship program at CAHS. Although he does a lot of different stuff at the Space, his focus is in exhibitions. Most of the time he can be found on his bike roaming around the city with his sketchbook. He also spends a lot of time making shirts to make money to buy art supplies. Sam is a friend of abandoned buildings and alleys, where he spends lots of time gaining inspiration for his art and gathering things to do paintings on.

Volunteers

Jeremiah Stilson

Jeremiah Hyde Stilson (www.JeremiahHyde.com) is a 2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from The Ohio State University with a focus in photography, while studying photo theory and aesthetics. Jeremiah is excited to be a part of OSU Urban Arts Space, and he is always interested in new happenings within the artistic community. He is currently thinking about progressive trends in human economic geography and ways to express them visually. He also loves biking and sharing a good story under starlit nights. Jeremiah is currently making work to apply to an MFA program in the near future.

Meena Oberdick

Olivia Wallace

Olivia Wallace is currently a Senior at Columbus Alternative High School and Fort Hayes Career Center. She is looking forward to starting of the next chapter of academic career as a Photojournalist and Anthropologist at an undecided college. She is also considering taking a gap year to travel and invest her time in national community projects. Whichever option she follows through with, she will never forget the experiences she gas had at the OSU Urban Art Space because the environment helped shape her professional and artistic skills.

For more information, visit our People Archive showcasing former staff members. Or read our Meeting Minutes from our staff meetings.