Phil Hettema, joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2014. In 2018 he was elected to serve as the President of the Board and has greatly contributed to Ryman Arts through his passion and dedication to the legacy of Marty Sklar, Herbert Ryman, and arts education.

Phil Hettema is the President and Creative Executive of The Hettema Group (THG). With a distinguished 30-year legacy in themed entertainment, Phil leads a world class team of experience designers, architects, and media producers known for creating uniquely compelling guest experiences with great emotional resonance. Notable projects include One World Observatory at One World Trade Center; the High Roller Observation Wheel at The LINQ, Las Vegas; and Beyond All Boundaries at the National World War II Museum, New Orleans.

Growing up in South California, Phil was enamored with Disneyland. He reminisced that “the annual pilgrimage to Disneyland was the highlight” of his life. While studying music at the California State University, Long Beach, Phil worked part time at the wardrobe department of Disneyland.

Prior to forming his own company, Phil Hettema was Senior Vice President, Attraction Development for Universal Studios Theme Parks Worldwide for 14 years. He was responsible for the creative development of all major attractions and shows, including Terminator 2: 3D, Jurassic Park, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Backdraft and many more. He oversaw master planning for all five Universal parks, including domestic and international expansion for Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s PortAventura (Spain), and Universal Studios Japan, and, most notably, the conception and delivery of Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Florida.

Phil is an alumnus of ArtCenter College of Design, instructed courses at the institution and endowed a scholarship for Environmental Design. He has been a guest lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University, USITT, IAAPA, KIN, ICOM, SIGGRAPH, and at the TED Conference. Phil holds four patents for entertainment technology solutions and has been honored with numerous Thea awards from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) including Theas for One World Observatory (2016), Beyond All Boundaries (2010), FiestAventura (2000), The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (2000), Universal’s Islands of Adventure (2000), and Terminator 2:3D (1997) and most recently, The Buzz Price Thea Award – Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements (2017).

David A. Price, has been serving on the Ryman Arts Board of Directors since 2012. Through his leadership at Ryman Arts, the program continues to be an open door for building future careers in the Creative Economy.

Founder of the Price Leisure Group and the son of attractions legend Harrison "Buzz" Price, David Price brings a lifetime of professional experience, relationships, and understanding in Themed Entertainment projects including family attractions, theme parks, resorts, hotels and restaurants, and mixed-use development. He is also the Past-President of the Theme Entertainment Association Western Division.

The Price Leisure Group assists in bringing together the talent, technology, chemistry, expertise and experience to support the unique needs of developers, designers, operators and owners in the hospitality/attractions industry. Their commitment and passion is to support our clients by building a diverse, cross-disciplinary team with backgrounds in economic analysis, facility design, creative design, planning, project management and operations to maximize a project's success.

Internationally recognized and awarded, David has been professionally engaged in research, strategic planning, urban design and architecture for over 30-years, earning his Master of Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Before establishing the Price Leisure Group, he presided over David A. Price Architects, Inc. which focused primarily on a broad range of attractions and hospitality oriented projects including resort hotels and conference centers, IMAX theaters, outdoor amphitheaters, visitor centers, theme parks, entertainment complexes, church campuses and a variety of community related facilities. Notable projects include Wild Bill’s Western Dinner Extravaganza in Buena Park, California; Camp Snoopy at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio; and Palace Family Entertainment Centers in Irvine, Fresno and Livermore, California; KMST Television Station in Monterey, California; Ride & Show Headquarters in San Dimas, California; Chandler Airport Business Center in Chandler, Arizona; resort in Long Point, Rancho Palos Verdes, California; and water-themed resort communities in Jakarta, Indonesia and Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Robin J. Kalota, joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2010, providing us with her expertise and support of the arts.

Robin Kalota is the founder and principal of Plan Art LLC. With more than 25 years of experience in providing diversified wealth management services for high net worth individuals and families, Robin and her company help clients realize their investment, estate planning, and philanthropic goals.

Robin was previously with the Bank of New York Mellon. She spent 19 years with BNY Mellon, most recently in the role of Senior Director - Wealth Management. In that capacity, Robin addressed the needs of high net worth individuals and families, integrating their investment objectives with long term planning strategies to reach their lifestyle and wealth transfer goals.

Prior to joining BNY Mellon’s Wealth Management group, Robin was the lead Portfolio Manager and a Principal of McCrory Associates Investment Management, a Houston-based investment advisory firm that catered to a high net worth client base. As a partner, she was responsible for leading an investment management team that actively managed equity and fixed income portfolios, with a focus on each client’s investment goals and capital needs. Previously, Robin served as an Investment Officer for the Regents of the University of California, which oversees the pension and endowment assets for the University of California system.

Robin holds the professional investment designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from the CFA Institute, and is an active member of the CFA Society of Orange County. She earned her MBA from California State University Northridge, and received her BA from the University of California, Davis. Robin serves on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Museum of Art. She is also on the Advisory Circle of the Laguna Art Museum.

MIchelle A. Lund joined the Board of Directors in1996. Michelle is president of the Sharon D. Lund Foundation.

Adrianna Arambula (Ryman ’04) currently serves as the Alumni Representative on the Board of Directors and has been the Creative Director of Justice Design Group since 2013.

After receiving an education in architecture from Cal Poly Pomona, Adrianna has found success as a designer of buildings, spaces, lighting, furniture, graphics and brands. It was during her weekend trips to Ryman Arts classes in high school where she fell in love with design and the built environment of Los Angeles. She knew that one day she wanted to do her part to make the world beautiful and interesting while contributing to the creative economy and design community. Whether she is designing a structural detail, a custom light fixture, signage for a new retail space or fine tuning a logo establishing a brand identity, Adrianna takes pride in her work and has carried the core values and skills she learned in Ryman Arts throughout her career.

As a former student, intern, employee and frequent volunteer of Ryman Arts, Adrianna brings a unique viewpoint to the Board of Directors. She has seen just how multi-faceted the program is and understands how crucial it has been in her life and the lives of many other alumni. In her new position on the Board, Adrianna seeks to increase alumni interaction, fundraising, and create a larger network of contacts between alumni, working artists, and the creative community.

Greg Combs joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2016. As the Executive Producer for the Tokyo Portfolio, Greg provides strategic leadership for the development and implementation of new projects in the Tokyo portfolio for Walt Disney Imagineering which includes Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea and the Resort hotels. Greg works with the Oriental Land Company to help establish the Master Menu for the Tokyo Resort and develop strategies for each project’s casting, design, production, and implementation.

Greg began his career with WDI in 1990 as a Show Set Designer on the Disneyland Paris project. During his career with Disney, Greg has worked as a Show Set Designer and as a Production Designer for Disney parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Greg and his family spent a total of five years living and working in Japan. In 2010, Greg was asked to take on the executive functional leadership of the Show Design & Production Studio for WDI, providing long term planning and development of a group of more than 400 Imagineers. He returned to project leadership as executive project manager for WDI’s Tokyo portfolio in 2014.

Prior to working at Disney, Greg was a Set and Lighting Designer for various regional theater companies in the U.S. He also performed as a magician and an actor. Greg holds a BFA from Webster University’s Conservatory of Theater Arts in St. Louis, MO. Additionally, Greg is a member of TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) and is a representative on behalf of Disney on their International Board of Directors.

Robert Corbin joined Ryman Arts in 2019. Robert Corbin joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2019. He is currently a partner at Windes, Inc. in the Tax & Accounting Services department and has over 25 years of experience in public accounting. He also serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. Robert focuses on large and middle-tier business tax matters, including planning and compliance for their shareholders and families. Drawing from his experience at KPMG and local accounting firms, he offers a high level of technical expertise and an understanding of your business, including the key factors that drive your success.

Robert's practice includes consulting on transactional matters, mergers and acquisitions, exit planning, start-ups, structuring, state and local tax and wealth transfers among other needs for mid to large businesses and their shareholders.

Robert serves a wide variety of clients in various industries, including technology, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, retail, food service, real estate, construction, and private equity.

As the newest member of the Board of Directors, Fri Forjindam joined Ryman Arts in 2018. Bringing passion and enthusiasm to the art of creative placemaking for a wide variety of industries, Fri has created distinctive guest experiences in film, theatre, publishing, and special events. Voted one of the "Top 50 Theme Park Influencers" by Blooloop, Fri currently serves as the Chief Development Officer of Mycotoo, Inc., the leading experience design agency and entertainment development company that specialize in immersive experiences, location based, and live entertainment. As a 2018 Cannes Gold Lion Winner for HBO's SXSWestworld, Mycotoo's collaborative process fosters an uncommonly strong level of commitment, culture, fun and trust that is essential to building vibrant creative teams. Mycotoo offers a variety of indoor/outdoor entertainment franchise opportunities targeted to helping activate repeat visitation for regional shopping destinations and mixed-use developments.

An MFA graduate of Columbia University, Fri has worked as a creative lead for Bollywood Parks in Dubai, Creative Director for the upcoming Indoor Snow Park, Family Entertainment Center and Nighttime Spectacular for a luxury Retail Developer in Qatar, as project manager and show writer on the 2011 Grammy's After Party, Los Angeles Downtown Latin Museum Gala Opening, and T-Mobile HTC’s corporate tours. Fri brings her background in content development and experiential marketing to facilitate tourism development strategies and to niche branding that attracts regional, national, and international tourism. As a featured consultant expert on national networks including KTLA, FOX, and Huffington Post, Fri is also the Founder and Editorial Director of Nouveau Media Group, LLC, a premier online and print global lifestyle publication. Notable collaborations include: Sony, Thor Equities, Nickelodeon, Meraas, United Developers, and Morehead Planetarium & Science Center.

Garner Holt became part of the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2016 and is the Founder and President of Garner Holt Productions (GHP).

Garner founded GHP in July 1977, at age 16, in his hometown of San Bernardino, CA, where the company’s headquarters remains today. Two years earlier, a visit to Disneyland’s “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show, featuring an animatronic version of the 16th president, sparked Garner’s lifelong fascination with the art and technology of animatronics. Following his early teenage years of creating simple animated figures and moving props for backyard haunted houses and school projects, Garner started his own company while still in high school, a fledgling business originally housed in his parent’s garage. GHP has since grown to over 120,000 square feet of design and manufacturing space and employs dozens of engineers, artists and technicians. Garner is the world’s leading authority on animatronics history, technology, and emerging techniques.

After nearly four decades of continuously growing business, GHP is the internationally recognized leader in the design and manufacturer of animatronic figures, show and ride systems, show action equipment, special effects, and sets and scenery. Under Garner’s creative direction, the company has built nearly 5,000 animatronic characters, from songbirds to dragons, giant horses to jelly fish, and pirates to presidents in 34 countries on six continents. Almost 475 of these figures were created for Disney theme parks around the world. GHP has created over 500 animatronic shows for Chuck E. Cheese restaurants. Through years of creative and technological developments, the company Garner founded as a teenager now stands at the forefront of entertainment, educational, and scientific advances in its unique field. Clients include such global leaders as The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Chuck E. Cheese, Coca-Cola, Mutual of Omaha, Nike, Mattel, McDonald’s restaurants, MGM, Salesforce, and Knott’s Berry Farm, among hundreds of others.

Garner and GHP have received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Themed Entertainment Association’s 2013 Buzz Price Award Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements, the 2011 Inland Empire District Small Business Person of the Year Award, Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur Award of 2006 presented by the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship, 2000 Cal State University San Bernardino Entrepreneur of the Year, 2001 Leader of Distinction, and eighteen Thea Awards for outstanding theme park attractions, in addition to dozens more for both entrepreneurship and creative achievement. He currently serves on the Board of Governors and the Board of the College of Arts and Letters at California State University San Bernardino, and is president of G.D.H. Ministries, a California 501(c)3 organization.

Wayne Hunt joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2006, serving as President of the Board from 2016-2018. He founded Hunt Design in 1977 and is a nationally recognized leader in Environmental Graphics and Wayfinding Signage design. He believed, “Helping people access, enjoy and understand complex places is both an art and a science. We’re really in the placemaking business.”

Established in 1977, Hunt Design is a graphic design consulting firm specializing in wayfinding design, signage systems, environmental graphics and exhibit design for public spaces, parks, museums, attractions, retail projects, entertainment centers, hospitality and multi-use developments. Their services include identity development, signage master planning, site evaluation reports, concept consultation, programming, schematic design, design development, documentation, and implementation supervision. Wayne, along with his firm has planned, designed and implemented more than 200 signage & graphics and exhibit assignments in 20 U.S. states and in countries around the world.

He is active in the Society for Environmental Graphic Design, serving as its past national president and selected as the organization’s sole 2004 Fellow. Additionally, Wayne is the author of three books on signage and related graphics design and is an Adjunct Professor at Art Center College of Design. A frequent speaker and ambassador for environmental graphics, Hunt has presented at USC School of Architecture, Harvard University and many other universities around the country.

Edward J. Nowak joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2008. He is currently Deputy General Counsel of The Walt Disney Company where he has been in charge of litigation and employment law worldwide since 1985. He manages several of the company’s legal groups: litigation and employment, employee benefits, environmental affairs, product safety, immigration, and minors’ employment. He is involved as both a lawyer and an executive in dispute prevention and the resolution of complex business issues throughout the company, across the range of commercial, human resources, and entertainment matters. Before joining Disney, Mr. Nowak was associated with the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York City where he specialized in litigation and trial work for many nationally-known companies and a prominent family services agency in New York.

Ed is a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey. He graduated Columbia College of Columbia University in 1970, where he majored in music, and then went to Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, graduating in 1974. In addition to his legal career and work at Disney, he is President of the Board of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Chairman Emeritus of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary Foundation, and formerly a member of the Board of the Infirmary, which in 2006 honored him with its Margaret Loeb Kempner Humanitarian Award for that year. He also has been a lifelong musician, for many years professionally, and has supported a variety of artistic and charitable activities.

Brynna Pietz joined the Ryman Arts Board of Directors in 2019, bringing her background in operations and strategy, as well as her passion for the arts, to the Ryman Arts Board. Brynna leads the Customer Experience team for Renew, a Santa Monica-based startup that is helping to simplify the process of retiring and bring Medicare sales online. Brynna has led the company’s call center and brokerage operations through rapid growth, scaling capacity and operations across 50 states over the past 12 months.

Prior to Renew, Brynna worked for 10 years in healthcare policy and operations, most recently at Davita. At Davita, she oversaw the growth and clinical operations of a Medicare Special Needs Plan that served renal dialysis patients in LA and Orange counties. Prior to that, Brynna oversaw newborn hearing screening programs across major health systems while at Mednax. Brynna also worked at Common Good, where she assisted with administration and policy work to support a major multi-year grant that sought to implement healthcare policy alternatives.

Brynna received her MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management in 2017. She also completed her BA in Art History at Washington University in St. Louis, in 2006.

Seth Stuhl is Vice-President, Business Affairs & Legal Counsel at Disney Theatrical Group, the division of the Walt Disney Company responsible for the company’s Broadway, domestic and international live stage play business, where he first became acquainted with Ryman Arts. He joined the Board of Directors in 2016.

Seth began his legal career as a litigation & restructuring associate at the New York City office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where he also had an active pro bono litigation practice, including death penalty defense and LGBTQ civil rights work. In 2004, Seth left Cleary Gottlieb to join the business and legal affairs department at Disney Theatrical Group, the business unit of the Walt Disney Company responsible for the company’s Broadway, domestic and international live stage play business. As Vice-President, business affairs & legal counsel, Seth is involved in most business and legal facets of Disney Theatrical’s activities, which include nine worldwide companies of “The Lion King”, which has grossed over $8 billion dollars worldwide since it first opened on Broadway in 1997; Aladdin, which opened successfully on Broadway in 2014, followed since by five more companies around the world; and most recently a stage musical adaptation of Frozen which opened on Broadway in early 2018. In his role Seth works hand-in-hand with creative development, production, financial, marketing, human resources, labor and other departments within Disney Theatrical.

Seth’s work is extremely varied, and includes structuring and negotiating deals, and drafting resulting contracts, for talent such as composers, lyricists, book writers, directors, choreographers and designers; working with international producer licensees on contractual arrangements and all legal aspects of such productions; working with outside and Disney counsel on immigration, intellectual property, litigation and assorted other business and legal matters; handling government affairs issues and partnering with finance, tax and accounting teams on financial aspects of business.

Receiving his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1997, Seth is Northeast Chair of Disney Legal’s Pro Bono program and is an active member of the Government Relations Committee of the Broadway League, the national trade association of the Broadway theatre industry.

Diane Brigham, joined Ryman Arts in 2002. She has led the expansion of the program, raised its profile as the leading pre-professional artistic training program for talented teen artists in Southern California, strengthened its fundraising capacity, and built awareness of the value of quality artistic education for youth. Committed to public engagement in art, Diane and her team at Ryman Arts recently launched The Big Draw LA, a collaborative regional initiative to celebrate the value of drawing with more than 60 public drawing activities during the month of October. The Big Draw is an international project now in 22 countries.

Prior to Ryman Arts, Diane was Head of Education at the J. Paul Getty Museum, where she was part of the planning group for the building of the Getty Center and led the team responsible for the Museum’s interpretive programs for the public. She has more than thirty years of experience in art and museum education, beginning as a public school art teacher. She holds a B.S. and M.Ed. in art education from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Diane was Assistant Curator of Education at the Philadelphia Museum of Art prior to moving to California in 1987.

Diane has served on the board of directors of the National Art Education Association, the education committee of the American Alliance of Museums, and Museum Educators of Southern California. Diane has been a grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Humanities, Los Angeles City Cultural Affairs, and Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Diane completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Leaders in the Arts. She was selected as a 2011 Fellow in Leadership LA, in which leaders in business, government and non-profit sectors study critical civic issues together. Diane completed the Annenberg Foundation Leadership Seminar, Alchemy+ and now served as a community champion for Annenberg Alchemy, advising the foundation and training other non-profit leaders in effective board governance, leadership, and fundraising strategies to strengthen organizational impact.

Ana Garcia, joined Ryman Arts in 2014 as the program completed its expansion to a second site. Ana K. Garcia received her BFA in Photography and Media from California Institute of the Arts in 2012. She is a Los Angeles based artist with an interest in community arts education.

Shannon Huang, joined Ryman Arts in 2014. With a background in development and special events, Shannon has worked in the non-profit sector with organizations including The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, America SCORES LA, and the Orange County Museum of Art. Aside from her work in the non-profit world, Shannon spent 8 years at a biochemistry production laboratory and did a harvest internship at the Robert Mondavi Winery. Shannon earned her Master of Arts Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a BA in Humanities and Arts from UC Irvine.

Ginny Kokubun, has been delighted to be a part of Ryman Arts since June 2011. With a strong background in administration and having studied Interior Design, she has worked in numerous industries including retail, fashion, special events, and hotel administration. More recently, she has worked at Warner Brothers and DreamWorks Animation.

Walter Marsh, joined Ryman Arts in 2007. Walter earned his MFA in Classical Guitar Performance from UCLA in 1995 and has worked in non-profit management since 1996. His experience includes non-profit accounting and financial management, operations management, event production, and music education.

Marilyn Nguyen, is excited to be part of the Ryman Arts team as of 2018. Passionate about the arts and its ability to bring about community engagement in Los Angeles, Marilyn has worked in various art organizations, including MOCA and the Marciano Art Foundation. Marilyn prides herself on being an avid museum-goer as well as an addicted coffee-fanatic. She graduated from Ryman Arts in 2011 and earned her Bachelors of Arts in English and Fine Art from the University of California, Irvine.

Rebecca Tuynman, oversees all Ryman Arts classes and student activities. She has over 20 years of experience in art education, having worked prior to Ryman Arts in a variety of community organizations, schools, universities, and museums. Rebecca is a graduate of the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute (CAELI), produced by the National Guild for Community Arts Education. She earned her MFA in Studio Art from UC Santa Barbara and a BA in History of Art from Bryn Mawr College. She has been with Ryman Arts since 2005. Rebecca received the Outstanding Visual Arts Supervisor/Administrator of the Year for 2017 from the California Art Education Association in 2017.

Kaleeka Bond joined Ryman Arts in Fall 2012. She teaches drawing at Saddleback College and Cal State University, Long Beach. She is a graduate of Laguna Beach College of Art and Design, where she received both her BA and MFA. A Southern California native, she is widely recognized for her exceptional skills in pastel drawing and is known for her large-scale compositions (which she frames herself)!

Holly Boruck has an MFA in Painting from Cal State University Northridge and a BFA from California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She is an Adjunct Professor at Cal State University Northridge and Moorpark College. Highlights of her awards include the City of Pasadena Individual Artist Grant in 2014, a USA Projects Funding Grant in 2013, a Durfee Grant and a George Sugarman Grant. She is the director and curator of Surrogate Gallery Projects, part of the Pasadena Arts Council's fiscal sponsorship EMERGE Program. Holly works in painting, drawing and sculpture and exhibits in local, national and international venues. To learn more about Holly, please visit: www.HollyBoruck.com

Rochelle Botello is a Los Angeles based visual artist working across mixed media collage, sculpture and site-specific installations. Her work has been exhibited in both the United States and internationally, extending Berlin and South Korea. She has exhibited with Holter Museum of Art, Torrance Art Museum, Jaus, Coagula Curatorial and Summer Camp Project Projects, to name a few, and her work resides in many private collections from Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and San Francisco to New York. Her exhibitions have also been reviewed in the LA Times, The Huffington Post and Coagula Art Journal. Botello holds a MFA from Claremont Graduate University and a BA in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz. She is currently an instructor at Citrus College and Workshop Coordinator at ArtworxLA. To learn more about Rochelle, please visit: www.rochellebotello.com

Manny Cosentino is a nationally exhibited figurative painter and accomplished draughtsman. He paints on glass and from 2009 to 2015 he was the lead stained glass painter for the Judson Studios in Los Angeles. Manny’s own work consists of contemporary portraits, figure compositions, urban landscapes and still lives. He has always enjoyed studying the art and painting/drawing practices of the past to find techniques and approaches that best suit his artistic vision; he is especially fond of Flemish and Venetian painting. He is a dedicated instructor and mentor to young artists and over the last couple of years he has taught Life Drawing and Life Painting at California State University Long Beach and Advanced Painting for Ryman Arts. He also teaches privately in Los Angeles and Malibu. To learn more about Manny, please visit: www.mannycosentino.com

Ja'Rie Gray’s paintings have been exhibited in group shows throughout the cities of Southern California, and her work was shown at MOLAA and CSULB University Art Museum. She received her BFA at Laguna College of Art and Design and her MFA at California State University of Long Beach (CSULB). Gray teaches foundation courses and upper division courses at CSULB, and she teaches at Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD) and American University of Health Sciences (AUHS). Gray is known for her large compositions of figurative paintings with vibrant colors and patterns; however, her drawings rivals her paintings with beautifully compose compositions and well constructed figures and strong values.

Ichiro Irie was born in Tokyo and raised in Los Angeles. Ichiro received his BA from University of California, Santa Barbara, and his MFA from Claremont Graduate University. In 2001, Irie went to Mexico City on a Fulbright fellowship and has maintained an active relationship with the visual art community in Mexico. Irie has exhibited his work internationally in galleries and museums such as Bank Gallery in Los Angeles, Hendershot gallery in New York, CSW Museum in Warsaw, and Museo Carrillo Gil in Mexico City. As a curator he has organized more than 30 exhibitions. Between 2002 and 2006 he founded and edited the contemporary art publication RiM magazine. Irie currently lives and works in Los Angeles, owns and operates the artist-run space JAUS in Los Angeles. teaches at Ryman Arts and Oxnard College, and is an artist in residence at 18th Street Arts Center.

Marc Kompaneyets is a Los Angeles based fine artist and writer/illustrator. Born in Moscow, USSR, he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania. His fine art work, informed by his classical training and inspired by the European masters, spans a wide range of subject matter, from the observational to the psychological and the surreal. He is the writer/illustrator of The Squishiness of Things (Knopf 2005) and The Troll-Control Expert (self published 2010). Marc is an adjunct professor at Santa Monica College and a senior lecturer at Otis College of Art and Design. To learn more about Marc, please visit: www.Mkompan.squarespace.com

Malaika Zweig Latty is a Los Angeles based painter. She received her BFA from California College of the Arts (1999) and her MFA from Massachusetts College of Art (2005), with additional studies at L’ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Her work has been exhibited publicly since 1997 and is held in private collections throughout the US and in Paris, France. Malaika has spent the past fifteen years teaching students from teens to adults both privately and in an array of local institutions such as UCLA, Otis College of Art & Design, Ryman Arts, and Citrus College. Most recently she served as Chair of the Visual Arts program for the LA County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) from 2013–2016. To learn more about Malaika, please visit: www.malaikalatty.com

Michelle Mary Lee received her double major BA in Art and Art History from UCLA and her MFA and EdD from USC. She holds a teaching credential in Art. She is currently a lecturer at UCLA and USC. Dr. Lee has been an AP Studio Art teacher at various high schools. In addition to teaching, she is a working artist. Her selected solo exhibitions include 16 Summertime Paintings, eat.on sunset, Metropolitan Water District (Los Angeles), USC Interdisciplinary Center (Irvine), and Combes Gallery, Paris. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at LA Weekly: Emerging Artists Biennial, Bergamot Station (Santa Monica); SuperSonic: MFA Exhibition, Municipal Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park; Kay Nielsen Drawing Show, UCLA Hammer Museum, Grunwald Center for Graphic Arts, Los Angeles, CA.

Ronald J. Llanos teaches figure drawing and painting to both adults and children at his alma mater, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has also run art workshops in different schools including Polytechnic, Flintridge Prep and has also taught art at McKinley School and Pasadena High School. Asides teaching, Ronald is a practicing artist who regularly creates artwork and exhibits. Ronald has exhibited in galleries throughout southern California, Oregon and Washington. His works are in the collection of many art collectors. He has also done various commissioned portraits for private individuals. Recently, Ronald was selected and commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to design 24 mosaic panels for the Western Station of the new Exposition Lightrail line that opened to the public in April of 2012.

Robin Palanker, BFA, California Institute of the Arts. Robin exhibits nationally and is represented locally by the Lora Schlesinger Gallery. Her motion-centric work can be found in numerous art collections. She has taught at Art Center College of Design, California State Summer School for the Arts, H.O.L.A., University of La Verne, Laguna College, Vermont College, and Loyola Marymount University and has been a guest lecturer at Santa Monica College, Cal State University, Long Beach, UC Riverside, and UCLA, among others. She was awarded the Sharon Disney Lund Master Teaching Award in 2007. Robin has worked extensively as a publication designer and also trains dogs, specializing in dog tricks. She has collaborated on diverse performance projects, including the award-winning Nijinsky Speaks. She joined Ryman Arts in Fall 2003.

Sergio Rebia is an artist and professor of visual art born and raised in California. He obtained his BFA in 2004 and his MFA in 2008 from Laguna College of Art and Design. Sergio has taught in colleges and universities all over Southern California including Cal State University Long Beach, Mt. San Antonio College, Saddleback College, LCAD, and Rio Hondo College, where he currently teaches. He now dedicates his time to teaching, raising a family, and developing a body of work in his studio in Santa Ana. There is only one thing that Sergio enjoys more than painting in his studio and that is teaching and being part of the passing on of a legacy that has existed since the very first works of art created on the walls of the Caves in Lascaux. 

A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, veteran instructor David Schoffman has spent the brunt of his labors in wrathful pursuit of the perfect painting. The wages of his endurance have garnered their fair share of awards and exhibitions but it is at Ryman Arts where fulfillment reaches its truest sense of eudaimonia. In addition to painting and teaching David is a mischievous master of media inundating the Internet with screeds, manifestos and subversive YouTube videos. Indifferent to pets and actively hostile to TV David spends most of his scarce spare time with his family and friends.

Luis Serrano earned his BFA from Otis Art Institute and his MFA from Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design in Painting and Drawing. He has taught painting, drawing and three-dimensional design at two Los Angeles community colleges and landscape drawing at UCLA Extension and holds a credential for junior college teaching. His work has been exhibited nationally. He currently draws and paints landscape from direct observation. He joined Ryman Arts Fall 2013.

Cathy Stone lives and works in Los Angeles where she is the director of the gallery Another Year in LA. She was an artist in residence at Monet’s Gardens in Giverny, France, and an Affiliate Artist at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California. Internationally she has shown in Berlin,at the Zweiter Berliner Kongress fur Performance und Visual art . Ms. Stone has been a mentor for Transart Institute for the past two years, an MFA program in Austria, where she works with students individually here in Los Angeles. She joined Ryman Arts in 2007.

Natasha Carovska graduated from Otis College of Art and Design majoring in Digital Media with an emphasis in film. She graduated Ryman Arts in 2012 and aside from being a full time student, still participates in various projects and events including: The Pasadena Chalk Festival which she has been a part of for the past 6 years. She is now working in film distribution at Indican Pictures in West Hollywood. To learn more about Natasha, please visit: www.natashacarovska.com

Martha Fernandez-Grijalva graduated from Ryman Arts in 2013 and pursued a degree in animation at California State University, Long Beach. She is now a college graduate and has dedicated her time towards refining her portfolio by attending portfolio review events and taking courses at the Animation Guild. Martha has a passion for creating characters that are fun and relatable to our diverse society. She hopes to later become an Art Director for an animation studio in the states or abroad! To view more of her work please visit: https://marthaferngri.wixsite.com/mfgportfolio

Daniela Gonzalez is currently a junior at Otis school of Art and Design majoring in Communication Arts with a focus on Illustration. She graduated Ryman Arts in 2015 and attributes her drive to go to art school to Ryman. Currently she is interested in screen printing and loves to do book illustrations. She strives to be on the cover of the New York Times. To learn more about Daniela, please go to: dannygdesign.com.

Jamie Ang Lee is a current full-time student at California State University, Fullerton, majoring in Illustration and Graphic Design. A 2013 Ryman Arts graduate, Ryman Arts has helped her hone her skills and encouraged her to pursue higher education in the arts. She plans to pursue her goals of obtaining a MFA in Art Education, becoming a background illustrator in the entertainment industry, and having her own gallery one day. She currently does freelance work in illustration and design and has showcased her artwork in exhibitions and galleries in both Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Christine Marcelle is a recent graduate of the University of California, Irvine where she studied Studio Art and Psychology, Cognitive Science. In 2013, she interned with Jean Shin for her show at the Korean American Museum and was a film Teaching Assistant in 2015. She enjoys painting and illustrating. She has a soft spot for video games, cartoons, sleeping, and eating.

Raquel Martinez is a full-time student at California State University, Fullerton and is working toward her BFA with a concentration in Animation. She graduated from Ryman Arts in 2016 and aims to become an animator for Disney or Pixar and to create her own cartoon show.

Petrina Mina has worked as an artist, painter, and illustrator for the past 10 years. She is a California State University, Long Beach alumna with a BA in Studio Art and a Ryman Alumna (’00). She has worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for the medical and animation industry. In her spare time, she attends many life-drawing events in Los Angeles and takes courses at the Animation Guild. To learn more about Petrina, please visit: www.petrinamina.com