Coronado School of the Arts

About CoSA

Faculty

Theatre Production, Design & Management

Theatre Production, Design & Management

Coleman Ray Clark (Assistant Technical Director/Lighting Designer) is a director, designer, and all-around theatermaker. He spent the last seven years in New York City working in various capacities on and off-Broadway with 101 Productions (DEAR EVAN HANSEN, PRETTY WOMAN, SOME LIKE IT HOT, and more), The 24 Hour Plays, Manhattan Theater Club, Classic Stage Company, and more. He's worked in educational settings at Marymount Manhattan College, Fordham University, and the Trevor Day School. He's proud to join the CoSA team!

Classical and Contemporary Dance

Classical and Contemporary Dance

Gina Bolles Sorensen, Conservatory Chair: Gina became head of the Dance Conservatory in 2018. One part dance educator, one part choreographer, and one part yogini, Gina Bolles Sorensen has the pleasure of talking about movement and the body all day long. As the Co-Artistic Director of somebodies dance theater, her choreography has been presented to critical acclaim at festivals in New York, San Francisco, Houston, Minneapolis, Mexico, and Israel among others. Awards include Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Dance Production at the SD International Fringe Festival and the SD Young Choreographers Prize. She has published original research on imagery in dance learning in the Journal of Dance Education, has been the recipient of two grants to study classical Indian dance in India, and was awarded a National Artist Teacher Fellowship from the Boston Arts Academy Center for Arts in Education. She teaches dance and related subjects at Grossmont College and the Coronado School of the Arts, as well as yoga through her online website www.YogaNatyamOnline.com. Gina’s and partner, Kyle Sorensen’s, model for contemporary dance training, SubtleBodyBigDance, can be experienced on Thursday evenings at San Diego Dance Theater. www.somebodiesdancetheater.com

Chelsea Zeffiro is a dance artist and performer working in hybrid practice – integrating dance with digital media, theater, film, and writing. She received her MFA as a Dance Fellow at University of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA) under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield and the mentorship of Jesse Zaritt and Beth Gill. After receiving her BA in Comparative Literature and French from the University of Southern California, she performed, taught and developed work in the United States and France. She has been awarded for contemporary solo performance (Vienna Int’l Ballet Festival, 2016). Zeffiro is the 2018 recipient of San Diego Dance Theater’s Young Choreographer’s Prize and was subsequently produced in their 2019 Live Arts Festival. She served as co-founder and curator of 40 NORTH Dance Film Festival for four years (2015-2018). She served as adjunct faculty, teaching a Pedagogies of Dance course at University of the Arts and is currently a company dancer with DISCO RIOT. Recently, she was chosen as an Artist-in-Residence by DISCO RIOT in alliance with San Diego Ballet (2020) and by Los Angeles Performance Practice in alliance with Broadwater Theater (2021).

Whitney Edwards is originally from Alpharetta, Georgia and began her training at the Duluth School of Ballet with former Peter Garrick and later progressed to North Atlanta Dance Academy under the direction of Michael Garrison. Ms. Edwards began her professional career at the world-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, under the direction of Arthur Mitchell for 4 years. While at DTH, she had the pleasure of studying under Prima Ballerina Assoluta Eva Evdokimova and Raymond Lukens. After her time at DTH, Whitney joined Nashville Ballet II, became a company member at Nevada Ballet Theater, The Georgia Ballet, City Ballet of San Diego, and California Ballet. Ms. Edwards also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Kennesaw State University. Ms. Edwards hopes to continue sharing her love for the art form of ballet with students all over the country.

Mikeal Villela began dancing as member of his high school dance program. Since 2004, he has been a member of San Diego's leading contemporary jazz dance company, Unity Dance Ensemble and on the faculty of Neisha's Dance Academy. Professionally, he has been represented by BLOC Talent Agency and been featured in the "We Sparkle" Celebrity Cancer Benefit, industrials, and music videos for artists such as Maroon 5.

Artists who have previously coached at CoSA include:

Betzi Roe (Elizabeth Weinberg) retired in 2018 after 22 years at CoSA. She apprenticed with the San Francisco Ballet and then joined the Hartford Ballet Company in 1969. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Dance (contemporary dance and world dance forms) from University of California, Los Angeles, she co-founded San Diego’s highly visible dance company, 3’s Co. & Dancers. From 1987 – 2002, she toured a one-woman concert of works by regional and national artists, and choreographed pieces for the California Ballet, San Diego Dance Theatre, Mojalet Dance Collective and others.

Roe’s honors and awards include: U.S. Information Agency Cultural Specialist in both Russia and China; U.S. representative at the first Bi-National Encounter of Contemporary Dance in Mexico (1993), California Dance Educators Association Dance Educator of the Year (1993); San Diego Dance Alliance “Honoree” for her work in public education (1997); CAHPERD (California Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) Dance Educator of the Year (2002) and Surdna Foundation Grantee (2005). She has been with CoSA since its beginning, and is now Chair of the Classical & Contemporary Dance Department, while simultaneously serving as Artistic Director for Nations of San Diego International Dance Festival, now in its 18th year.

Julio Catano: Julio received his BFA in dance from Fordham University in conjunction with The Ailey School. At the Ailey School he performed repertoire by Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey, Elisa Monte, Bradley Shelver, Thang Dao, Stefanie Batten Bland and Nathan Trice. He performed for two seasons with Ballet Hispanico's BHDos in works by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, William Whitener, Geoffrey Holder, Ramón Oller, Eduardo Vilaro, Pedro Ruiz and Nicholas Villeneuve. While in New York he studied vocal technique at CAP 21 under Dr. Pam Phillips PhD and Michael Hicks. He has performed with the San Diego Opera in their productions of Romeo et Juliette, Salome, and Nixon In China. Julio has danced as a guest with MOMIX, Mercedes-Benz LA Fashion Week, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, San Diego Dance Theater and San Diego Ballet. Most recently he has performed as a guest artist with the City Ballet of San Diego in their productions of The Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliette. Musical Theater credits include Les Misérables (Marius), Into the Woods (Prince Charming/Wolf) at the AVO Playhouse; International tour The Addams Family (Ancestor); West Side Story (Indio) at Lamb's Players Theatre. Julio is a member of Actors Equity Association (AEA) and the American Guild of Musical Artist (AGMA).

Sadie Weinberg: Dancer and choreographer Sadie Weinberg graduated with a B.F.A. from SUNY Purchase and earned her M.F.A. in Dance from UC Irvine. Weinberg, who has danced the works of Doug Varone, Brenda Way, and Kevin Winn, has also choreographed and produced her own concerts and had the honor of representing the United States in the Solo Dance Festival in Stuttgart, Germany. Locally she has been a performer for the McCaleb Dance, Malashock Dance and San Diego Dance Theatre. In addition to teaching at CoSA, she is on the adjunct faculties of Mira Costa College and Palomar College and UCSD.

Julio Velazquez: Julio Velezquez started as self taught Hip-Hop/Break dancer, and built a reputation in San Diego as versatile dancer and Disc Jockey. He graduated from San Diego State University with a B.F.A. in Dance and performed with their dance company, UDC. He has performed with several dance groups - ENVY, Kruciaal Element, Olio The Show (vintage Street Dance Group), and Culture Shock SD. he has worked with other artists such as Lakeside, Jason Brown, Tommy The Clown and Melissa Adao in her 2015 Fringe performance "Hip Hop Cabhooray". For the past four years he has performed in Trolley Dances in works by Jean Issacs, Kim Epifano, Grace Jun Mills, and Mark Haim. Julio currently teaches dance classes in styles ranging from Hip-Hop, House, Afro Cuban, Wacking, Popping, to Tutting in several local dance studios.

Kyle Sorensen: Kyle Sorensen graduated with a B.A. in Dance from the University of Oregon, where he was honored with the Dance Achievement Award in Recognition of Undergraduate Excellence as a Developing Artist. He earned his M.F. A. in Dance Theatre from UC San Diego, where he was awarded the Achievement Award in Teaching.

Sorensen has danced professionally in Los Angeles, Oregon, Washington and San Diego, as well as performed in works by Tere O’Connor, Susan Marshall, Jean Isaacs, and Gabe Masson. Sorensen has taught full courses in contemporary dance and hip hop at UC San Diego and San Diego City College, and master classes at Sam Houston State University (Texas), Winthrop University and Johnson C. Smith University (South Carolina) and Southwestern Community College.

Digital Arts

Animation, Filmmaking, Graphic Design, and

Game Design

Digital Arts
Animation, Filmmaking, Graphic Design, and
Game Design

Anna Woerman, M.Ed., Conservatory Chair, and Graphic Design Instructor:

Anna received her BA in Art and a minor in Italian from San Diego State University, studying at the Scuola Libero del Nudo all'Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, in Florence, Italy. She received her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from University of San Diego, and her Administrative Credential from the San Diego County Office of Education. She is a professional graphic designer, photographer, and artist. Her artwork has been in group shows in San Diego and Florence, Italy, and her design and photography have been featured in numerous blogs and publications. You can view her work at annawoerman.com.

An alumni of CoSA herself, Anna has taught in the CoSA’s Digital Arts conservatory since 2008. She teaches Graphic Design, Digital Media Foundations, DigArts Marketing, DigArts Portfolio, and Digital Photography at CHS. She was also the Yearbook Adviser at Coronado High School for the past 14 years. She is the Arts/Electives Department Chair, and serves as a SDCOE Designated Subject Program Teacher Mentor. She has contributed to the development of the DigArts Department’s pathway curriculum; collaborating with community and business partners supporting CTE advisory boards; and writing curriculum and receiving University of California A-G college credit approval for all of her CTE courses.

Anna is an Adobe Education leader, which provides access to a selected network of outstanding educators who collaborate, create curriculum, and share their expertise through workshops, education exchanges, conferences, and provide unique experiences for students. She is an active member in the arts community, both as a professional artist and collaboratively involving her students. She leads students in creating the Digital Arts Conservatory’s annual student-produced live shows which include student-created reels, curation of art pieces, and student-created promotion and marketing. She has a passion

for international travel and has taken students on educational tours throughout Italy, Iceland, and Japan.

Michelle Vescio Evenson, J.D., CJE., Filmmaking Teacher:

Michelle most recently obtained her juris doctor with an emphasis in media law, the First Amendment, and copyright and trademark claims. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary Education with an emphasis on speech communication and language arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Mass Communications with an emphasis on television broadcasting. Michelle began her teaching career in Minnesota more than 15 years ago; however, she took a side excursion in 2016 to practice law.

Michelle is a certified journalism educator, which provides her access to media curriculum, resources, mentorship, collaboration, and the opportunity to exchange ideas with other educators via the Journalism Education Association. She has also worked as a professional dancer, costume design assistant, theater arts educator, English educator, and most recently as the publications adviser and digital media educator at Coronado Middle School.

Michelle is thrilled to join the CoSA community and to be back teaching at the high school level. She enjoys watching Minnesota Vikings Football on Sundays and taking vacations with her husband Nathan and daughter Nitalia.

Instrumental Music Faculty and Coaches

Instrumental Music Faculty and Coaches

Director of Instrumental Music : Matt Heinecke

Matt Heinecke has over 20 years of professional experience as an accomplished singer and guitarist, first performing in Coronado coffee shops as a high schooler. His passion for music led him to USC where he studied classical and jazz guitar and voice.

Matt worked as a singer-songwriter and studio musician in both Los Angeles and Nashville before relocating to his hometown of San Diego in 2007. Along the way, he developed his own unique style of guitar playing, with influences ranging from folk, classic rock, jazz, country, and bluegrass. His versatility has been showcased in some of Southern California’s most prestigious entertainment production companies for large private and corporate events.

Mark Margolies, Woodwinds: Mark Margolies worked for over twenty years as a freelance musician in the Boston area. He could regularly be found playing clarinet, E flat and bass clarinets in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout New England, as well as saxophones, flute, oboe and bassoon in theater pits, klezmer ensembles and other groups. A champion of new music, Mark has many premiers to his credit including Julian Wachner’s Clarinet Concerto which was written for him and commissioned by the Quincy Symphony Orchestra. He has been a participant in every Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival since 1991, where he worked with such composers as Martin Boykan, Milton Babbitt, Marjorie Merryman, Andrew Imbrie, Bernard Rands, Sara Doncaster and many others. He has recorded for the Albany, ARSIS Audio and Denouement Record labels. He taught clarinet and coached chamber music at Boston College from 1995 - 2008 and was woodwind teacher and ensemble coach at Brookline Music School since 1989. In October of 2008, Mark moved to the San Diego area where he teaches and works as a freelance woodwind player. He performs regularly at The Old Globe Theatre, The San Diego Civic Theater, San Diego Symphony, The Lawrence Welk Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Lyric Opera, San Diego Clarinet Society, and other venues around Southern California. He is a member of The San Diego Clarinet Quintet, JAMB, and The Windsong Consort, a mixed chamber music group based in Temecula. He holds degrees in Music and Communication from Boston University.

Previous coaches for IM include:

Mackenzie Leighton, is a bassist, composer, and educator from San Diego, CA. He is a graduate of Coronado School of the Arts (‘06) and is very pleased to be returning to COSA as the jazz coach. He works regularly with Southern California jazz heroes Peter Sprague, Gilbert Castellanos, and Kamau Kenyatta, and has worked with jazz legends such as Donald Brown, Geoffrey Keezer, and Sammy Figueroa. He has performed at the Carlsbad Music Festival, Ensenada Jazz Festival, Tijuana Jazz and Blues Festival, and Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines. He also works with local theaters including The Old Globe, Cygnet Theater, and Lamb's Players. He is adjunct faculty at California State University San Marcos, Palomar College, and Miracosta College, and holds a Masters in Music from San Diego State University

Kathyrn Hatmaker, Strings: “Classical music is much more than just music. It’s a record of the way people have thought about their lives. And in this music we can learn such powerful lessons about humanity and inspiration.”* Thus begins Hatmaker’s instruction to her students. Hatmaker has been a violinist with the San Diego Symphony since 2006, in addition to being the co-founder and Artistic Director for Art of Elan (www.artofelan.org), a San Diego-based chamber music organization committed to bringing classical music to diverse audiences. After receiving undergraduate training at both the University of Iowa and the Sorbonne University in Paris, Hatmaker completed her Master of Music degree at Carnegie Mellon University. She has played with a variety of orchestras, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony and the Pittsburgh “Live Chamber Orchestra,” where she helped to attract younger audiences to classical music. She has been an instructor at CoSA since 2007.

*Michel Tilson Thomas, Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony and the New World Symphony

Danny Green, Jazz: Pianist and composer Danny Green has garnered a reputation in the jazz community as an emerging artist whose music sounds simultaneously seasoned and fresh. Showcasing a brilliant blend of jazz, Brazilian, Latin, and classical elements, Green’s music engages listeners with evocative melodies and infectious rhythms. According to JazzReview.com,“Danny Green is what evolution in jazz is all about, expressing the traits of those that came before him, with a style and panache that is all his own...an individual who expresses what is inside of him.” Green revealed his unique talents on his 2009 debut recording With You In Mind. The album received extensive airplay around the globe, rose to #18 on the Jazz Week Charts, and won “Best Jazz Album” at the 2009 San Diego Music Awards. In 2012, Green teamed up with Tapestry Records to release A Thousand Ways Home, featuring Justin Grinnell on bass, Julien Cantelm on drums, and Tripp Sprague (CoSA Guest Artist) on sax, as well as a talented cast of guest artists inducing guitarists Chico Pinheiro, Peter Sprague, and Dusty Brough, Brazilian vocalist Claudia Villela, and mandolinist Eva Scow. A Thousand Ways Home received numerous rave reviews nationwide, rose to #17 on the Jazz Week Charts, was voted into KSDS Jazz 88.3’s “Top Ten Jazz Releases of 2012,” and was nominated “Best Jazz Album” at the 2013 San Diego Music Awards. The Danny Green Trio released it’s latest recording, After The Calm, in November 2014 on OA2 Records. Featuring ten of Green’s compositions, the album received much praise from the press and nationwide radio play. JazzWax described the album as “A highly impressive album that will knock you out,” and the San Diego Troubadour called it, “Unconditionally recommended to anyone who appreciates good jazz, instrumental music or soundtracks.” For more information visit www.dannygreen.net

Jesse Audelo, Jazz.

Musical Theatre and Drama

Musical Theatre and Drama

Barbara Wolf, Ph.D. Conservatory Chair:

Dr. Wolf serves as Chair of CoSA’s award-winning Musical Theatre & Drama conservatory. Recent shows include Cabaret, Grease, Catch Me if You Can, Bat Boy, Big Fish and Chicago. Her production of Legally Blonde the Musical won the Ben Vereen Award for Best Musical. Barbara has also directed for Southwestern Community College, Bowling Green State University, San Diego State University and The Huron Playhouse. Barbara received her Master of Arts from San Diego State University and her Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University.

Kim Strassburger: Kim Strassburger, who teaches acting at CoSA and spearheads the ESU Shakespeare competition at CHS, has directed CoSA’s productions of Peter and the Starcatcher, A Piece of My Heart, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Grapes of Wrath, Metamorphoses and The Laramie Project, receiving Bravissimo Awards in 2010 and 2011 from the San Diego Educational Theatre Association. Kim is also the Associate Artistic Director and a Founding Company Member of Ion Theatre. Recent directing credits include: 8 Songs for a Mad King ("Best of Festival" 2017-San Diego International Fringe Festival) Gutenberg! The Musical (Backyard Productions); Sunday in the Park with George (2017 San Diego Theatre Critics Cirle Award- Outstanding Direction of a Musical), Passion (Nomination-San Diego Theatre Critics Circle-Outstanding Direction of a Musical), Master Class, Grey Gardens, Gypsy! (Nomination-San Diego Theatre Critics Circle-Outstanding Direction of a Musical) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Ion Theatre); A Civil War Christmas and A New Brain (Diversionary Theatre); and Edward Albee's Seascape at New Village Arts. Kim also won the 2017 San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress for The Normal Heart (Ion Theatre). Kim has also worked with Sledgehammer Theatre (Associate Artist) and Cygnet Theatre among other San Diego theatres. Strassburger was the recipient of a 2013 National Artist Teacher Fellowship that funded her study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). In 2014, Kim also became a member of Lincoln Center Theater's Directors Lab.

David McBean: David McBean is a San Diego native and the Vocal Instructor for CoSA. He attended the San Diego School for Creative and Performing Arts and graduated with a BA in Theater Arts from the University of San Diego. Previous music directing credits include: "Dirty Blonde", "Pageant" (Cygnet Theater) and "A Midsummer Night's Dream - the Musical" (Intrepid). He is also Music Director for Mission Hills United Methodist Church and a local actor.

Coaches and Guest Artist:

Karina Johnson:

Karina Johnson is excited to be back at CoSA teaching tap dance! She is a CoSA Musical Theatre alumni that has continued on to teach and perform in San Diego. She has performed at SDMT in Catch Me If You Can. She is a Seaworld performer, dancing in their Club Sea Glow show during Electric Ocean and performing as a character in their Spooktacular event. She also performs at Legoland as a singer and dancer. Karina is a member of California Rhythm Project and performs at venues and schools, where they teach kids about tap dance and tap history. Along with teaching at CoSA, she has taught at Rap A Tap Center For The Arts. She is so happy to be sharing her rhythm tap and musical theatre tap knowledge with her students in the program.

Xavier J. Bush (they/he) is a San Diego based director, choreographer, performer, and theatre educator. They have choreographed many shows from coast to coast and worked with people of all ages and experience levels. They have also served as a teaching artist for many theatres such as Moonlight Youth Theatre, New Village, Arts, and Canyon Crest Academy. Xavier currently holds the position of Academy Director for San Diego Musical Theatre’s educational program. He believes in helping students elevate their craft in a safe and fun environment!

Lauren Pym I have been dancing for 20 years and choreographing for 10 of those years. I grew up in San Diego and was part of a studio where I danced competitively. I have always been very passionate about dance from a very young age. I learned many facets of dance including contemporary, jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, musical theater, modern, lyrical, ballroom, yoga, and neuromuscular training.
From 2021-2022, I was a part of The Bridge Movement, which is a 7-month dance conservatory in New Jersey under the direction of Stacey Tookey. Training in various dance styles, as well as learning yoga, Qi Gong, meditation, and neuro-sculpting, helped me realize how important these practices are and how positively they can impact a dancer. I have had many wonderful opportunities to train under various artists, including Stacey Tookey, Jason Parsons, Anneke Hansen, Roger van der Poel, Travis Wall, Ray Leeper, Dana Foglia, Kristen Gorski, Will Loftis, and Al Blackstone, to name a few. These artists along with many other mentors helped shape me into who I am today. I earned my AA in Dance and Humanities & Fine Arts from Grossmont College. College allowed many opportunities for me to grow in my artistic ability with choreographing. Connecting with the audience and presenting my vision allowed the story to come to life. I was a Young Choreographers Showcase 2020 Finalist. Since 2022, I have been teaching at Aspire Dance Company and Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA). My choreography recently was nominated for the Industry Dance Awards Best Jazz in 2023.
Dance is not just about the movement but also about connecting with yourself and diving deep within, bringing what is present at the time and letting your authentic self shine its light. I find great importance in combining mind, body, and heart within dance as well as a focus on our mental health.
I love learning. There is always something new to learn every day, which I find exciting. Dance is an ever-growing art, and I look forward as an instructor to helping each dancer bring out their most authentic self in their everyday life and the dance community.

COACHES WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT AT COSA:

Catherine Hanna Schrock is a San Diego-based Applied Theater Practitioner, which brings together her roles as an educator, artist and activist. Her education includes a Master’s in Educational Theater from New York University and a BA in Sociology and International Development. Her work emphasizes performance-based methods for community development in various and diverse contexts. She specializes in Theater for Social Change, and in crafting performances and theater-based programming in social justice and conflict transformation. www.catherine-hanna.net

Blake McCarty is a director, designer, and educator, as well as the founder of Blindspot Collective, an arts organization devoted to new work, new audiences, and new perspective. Current projects include Untold, winner of the Jonathan Dunn-Rankin Prize for New Work at the 2017 San Diego Fringe; Chasing Fear, a musical based on Turkish folklore with composer Trevor Bachman that will workshop in New York at Theatre Barn in 2018; and a verbatim play based on interviews with refugees. As a projections designer, his work won a 2016 San Diego Critics Circle Award and has been seen locally at San Diego Repertory, Cygnet, Lamb's Players, Intrepid, New Village Arts, and Ion Theatre. Blake has developed educational programming for organizations including The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, The New Victory Theatre, New Museum, Guggenheim Museum, Tribeca Film Festival, and San Diego Film Festival. He holds a BFA in Film Production and an MA in Educational Theatre, both from New York University.

Katherine Harroff is an Arts Engagement Associate, Producer and Head Teaching Artist for The Old Globe’s Community Voices program as well as the coLAB Workshop Project. She helped develop Community Voices with the Globe in 2012 and has instructed over 400 adults in the San Diego community and beyond in finding their voices in theatre. In 2016 she spearheaded the first coLAB project by curating “The Living Altar” production.

Katherine has her MFA from Arizona State University in Performance Studies with an emphasis in Community-Based Theatre and Playwriting. She is the Artistic Director and Head Playwright for the Non-Profit Community-Based Production Company Circle Circle dot dot. She has written and produced over 50 original community-based scripts and installation projects through her company and while in residence with ASU, SDSU, USD, UCSD, and several theatre companies across the U.S. She was named one of San Diego Magazine’s “People to Watch” in 2013, and The San Diego Union Tribune honored her with the same title in 2014.

Liliana Rodriguez

Visual Art

Visual Art

Karrie Jackson:

As a Creative Advisor, Karrie Jackson offers a range of experience from coaching individual studio art practice, public art projects, community art events, and arts program development. Mastering the Art of individualized support, Ms. Jackson specializes in inspirational counsel, coaching authenticity, transformation, joy and inspiration with a distillation of creative processes through diving deep into intent development making room for intrinsic creative expression.

Background

Ms. Jackson has over 25 years of experience as a Creative. completed her undergraduate training at California College of the Arts, San Francisco, With Distinction; obtained a Masters of Education, Curriculum & Instruction - Integrated Teaching through the Arts, from Lesley University; and a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Visual Art from Point Loma Nazarene College. She has been a free lance artist in addition to being an educator and leader since 2003.

Coaching and Creative Program Advising

Ms. Jackson worked as a Visual Art Consultant for Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) starting in 2010 and is the CoSA’s Visual Art Department Chair since 2012. As the CoSA Visual Art Department Chair, Ms. Jackson facilitates a working artist studio developing individualized instruction for a range of skill levels grades 9-12 as well as guiding students in College Portfolio preparations, Public Exhibitions, Art Foundation Workshops and live Figure Drawing. As a Visiting Artist for Coronado High School, Ms. Jackson has organized and co-teaches screen printing workshops, mural production and Chalk Walks as well as workshops that develop traditional art skills and abstraction. Ms. Jackson coaches students to develop naturally authentic creative practices. She offers a variety of resources including exploration of materials and technique.

As the Director of Arts for Learning in Coronado Unified School District, Ms. Jackson has worked in partnership with a Non-Profit Arts Contracting Agency, Classroom Teachers and Teaching Artists to guide and advise the collaborative creation quality Arts Integrated English Language Arts Lessons at the Elementary, Middle and High School levels, She has guided over 80 professionals in the field, honing in on team meetings to weaving in the dynamic needs of both educational requirements and creative processes for Visual Art, Dance, Music, and Performing Arts. Overseeing an annual budget of over $100K to maximize implementation of materials, Teaching Artist Contracts, professional development, and extra-curricular events, Ms. Jackson has organized collaborations through dynamic schedules, use of facilities and project outlines in the best interest of all parties involved. Prior to her role as Director, Ms. Jackson also co-developed VAPA Curriculum for the Coronado Unified School District grades K-5 based from the new National Core Standards. Ms. Jackson has worked with Counseling Departments at both the high school and elementary school level to develop projects that promote positive student culture.

On multiple occasions, Ms. Jackson's projects have extended out into the community. She has worked directly with the City of Coronado, The Coronado Cultural Arts Commission, The Coronado Historical Association, Adult Education and Community Hospital and Nursing Home. She has also worked to coach adults in developing their fine art explorations through local Adult Education Program based on individual intent for personal growth. As an agent of Arts Healing, she worked with the elderly in local hospital and nursing home on individual an collaborative crafts to uplift spirits. She also developed a Mindfulness and Art course that focused on guided mindfulness meditation both with music and out in nature followed by dream journaling and exploration of personal symbolism. through art Through her work with the City, she has organized both personal and educational exhibits and public projects in the community.

Ms. Jackson owned and operated a free lance business from 2003- 2017 with projects and commissions scoping from private lessons, painting, design, large scale artworks and landscaping installation. As a small business owner, Ms Jackson has guided students in setting up an EIN with local and state permits, advised on budgeting, income statements, contract negotiation, web design and intent development.

Studio Art

With a primary focus on landscape painting in acrylic, Karrie Jackson is known for her Coastal Impressionism. Setting out to capture the joy and beauty of the natural Coronado shoreline, especially the enjoyment of youth and surf culture, Ms. Jackson designs original compositions from her own photography and stylizes her work through rich color and loose application of paint. Each piece expresses the essence of a moment, and above all aspires to bring joy to the viewers. As a part of Coronado's Centennial Celebration, Ms. Jackson exhibited her work along side other local artists in the Grand Opening juried exhibit at the city's C3 Gallery. Ms. Jackson has developed a wide range work in order to facilitate a strong foundation for teaching. Her body of work includes architectural paintings such as the large scale commission of luxury home paintings by American West Group, Denver, CO as well as still lives, botanical, pet commissions and figurative work.

Please reach out if you are interested in developing creativity through personal practice, program development or instructional practices.

Guest Artists:

Jessica Harrison: Like many families in Coronado, Jessica grew up in the Navy. When she was eight her family moved to Coronado and was lucky to stay there for the next 11 years. Jessica has always loved art. Upon moving to Coronado, Jessica started taking Chinese Brush Painting classes with Lucy Wang and continued until she was 16. In high school she was in the CoSA Visual Art Department. Outside of high school, Jessica, at 16, started attending Watts Atelier of the Arts, and has been going there ever since. She is pursuing her goal to be a fine artist specializing in portraiture.

Caitlin Kuhwald: Caitlin Kuhwald received a BFA in Illustration from the California College of Arts
and Crafts, and an MFA in painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine arts in
Philadelphia. She returned to San Francisco after grad school to teach at her alma mater for
nearly eight years. At CCA she taught illustration, drawing and watercolor, and she was also
the Program Expert (Advising Liaison) for the illustration department. Her illustrations appear
in various magazines, books and other media. And her work has been recognized by American
Illustration, The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts and 3x3. She lives and freelances in Los Angeles.