STAFF AND TEACHING ARTIST BIOS
Carpe Diem Arts on the Shore
Summer 2014
Busy Graham (founder/co-director, Carpe Diem Arts) has long believed in the
transformative power of the arts; it has been the driving force behind her career,
first as a teacher of music and dance in Vermont, North Carolina and overseas, next
as founder/director of Five Corners Music, an international artist management and
booking agency, and then in the non-profit arts arena. While serving as the
executive director of the Institute of Musical Traditions (1992-1995), Busy founded
Class Acts Arts, an arts outreach organization which currently works with over 100
artists, bringing more than 2,200 programs each year to 300,000+ children and
youth, seniors, and special needs populations throughout Maryland, D.C. and
Northern Virginia. During her 10-year tenure as founder/director of Class Acts Arts,
she launched numerous initiatives including Project Youth ArtReach (serving youth
in correctional settings), Carpe Diem Choral Arts Residency Project (a cross-cultural,
multi-generational performance-based program), Jump Start with the Arts, and
several public performance series. Busy also co-founded the international arts
management agency, Class Acts on Tour. She is a founding board member of Lumina
Studio Theatre, and serves on the board of the African Immigrant and Refugee
Foundation (www.AIRFound.org) In 2011, she launched the AIRF Youth ArtBeat
Summer Week program.
As the founding director of Carpe Diem Arts, she continues to facilitate workshops,
community dances, and song gatherings, along with visual, literary and performing
arts retreats and residencies on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Awards include the
Montgomery County Community Award for Excellence in the Arts and
Humanities and a Certificate of Honor from the Smithsonian Discovery Theater for a
“Legacy of 20 Years of Excellence in Service to the Arts and Education of Young
People.” In 2013, Busy received the “Lifetime Impact Award” from the County
Executive and Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
Alessandra Mantovani (assistant director, Carpe Diem Arts Summer Camp/
Retreat on the Shore, 2014) is an enthusiastic jewelry designer, linguist, cook, and
camp counselor! She is entering her senior year at Concordia University, studying
fine arts and environmental studies. In addition to having assisted with workshops
at Pyramid Atlantic, ArtSpring, and at Gala Artisans, Alessandra has worked as an
event coordinator and camp counselor, and loves to get creative when it comes to
camp games and crafts. Alessandra was among one of the first graduates from Sligo
Creek Elementary School’s French Immersion program, and it was her collagepainting that was selected from Christina Campo’s 5th grade art class as the artwork
for Carpe Diem’s concert poster for “Songs of Hope and Freedom.” This is
Alessandra's third year working with Carpe Diem Arts Camp and she looks forward
to another great experience!
ARTIST BIOS
ALESSANDRA MANTOVANI (see above)
CARIEN QUIROGA was born in Pretoria, South Africa and in December 2002
relocated to the USA. After obtaining a BA (Criminology Psychology) from the
University of Pretoria in 1989, she was employed in the Occupational Therapy
Department of a Senior Citizen Care Center. During this time her work focused on
the recreation, education and stimulation of mentally and physically disabled older
adults. While working at the Care Center, Quiroga returned to the University of
South Africa, obtaining a BA (Fine Arts) with distinction in 2001. She has since
worked as both a multi-media artist and art educator. Ms. Quirogas' award winning
work, widely exhibited in her native South Africa and in the USA, deals with the
feminine principle, social and environmental issues and her experiences as a woman.
Carien is on the Class Acts Arts and Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery
County Teaching Artist and Community Artist Roster -- creating mixed media
mosaic public artwork as an individual artist while also working with community
groups, schools and non-profit organizations to create public artwork in their
communities.
Since 2003, Carien has worked as Lead Artist for Arts on the Block, a job-training
initiative for creative youth using the arts as a medium to teach art principles and
techniques as well as life and workplace skills. Under her direction, youth have
created over 80 commissioned works and Public Art projects to date. Carien also
works as a Teaching Artist in schools doing Arts Integrated mosaic mural
residencies. As part of Class Acts Arts’ Project Youth ArtReach, Ms. Quiroga works
extensively as an Artist-in-Residence in Detention Centers, Baltimore City Juvenile
Justice Center and Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg, working
with youthful offenders, women and in the Crisis Intervention Unit. Carien’s work,
whether it is in an educational environment or creating her own artworks or public
artworks, reflects her passion as an artist and a strong belief in the power of art to
transform lives.
www.CarienQuiroga.com
SUE STOCKMAN (Silk-painting, Mosaics, Jewelry, Sculpture) is one of the most
sought-after teaching artists on the Maryland State Arts Council roster. Her own
work has been exhibited throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and reside in
collections worldwide. Her popular classes and workshops encourage personal
creativity and growth on many levels. She is famous for encouraging the use of
recycled materials and raising environmental awareness in her work with students
of all ages. Her group mosaic creations are on display at dozens of schools
throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. www.suestockman.com
NINA KOLTNOW (fused glass jewelry)
Nina Koltnow is a multi-talented artist and musician, in addition to being an awardwinning math teacher and former department chair at Sidwell Friends
School. Semi-retired, she devotes her time to tutoring, part-time teaching, travel,
gardening, home improvement projects, and jewelry-making. She has participated in
many fairs and festivals, exhibiting and selling her glass creations c/o Laughing
Glass Studio in partnership with her friend Cindy Reuben.
CINDY REUBEN (fused glass jewelry)
Cindy Reuben has been creating beautiful fused glass jewelry and home decor items
since 1999. As Laughing Glass Studio she and her best friend, Nina Koltnow, joined
creative forces and work together to design and produce stunning art pieces that are
sold at juried craft shows, festivals and small boutiques. When not creating art
Cindy is either hard at work as a health statistician for the federal government or
spending time with her two daughters and caring for a small menagerie.
VICTORIA VOX (ukulele and songwriting)
Victoria Vox has been honing her songwriting and voice for the past twelve years,
performing around the globe in Australia, Europe, Canada, and across the USA. She
began writing songs at age 10, inspired by artists Cyndi Lauper and Madonna,
primarily writing songs with the guitar. She went on to earn a degree in songwriting
from the Berklee College of Music (2001), and then at 24 she was given a ukulele
and never looked back. The small four-stringed instrument proved to be an
excellent vehicle for her songwriting, while not getting in the way of her endearing
vocals and seemingly simple, but rather smart songs. Originally from Green Bay,
Wisconsin, Vox now lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
HIGHLIGHTS AWARDS
-- Featured on NPR, television and in independent films
-- First Place for “C'est Noyé” International Acoustic Music Awards
-- Runner up for "My Darlin' Beau" International Acoustic Music Awards.
-- Six-time Wammies winner (Washington Area Music Awards)
-- "Vox Pop" Award in Independent Music Awards.
-- Artist in Residence at the Strathmore Performing Arts Center
-- Relix Magazine and Washington D.C.'s City's Best lists of artists to watch
-- She appeared on the Jay Leno Show to demonstrate her perfected mouth trumpet