The Anansi Trio is a group of like-minded musicians drawing from a wide range of musical influences. Using the language of Jazz as their starting point they also use elements of Afro-Cuban and Indian music as well as other global traditions. Using percussion, saxophones, and acoustic bass they create a music that’s unique and experimental yet remains accessible. With a diverse rhythmic approach and a focus on improvisation, The Anansi Trio hopes to put their own stamp on the American legacy known as Jazz.
16Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County https://www.creativemoco.comSuzan.Jenkins@creativemoco.com(301) 565-3805
801 Ellsworth Dr
Silver Spring, MD 20910
United States
NatashaMirny is a teaching artist, performer, stage director, and founder of Happy Theater (www.happytheater.com). She is currently working as a teaching artist and Arts Integration specialist at several theaters and educational programs in Washington DC area - Inspired Child, Arts for Learning, and Wolf Trap – designing and implementing programs for teachers and students in public schools in DC, VA and MD. Her background is in pantomime, puppetry, and physical theater. For the past five years Natasha has devised and directed ten shows for children from 0 to 12 years old.
Tisza Ensemble presents traditional Hungarian folk dances via classes and performances, and participates in táncház programs (dance houses), workshops, and camps across North America (and sometimes as far away as Hungary and Transylvania).
Douglas Tarenyika is a Zimbabwean born writer, gifted with a deep and vast imagination alongside a talent for writing stories that reflect the struggles of climate change, war, racism and the pathways of finding peace and common ground. The core of his work focuses on understanding that the differences between us don't have to separate us but can bring us closer and make society stronger. Douglas was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. His mother is from Ethiopia, and his late father was from Zimbabwe.
Ruth is a multidisciplinary artist known for her layered paper artworks, as well as her abstract and landscape paintings. She first learned paper-cutting as a traditional Jewish folk-craft and established her practice designing ketubahs (Jewish wedding art), creating over 2,000 works for couples worldwide. Her current work combines digital design, laser-cutting, and inkjet-printing to create incisively-layered paper artworks. Ruth lives and works in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Lydia Sylvia Martin is a musician and writer from Central Maryland. She performed with her family, The Martin Family Band, for over 20 years and studied traditional old-time and Irish music. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Goucher College and currently performs and teaches banjo.
Laura Sturza is a writer and teacher living in Rockville, Maryland. She primarily teaches classes for older adults that incorporate her experience as a writer, storyteller, and theatre artist. She marvels over the courage and artistry of her students and welcomes the chance to work with groups of all ages and backgrounds. Laura's work is published in The Washington Post, Shondaland, AARP’s The Girlfriend, The LA Times, and Lunch Ticket, among others. Laura wrote, produced, and starred in the one-woman show, Finding the Perfect Place to Live in 111 Gyrations.
Silver Spring, MD based self-taught Black Woman Photographer, Nia Ross, founded Nini Michelle Visuals where she specializes in Commercial and Editorial Fashion & Portrait Photography.
The published photographer curates quality visuals to put the overlooked at the forefront of beauty. Trailblazing a path for others that look like her visions to be seen and heard.
Naturally gifted and nurturally raised in a family of fine art father, floral artist mother, and prose and performing art grandparents, Ann was installed the love of art since a young age. She earned Bachelor of Art from Chiang Mai University (2003), Thailand and completed several art courses through continuous education at Georgetown University in D.C. and Yellow Barn, Glen Echo Center in Maryland.