Lily Bisantz works at the University of Colorado Boulder as a Coordinator for Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. Since the time of her participation in the ARIAH Fellowship in 2021, Lily has most notably graduated with highest honors from the University of Colorado Boulder after completing her thesis “Betrayed by the Divine and Overlooked by Scholarship: An Inquiry into Spiritual Abuse and Religious Trauma” in which she explored and challenged the existing definitions of religious trauma and spiritual abuse in an effort to expand the definitions to include the spiritual harms inflicted upon Native American communities in the United States. More recently, Lily spent the final semester of her undergraduate career studying abroad at the American University in Cairo where she studied Arabic and explored the contemporary and historical art scene of Cairo. Lily is passionate about issues relating to peacebuilding, restorative justice, and community.

Nat Contreras is a Mexican Art Historian graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), holding a degree in Art History with a specialization in Iconography and Image Studies. She has worked at Studio 3.14, an architecture and design studio, where she conducted research for exhibitions and curated small projects to activate incomplete objects, among other activities. She has also been actively involved in the organization and management of cultural events, including the Colloquium of Art History Students at ENES Morelia. Nat also helped with the curatorial process and the exhibition of some artworks from José Luis Calzada that took place in a Cultural house named Emiliano Zapata, in Mexico City. She is making a catalog from their murals and the memory of marginalized areas of the city that are in danger from evacuations and displacement because of gentrification. In her research fellowship roles, Nat is interested in topics such as Latin American and Mexican Cinema of the 20th Century, street art and graffiti, literature and contemporary Latin American art, Mexican Muralism and photograph, dance and theater theory, digital art and its mediation, as well as images of social movements and art as a pedagogical medium. She has actively contributed to projects related to archives, and her diverse range of interdisciplinary experiences and skills make her a versatile professional dedicated to the world of art and culture with an antiracist, neurodivergent and gender perspective.

Vania Djelani is an independent writer, artist and cultural worker based in Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal. Her practice involves exploring the concept of placemaking within contemporary landscapes, which has often been informed by unresolved loss and grief towards fragmented notions of identity. Centred around expressions of care, hospitality and reciprocity, she has recently been interested in designing community-based projects. Along with additional experience working in childcare, her practice has evolved into exploring pedagogy, creation and mediation by leading co-creation projects with school-aged children.

Nicole Fanelli is the Art and Digital Media Coordinator at the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, where she creates and facilitates scientific illustration workshops, art, printmaking, and digital media programs for youth between the ages of 12-24. Nicole is a scientific illustrator and artist who received her BFA from School Of The Art Institute of Chicago. She has been an educator for over 10 years starting as an assistant in high school mentoring peers in After School Matters programs. She works across Illinois, reaching teens from the southwest, south, and west sides of Chicago all the way up north to Evanston. Her love for museums started at a young age as a Teen Intern at the Art Institute of Chicago. Nicole is a decorated member of the art community receiving the Rising Star City Honor Roll being nominated for her work on the Art Institute of Chicago’s Teen Council where she pushed forward a mission of equitable access and engagement for teens. She has received numerous scholarships such as the Adobe Creativity Scholarship, Bank of America Chicago Scholarship, and SAIC Merit scholarship for her commitment to creating arts programming for youth to transform their lives. Nicole’s work has been showcased in numerous publications, such as the Art Institute of Chicago’s Member Magazine, Have you Heard? Museums Audio Guides are Changing for her work on the Teen Audio Guide; Starry Nights and the Astronauts by Alma Thomas; The Next Generation, Expanding Opportunities and Perspectives. Her scientific illustration workshop was featured on CBS News in 2022: Nonprofit aims to show Black students the possibilities of careers in STEM.

Zaida Ruby Lagunas is an educator, researcher, and writer who aims to provide disadvantaged youth and communities with access to the arts. She holds a BA in History of Art and Architecture (museum studies concentration) from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and currently works as an educator. Previously, she worked as a publications and research assistant for UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center, where she assisted with the center’s A Ver: Revisioning Art History publication, which provides art scholarship on Latinx and Chicano artists who are historically underrepresented in art history. She has also worked with art organizations such as Venice Arts as a photography teaching assistant for their Media Arts Education program that aims to provide low-income youth access to arts education. Zaida has also interned with the Brooklyn Museum in New York and The Medici Archive Project in Florence Italy, where she provided research assistance in preparation for the exhibition at Pitti Palace, The Jews, the Medici and the Ghetto of Florence. She has also worked on and designed multiple projects that blend research, art, and activism and explore the intersection between art and social engagement.

Persia Liu is the Assistant Registrar at the Japanese American National Museum, where she manages the logistics, cataloguing, and incoming and outgoing loans of artifacts and artworks. She is committed to engaging with social justice through art history, particularly within the realms of Iranian and Chinese arts. Her essay, “Chinoiserie at the Royal Pavilion,” was published in the Bowdoin Journal of Art in 2020. She presented her project, “Shah Abbas’ Silk Diplomacy,” at the Bay Area Undergraduate Art History Research Symposium in 2022 as the representative for the Santa Clara University Department of Art and Art History, and curated the de Saisset Museum’s fall 2022 exhibition, We Are All Sacred: Student Acquisitions on Identity, Community, and Enduring Existence. She was first an intern then a student employee at the de Saisset Museum, working with the collections and historic house at Martial Cottle Park, and a Collections Management intern in the Asian Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She holds a B.A. in Art History as well as Communication from Santa Clara University.

Misty Lizarraga embodies versatility and community commitment. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Behavior from Warner Pacific University, Misty is the creative force behind Spine & Quill. Here, she meticulously crafts hand-painted ornaments, earrings, and coasters, while also hosting private paint parties, providing a unique artistic experience. Under the banner of Misty Mornings Photography, her lens captures the essence of special moments, specializing in portraits and wedding photography. As summer arrives, Misty transitions into the role of a skilled wedding coordinator and event manager. Her artistic touch is evident in the custom curation of wedding centerpieces and decor. Beyond entrepreneurship, Misty dedicates her time to volunteer work, offering art classes to non-profits. Her impactful art has found a home at Good Samaritan hospital, paying tribute to a local hero. Alongside her community involvement and businesses, she serves as a Para Educator at Reynolds High School, focusing on students with special needs. Misty Lizarraga's journey is a testament to creativity, resilience, and a heartfelt commitment to artistry, event coordination, and supporting her community in various impactful ways.

Paloma Nicholas is an arts educator and program curator born and raised in Los Angeles. After working in the UCLA Library of Special Collections as an undergrad, she discovered her love for working with primary sources and works of art. She has since worked with The Getty Center, The Hammer Museum, and most recently as the Education Specialist at ESMoA.   She is passionate about arts equity, and has centered most of her work around creating diverse, inclusive, and accessible programming, with a particular interest in Spanish language programming. Paloma currently serves as the Public Engagement Coordinator at 18th Street Arts Center – an artist residency that oversees over 60 artists and studios. There, she ideates, manages, and produces large scale events (from screenings to musical performances) that highlight the artists in residence.

Samantha Oleschuk is an emerging arts professional and art writer based in North Carolina. She earned her B.A. in Art and Visual Culture with a concentration in Art Management from Appalachian State University. Her honors thesis project focused on creative aging programs in museums and cultural institutions/organizations, culminating in the production of a storytelling resource for creative aging professionals seeking cross-sector support and partnerships. As the Art Collections and Looking Glass Gallery Manager at the Plemmons Student Union during her studies, Oleschuk led acquisitions and exhibitions, launched a loan program, created new engagement opportunities, and co-curated Leading Legacy: Visual Art Across Campus.

First as an intern and now as a critic, Oleschuk writes visual and performing arts reviews for the Cultural Voice of North Carolina (CVNC). She participated in Burnaway’s 2023 Art Writing Incubator that cultivates art critics through workshops and mentorship. Additionally, her research entitled “Architectural Site and Imagined Landscape: The Foundation Lore and Perpetuated Mythology of the Round City of Baghdad” was published in Aisthesis: The Interdisciplinary Honors Journal in 2023 and presented at the 2023 SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Art History Symposium. She also completed internships in the registration department at the Weatherspoon  FRANK Gallery in Carrboro, North Carolina.

Gloria Ortega (she/her) is an emerging arts professional based out of Los Angeles, CA. Her professional career has varied from non-profit settings to large cultural institutions where she has provided support in curatorial, archival research, exhibition planning and related public programs. Her practice is driven by cultural histories, ancestral memory, and collaboration with artists of color within contemporary art. She has interned at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Center for the Study of Political Graphics as part of the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship, and was among the first cohort of interns at the Association of Research Institutes in Art History (ARIAH) in 2020. Since interning with ARIAH, she has worked on 1898: Imperial Visions and Revisions as a research assistant with Curators Taína Caragol and Kate Lemay for the National Portrait Gallery, and is currently working with the 2024 Getty Pacific Standard Time artist Carolina Caycedo for the exhibition We Place Life at The Center. When she is not working, Gloria enjoys watching old films, mid-century modernism, and spending time with her cat Oliver. She holds a Bachelors in Art History from California State University Los Angeles and an Associates in Art History from East Los Angeles College.

Nour Rayess is currently a double major in History and Art History, and aims to pursue her career as a museum professional after graduation. Her time with ARIAH was a foundational experience that she has since built upon with a curatorial internship at the Chumash Indian Museum. In partnership with the director, Nour created and implemented an exhibit on Native American basketry entitled The Testimony of Native Weaving. She conducted historical research, planned the design, wrote all the text, cleaned the baskets, and assembled the exhibit. Nour also assisted with the conservation plan for the baskets, as well as, accessioned and digitized the works. Utilizing her strong background in academic writing and public speaking, Nour presented the exhibit to the public for a curator talk event. Her previous internships include: Public History Intern with the California Migration Museum, and volunteering as an Archives Intern at the Stagecoach Inn Museum. Her educational achievements include Dean’s List standing, a 4.0 GPA, and a Bronze Award in Speech and Debate at the National Forensics Tournament. Nour is an individual with comprehensive qualifications and boundless curiosity who is eager to employ her knowledge and skills to educate, engage, empower, and impact fellow human beings on the momentousness of moments passed.

Her LinkedIn is https://www.linkedin.com/in/nour-rayess/.

Cassandra Rivera is the Education Specialist at the Meadows Museum in Dallas, Texas, where she supports various educational programs, manages the museum’s Art on the Go outreach kits, schedules tours, and other administrative duties. She also works as a Museum Educator at the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth, Texas, where she facilitates and creates lesson plans for various family programs. She will be co-presenting at the 2024 National Art Education Association Conference on a program at the Meadows Museum for individuals with early-stage dementia and their care-partners. This presentation will also focus on ways that other museums can implement similar programs. Rivera holds an MA degree in art history from the University of North Texas along with a certificate in Art Museum Education. Her thesis, “Ethically Addressing Orphaned Objects in Museum Collections: Problems of Provenance at the Getty Villa” combined her interest in provenance research with how object information is displayed to the public. Her passion for provenance research began with a project given to her during the ARIAH internship. Since then, she has had internships at the Toledo Museum of Art, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Kimbell Museum of Art, the Meadows Museum, the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art, and the Spellman Museum of Forney History.

Tatyana Scott earned her Master’s Degree in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in May of 2023. Following graduation, Tatyana worked with The Millenium Park Foundation to facilitate programming associated with the sculptures in Millennium Park. She currently works at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she facilitates programs focusing on experiential education for art students. In her free time, Tatyana is also involved in arts organizations as a painter, juror, and art lover. She has shown work in art galleries primarily in New Mexico, Massachusetts and Illinois, has been included in Smithsonian publications and has exhibited in the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. In addition to her personal artistic practice, Tatyana collaborates with artists and activists to facilitate community and arts events. She also works to advocate for economic empowerment for people pursuing creative careers.