Join us
We are a growing nonprofit, motivated to develop resources to ensure the sustainability of our programs and our efforts to influence much-needed arts infrastructure in southwest Washington. If you are passionate about the arts in our community, have professional skills and experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, or arts administration, we’d love to talk with you.
Artstra Board of Directors
Karen (K.C.) Madsen has a background in both business and art. She was partner in a successful small business, holding patents in four countries and ultimately licensing her product to 3M Corp. She served on advisory boards in Portland relating to education and affordable housing before returning to school to earn an MA in studio art at New York University. She has exhibited in New York and on the west coast and was included in the Portland Art Museum’s 2006 Oregon Biennial. Karen has curated local art installations and spearheaded two arts and culture summits, helping to shape a vision for the arts in southwest Washington.
Michele Hanlon relocated to Vancouver from North Texas in July of 2021. She has worked in the arts as a performer, creator, advocate and arts administrator, most recently serving as Associate Dean for the Arts at The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, TX where she was a member of the dance faculty.
She earned a BFA in Dance From the University of Arizona, an MFA in Dance From Texas Christian University, and an MPA from the University of Texas at Dallas. Hanlon founded and co-directed Elledanceworks, a professional modern dance company based in Dallas, TX. Her choreography has been presented in Düsseldorf Germany, the Scandinavian Dance Congress, Kedja, Oslo, Norway, and throughout the South and Central US. Michele is a graduate of Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, WA.
She earned a BFA in Dance From the University of Arizona, an MFA in Dance From Texas Christian University, and an MPA from the University of Texas at Dallas. Hanlon founded and co-directed Elledanceworks, a professional modern dance company based in Dallas, TX. Her choreography has been presented in Düsseldorf Germany, the Scandinavian Dance Congress, Kedja, Oslo, Norway, and throughout the South and Central US. Michele is a graduate of Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, WA.
Jean LaCrosse was born and raised in Eastern Oregon. After finishing her BFA at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Jean worked as an art director for ad agencies and design firms in Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ. She has partnered in and owned two design firms, a fine-art business and established a music and hi-fi magazine currently in its 13th year with worldwide distribution. Some of Jean’s past clients include: Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale Memorial Health Foundation, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Bombardier Canadair. Her fine art business secured licenses to sell images of Porsche and GM cars as well as Ducati motorcycles.
Anna Miller is the multi-talented creative artist-in-residence and founder of Sew Op and Maker Space in downtown Vancouver. Her path in life defies a traditional biography. “I’ve done so many random hustles and weird creative jobs that don’t translate to paper,” she says modestly. In fact, Anna is a horticulturist, a garden designer, carpenter, home remodeler, realtor, clothing maker, and sewing teacher. And, of course, back in the day, she was “semi-famous” as a roller derby skater with the Rose City Rollers.
Anna B. Cruz grew up in Jalisco, Mexico, studied dance and choreography at the University of Guadalajara. She is the director of Vancouver Ballet Folklorico, a local dance group focusing on inspiring and engaging Hispanic children to learn, appreciate and preserve the roots and traditions of the Mexican culture through dance, music, discipline and creativity. Anna has been engaged in art and culture in the Northwest since 2010. Her passion for Day of the Dead celebrations is known in the community.
Jennifer Williams is a Pacific Northwest environmental landscape painter. Since graduating from Portland State University in 1996 with her Bachelor of Science and Fine Arts degree, she has developed a distinct style of mixed-media that has led to a strong following that includes corporate and private collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. Painting full time, Williams is currently represented by several major galleries in the Northwest. Williams took the lead in launching the Clark County Open Studios program that she has managed for the past six years, devoting much of her time to artist mentoring and arts advocacy.
LaRae Zawodny is an artist/educator who has lived in Clark County since 1982. She holds an M.F.A. in Painting from Claremont Graduate University in California and a B.A. Magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. As a Visual Arts Specialist, she taught in the Vancouver School District, including the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. LaRae’s artwork has been exhibited widely, and is included in the collections of Mercedes Benz Corporation and Pomona College among others. LaRae also serves as a Clark County Arts Commissioner and recently hosted the Clark County Poet Laureate Celebration.
Other team members
Holly Williams is a nonprofit accountant, community builder, and chair of the City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation Commission. She is a Cornell University alum, has worked at Hewlett-Packard as an engineer and project manager, and served for nine years on the school board of Evergreen Public Schools. Holly received a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting from Washington State University. She is an avid volunteer, bicycling advocate, and has been accountant for multiple nonprofits including Mercy Corps, Green Empowerment, and the Gifford Pinchot Task Force. She as served as Artstra’s accountant since 2016.