FERNANDO OLIVERAZ

Fernando IV is a two-time cancer survivor and advocate for the AYA and Disability communities. His passion for advocacy began after receiving support from Disability Services, where he learned the importance of community and history. Mentored by photographer Tom Olin, he uses Olin’s photo collection to educate others about disability rights while fostering inclusion through mentorship, social meetups, and advocacy for a more compassionate world.

JENN HENRY

Jenn Henry is a dance artist, educator, and arts organizer based in the High Desert of San Bernardino County. She is the founder and Executive Director of Dance Mojave Performance Collective, creating inclusive opportunities for dancers through works like The Desert Nutcracker and The Planets. Jenn teaches at Copper Mountain College and Mojave Arts Academy, fostering creativity, collaboration, and access to dance across her community.

CESAR GARCIA

Cesar Garcia is a Oaxacan printmaker based in San Bernardino specializing in techniques like xylography, pyrography, stencil, and airbrushing. He co-founded Grafica Nocturna in 2022 to preserve and promote traditional printmaking across the Inland Empire. His work, exhibited at venues such as the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and the Maloof Foundation Gallery, highlights community issues and inspires young artists to speak through their art.

ELIZABETH "LIZZ" REDD

Elizabeth “Lizz” Redd is a glass artist and environmentalist from the Inland Empire. After earning a degree in Environmental Studies from UCSB, she deepened her craft through apprenticeships, local classes, and work at craft schools. Her glass art explores light, movement, and organic form, often inviting audience interaction. She currently works at Pilchuck, teaches youth workshops with AMOCA, and sells her pieces at local pop-ups.

JACOB ADAME

Briar Rosa is an artist from San Bernardino whose work explores cultural heritage, mythology, and identity through traditional and contemporary techniques. They hold a BA in Studio Art from UC Riverside and an MFA from Cal State San Bernardino. As an educator with Arts Connection and Grafica Nocturna, they teach printmaking and drawing, fostering creativity, accessibility, and community engagement through the arts.

JESSICA BRUNY

Jessica Bruny is a compassionate millennial leader and founder of JessBeU, LLC, a wellness company she launched during the pandemic to turn her dreams into reality. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from CSUSB and is a certified wellness practitioner specializing in mindfulness and sound therapy. Through workshops and retreats, she promotes emotional well-being, creativity, and community-centered healing experiences.

JOSHUA LABATA

Joshua Labata is an immigrant writer from Parañaque, Philippines, whose work has been recognized by Academy Nicholl, Slamdance, and Blackmagic Film Fest. He has written three feature films and over 25 shorts. An alum of Norton Island, Rosemary’s House, and Stowe Story Labs, his work explores death, family, and the immigrant experience through absurdist comedy. He currently lives in Fontana with his family.

JULIA "CHERYL" BOOKOUT

Julia “Cheryl” Bookout is an artist, filmmaker, and arts activist based in Joshua Tree. She directed the award-winning short Inside the Beauty Bubble and is currently directing her first feature documentary Moving Like Pond Water. As Co-founder and Executive Director of The Chimaera Project, she champions women filmmakers and fosters collaboration, inclusivity, and dialogue through art that inspires connection and social change.

MAKEDA KUMASI

Makeda Kumasi is the founder of WE 3 Productions and co-founder of The Umoja Ensemble of the Inland Empire. She holds degrees from Cal State Fullerton, USC, and UCR, where she is pursuing her Doctorate in Education. A multidisciplinary artist and author, her work spans performance, writing, and visual art. With recent grants from ACTA and CAC, she continues to share global stories through movement and imagery.

MARICRUZ CHIA

Maricruz Chia is a ceremonial artist and sound practitioner who creates sacred spaces for healing and remembrance. Rooted in ancestral wisdom and guided by Spirit, her work weaves sound, movement, and prayer into living art. Through sound journeys and rituals, she invites women, families, and communities to reconnect with their inner truth and restore harmony, beauty, and wholeness through embodied spiritual practice.

MELISSA DANIELS

Melissa Daniels is a performer and journalist based in Yucca Valley whose work bridges storytelling and movement. A member of Dance Mojave, she performed in The Desert Nutcracker and debuted her choreography in The Planets in 2025. She also co-hosts The Modern Retail Podcast and writes for Modern Retail. Her practice unites journalism and performance to inspire connection through art and community.

REBECCA USTRELL

Rebecca Ustrell is an artist, educator, and documentarian based in Southern California’s Inland Empire. She works with alternative photography and artist books and founded Curious Publishing, a nonprofit supporting queer, BIPOC, and femme creatives through small-run print projects. Formerly Activist Artist in Residence at Pitzer College, she now coordinates events for the City of Ontario, where she launched the region’s first Art Book Fair.

RUSSELL DAMMERS

Russell Dammers is a New Zealand artist, muralist, and curator based in California. His work explores movement, perception, and the tension between dimensions through layered compositions and optical play. Combining organic forms, geometric edges, and gravity-driven textures, he reveals process as part of the artwork itself. Light, shadow, and negative space interact in his pieces, creating motion and depth that invite continuous visual exploration.

SAMUEL TOMASELLO

Sam Tomasello is an artist, printmaker, and arts teacher at Mesa Linda Middle School in Victorville. A U.S. Army veteran of nearly ten years, he once painted nose art on helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan. His art explores themes of PTSD, depression, and healing. Tomasello studied studio art and art history in California and now finds purpose guiding students through creativity, craftsmanship, and self-expression.

SOFIA FIGUEROA

Sofia is a filmmaker from San Bernardino, California, dedicated to telling authentic and empathetic stories for artists, businesses, and nonprofits. A graduate of California Baptist University with a degree in Film Studies and a minor in Sociology, she began documenting community stories during college. Her documentary The Warehouse Empire earned an Emmy Award, reflecting her mission to create work that inspires awareness, connection, and understanding.

TERENCE LATIMER

Terence Latimer is an essayist, prose writer, and poet whose work examines identity, culture, and power through history and philosophy. Blending social commentary with lived experience, his writing invites reflection and dialogue. With a background in political science, he explores the systems that shape us through essays, prose, and poetry. He is currently developing two books on memory, futurism, grief, and resilience.

YULISSA MENDOZA

Based in San Bernardino, Yulissa Mendoza is a photographer and multimedia installation artist dedicated to honoring tradition through visual language. A UC Irvine graduate in Cultural Anthropology, their work creates safe spaces for self-expression while amplifying marginalized voices. Through exhibitions across California, Yulissa challenges rigid gender roles and explores identity, culture, and fashion to empower communities and expand representation in contemporary art.

ZACHARIAH GUTIERREZ

Zachariah Gutierrez is a writer and director based in San Bernardino, California. His work spans short films, music videos, and commercials, reflecting his belief that storytelling fosters empathy and connection. With experience on professional sets for national brands, he blends creative vision with technical skill. Zachariah continues to refine his craft through collaboration, inviting audiences to get lost in the shared art of storytelling.