Ilan Gutin (he/him) is originally from the Washington D.C. area, and received his BA in Studio Arts in Printmaking from the University of Maryland in 2008, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in Printmedia in 2014. He is an interdisciplinary artist, and extensive world traveler, and has used his experiences abroad to help shape his studio practice. Formalism, the ephemerality of light, place, and the wonder of looking are recurring themes in his work. He has exhibited his work both nationally and internationally in places such as Chicago, Reykjavik, and Denver.
Before moving to Denver in 2020, Ilan was a faculty member in the Fiber and Material Studies Department at SAIC and was also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Fernwey Gallery in Chicago, which focused on promoting the work of emerging and mid-career artists in and around Chicago. Most recently, he was the Gallery Curator at Art Gym Denver where he also served as the Membership and Program Director. Currently, he is the Curator and Engagement Director at PlatteForum, and is also a Board Member of Tilt West.
Bianca Mikahn (she/her) is a power-house emcee, poet, composer, cultural activist, and educator who wears many hats. She is Executive Director of Check Your Head, a non-profit focused on youth mental health, and a Partner Artist with leading creative educators, Youth On Record. Bianca’s writing style is described as experimental and thought-provoking, fearlessly addressing themes of self awareness and community engagement. Whether performing alone or with various musician collectives in Denver, her stage presence and lyrical content have earned her multiple nominations for “Best Emcee” in Denver’s Westword. Mikahn has shared stages locally at Regis University and Denver University and in Stockholm, Sweden at the historic Fylkengin Theatre. Her lyrical work has also been featured in social justice courses at Wyoming University. Currently Mikahn is honing social emotional learning and art based facilitation to encourage trauma informed care and mental health first aid (adult and youth modules) in marginalized communities.
Jenny Nagashima (she/her) is an independent curator working in Denver, Colorado. She has a BFA in Art Practices from the University of Colorado in Denver and is currently pursuing a MA in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She served as Gallery Director of Visions West Contemporary in Livingston, MT, Rough Gems Guest Curator at Union Hall, Digital Archivist at DenverArts.Org, and is a co-curator at Found Objects.