Community Conversation: Creating Space / Town Hall

About the Moderator

Olisa Enrico is an artist, educator and administrator who believes in the unique power of  art to cultivate community and culture. Olisa spent her childhood writing music and performing, traversing genres and rooting in hip hop as her primary form of expression. She branched out to theater and found passion for the power of story to reveal and heal. A performing artist who prioritizes connection to emotional, spiritual and cultural truth, Olisa writes, produces and performs in a multidimensional magical manifestation of each moment.

About the Panelists

Peggy Piacenza has been creating work and building community in Seattle for over 30 years. She is committed to generating new work and collaborating with others to create lasting relationships that impact the artist community. She is a co-founder of Base, a non-profit organization dedicated to elevating risk and invention in dance, performance, and multidisciplinary art. Peggy’s work embodies a wide spectrum of experience drawing from explorations in improvisation, video art, performance, meditation, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Premiering in January 2024 as part of On the Board’s 2023-2024 season, her latest project, The Forever Project, utilized video installation and live performance. In addition to her own work she is currently working with NYC/Toronto-based performance collective Same As Sister (S.A.S.). She has collaborated and performed with Seattle-based dance-theater companies 33 Fainting Spells and Pat Graney Company, choreographers Dayna Hanson, Stephanie Skura, Lionel Popkin, Deborah Hay, and others. She is a 2010 graduate of Smith College’s Ada Comstock Scholars Program where she majored in Religion and Gender Studies. 

Rosie Saldana is a working artist, the artistic director for Tieton Arts and Humanities and an art instructor at Heritage University located in Toppenish WA. She received her master’s in museum studies in 2022. On top of these responsibilities Rosie works with local Yakima galleries and artist groups to showcase diverse art exhibitions and pop-up shows. She is currently a member of Mezcla collective whose mission is to support and advocate for Latine artists in Central Washington. Rosie is a fourth generation Chicana and is consistently inspired by her family and culture. Through her art and leadership, she hopes to reclaim space and a voice for cultures and people who are not often depicted, appreciated, or respected in our society.  Her work has been featured in galleries and museums around WA state and she has juried for multiple exhibitions.

Neon Thomas Bio Forthcoming

Sam Farrazaino Bio Forthcoming

About Artist Trust
Artist Trust is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support and encourage artists working in all disciplines to enrich community life throughout Washington State. Since its founding in 1986, Artist Trust has invested over $15 million in individual artists through grant programs and provides a comprehensive suite of professional development training and resources to help artists achieve their career goals. Learn more at artisttrust.org.

Have Questions?
Email Program co-Director Lydia Boss.