Board of Directors
Christopher Fülling, Director, Los Angeles, California
Co-founder & Founding Artistic Director of the Art Monastery, tenor specializing in 17th-century music and Gregorian chant, director of traditional and experimental ritual theater projects
B.A. Princeton, M.F.A. California Institute of the Arts
Karen Gifford, Director, San Francisco, California
Meditation teacher based in the San Francisco Bay area with over ten years of experience studying and practicing meditation in a yoga tradition. Former New York City lawyer and consultant to banks and other financial institutions, and ran a business briefly with her husband, importing eco-friendly furniture from East Africa to the US.
J.D. Yale Law School, A.B. Vassar College
Leah Hofkin, Chair, San Francisco, California
Attorney and Development Director with nearly 15 years of experience fundraising for local and national non-profit organizations, with a focus on the arts, civil rights, legal and human services
B.A. George Washington University, J.D. Columbia University School of Law, M.A. in Arts Administration at Golden Gate University
Jim Marketos, Director, Washington, D.C.
Partner at Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe, LLP, member of the New York and District of Columbia bars and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States
B.A. Princeton University, J.D. New York University
Liz Maxwell, Director, New Orleans, Louisiana & Labro, Italy
Associate Artistic Director of Art Monastery, Artistic Director of Art Monastery Italia, award-winning theater director, dancer, and actor, specializing in devising original pieces
B.A. Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University
Betsy McCall, Director, San Francisco, California & Labro, Italy
Co-founder & Executive Director of the Art Monastery, President of Art Monastery Italia, visual artist and synchronized swimmer
B.A. Yale University, M.F.A. San Francisco Art Institute
Nathan Rosquist, Director, San Francisco, California
Executive Director for Art Monastery San Francisco, writer, composer, graphic designer, and web developer
B.A. University of Colorado, M.B.A. Bainbridge Graduate Institute
Dr. Pierre Theodore, Director, San Francisco, California
Van Auken Chair in Thoracic Oncology and Assistant Professor of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery at University of California at San Francisco Medical Hospital, Chief Executive Officer of Osler Properties Real Estate Consulting
B.A. Princeton, M.D. University of Virginia
Honorary Board Members
Nadine Kano, Chair (2008 to 2012), Seattle, Washington
Computer scientist, senior director in the IT department at Microsoft
B.S.E. Princeton, M.B.A. Stanford
Mia Martin, Director (2008 to 2012), Bloomington, Indiana
American travel guru and founder of Cartolina Mia, a custom tour planning business specializing in Italy
B.A. Indiana University
Officers
Charles Darius, Treasurer, San Francisco, California & Labro, Italy
CFO of the Art Monastery, Music Director of Art Monastery Italia, musician specializing in original works for voice, guitar, piano, and trumpet
Christina Vani, Secretary, Toronto, Canada & Labro, Italy
Assistant to the Executive Director of the Art Monastery, multilingual writer, editor, teacher, translator, blogger.
B.A. Concordia University, M.A. University of Toronto, Ph.D. candidate (Italian Studies) University of Toronto
Board of Advisors
Artistic Council
Terri Cohn, Writer, Interdisciplinary Studies, San Francisco, California
Terri Cohn is a writer, curator, and art historian, and considers these facets of her career to be intertwined through her research and writings in the areas of conceptual art, public art, and socially-engaged art practices. She was a Contributing Editor to Artweek magazine for 20 years, and recently wrote a historical overview of interventionist art for Viz. Interarts. Currently editor and lead writer for a book about Sonya Rapoport—an early adopter of technology in art making contexts—Terri is co-curating two exhibitions of Rapoport’s work for Kala Art Institute and Mills College Art Museum (2011, 2012). She was a Visiting Artist at Columbus College of Art and Design (2010) and has been a writer in residence and received Artist Grant Awards from Vermont Studio Center (2009, 2011). http://www.artpractical.com/review/interview_with_terri_cohn/
Leon Ingulsrud, Actor, Theater Director, New York City, New York
Leon Ingulsrud helped found SITI Company and has appeared in Orestes, Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Opera), Nicholas & Alexandra (LA Opera), bobrauschenbergamerica, Hotel Cassiopeia, Who Do You Think You Are, Radio Macbeth, Under Construction, Antigone and American Document with Martha Graham Dance Co. Previous to SITI, Mr. Ingulsrud was a member of the Suzuki Company of Toga for seven years, during which time Mr. Ingulsrud also served as a resident director at the ATM Arts Center in Mito, Japan. Mr. Ingulsrud served two years as the Associate Artistic Director of Swine Palace in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Directorial credits include Endgame, The Hairy Ape, Macbeth, Martini Ceremony, Medea, Angel/Babel, Short Stories, The Sea, The Grapes of Wrath, The Tempest, Death of a Salesman, Saint Joan, Our Town, Laramie Project, Eurydice, Psyche, Callie’s Tally, Big Love, A Show Of Force, Jamestown, Dr. Faust and three different, original adaptations of Moby Dick. Mr. Ingulsrud has taught in workshops and universities around the world, translates Japanese theater texts into English, and holds an M.F.A. in directing from Columbia. www.siti.org
Julia Pond, Dancer, Choreographer, London, UK
Julia holds a BFA in Dance from The Boston Conservatory and an MA in International Relations from St. John’s University in Rome. From 2001 to 2005, she was a member of Lori Belilove’s Isadora Duncan Dance Company of New York, with whom she performed and taught the repertory of Isadora Duncan in the U.S. and Europe. She continues to be an International Affiliate of the Company, teaching when she is in New York. Julia also worked at the Glocal Forum in Rome, an international NGO dedicated to city networking and peace-building. She’s currently in London developing a new dance and baroque music piece for cloisters and studying yoga while continuing to lend her efforts to programming and partnerships at the Art Monastery. juliapond.com
Marije Nie, Percussionist, Tapdancer, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Marije Nie is an extraordinary tapdancer. She is a musician with her feet, a percussionist with the physical energy of a dancer. Strong technique and timing are the roots of her training. With her creative talent and a love for improvisation, Marije is one of the most versatile tapdancers in Europe. Marije loves to seek out new paths for tapdancing, above and beyond classical tapdance tradition. In the course of her career, she has danced with classical symphonic orchestras, Balinese gamelan, experimental electronics and computer musicians, New Dutch Swing musicians, a choir, house DJ’s, and all kinds of dancers (modern, hip hop, butoh). As a soloist, she can be a guest to a (big) band, orchestra or DJ to add extra excitement to a concert or tour. As a leader, she organizes a number of small ensembles, each with different musicians. The atmosphere and music of these groups can be tailored to the specific event. She works with some of the most renowned musicians and orchestras in The Netherlands, including Luc Houtkamp (winner of the Boy Edgar Award 2005, Holland’s most prestigious jazz award), DJ DNA (Urban Dance Squad), trombone player Wolter Wierbos (ICP Orchestra), the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and composers Theo Loevendie and Maurice Horsthuis—and, of course, her own group, Limoncella, with singer Dorona Alberti. Marije has performed in Europe, USA, Asia, and Africa. www.marijenie.com
Andrea Paciotto, Theater Director, Spoleto, Italy
Andrea Paciotto is a director dedicated to the creation and development of theater, media performances, and audiovisual projects. He began studying in Italy as an actor, but soon concentrated on creating and directing performances. He continued studying in the United States, receiving a B.A. in theater and an M.F.A. in directing from Brooklyn College – City University of New York. Later, he led a period of research in DasArts, Centre for Advanced Research in Theatre and Dance of Amsterdam University, focusing on the application of new technologies in the performance, for which he holds another M.F.A. degree. Very important to him was the encounter with Ellen Stewart, founder and artistic director of New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theater Club. This signaled the beginning of a journey that brought him to work in different countries, initially as an actor/performer and later as director. He worked for several years at La MaMa as resident artist and still today collaborates as a coordinator of the La MaMa Artist Residency in Italy. Since then, Andrea has collaborated with various theaters and organizations in Europe and his work has been presented in Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Switzerland, Poland, Macedonia, United States, and Mexico. Since 2004, Andrea has been living in Italy. He has funded and directs OFFUCINA ECLECTIC ARTS, a production company based in Spoleto, focused on development, creation and promotion of innovative artistic and cultural events. Among some of his most recent projects are the Spoleto Fringe Festival (started in 2009) and the Horovitz-Paciotto Company a collaborative project with American playwright Israel Horovitz. www.offucina.com, www.lamama.org
Julia Pond, Dancer / Choreographer, London, England American dancer/choreographer Julia Pond holds a BFA in Dance from The Boston Conservatory and an MA in International Relations from St. John’s University in Rome. From 2001 to 2005, she was a member of Lori Belilove’s Isadora Duncan Dance Company of New York, with whom she performed and taught the repertory of Isadora Duncan in the U.S. and Europe. She continues to be an International Affiliate of the Company, teaching when she is in New York. Julia also worked at the Glocal Forum in Rome, an international NGO dedicated to city networking and peace-building. She’s currently in London developing a new dance and baroque music piece for cloisters and studying yoga while continuing to lend her efforts to programming and partnerships at the Art Monastery.
Monastic Council
Father Martin Claes, Catholic priest, Wijchen, The Netherlands
Father Martin Claes is a Catholic priest, theologian, and musicologist. He recently obtained his Ph.D. in Theology: Exercitatio mentis as a Case: Investigating Augustine as a Pedagogue. He is a research fellow at the Centre for Patristic Studies, Tilburg University, where his research focuses are early Christianity, patristics, Augustine, philosophical anthropology, late antiquity, rhetoric, and ethics. He is a spiritual coach at Ignatian-style retreats.
Ph.D. Theology, Tilburg University; M.A. (drs.) Musicology (Gregorian chant, medievistics), Utrecht University; M.A. (drs.) Philosophy (ancient philosophy, anthropology, ethics), Free University
Michelle & Joel Levey, Ph.D., contemplative teachers, Kapaau, Hawai’i & Seattle, Washington
Joel & Michelle Levey are internationally recognized speakers, authors, educators, and consultants. Founders of Wisdom At Work, the enduring benefits of their pioneering work in mind fitness, change resilience, collective intelligence and innovation has inspired leaders in hundreds of organizations around the globe, from NASA and the World Bank to Google and U.S. Special Forces. They are faculty at University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Health and Bastyr University Center for Spirituality, Science, and Medicine, and advisors for the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities. The Leveys have published numerous books such as Living in Balance: A Dynamic Approach for Creating Harmony & Wholeness in a Chaotic World and Luminous Mind: Meditation and Mind Fitness. The Dalai Lama, an advisor and supporter on a number of the Leveys’ projects, encouraged them in their work, saying: “You are presently engaged in work that has great prospects for bringing the inner sciences of human development and transformation to a very wide section of people who may not under ordinary circumstances come into contact with these teachings.” www.WisdomAtWork.com
Christine Valters Paintner, Ph.D., Benedictine oblate, author, and teacher, founder of Abbey of the Arts, Vienna, Austria
Christine Paintner’s primary work is to integrate spiritual formation & contemplative practice rooted in the Christian tradition with the healing practice of the expressive arts and the cycles of the natural world. Her Ph.D. is in Christian spirituality and she earned her professional status as a Registered Expressive Arts Consultant and Educator (REACE) from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. She also holds certificates from programs in spiritual direction, supervision of spiritual directors, and 200 hours of training as a yoga teacher. Rooted in the Catholic mystical tradition with a strongly ecumenical spirit and love for the wisdom of all spiritual traditions, she is a Benedictine Oblate at St. Placid Priory, which means she has made a commitment to live out the monastic way in her daily life. She has a heart for interfaith dialogue, especially the ways contemplative strands from Christianity, Buddhism, and yoga philosophy nourish and challenge one another. Christine is committed to contemplative living, one rooted in Sabbath rhythms, and considers herself an urban monk and part-time hermit. She is the author of several books on monastic wisdom and creativity, including The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom and Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer. Christine is the founder of the Abbey of the Arts. abbeyofthearts.com
Maurice van der Putt, Ritual designer, Den Haag, The Netherlands
In addition to his role as ritual designer, Maurice is an independent minister in Den Haag, The Netherlands. He acts as a mentor and legal representative for psychiatric patients with dementia and coaches Korsakow patients. Maurice is also a spiritual coach at retreats.
M.A. (drs.) Theology, University for Theology and Pastorate
