Jen Kulik, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO

she / her

For the past 25 years Jen has designed and facilitated intergenerational arts, arts for youth, and arts for older adults programs for retirement communities, schools, theatre companies, and social service organizations.  Jen holds a Ph.D. in Theatre for Young Audiences from Arizona State University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Washington.  In 2012, she was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching fellowship to travel to Singapore.  She received the Joseph F. Wall Service Award from Grinnell College in 2018.  Jen presents at conferences worldwide.

Mollia Jensen

Arts Programs Manager

she / her

Mollia has been a teaching artist for over 30 years. With roots in the theatre and wings in dance and writing, her path has engaged in leading programming with several arts, educational, and community organizations as well as her own offering from the heart, Dance Like You which holds classes and a collaborative series called dance company. She has a BA from Bennington College and a PCE in Memoir from the University of Washington. Mollia loves sharing small, sparkly moments of alchemy with others whether it is in a creative coaching session, on the page, swirling in watercolors or on the dance floor.

Claire Kiersky

Community Relations Manager

she / her

Claire Kiersky has been working with SilverKite Community Arts for eight years, starting at the age of 15 when she was a member of their first ever Intergenerational Theatre Troupe. Since then, Claire's involvement with SilverKite includes acting in two additional productions, assistant directing another production, acting as Arts Coordinator and then Social Media Manager. As of June 2022, Claire is excited to step into her new role as Community Relations Manager with SilverKite! Claire is also a graduate of San Diego Sate University with a BA in Theatre Performance and a minor in Digital Media Marketing. 

Sandy Mathews

Dance, Cooking

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Sandy has taught dance and dance fitness to both adults and children.  She grew up dancing on competitive dance teams.  Her specialty is Bollywood Folk dance.  She also enjoys baking and cooking.  She likes sharing traditional South Indian recipes that she grew up eating and teaching people how to use Indian Spices and make their own spice blends.  She holds a BBA from Baylor University in Journalism and Marketing and an MBA in Marketing from Southern Methodist University.. 

Merri Ann Osborne

Dance, Theatre, Music

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Merri Ann Osborne (she/her) received her first passport at 4 years old, when she lived with her family in West Africa and then travelled to Europe before heading home to the US. She's been travelling ever since. Merri Ann has worked in the travel industry at an international hotel chain, as a destination sales manager for international clients for a convention and visitors bureau and as a tour manager for an international tour company. As a multi-disciplinary artist, she loves exploring the intersection of art, culture and travel. Especially how we can connect with each other cross-culturally through music, dance, and performance. Merri Ann holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA and an MA in Conflict Resolution from the Dept. of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK.

Nani Trias

Visual Arts

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Nani holds a BA in humanities for teaching from Seattle University. She has helped facilitate intergenerational workshops with SilverKite since 2018. She has particular interest in exploring sustainable art created by repurposing recycled materials in hopes of fostering creative expression and collaboration that is accessible to all. In her spare time can be found painting with Bob Ross and cooking meals for friends and family.

Susan Wickett-Ford

Dance

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Susan Wickett-Ford is a lifelong dancer and dance teacher.  She began her career focused on choreography and performance and founded a modern dance company.  In the 90’s her focus shifted to dance education for every student.  She was trained by Anne Green Gilbert, and developed a specialty in folk dance. Susan taught for 17 years at The Northwest School.  

Ali Alderman

Theatre & Visual Arts

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With a BA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University, Ali Alderman centers all her work on creative, intersectional, and radically hopefully justice. By day she is a social worker serving youth experiencing homelessness in Denver, and by night she hosts and produces Kite Tales, Silver Kite's intergenerational arts podcast. Since being an intern, assistant director, and teaching artist with Silver Kite, she has fallen in love with the power of intergenerational connection through the arts. With curiosity and belief in our shared humanity, she strives to build inclusive communities of belonging and strong relationships through art.

Rachel Rene

Theatre, Music, Dance

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Rachel Rene has been involved in the Seattle theatre scene for over 30 years. With a BA in theatre arts from Western Washington University, she has tried her hand at all aspects of the theatre – from performing to stage managing to directing, among others. Above all, she enjoys sharing her passion for theatre, music, and dance with others, and she is immensely grateful for the opportunity to share the beautiful art form of hula dance with you.

Marva Benjamin

Movement

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Marva began her yoga experience/journey in 1999, in Seattle.  She has been teaching for 18 years at severalstudios in Seattle, and also in different parts of the World.Marva teaches a strength-building , healing class, with emphasis on correct form and alignment. You willenjoy the dynamic sequences that challenge the mind and body and take you on a journey to selfawareness and acknowledgment without judgment. Students enjoy her energetic and nurturinginstructions, and are especially inspired by the demonstration of her own immensely powerful and graceful practice.

Julian Bentley-Edelman

Creative Non-fiction and Poetry Writing

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Julian loves working with writers young and young at heart, and believes that beginning writers learn best by simply diving in, playing with language, and gaining inspiration from each other. She's worked as a classroom teacher, restaurant worker, social work case manager and more, and enjoys helping people bring their own insights and experiences to life for readers--whether family, friends, or beyond. She holds an MFA in Fiction Writing from the University of Washington, as well as an MSW and MAT. When not writing personal essays, humorous vignettes or poems, she is out on local trails hiking.

Meredith Berlin

Theatre, Storytelling, Creative Drama

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Meredith has a passion for creative collaborations of all sorts.  She is an actor, director, writer, and educator with experience in dance and choreography.  She believes that every interaction, be it with a student, co-worker, or fellow birdwatcher on a walk, can be a joyful experience and an artistic inspiration.  Meredith has performed on stages from Washington State to Washington DC. Her written expression includes plays, poems, and a book for young readers.  Each day of teaching (40 years and counting) brings laughter, light, and surprise.  A daily practice Meredith enjoys is taking the time to appreciate, photograph, sketch and write about the trees in her neighborhood.

Bobbi Kidder

Theatre, Storytelling, Music

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Bobbi Kidder,  MA,RDT, BCT teaches in the drama therapy Masters program at Antioch Seattle University.  She is author of IMAGINaction, a guide to using drama in classrooms and other settings. Bobbi has lead projects in schools, prisons, and treatment centers and worked with intergenerational groups in Los Angeles & Seattle.   

Aviona Creatrix Rodriguez Brown

Theatre, Writing, Storytelling

she/her/they/them

Aviona Creatrix Rodriguez Brown instills inclusivity and accessibility, by creating multidisciplinary art to tell stories surrounding being multiracial, exploring queerness, working through mental illness, stress, navigating drug addiction, and homelessness. Using tools and resources from smART Grants and the Artist Up Scholarship The Creatrix has developed healing workshops, along with a 45-minute solo show- translated into Spanish and toured to four states. Through ongoing community-oriented youth projects, they aspire to educate the masses on self-awareness and the benefits of art alternatives when dealing with everyday stresses. Creatrix encompasses the many art avenues to which they contribute:

Arts Education Administration, Board Memberships, Curating, Directing, Teaching, Mentoring, Stage Managing, Performing, Producing, Writing.

Pearl Klein

Writing, Theatre

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Pearl Klein started acting in her 40th year, and celebrated her 50th birthday with her first burlesque performance. A poet since before she was tall enough to be seen at Baskin Robbins, she coaches people who think they aren’t writers and helps them get their important ideas into words and their words onto the page. 

Noel Sherrard

Visual Arts, Theatre

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Noel is a visual and performing artist who believes that artistic beauty is created by unleashing the unique voice of its creator.  Noel has taught Art and Theatre at Hillside Student Community, The Meridian Street Players, Stanford Addis School and The International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia.  He holds a BA in Theatre from Knox College.