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.

Rohan Gonzalez

Arts Programs Manager

they/him

Rohan holds a BA in dance and psychology from the University of Washington.  They have been dancing since they were 14, and love finding new ways to bring together their two fields of study.  Rohan is particularly interested in how the arts can help enrich people's lives.  Rohan has worked with Silver Kite since 2017 and has contributed to several Silver Kite programs, including teaching Friendly Folk Dance workshops, coordinating summer intergenerational workshops, and assisting the Intergenerational Theatre Company.  

Ali Alderman

KiteTales Host & Producer

she/her

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.

Claire Kiersky

Social Media Manager

she/her

Claire Kiersky has been working with Silver Kite Community Arts for five years, starting at the age of 15 when she was a member of their first ever Intergenerational Theatre Troupe. Since then, Claire has acted in two additional productions, been an Assistant Director and Arts Coordinator, and now does Social Media Marketing for SilverKite. She is currently a Theatre Performance major and Digital Media Marketing minor at San Diego State University and hopes to work in both theatre and marketing after graduation next spring. Claire truly believes in the mission of SilverKite, and aims to promote their amazing work and showcase their inspirational art.     

Meredith Arena

Mindfulness, Theatre, 

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Meredith Arena is a writer and interdisciplinary teaching artist from New York City with 18 years of teaching experience. Her favorite classes to teach are Performance and Creativity, Media Arts (students make, photo essays, podcasts and documentaries about issues of concern to them), and any writing class that involves creating and performing poetry and monologues. 

Arika Gloud-Jones

Visual Arts, Theatre

she/her

Arika received her BA in Sociology with a minor in Theatre Arts from Cal State San Bernardino. She believes art can change lives and bring people together and loves finding new and creative ways to blend her passion for dramatic and visual arts with community outreach and team building.  

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

she/her

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.  

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

she/her

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

he/him

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.  

Alisa Tirado Strayer

Visual Arts, Music

she/her

Alisa has taught people of all ages in classes ranging from seated yoga to zumba to after-school art programs. In each of her classes, she works to create an atmosphere where each person feels free to try something new and explore  She holds an MSW from the University of Washington School of Social Work.

Suzie Treinen

Visual Arts

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Ever since she was a kid, Suzie has loved making things. She grew up in Iowa, went to college, got her MFA in printmaking, moved to NYC with her boyfriend (now husband), designed craft projects for books and magazines, waited tables, worked as an artist’s assistant, graphic designer and illustrator, became a mom, a teaching artist and then an art teacher. She’s riding out the pandemic in Brooklyn, New York with her husband (also an artist), two college-aged daughters (both super arty) and her dog (he’s not an artist, but Suzie made his dog bed.) We told you she likes making things!