Administrative Staff

Jen Kulik, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO

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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.

Rachel Rene Araucto

Operations Manager

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As a working performer, director, stage manager, and teaching artist, Rachel Rene believes in the power of the arts to move, educate, and heal. She comes to SilverKite with a BA in theatre arts from Western Washington University, 25 years of administrative experience, and over 35 years in the theatre industry. In addition to being SilverKite’s new Operations Manager, Rachel Rene teaches several SilverKite workshops and has performed in three if its Intergenerational Theatre productions. Additionally, her work with Living Voices can be seen in schools and museums around the country.

Mollia Jensen

Arts Programs Manager

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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

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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, as well as being a teaching artist. Claire is also a graduate of San Diego State University with a BA in Theatre Performance and a minor in Digital Media Marketing.

Teaching Artists

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..

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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.

Marva Benjamin

Movement

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Marva began her yoga journey in 1999, in Seattle. She has been teaching for 18 years at several studios 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 will enjoy the dynamic sequences that challenge the mind and body and take you on a journey to self awareness and acknowledgment without judgment. Students enjoy her energetic and nurturing instructions, and are especially inspired by the demonstration of her own immensely powerful and graceful practice.

Cooper Perry

Visual Art

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Cooper is a graduate student at Antioch University Seattle, getting their Master’s in Mental
Health Counseling and Art Therapy. Cooper believes in the value of a ‘process over product’
mindset. She encourages those around her to lean into their own unique processes with curiosity
and kindness, while recognizing the internal and external challenges present in any given
artmaking project. Cooper’s favorite mediums are painting, collage, and multimedia sculpture.
Her favorite style of artmaking is surrealism. In addition to being a visual artist, one of Cooper’s
undergraduate degrees is in Creative Writing and poetry remains very important to them. Cooper
explores creativity, symbols, and metaphors in her artmaking and loves to share these (often)
existential experiences with other life learners.

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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.

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Julia Mundell

Visual Art

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Julia is a student at Occidental College studying sociology and studio art. She is passionate about art's ability to connect communities as well as the importance of accessible art education for all people. In her teaching practice, she values the artistic process as a form of self reflection and expression. She loves all visual arts, especially ceramics, sculpture, and mixed media collage. In addition to working with SilverKite, Julia teaches art classes to elementary school students in Los Angeles.

Tammy Leaver

Visual Art

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My whole life has been dedicated to art. Growing up, my parents and I spent much of our free time creating; whether it was my dad teaching me to draw, cut glass, or woodwork; or my mom teaching me to sew, paint or craft. Through the years, I’ve developed my own love of art through many mediums, such as painting, mosaics, glasswork, crafting, etc. While it all helps me to get in touch with my past, center myself, relieve stress and relax, I find my fulfillment in life through using my art degree to help others and therapeutically educate many adults and children while creating. I’ve owned an instructional art studio and have volunteered my time to teach thousand of all ages through the years.

Jenn Fortnash

Visual Art

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Jenn has been teaching creatively for over 10 years. She enjoys exploring the interdisciplinary links between the visual arts and human experience. She has an MFA in Animation & Digital Arts from the University of Southern California and works in visual communications as a graphic designer helping to make information more accessible for all. Jenn believes deeply in art’s ability to contribute to happier, healthier, and kinder communities. She loves teaching visual art as a way of connecting with others through hands-on exploration using traditional media. From her perspective, “In art there are no mistakes, only discoveries.”

Pearl Klein

Writing

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Pearl Klein started writing poetry at nine years old and she's never stopped playing with words. For her, words, language and formal containers are the sensual starting point for poetry; image and narrative thread almost always follow sound and shape. Pearl holds a hard-earned MFA in Poetry Writing from the University of Washington.

Meredith Berlin

Writing, Theatre

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Meredith has a passion for creative collaborations of all sorts. She is an actor, director and writer with experience in dance, choreography and muti-media arts. 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.