2022 Creators Studio

Meet the 2022 Creators Studio Participants

MaryV Benoit (she/her):
@maryv
Black and white portrait of MaryV Benoit standing to the side with her hair blowing in the wind.
Mia Foster (she/her): 
@retsofaim
Black and white portrait of Mia Foster, sporting a soft smile and curly hair.
Joshua Jauregui (he/him):
@jzanedesign
Portrait of Joshua Jauregui standing in front of a white wall, smiling big and sporting a black shirt.
Blue Lane (they/them):
@blue.niklane
Person named Blue Lane sporting a gray tank top. They are standing in front of trees and grass, and smiling softly.
Honor Miles (he/him):
@miles.honor
Person named Honor Miles, sporting tousled hair, round glasses, and a deep green button down that is unbuttoned.
Varehya Pratt (she/her):
@veeartise
Person named Varehya Pratt sitting outside at a table, posing with both hands holding the back of their neck.
Celi Torres (they/them):
@torressquared
Black and white portrait of a person named Celi Torres, sporting a short hair cut, striped button down, and glasses.
Josie Clark (she/her):
@josephineclarkart
Portrait of Josie Clark sporting black curly hair and bangs.
Autumn Gale (she/her):
@autumnsartandblissfulliving
Portrait of Autumn Gale sporting a blue shirt, long brown hair, hoop earrings, and a necklace.
Parker Kaufmann (she/her):
@parker_kaufmann
Person named Parker Kaufmann wearing a matching red top and pants, smiling big in front of a bright white background.
Rielly Marquez (he/him/his):
@riellybynature
Person named Rielly Marquez, sporting bright red hair, bright pink eye shadow, and posing in front of a delicate, pink backdrop.
Chandler Norval (she/her): 
@chandlernorval
Close up portrait of a person named Chandler Norval. She is sporting straight hair and a serious look on her face, while standing in front of a white background.
Destany Rodriguez (she/her):
@artflacka
Portrait of a person named Destany Rodriguez, sporting dark eye makeup, a v neck shirt that reveals her tattoos, and a hair style where half her hair is pulled back.
Shelby Winter (she/her):
@winternette
Black and white portrait of a person named Shelby Winter, sporting long curly hair, a button down, and layered necklaces.
Brayden Espinosa (he/him): 
@withheavydreams
Black and white portrait of Brayden Espinosa standing next to a window.
Neyla Heller (they/them):
@graphic.intent
Person named Neyla Heller speaking into a microphone, standing next to a clear case of balloons.
Sam Kenney (he/they):
@sam.kenney
Person named Sam Kenney sporting a patterned top and short hair style. They are sitting in front of bright green grass.
Maggie Mather (she/her/they/them):
@maggiemather.creations
Black and white photo of a person named Maggie Mather. Maggie is smiling big and has their hand up, loosely grabbing their chin.
Quisi (Q) Rodriguez-Oregel (she/her):
@qroregel
Person named Quisi Rodriguez-Oregel sporting a white shirt, long black hair, and a dainty necklace. She is standing in front of an outdoor scene that is overexposed by the sunlight.
Zaida Sever (she/her):
@zaidasart
Black and white portrait of person named Zaida Sever, standing next to a sculpture where large planet-like shapes suspend from the ceiling.

Artist/Mentors for the 2022 Program

Esther Hz

Esther Hz

Esther Hz is a self-taught, multidisciplinary artist in Denver, CO. She has become well known for installation and performance where she sets up interactive creative experiences for the viewer. She is a past resident artist at RedLine and PlatteForum. Her work was featured by the Denver Art Museum at Untitled and ArtHyve’s Archives As Muse program debut. She was also awarded a Redbull microgrant in 2020. She has worked with teens at MCA Denver through the “Failure Lab” program, mentored girls at Resilience Rising, and worked as the Associate Director at PlatteForum where she managed an international artist residency, youth program, and podcast. She offers creative programming to the residents of XDenver where she sustains her studio practice.

Castle Searcy

Castle Searcy

Castle Searcy, essentially a Colorado native with time spent in San Francisco and the Deep South, lives between NYC and Denver while running creative strategy, design and art consulting for her own firm, Castle Productions. Castle is the co-founder of Denver's award-winning Tootsies the Nail Shoppe (2006-2021). She serves as the founding Design Track Chair and Creative Director for Denver Startup Week (2010-Current) and recently produced Between Us: The Downtown Denver Alleyways Project. Castle specializes in creative strategy for brands and organizations working at the intersection of design, art, branding, content and storytelling.

Michael Bevis

Mike Bevis

Michael Bevis is an entrepreneur and business professional who is driven to help others reach their full potential. His talents and experiences are unique, encompassing the areas of business marketing, leadership, personal branding, and higher education.  Michael is an industrial and organizational psychologist with additional graduate degrees in finance and marketing. Michael currently manages all things related to entrepreneurship and innovation for the city and county of Denver.  He also is the founder and CEO of KoolSkinz, a pet product company specializing in Pet Performance Wear. Michael has started three non-profits and serves as a board member for several others. 

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