Staff / Board Members
Staff
Ann Filmer, Executive Director, afilmer(at)riversideartscenter.com
With 30 years of experience leading nonprofit arts organizations, Filmer was the founder and Artistic Director of 16th Street, a professional, award-winning theater dedicated to telling the stories of all in its community, serving residents of Berwyn and beyond. 6,000 audience members annually attended this intimate 60-seat theater, enjoying new and engaging plays followed by meaningful post-show dialogues. Under her leadership, 16th Street was twice awarded the prestigious National Theatre Grant from The American Theatre Wing. Over her 14-year tenure, Filmer created co-producing partnerships with Teatro Luna, Teatro Vista, Victory Gardens, Jedlicka, Lewis University, Tellin’ Tales, Goodman and Steppenwolf, including Filmer’s adaptation and direction of Tony Fitzpatrick’s This Train and Nickel History. Creating relationships with The Lark in New York and National New Play Network, Filmer brought rolling world premieres to Berwyn, including Andrea Thome’s Pinkolandia, Karen Zacarias’ Into the Beautiful North adapted from Luis Alberto Urrea’s novel, Maya Malan-Gonzalez’ A Xmas Cuento Remix, and Audrey Cefaly’s Alabaster. Led by Filmer's financial stewardship and fundraising, 16th Street provided space and resources for Illinois writers to develop and present their new plays, including writers such as Rohina Malik (Unveiled and Yasmina’s Necklace), Aline Lathrop (Merchild and The Hero’s Wife) EM Lewis (The Gun Show), Loy Webb (His Shadow), Natalie Y. Moore (The Billboard), and Riverside’s own Will Dunne (The Ascension of Carlotta and Love and Drowning). Prior to 16th Street, Filmer was the Producing Director of Chicago Dramatists, founder and producer of Estrogen Fest and The Aardvark, a Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre, as well as Associate Artistic Director of Writers’ Theatre. annfilmer.com
Joanne Aono, Exhibitions Director, jaono(at)riversideartscenter.com
Joanne Aono is a visual artist, curator, and holistic farmer. Her research-based drawings and installations address identity, immigration, and the environment. Her solo exhibitions include Boundary (Chicago), Mosnart (Chicago), Lee Dulgar Gallery (South Holland), and the Geneva Center for the Arts. She has been included in two-person and group exhibitions at Firecat Projects (Chicago), the Illinois State Museum (Chicago, Springfield, and Lockport), Terrain Biennial, Rockford Art Museum, and O’Connor Art Gallery, Dominican University. She has received several Chicago DCASE grants, an Illinois Arts Council, and an Artist Run Chicago HPAC grant. Her art has been reviewed in publications such as Hyperallergic, the Chicago Reader, Chicago Magazine, and the Huffington Post. She has served on the Riverside Arts Center’s exhibition committee since 2016. Aono is Director of the alternative art project, Cultivator - Chicago Art Exhibitions & Farm Art Projects and maintains a studio at Bray Grove Farm in north central Illinois.
Shawn Vincent, Ceramics Director, Lead Teaching Artist, svincent(at)riversideartscenter.com
Shawn Vincent received a B.S. degree from Western Illinois University with majors in both Fine Art and Biology. She spent many years working as an art director for an advertising agency and has also freelanced. Finding her true passion, Shawn has worked in ceramics for over 24 years and has been teaching for 20 years. She has exhibited her pottery at various galleries and venues throughout the Chicago land area and her work is collected nationwide.
Karen Nelson, Education Manager, knelson(at)riversideartscenter.com
Karen is a designer, writer, artist, event planner, and parent to two creative daughters. She finds joy combining creativity and organization to bring a vision to life, and has honed these skills in many roles over the years. She started her career as Production Manager and then Magazine Designer at Christianity Today International before moving to Willow Creek Association. Here she developed creative concept art, and designed all marketing materials for Willow’s many annual conferences drawing tens of thousands of attendees from across the globe. Once parenting joined her resume, she moved to freelance design and writing, while taking on many creative roles in theater groups—from props and set design, to membership management and launching a website for Morton Theater Association (MTA). She loves planning a party, especially with a creative theme! In 2015, Karen began taking various college classes to fulfill her long-time dream of being a fine artist. She loves drawing, painting, mixed media, and sculpture, and looks forward to helping RAC as they offer quality classes to the community.
Tariq Tamir, Lead Instructor
Affectionately called Mr Tee by his students, Tariq Tamir is an artist and educator who studied at Columbia College Chicago. Prior to joining RAC, he taught young adults ages 14-21 with Chicago’s Gallery 37 and the Boys and Girls Club. In addition to being poetically inclined, Tariq uses art as a medium for self-growth and empowerment which he transfers to his students. He has exhibited his painting, assemblage, and found object art in solo and group exhibitions in local venues. He has been featured in numerous videos for RBTV’s People in Perspective, the Riverside Arts Center, and the Oak Park Public Library.
Madelyn Roldan, Gallery, Teaching, and Administrative Assistant, mroldan(at)riversideartscenter.com
Maddy Roldan currently attends Triton College with plans to further her art degree. A 2021 graduate of Riverside Brookfield High School, Maddy excelled in the AP art classes, exhibiting in RAC’s annual exhibitions. Now she assists in all aspects of the galleries’ exhibitions from installation to manning the front desk. As lead Teaching Assistant at RAC, she helps out with classes, camps, and workshops. https://maddyroldan25.wixsite.com/madelynril
Board of Directors
Kendra Curry-Khanna - President
Kendra Curry-Khanna is the Founding Partner of Reflector Lab, a values-based strategy practice serving organizations nationwide. Kendra has spent her career leading organizations for scale, impact, and authenticity. With two and a half decades of experience in the arts, education, and civic sectors, she leads diverse teams to build value-centered capacity. Kendra served as Executive Director at 826CHI, a youth writing and publishing organization based in Chicago that is part of the national 826 network. Before that, she led Education at Artpace in San Antonio, Texas. Kendra has served organizations in Marfa, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas; Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico; El Pital, Honduras; New York, NY; and Baltimore, MD. She has worked with various settings, from major institutions like MOMA and the Chinati Foundation to small, community-based organizations like the Shared Beat and Un Mundo. Kendra holds an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.F.A. from the MICA (The Maryland Institute, College of Art) in Baltimore. In addition to her work in organizational development and leadership, Kendra is a regular volunteer and artist. She has exhibited her artwork in galleries nationally. Kendra lives in Riverside, IL, with her partner and two young girls. https://www.reflectorlab.com/
Michael Aieta - Vice President
Michael is a seasoned product leader with 15 years of experience in product ownership, specializing in responsive desktop, mobile web, and native app solutions. He has led teams for a decade, focusing on product strategy, user experience, and analytics in sectors like eCommerce, retail, and financial services. A Certified Scrum Product Owner, Aieta is known for his user-centric approach, significantly enhancing engagement and conversion rates. His contribution to the Riverside Art Center since 2022 has been pivotal in integrating cutting-edge digital strategies, improving user interaction with the Center's offerings, and driving forward its mission with his unique blend of technical expertise and creative vision.
Jay Van Cura - Treasurer
Jay is a retired physician whose area of expertise is Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He served as the Medical Director of several large companies. In retirement, Jay is a performing musician and volunteer, and sings throughout Chicagoland in a cappella duet, "Acappella Fellas", and as a soloist, "Sing Along with Doctor Jay". He volunteers extensively in the Riverside community, serves as the Director of Communications contact with the local Lions club, is a board member and treasurer of the Riverside Community Caucus, and is a board member and treasurer of the Riverside Arts Center.
Dan Streeting - Secretary
Dan is the founder of Streeting Design, a graphic design studio that focuses on print projects, publications, and illustration work for a range of clients, including the BBC, ESPN, Cooper’s Hawk Winery, Arclight Cinema, Navy Pier, and the Music Box Theatre. He’s also a senior designer for Newcity, responsible for the majority of the magazine’s layout and design. In previous roles, Dan ran a storefront gallery in Berwyn, taught experimental typography and publication, worked in large-scale print production, and played in a synth band in southern Michigan. Dan holds an MFA in 2D Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in Graphic Design from Northern Michigan University. An important component of Dan’s design work is the promotion and interpretation of cultural spaces and events. Since joining the RAC board in 2018, Dan has provided design services for both the RAC’s school programming and its gallery events, and he hopes to continue to expand the art center’s visual presence in the future. https://www.streetingdesign.com/
Jeremy Black
Jeremy Black is a local artist with strong technical skills concentrated in a variety of business environments. He has worked in many fields including project management, education, sales and politics. Jeremy has experience as a project manager in medical communications and previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Commissioner David J. Walsh at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago. He spent two years as the lead art instructor for the RCity Community Development Center located in Humboldt Park.
Sara Burcheri
Sara is a Lead Consultant at Reverie Organizational Development, specializing in guiding clients through complex organizational challenges, fostering professional growth through mentoring, enhancing communication, and maximizing employee potential. With over 13 years of prior experience in experiential consumer engagement at a Fortune 500 retailer, Sara has a proven track record of creating national marketing strategies and executing high-profile events. Since 2021, she has called Riverside home, where she lives with her husband, Aldo, and their 8-year-old son, Larkin. Passionate about community development, Sara is dedicated to supporting opportunities that drive local growth and success.
https://www.findreverie.com/
Joseph Fitzgerald
Joseph Fitzgerald has been active in community-based non-profits for over 15 years. He served as President of the PAV YMCA and, during his tenure, helped them pay off their debt while expanding on capital projects. His interest in art led him to the Art Institute of Chicago, where he served on the Auxiliary Board and chaired multiple high-value fundraising and community engagement events. Joseph has worked in municipal government for the past 18 years and lectures on change management for Northwestern University. Joseph lives in Riverside with his wife Louisa and daughter Emery and is happy to serve his community through the efforts of the RAC.
Dilini Fernando
Dilini Fernando is a data-driven marketer whose passion for storytelling, innovation, entertainment, and technology has guided her pursuits both personally and professionally. Dilini currently serves as Vice President of Marketing at Freeosk, a Chicago-based experiential retail media company. Her career in brand strategy and operationalization started with entrepreneurship and later stemmed into Fortune 500 roles with major consumer brands. As a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Dilini actively supports and participates in artistic endeavors. Dilini earned her BA from Brown University and MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Laura Husar Garcia
Laura Husar Garcia is a member of the Freeark Gallery Exhibition Committee. A visual storyteller with decades of experience, Laura is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Three Story Media, a Chicago-based production company. Laura’s photography has been exhibited widely, including Fotofever at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, The Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography in Barcelona, The Polish Museum of America in Chicago, Photo Independent in Los Angeles and Fermilab National Laboratory Art Gallery. Laura is a 1st place winner of the International Julia Margaret Cameron Award, the recipient of a 1st place Community Grant from the Illinois Humanities Council, and a Photolucida Critical Mass top finalist. Her photographs have been published widely, including The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine and The Chicago Tribune, where she worked as a Photo Editor. In addition to her volunteer work at RAC, Laura is an Advisory Board Member at FreshLens Chicago and was a member of the Makers Group at Ragdale Foundation. She lives with her family in Riverside. www.husargarcia.com \ www.threestorymedia.com
Jennifer Godinez
Bio coming soon!
Lewis Jones
Bio coming soon!
Otto Miller
Otto Miller and his family have been a part of the Riverside community since 2010. His interests in the arts include writing and playing music, as well as collecting artwork. Otto spends much of his free time traveling with his wife and two daughters. He works as Managing Director of Quantitative Research at an asset management firm in Chicago, and his education is in applied data science, applied statistics and finance. Otto is a former board member of Housing Forward in Maywood.
Amador Valenzuela
Amador is a director, designer, animator, and founder of Black Book Studio. He started his career in the broadcast industry and has worked with many of the top studios around the country, creating commercials for brands like Bose, GE, Target, EA, Reeces, Samsung, Budweiser, Key Bank, and more.
In 2014, after many years of working as an independent freelancer, he launched Black Book Studio, which focuses on design & animation for the entertainment, advertising, and independent entrepreneur communities. Their clients include large advertising agencies, film studios, and city museums to smaller brands and Kickstarter inventors.
Recently Amador has been collaborating with Filmograph in LA to design and animate opening titles on feature films like John Wick, Aquaman, Fast and Furious, Pirates of the Caribbean, Insidious, Sinister, and others. https://blackbook.studio/