Choose an artist below to jump to their bio.

Casey Jones

Jerry Little

Paula Moore

Steve Weiss

Kimber Lanning

Angela Johnson

Wayward Maggie

Charles Sanderson

Sam Filicetti

Effie Bouras

Taya Rae Hubbard

I am a creative bug indeed, with fancy ideas and a dream the size of San Ferisco. I have been painting and drawing in some form or other since I was but a teeny tiny fetus. My wire sculptures, which are a new development in just the last year, are mixed media: aluminum, brass, copper and sterling silver wires; paper, glass, wood, crystal, exotic leathers, glass and found objects.

I am originally from Rockford, Illinois. Rockford is about an hour west of Chicago and is a very conservative industrial city with not much opportunity for a man like me. Even so, it took me 28 years to leave. Three years ago I awoke to find myself stifled and unfulfilled. And so I resigned from my position of nine years in management for UPS, I sold most everything I owned, including all my art, I packed just what I could fit in my car, and I hit the highway in pursuit of my dream of living and working as an artist.

When I was still in the Midwest, I remember having the thought and feeling there was something more out there for me and my life was not as it was intended to be. As frightening as it was, it seems that my decision to leave was the best thing I could have done for myself and now I am living an enchanted life of sorts. I am pouring my self into my art as I never have before and I have finally found some fulfillment.

I love all things creative & artistic. I love the 'act' of ART and the inherent aggression of thought and idea being manifested into reality by way of my husky man hands. I am inexplicably drawn to intense color and internal portraiture. I have all these, what I think are, dynamic ideas and there never seems to be enough time to explore them all, but I try... not that they are Earth shattering, but the ideas excite my cells and keep me enthralled... they always have. In today's world of over exposure and mind numbing disinterest, to me, anything that can keep my attention for hours on end is priceless... The handy work relaxes me and soothes my worried mind.

My works are portraits of those that I am surrounded and influenced by. They are my hopes and my fears. They speak of my dark experiences. They speak of my happiness. They are my adversaries and allies. They are my dreams. They are the vehicles of my self-expression and often times communicate things that I am not consciously aware of; secretly describing the stages of my life and teaching me about who I am. Essentially they are all parts of me that I look forward to sharing with you.





Jerry Little graduated in December of 1995 from Oklahoma State University with an accredited 5 year Bachelor of Architecture degree. He moved to Arizona and began his architectural career in January of the following year. He received his Arizona Architectural License in July of 1999. That same month he began Little + Associates, Architects LC, taking over the existing 4 person firm in which he worked, where the principal architect was retiring. In 2004 in an attempt to totally transform the direction of the work permanently, he founded SEAD architecture+construction llc an architectural firm with the ability to build its own projects. This created a whole new image for the firm and an opportunity to control projects from inception to completion.

In the summer of 2005, SEAD architecture+construction completed construction on its first design/build commercial project, "Diamondback Plumbing Services' Corporate Headquarters", which was comprised of approximately 12,000 square feet. For this, SEAD was awarded the "best private built project; under $5 million" in the state of Arizona by Southwest Contractor. It also won a "Merit" award by the Arizona Masonry Guild. The project is featured in articles both nationally and locally. SEAD completed its first design/build residential project, "Missouri Residence", at the end of 2006. This project has been recognized both nationally and locally. It received a "Citation Award" presented by AIA Home of the Year in 2008 and was featured in "Desert Living" April issue 2008.

Jerry was featured in the show, "Inside Creative Minds", formerly "Inside the Artist's Mind", hosted by Tray Goodman, where he discussed what architecture means to him and some of SEAD's projects. Jerry and SEAD have also been recognized in various other articles and awarded commendations by additional entities both locally and nationally.

In addition to Arizona Jerry holds architectural licenses in the states of Texas, Oklahoma and California. He is the general contractor license holder 189311 kb-01 for SEAD in both commercial and residential work. He is a member of NCARB, American Institute of Architects, and the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.





Paula Moore is a dancer, TV producer, and owner of Footprints Dance Studio in downtown Phoenix. Paula has been dancing for more than 40 years. Though she studies dance continually, her first training was at Corine Morse Williams dance school in Gary, Indiana. She also trained at the Broadway Dance Center in New York City under Frank Hatchett. She returns to train with him each year for teacher training.

Paula has a master's degree from Northwestern University. Though her degree is in her other career passion, Journalism, she managed to study dance as well at Northwestern. Paula has been a reporter, a writer, and a producer for network affiliated stations in Illinois, Washington, Michigan and Oklahoma.

Footprints, which has been in business for 15 years, teaches jazz, hip hop and ballet to young and old. Paula believes “we all have a dancer within� and that even if someone doesn’t want to dance professionally, the mental and physical benefits of dance are wonderful.





Steve Weiss’ photography appears in collections and has been published in Phoenix, America’s Shining Star. His exhibits have appeared in such diverse venues as the Maricopa County State Fair and the Fifth Avenue Gallery in Scottsdale. He mixes his love of black and white imagery with his unique views of life in Phoenix.

When he’s not making award-winning photographs, Steve runs No Festival Required, a micro-cinema showing at the Phoenix Art Museum and Modified Arts and is a location scout. Steve has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography, from ASU and attended the San Francisco Institute of Photography and Filmmaking.






Kimber runs her record store, Stinkweeds, Modified Arts (a performance space & arts venue), is the executive director of the 800-member non-profit Phoenix business coalition Local First, runs Silverplatter.info (a website for the local music scene), and on top of that is a drummer in a local band. She is the only female record store owner in the United States. She believes strongly in local business and flavor rather than the blandness and sameness of chains, which she says don’t put as much money back into the local economy as local businesses do.







Angela Johnson is an award winning clothing designer with over 13 years in the fashion industry. Angela handcrafts cutting edge, avant-garde apparel under her name. Angela's clothing is sold online, in boutiques nationwide, and at her fashion and trunk shows.

She got her start working in design and production for X-Large Clothing, the line owned by Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys and X-Girl, the line owned by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Today, she designs under her own line and has been honored as Fashion Group International of Arizona’s Rising Star in 2004, Artist of the Year by the Scottsdale Cultural Council’s Chairman’s Committee, Chicest Local Designer by 944 Magazine in 2007, was a finalist in the Scottsdale Fashion Week’s Designer of the Year contest.






Jess and Kate met at a library in the desert where they both work - an appropriate place for two wayward souls adrift in their own imaginations.

Jess has played in ensembles both real and imaginary; in fact, these days, she plays in one of each: the duo (which, we presume, is probably the former?) and an imaginary band which is constantly gigging - The Jess Hawk Oakenstar v'Band.

For her part, Kate, when not playing with Jess, sticks to imposing songs about shipwrecks and mining disasters upon her storytime groups. Their musical presentation/persona comes to rest somewhere between mournfully dark and rockingly/rollickingly comedic, but it's hard to pin them down.

"Not too dreadful." -Postmodern Musician
"They've never sung anything that might be offensive to the avian population." -Parrot Training Today
"Heartrendingly exquisite. Ethereal and yet rooted in a sublimely visceral reality."-Low Rider Journal

No, but seriously, Wayward Maggie is Jess Hawk Oakenstar and Kate DeLaPointe. They really did meet at the library where they both work, and decided to form a duo after finally getting around to jamming together and excitedly realizing, "Gosh! This feels like a wonderful fit!"





Somewhere in the dusty farmland west of Phoenix, Charles created his first drawing…on the side of his clothes dresser with a screwdriver. He was five. And he hasn't stopped looking for new ways to share visual ideas or make people mad.

At 10, he won an award for designing the logo of a children's art show at the Heard museum.

At 18, he and a classmate were the first production artists hired at local art production house ““Phoenix Art Press.”” But the company’s artistic assembly line and furniture-art mentality clashed with Charles’ ideas. He moved on.

His wanderlust took him to the east coast. After a short time working a dead-end job in Boston, he came back to Phoenix. After one embarrassing youthful whirlwind marriage and divorce, he decided to try something new - education. In 1999, with an overpriced two-year trade school degree under his belt, he turned to the World Wide Web and began designing websites. Within 2 years he co-owned his own business in online marketing and website construction. Apparently, even bad schooling is better than no schooling.

In 2000, he branched out again, by producing illustrations and two comic strips for a naughty underground magazine. By 2001, he had successfully entered the world of published writers – although it would be a while before anyone cared to pay for his writing. At the prodding of a few friends he began joining art shows. Short roadtrips throughout the Southwest kept his travel bug at bay for some time and by 2002 he had received the Viewers' Choice Award at the Alwun House Exotic art show.

Then another travel opportunity appeared. He handed over his portion of the internet company so he could travel to South America. In 2004 and 2005, he taught English in Peru, and traveled to Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia so he could claim he’d been to places more exotic that Rocky Point, Mexico.

But Charles missed his drinking buddies and came home. He promptly found a job illustrating for a local magazine called Latino Perspectives. Within two months, he was the art director and began working with photography, illustration, computer design, and building ads. Generally, he did anything that required an Adobe-owned program.

Since then he has won three design awards from the Arizona Press Club for his cover designs and article spreads (2005, 2006 and 2007). Several of his stories have now been published, and he has returned to gallery showing. A milestone was his first one-man show during ArtWalk 2007. He received a favorable write-up in The New Times for the successful show, called “Absurdism” and managed to sell a quarter of the paintings he’d hung.

Today, despite tempting trips to Mexico, he continues to live in this dusty Valley as an art director at Latino Perspectives, and has continued to publish stories, and make the occasional gallery appearance. His current focus is improving his photography skills and completing a book contract – writing about the history of an American Legion post that fought desegregation in Phoenix during the 1940’s and 50’s… And restoring a 1948 2-ton GMC that his grandfather bought brand new.






Sam was born in Colorado and moved to Arizona at a young age. He attended elementary school and high school in Scottsdale, Arizona. He then attended ASU and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. Years later he attended the University of Phoenix and attained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration

Since then, Sam has earned many college credits in a variety of fields including the culinary arts. He continues to work on a Ph.D. in Divine Metaphysics. During this program, Sam studied the Mayan culture and how they used chocolate in their ceremonies.

This intrigued Sam, so he developed a recipe for Mayan chocolate. That was his first chocolate and it continues to be his best seller!








Effie has worked as an intern architect on notable building projects, including the Guggenheim and Hermitage Museums in Las Vegas, Nevada, and renovations and new construction work under her company premise studio. Her contributions as a researcher for the McGill University Affordable Homes Program resulted in inclusion and acknowledgment in a book titled, "The Adaptable House, Designing Homes for Change" authored by Avi Friedman and published in 2000 by McGraw-Hill. She has also written for and has had design/artistic work featured in a number of design publications throughout the US and Canada, such as City Magazine in New York, ArchNewsNow, Coastal Living, the New Times, Desert Living, Crit Magazine (publication of the American Institute of Architects), 944, Canadian Architect and Canadian Interiors, to name a few.

Her fine-art work has been shown at different venues throughout the US and Canada; some notables are: the San Antonio International Airport in 2004 as part of a national juried competition and as a collaborator for a sound installation titled "Dark Space" with Apparatus studio (fronted by David Curtis) of Las Vegas, held at the Contemporary Arts Collective.

She is currently pursuing a PhD, while continuing to draw, write and collaborate on building projects.








Taya Rae Hubbard is a metal sculptor and painter who has lived and worked in Phoenix, Arizona for the past ten years. Her work is displayed in galleries and private collections in locations throughout the United States. Galleries featuring her work include the Renee Taylor Gallery in Sedona, AZ, LKG Contemporary in Scottsdale, AZ, and J Gallery in Taos, NM. Taya Rae’s sculptures also can be enjoyed outside the United States in locations ranging from Dubai, U.A.E. to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

In addition to creating one-of-a-kind sculptures for individuals, Taya Rae has completed several large-scale commissions for corporate clients. Among her most recent projects are artwork for the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumberg, IL, and the Sheraton Hotel in Phoenix, AZ.

Taya Rae became fascinated with constructing unique objects as a child in Minneapolis, MN, and, as an adult, she simply kept on building. She refined her skills at the University of North Dakota, where she received her B.F.A., and Illinois State University, where she pursued her M.F.A. After spending several years as the Director of Sculpture for a large interior design firm, two years ago, Taya Rae opened up her own studio. Since then, she has concentrated on developing her own signature style.

The painted metal objects Taya Rae creates reflect her long-time love affair with the Southwestern desert. The palette and the media for her work are chosen carefully in order to best reflect the interplay of three-dimensional objects and light. This gives Taya Rae’s objects an ethereal quality that belies their resilience. Taya Rae is a perfectionist, and attention to detail and fine craftsmanship are hallmarks of her work. Clients purchase her artwork because it is not only attractive, but it stands the test of time.

One of the things Taya Rae feels most strongly is that access to art should not be limited by a person’s income. She is most content when she is creating pieces to be shared with friends and family or to be given to those who would not otherwise be able to afford them. As she notes, “I am extremely lucky to be able to spend my time doing what I love. BLAH BLAH.”