PICA Staff
Betsey Brock (she/her) | Director of Development Betsey joined the PICA team in November 2025. Driven by a commitment to supporting experimental, collaborative artistic practice across disciplines, Betsey brings extensive experience, having served as Director of Development for Seattle Arts & Lectures, Executive Director at On the Boards, and holding various roles in fundraising, marketing, and public relations at the Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington. She has also taught Arts Marketing in Seattle University's Masters in Arts Leadership Program. She studied theater at The College of Santa Fe, and was part of the 2019 cohort of National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program. Betsey enjoys swimming, dogs, saunas, cooking, making things, and spending time with family and friends. | |
Kyle Cohlmia (she/her) | Marketing Associate |
Jakob Dawahare (he/him) | Graphic Designer Espresso aficionado, sports enthusiast, and devoted poster lover, Jakob Dawahare is an accomplished multidisciplinary graphic designer based in Portland, Oregon. Jakob enjoys exploring text hierarchy and pushing the boundaries of visual language across print, digital, and interactive media. His work often blends conceptual depth with playful experimentation, resulting in designs that are both visually striking and highly functional. A graduate of Pacific Northwest College of Art with a BFA in design, Jakob brings both technical skill and creative curiosity to every project he undertakes. | |
Ana DeBrock | Bookkeeping and HR Coordinator Ana DeBrock is a Mexican immigrant who grew up in Chicago and loves all things animals, horror movies, and Shakespeare. After graduating from the University of Illinois, she built a career in the nonprofit sector, supporting survivors of domestic violence, children with cancer, and wildlife conservation efforts. With a deep passion for the arts, Ana is an active supporter of Portland’s local makers, theater community, and live music scene. She channels her own creativity through hands-on projects, currently exploring the craft of sewing and upcycling band T-shirts. Known for her sharp attention to detail and vibrant sense of humor, Ana brings both heart and creativity to everything she does. | |
Erin Boberg Doughton (she/her) | Artistic Director & Curator of Performance Erin Boberg Doughton works collaboratively to curate and produce performance programs including dance, music, theatre, and multidisciplinary projects as part of PICA’s Time-Based Art Festival as well as year-round presentations, commissions, and residencies including the Creative Exchange Lab. She also teaches performance as an Assistant Professor and Mentor at the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). She serves on the advisory council for the National Performance Network (NPN) and is a former National Dance Project hubsite advisor. Erin grew up in Portland and studied dance, music, and theatre at Lewis & Clark College, and has worked at PICA in various roles, starting as a volunteer, since the organization’s founding in 1995. Photo by Mia O'Connor | |
Arminda Gandara (she/her) | Grants Manager Arminda Gandara is an artist and arts administrator with long-time connections to the Pacific and Southwest. She has worked in arts education, grant writing, and public program design in arts and cultural institutions in Texas, Oregon, and Hawai’i, including Honolulu Museum of Art, Contemporary Art Museum Houston, and East Creek Art. Her advocacy focuses on securing resources — monetary, systems-based, and creative — that support the work and lives of artists and culture bearers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Linfield University and a Master of Arts in Art History and Criticism from the University of Texas at San Antonio. | |
Molly Gardner (she/her) | Production Manager Proud dog mom and avid sports fan, Molly Gardner is a production manager based in Portland, OR. Molly has toured internationally as a Stage Manager for contemporary performance and currently serves as the Production Manager and Company Member with Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble (PETE). Molly has worked with PICA since her first TBA Festival in 2015, and has been the Production Manager since 2022. | |
Tia Katcharian (they/them) | Facilities Associate | |
Kristan Kennedy (she/her) | Artistic Director & Curator of Visual Art Kristan Kennedy is an artist, curator, and educator, who has been involved with PICA since its founding in 1995. Kennedy began working with PICA as a volunteer, then was supported by the organization as an exhibiting artist, consequently served the organization as a board member, and joined the staff in 2003. She is currently Artistic Director and Curator of Visual Art. Kennedy works collaboratively alongside Erin Boberg Doughton to set the artistic vision for the organization, curate the Time-Based Art Festival, manage the Precipice Fund, and create public programs. Kennedy currently directs PICA's year-round exhibition program, where she focuses on commissioning and developing largescale projects, publications, and happenings with artists that exist at the borders of genres. She is a working artist who is represented by Fourteen30 Contemporary Art in Portland. Kennedy writes and lectures about art praxis, curatorial practice, and artist‐centric ethics within and outside of institutional frameworks. She has taught in various MFA programs across the country for the last decade as an Associate and Visiting Professor teaching contemporary art seminars, mentoring, and developing visiting artist programs. Kennedy sits on the board of The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts and is a founding member of Common Field. Photo by Mia O'Connor | |
Milo Mattern (they/them) | Preparator/Facilities Associate | |
Samantha Ollstein (she/her) | Development Manager and Box Office Manager Samantha Ollstein is an artist, dog mom, long-time arts administrator, and a woman. | |
Elio Quezada (he/they) | Programs Manager Elio Quezada is a trans, Mexican arts worker, writer, and image-maker committed to building more just and imaginative cultural spaces. As Programs Manager, Elio approaches arts administration as both care work and creative practice—supporting artists, nurturing community, and shaping programs that reflect multiplicity and depth. His background spans engagement, administration, production, and curatorial assistance, with hands-on experience as a past art handler apprentice at the Lumber Room. Elio holds a Communication and Writing degree from UC Davis, and his personal work in photography and poetry informs a practice rooted in attention, storytelling, and the in-between. | |
Leslie Vigeant (she/her) | Director of Marketing and Communications Leslie Vigeant knows how to sweat. Based in Portland, OR, her practice is filled with artificial skyscapes, big-box store cakes, colored lights, and spreadsheets galore. In addition to her role at PICA, Leslie also oversees GLEAN, a Portland-based / sustainability-focused artist residency. She has exhibited at Winnipeg Underground Film Festival, Canada; Woodbury Art Museum, UT; AIA, San Francisco, CA; Cambridge College, MA; University of Missouri, MO; Marchutz School, Aix en Provence, France; among others. She has received grants from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York, NY; Regional Art and Culture Council, Portland, OR; Oregon Arts Commission, Portland, OR; and UMass Arts Council, Amherst, MA. Leslie was a founding member of Carnation Contemporary, former Interim Board President for the Portland Art Museum’s Contemporary Art Council (CAC), and currently serves on the board of Pep + Co Post-Event Pros. Photo by Joryn Roach |
Board of Directors
Cristi Miles | Co-Chair Cristi Miles is a native of El Paso, Texas, and is a theatre artist rooted in Portland. Locally, she teaches and makes radical performance with PETE. Her work has taken her all across the Pacific Northwest and Northeastern parts of the US. She has been previously seen acting on stage with PETE, Artist’s Rep, Third Rail, Portland Playhouse, Profile Theatre, Portland Shakespeare Project, and Teatro Milagro. Cristi is a founding faculty member at the Institute for Contemporary Performance, and is an adjunct professor at Lewis & Clark College, and University of Portland. She is a graduate of The Oregon Center for Alexander Technique (AmSAT certified teacher) and holds an MFA from Brandeis University. | |
Kevin Washington | Co-Chair Kevin, a native of Detroit, Michigan, is an accounting and finance professional with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with both for-profit and non-profit organizations across the US and Japan, specializing in accounting, financial analysis, strategic planning, budgeting, and regulatory compliance. His diverse background has honed his skills in navigating complex financial landscapes and delivering value-driven solutions. He holds a BA in Business from Morehouse College, an MS in Accounting from Walsh College, and an MBA from Temple University-Japan. Beyond his professional endeavors, Kevin is a massive fan of reggae music and avid supporter of the arts. His love for culture and creativity enriches his perspective, enabling him to bring a unique blend of analytical rigor and innovative thinking to his work. | |
Emily Fusaro | Vice Chair Emily built her career in design studios— where she learned no problem is too complex, and no dream is too big. In recent years, she has focused on the built environment and the role art and design can play in fostering culture and creating a sense of place. She believes in the power of art to push boundaries, open minds, and embolden spirits. Emily also serves on the Urban Land Institute's Placemaking Product Council. | |
Nishat Akhtar Nishat Akhtar is the Chief Creative Officer at Instrument, where she leads creative across brand, product, and marketing, driving innovative design work for global clients with a portfolio that includes Nike, Google, Oura, and more. Outside of her role at Instrument, Nishat maintains an active art practice, contributing illustration and editorial work to outlets such as The New York Times, LA Times, and the ACLU. A passionate advocate for creativity and community, she has spoken at events including Adobe Design Summit, NY Design Week, RGD Toronto, and Leading Design London. At the heart of her work is a belief in the power of creativity to build community and connection for all. | |
Andrew Dickson Andrew Dickson is a performer and freelance copywriter. He initially came to PICA as an audience member and artist as he premiered several shows at the TBA Festival including Life Coach, Sell Out, and AC Dickson: eBay PowerSeller, which toured internationally. More recently, he is a creative consultant for corporate and nonprofit clients, offers freelancers help through his company Mt. Freelance, and is an emcee, auctioneer, and hosts live storytelling shows for The Moth. | |
Allie Furlotti Allie Furlotti is a multimedia artist, mom, and philanthropist. She lives in Portland, Oregon. | |
Peter Gronquist Peter Gronquist is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Portland, Oregon. He draws inspiration from the natural world and the unknown and shows internationally. He lives with his wife and three children. | |
Stephanie Kelly | |
Shawna Lipton Shawna Lipton is Associate Professor and Chair of the MA in Critical Studies program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, where she has taught since 2015. She received her PhD in Literature and Cultural Theory from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and her MA in English from Portland State University. She serves on the advisory board and editorial board for Critical Conversations, helping to organize convenings and a publication for curators and arts writers. She is a lifelong lover of theatre and performance and is passionate about art, culture, and community building in Portland. | |
Pamela Baker-Miller | |
sidony o'neal sidony o’neal is an artist and writer working from interdisciplinary research and pre- to post- machine computing. o’neal’s practice treats conceptual art and mathematics as related forms of industrial culture that have shaped human relationships to objects, labor, and technology over time. | |
Master Artist Michael Bernard Stevenson Jr. Master Artist Michael Bernard Stevenson Jr. is Black, Italian, Queer, Non-Binary, Neurodyvergent, and practices primarily in america. Their collaborative approach results in artwork by and for the people. Stevenson’s practice has been dedicated to supporting young people ages 4 to 18 in developing the necessary skills to encourage advanced imaginative thinking and self-confident expression. In 2019, they developed the Afro Contemporary Art Class at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School which has had many forms since, including Afro Futurist February, and three years of Fred Hampton Summer Camp. Supporting community efforts as well, taking the shape of support for the effort to Save Dr. Martin Luther King School from being displaced by the expansion of Interstate 5 which has triggered the need to move Harriet Tubman Middle School. These and other contexts show up in their recent work Mapping the Pipeline, shown at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art as part of the exhibition Policing Justice. Stevenson is currently working in the Albina community to develop a Living Archive at Jefferson High School with students, community, and the architectural design team. Stevenson also has a robust portfolio of artist projects centering food and gathering around it, projects involving sculpture, drawing and photography, and work in collaboration with currently and formerly incarcerated folks. These include Tin Can Phone, a podcast all about life in and outside of prison, and Gallery Blue, a curation and exhibition project both of which are owned and operated by formerly incarcerated individuals. Stevenson pursues these professional and creative goals passionately because they believe that empowered and open-minded young people and communities are the best and most direct way toward ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for all. |
A sincere thank you to PICA's previous, fearless Executive Directors, Victoria Frey and Kristy Edmunds, and former Artistic Director & Curator of Public Engagement, Roya Amirsoleymani.
Our sincere thanks to former Board members André Middleton, Courtney Dailey, Shir Grisanti, Shelly Kapoor, bart fitzgerald, Lucinda Carmichael, Mariko Fukuyama Clark, Phoebe Ebright, Lynne Bredfeldt Haider, Britt Howard, Lisa Jarrett, Mira Kaddoura, Kristin Bremer Moore, Jenny Chu, Jill Sherman, and Jeanie Lai. Your support, time, and generosity are greatly appreciated, and your impact is ongoing.