Artist Bios – February 2013

Alicia Banaszewski’s poetry has appeared in Four and Twenty, Outrageous Fortune, and Right Hand Pointing. Her ten-minute play “Bread Hands” is a Kennedy Center national finalist. Alicia likes jalapenos on her pizza and when strangers call her pet-names. A Western Michigan University graduate, Alicia has recently relocated to Baltimore.

Linda Crosfield grew up in the Kootenays, then lived in Ottawa, Windsor, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. She’s a member of the Federation of BC Writers and the League of Canadian Poets. She’s had poems in Room of One’s Own, The Minnesota Review, Labor, and The Antigonish Review, and in several anthologies, including: between sleeps—the 3:15 experiment 1993–2005; Rogue Stimulus; Use Your Words; and The Wild Weathers. She has three chapbooks: Ways to Get to Here; Generation Dance; and Etiquette. In 2009 one of her poems was long-listed for ARC Magazine’s Poem of the Year and in 2012 she was featured poet in The New Orphic Review. She lives in Ootischenia, at the confluence of the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers in South East British Columbia where she writes poetry and produces handmade books through her imprint, NIB Publishing. NIB stands for “nose in book”, where hers can usually be found. She is delighted to be paired with Meredith Purvis, another book person, for The Light Ekphrastic. http://www.purplemountainpoems.blogspot.com

Born and raised in Maine, Rebecca Krupke is a seventh generation ‘Mainer’. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maine with a double degree in Studio Art and Art History both magna cum laude in the year 2002. Rebecca’s memories are filled with images of playing in her grandparents’ attic. She spent many days amongst unfinished canvases of her grandfather, Edward Bailey, who studied art at the Portland School of Art. Seeing the joy on her grandfather’s face as he spoke of his days painting in art school planted a seed in Rebecca’s heart to carry on where he left off.  You can see more of her work, as well as a list of places she has shown, at http://www.rebeccakrupke.com.

Jim Lord is design director of UMBC’s Creative Services. Although he spends most of his time designing, he enjoys the occasional battle with a paint brush or box of sharpies. He is pursuing his MFA at the University of Baltimore.

Heather Moss is a poet & library technician who lives in Baltimore. She’s an MFA candidate in University of Baltimore’s Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program.

Jonathan Ortiz is currently a student at The University of Baltimore studying business management. Before becoming a full-time student, he worked professionally in Washington, D.C. in association management where he represented a number of non-profit organizations. A member of the Maryland National Guard, Jonathan has been deployed to Iraq as an airborne infantryman and  South Korea and has also worked full-time for the military in logistics and supply. He likes to travel, is a great mixologist and is obsessed with technology.

Pigeon is a street artist and fine artist who primarily deals with the problem of feeling at home in ones environment, or… massively failing to do so! Pigeon grew up in a gang-ridden suburb of Paris, has squatted in Loísaida, NYC and now resides in Bangor, Maine. Pigeon is interested in places that are suffering from identity crisis and he aims to create community through narratives. Pigeon’s primary mediums are charcoal and pen on paper. Pigeon thinks art should be as fun and intense as playing rock n’roll. Pigeon has had his work punched at, tagged over, a knife pointed at his chest while pasting his art but he has also made a gallery patron cry with his work and received numerous hugs by strangers while working out on the street. He thinks these are all legitimate reactions to have to art. Pigeon’s work can be seen on the streets of Harlem, NY and Bangor, ME, at his studio, at pigeonnation.net or on Pigeon gear worn everywhere from Santa Fe to Addis Ababa.

Meredith Purvis, mild-mannered communications editor by day, kicks up her heels and dances down the night. She received her MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore, and her poetry has been published in Journey Student Literary Magazine, Welter and the Little Patuxent Review. She is also an avid book binder and collector of all things small. Visit her blog at updownbindery.com.

Carly Richmond graduated summa cum laude from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a B.A. in English, and works for the federal government.  Photography is her creative outlet.  When not taking photos, she can be found knitting slowly, baking with lots of butter, reading voraciously, playing never-ending fetch with her Welsh corgi, and waiting for her next trip to the beach.

Rachel Wooley is currently enrolled in the Creative Writing and Publishing Arts MFA program at the University of Baltimore.