Staff + Board

BOARD

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Insert Name

PRESIDENT

Emily Stark

Emily Stark was born and raised in State College, PA and is a graduate of Penn State with her Bachelors of Fine Arts with an emphasis in ceramics. After attending Penn State, she attended law school, graduating with her Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School. From there, she travelled the west, living in Montana where she was very active in the non-profit community, acting as the Executive Director of a non-profit and serving two terms as the President of the Gallatin Quilt Guild and one term as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Bozeman Kiwanis. Emily moved back to State College in early 2023 to be closer to family, and is committed to being involved in the local community. Emily is currently the Senior Director for Operations and Compliance with Paul Mitchell Advanced Education, LLC, where she works on a variety of issues with a focus on operations and risk management. 

SECRETARY

Madison Rusnak

Madison Rusnak, a State College native, is dedicated to supporting her community through both her professional role and volunteer work. As a Concierge Banker at Kish Bank, she oversees the Kish Bank Expect More Store in Downtown State College and serves as a Branch Trainer, sharing her expertise in the bank’s training programs. Madison is also active in organising local events, including First Friday, Children and Youth Day, and the Light Up Night Hot Chocolate Bar. Her community involvement extends to serving on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for The Art Alliance, the Retail Advisory Committee for the Downtown State College Improvement District, and as a 3 Dots Downtown Trustee representing Kish Bank.

TREASURER

Jan Dillon

Ariel Oki

Jim Bright

Jim Bright is currently serving his third term on the Art Alliance Board of Directors.  He has been the long time chairperson of both our Member Show and the annual SQUARE show fundraiser.  Jim currently serves on both the Exhibition and the Education Committees and brings 35 years of teaching experience to our organization.  He has taught sculpture classes and has served as a workshop presenter for carving and casting sculptural forms.  Central Pennsylvania's people and landscape have provided Jim with rich subject matter for his sculptures and paintings.

CHAIRPERSON EXHIBITIONS COMMITTEE

Holly Foy

Holly Foy believes in the power of art and music!  She spent her career teaching art in K - 12 as well as  College levels and has been active in the Art Alliance since she retired in 2016. She is past President of the Art Alliance Potters Guild, runs Ancient Echoes Pottery and has coordinated the monthly art exhibits at the Kish Community Gallery since February of 2021.  The Street Painting portion of the CPFA was also one of her favorite volunteer efforts and she still enjoys making street art!  She dabbles in music:  playing in Callanish Celtic Traditional Band since 2010,  runs Folk College and the Pa Folk Gathering  and is a board member and booking agent for the Acoustic Brew Concert Series.

Art Heim

To chase, capture and share the light
A later in life, post retirement, commitment to serve in the US Peace Corps provided the catalyst and the location to capture through photography the beauty of the African people and the wildness of the environment. Photography provided the artistic and communication medium to share this experience with others. Since my return from Africa (2010) I have traveled the world capturing images of the natural, human and built environment. My primary artistic interest lies in the graphic interpretation of the beauty and uniqueness of the natural environment through landscape, wildlife and cultural imagery and a deep desire to share the work for the enjoyment of others. My photography work has taken me on site to remote field locations in Africa, Nepal, SE Asia, Europe, South and Central America, across Pennsylvania and the North American continent.

Potters Guild Representative

Mary Hodges

Mary, a native of the Boston area with Pennsylvania roots, holds a Bachelor's degree in Managerial Studies and Visual Arts from Rice University in Houston, TX. A passionate artist and experienced real estate professional with Kissinger Bigatel and Brower Realtors, Mary currently also serves as the President of the Potters Guild of the Central Pennsylvania Art Alliance. She seamlessly blends her artistic pursuits, particularly pottery, with her real estate career. Her dedication to the community, coupled with her deep understanding of the local market and strong local connections, benefits both her clients and the organizations she serves. Mary's enthusiasm for Central Pennsylvania's natural beauty and vibrant community is evident in her work and personal life.

Farmland Preservation Representative

Jeff Mathison

I have always been an artist. Raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, I graduated from Penn State in 1972 with a BFA degree. I so enjoyed the combination of town culture and woodsy countryside, that I never left Centre County, Pa. I’ve worked with many media and subjects. In recent years I settled on watercolor as my primary tool. I enjoy the way it has a mind of its own and I have to collaborate with it to earn a good painting. I paint landscapes, both plein air and from photo. This show is a gathering of mostly plein air paintings from my travels to Chincoteague, VA, and Moab, UT.I also work a lot with the figure, from life or photo. I continue to work as a freelance illustrator, specializing in illustrated maps for books and other publications. I recently provided over 30 illustrations for a popular book on genetic manipulation, "A Crack in Creation", by Jennifer Doudna and Sam Sternberg. In 2007, I created new maps for a reissue of the Princess Bride, by William Goldman. 

STAFF

Melanie Rosenberger