Community Art Collaborative

Meet Our CAC Members!

CAC Members bring a wide variety of skills, interests, and experiences to their positions as Community Artists-in-Residence. CAC cohorts build connections, support each other in their work,  and even collaborate on creative projects! 

Learn more about our current and previous CAC cohorts below.

Previous CAC Cohorts

Learn about CAC members who served in past years.

CAC Cohort 2022-23

Ahmad Abdullah

A native of Baltimore, Maryland - Ahmad is a self-taught Multimedia Designer and arts educator whose professional journey began in 2006. In that time, Ahmad has honed his skills and his area of focus through various initiatives in the Baltimore area. His body of work encompasses a spectrum of creative projects and roles in the local, national, and international community. Ahmad places a strong value on visual design as a tool for media literacy, entrepreneurship, collective equity, and restorative justice. He is a passionate educator, dedicated to instilling youth with skills that transcend the classroom. Ahmad is a second-year CAC Member serving at Baltimore Youth Arts.

Grace Aranaga-Hill

Grace (she/they) is an illustrator, painter, and overall artist based in Baltimore. She is studying Art & Design at Towson University. Grace's work is a reflection of her vibrance and displays her passions through bold colors throughout her artwork. She plans to continue to work with the youth of Baltimore as a teaching artist to help the future artists of tomorrow express themselves throughout a multitude of mediums. She believes that art can be a method of healing and wants to explore art's therapeutic properties. Her Instagram is @GraceOfSpaceArt. Grace is a first-year CAC Member serving at Access Art.

Joshua Chiosi

Joshua was born and raised in Baltimore and graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Joshua came into CAC wanting to learn more on community engagement. Hoping to create his own nonprofit one day, Joshua is learning everything he can within the CAC program. By being in the CAC program Joshua has met a ton of people who are helping him build out his nonprofit idea by giving him the resources he needs. Joshua is a photographer and videographer pursuing to promote Made@Dent products to the world. Made@Dent is a youth-owned business in partnership with Dent Education. Joshua was a co-owner of Made@Dent for 3 years and is now working under them full-time within CAC. Joshua also is striving to become a pro athlete here in Baltimore city. Joshua is a first-year CAC Member serving at Dent Education.

Genna Clemen

Genna (she/they) is a photographer and multimedia artist with a background in graphic design and journalism. They are a Baltimore transplant from Kansas City and are pursuing an MFA in Community Art from MICA. Genna works with youth at Access Art to foster artistic behavior in students and encourage students to find power in the arts. Instagram: @gennaClemen. Genna is a second-year CAC Member serving at Access Art.

Anaya Fraser

Anaya Fraser is a Baltimore based digital illustrator and graphic designer who graduated from Baltimore Design School in 2020. They are currently teaching, assisting in administrative work, and operates as Jubilee Arts' gallery curator. As a teaching artist, their goals are to motivate younger artists and encourage growth. One of the ways Anaya has and continues to support their students is by hosting a curating the "Comic Artist Festival." In their free time, Anaya also offers commissioned art. Doing this helps them to explore themselves as a creative, offers a way to express themselves, and stimulates their imagination. Every day they work hard as a freelance illustrator and an activist to help anyone who is dealing with the unfairness that the world gives to people. Anaya is a second-year CAC Member serving at Jubilee Arts.

Faith Freeman

Faith Freeman is a graduate of University of Maryland College Park with a Fashion Merchandising Degree. Faith started as an educator in Christian education and as statewide trainer for the Department of Human Services, with over 20 years of educator experience with various community youth organizations. Ms. Freeman is the owner and designer of her own business, Things Hoped For Jewelry, for over 15 years which afforded her to travel to various parts of the world. As the Art Teacher at 901 Arts, she has used her artistic and educator skills with the young people at her site. Thing Hoped For Jewelry Website: www.thingshopedforjewerly.com Faith is a first-year CAC Member serving at 901 Arts.

Chelsi Johnson

Chelsi is a Baltimore inspired, eclectic artist passionate about youth's artistic discoveries, while serving youth at Access Art. She studied Audio Engineering and Video Production at the Arts Institute of Atlanta. Through her artistic journey, Chelsi has worked with a multitude of artists of all ages across various artistic disciplines, and has discovered a desire for mentoring youth on multiple levels through the arts. Through building strong rapport, Chelsi serves and mentors youth as they explore their talents in developing original art pieces and video productions. Successfully supporting youth in the creation of art, Chelsi has had the honor in seeing many of them continue their artistic careers through high school concentrating in creative disciplines such as theater, photography, and audio production. Keeping this mindset toward youth served in Baltimore, MD, Chelsi continues to focus on mentoring youth in her surrounding communities through visual arts; such as video, performance, and mixed media arts. Chelsi has been teaching at Access Art for several years, and is now continuing to expand her role at Access Art as a CAC Member. Chelsi is a third-year CAC Member serving at Access Art.

Audrey Naiva

Audrey is a multi-disciplinary fiber artist and educator from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Audrey got her start in community arts by dipping her hands in indigo with the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative and stitching squares for the MICA Quilt Group. Working as a Residential Advisor, she learned to create monthly educational programs for students living in the dorms. Last spring, she graduated with a BFA in Fiber at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Audrey is back in Baltimore to work with the Community Art Collaborative, partnered with Baltimore Clayworks, where she helps with after school art programming. Audrey is a first-year CAC Member serving at Baltimore Clayworks.

Kris Quinn

Kris is a first-year CAC Member serving at Hampden Elementary Middle School.

Anna Sellheim

Anna is originally from Washington DC. She earned her MFA in comics from the Center For Cartoon Studies in 2016. She has been published by the Nib, Oni Press and Seven Days (Vermont’s Alternative Weekly Newspaper). She also has contributed to a number of anthologies, most notably Dirty Diamonds and Comics For Choice. She has taught adult literacy in DC to native English speakers that read below a 6th grade level, and has taught art and comic classes throughout The DMV Area and New England. She is now the Community Art Collaborative AmeriCorps member at Refugee Youth Project, where she teaches art and comics to refugee youth ages 5-21 throughout Baltimore City. Her work primarily deals with mental health, trauma, and the healing power of art. She loves getting coffee with her friends, annoying her boyfriend, and is obsessed with her two terrible dogs. Anna is a first-year CAC Member serving at Refugee Youth Project (Baltimore City Community College).

Naomi Weintraub

Naomi (they/them) is a Jewish, gender-queer, multi-media artist and educator from Silver Spring, Maryland. Naomi’s work explores themes of play, activism, and Jewish ritual. Naomi received a B.A. in Studio Art and Community, Youth, Education Studies in 2019 from Clark University. Naomi is a part of the RAYJ (Rebellious Anarchist Young Jews) Collective which aims to use cultural organizing and art to bridge gaps between the leftist, radical, and Jewish worlds. Check out Naomi's work here: RAYJ, Naomi Weintraub on Behance Naomi is a second-year CAC Member serving at The Jewish Museum of Maryland.

Susan Tuberville, Program Manager

Susan (she/her) is an Artist and Educator dedicated to expanding access to transformative experiences in the arts. After completing her P-12 Visual Arts teaching certification and beginning her career teaching K-8 Art in international schools, she moved to Baltimore to complete her MFA in Community Arts at MICA. After several years as a CAC Member, Teaching Artist, and Site Manager, in partnership with wonderful CAC host site organizations, she returned to MICA to serve CAC in this new role. This is Susan's second year as Program Manager and she is thrilled to support teaching artists, youth and families, and organizations across Baltimore City.