Alumni
Arts Street Alumni Association (ASAA)
Mission Statement
In an effort to strengthen a growing foundation, the Arts Street Alumni will foster a positive attitude, promote unity, independence, growth, and cultivate interest in the arts. We provide an impetus for the establishment of Arts Street, appoint a forum for dialogue and exchange of information among students, educators, scholars, alumni, and the larger populace interested in supporting the organization. As Arts Street strives to promote scholarship, research, and discovery within various fields related to the arts, the Alumni aspire to stimulate interest, increase involvement and generate support for Arts Street.
If you would like to get involved or learn more about the ASAA click here or e–mail alumni@arts-street.org.
Jesse Parris freshly graduated from Metro State University proudly shows off his diploma with Stella Yu. Jesse was a graduate of the Arts Street Photography and Visual Informatics and Technology programs.
ALUMNI IN THE PRESS
11/11/08 – Ratha Sok & Bimmer Torres:
Ex–graffiti artists clean up in new creative work
11/06/08 – Ratha Sok & Bimmer Torres:
Arts Street Students Honored at Regis University’s Innovative Leadership Program
08/18/08 – Ratha Sok & Bimmer Torres:
Convention Countdown Is On: One Week To Go
08/18/08 – Ratha Sok & Bimmer Torres:
The Business of Party Conventions
08/12/07 – Hitu Parmar:
Urban Artist Sees the Potential of Denver’s Youth
08/12/07 – Hitu Parmar:
CAP artist sees promise of Denver’s youth
2007 – Scott Ferguson:
Shows in New York
12/06/07 – Nicole Banowetz:
Gallery to cross, blur usual lines
06/22/07 – Denver CAMP:
Summer camp celebrated
09/26/06 – Arts–Street
Taxpayers give to keep kids in school
ALUMNI PROFILES
Below are some of the alumni that have graduated from the arts street program.
Click here, if you would like to submit your profile.
PAULA LEE
Participated in Projects: ArtLab: Documentary (2005), Eating Healthy E-cards (2006)
School: Metropolitan State College of Denver
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Digital Art
Work: Quality Assurance Engineer at Fusionbox, Inc.
I was born in 1988 in Denver, Colorado. I particiapted in the ArtLab documentary group in summer of 2005 and created a short animation The verage Asian. I learned various programs such as Final Cut Pro, Frame Thief, Photoshop and how to use green screen technology. My film, and 9 others were showcased at PlatteForum and the Buntport theater. After that, I applyed for the e-card program. For this project, we learned how to use Macromedia Flash. The purpose of this project was to create an electronic card that can be sent out in order to promote healthy eating.
Arts-Street’s connections helped me with my first employment in 2006 as a part-time personal Dental Assistant at Dr. Chien’s Dental Office as well as part-time as an XHTML Productionist at one of the top ten web development companies in Colorado, FUSIONBOX! In September of 2009, I got promoted as Fusionbox‘s Quality Assurance Engineer.
Arts Street encouraged me to pursue my career in the arts, so when I became a part of Fusionbox, I realized my love for the web, technology, and especially learning, understanding, and reading code!
LIEN NGUYEN
Participated in Projects: Yoga (2008)
School: University of Colorado – Denver
Major: Biology
Minor: Psychology, Chemistry
Work: Front Desk at the UCD Financial Aid Office & Tutor at Student Learning Services
As of now, I am currently a second semester Junior at the University of Colorado Denver. I am preparing to apply to Medical School this summer and am volunteering at the Children’s Hospital down at Anschutz Medical Center as a concierge in the Emergency Department. I am also helping out in the Teen Lounge. I also tutor at the Bridge Project.
I am also going to enroll in a Kaplan MCAT prep course to help me prepare for the MCAT. The session starts February 3rd. Aside from that, I am just going to be a regular full time student and a regular part-time worker.
HITU PARMAR
Participated in Projects: Mural Program (1999)
School: University of Colorado – Denver
Masters: Architecture
At the moment I am pursuing a career within the field of Architecture. I am a recent graduate from the masters program of Architecture at the University of Colorado at Denver. Throughout my academic career I have maintained a close link between Art, Architecture, and Design, keeping abreast of new developments within these fields as well as other fields of study that are of particular interest to me, i.e., Philosophy, History, Cultural Anthropology. In the future, it is in my interest to pursue a PhD in Architecture, on a quest led, to an interest in the historical and theoretical discourse on architecture.
RATHA SOK
Participated in Projects: Comics (2007), Visual Informatics (2008), Incubator (2009)
Work: Co–Director of “2Kool Productions”; www.Be2Kool.com
Ratha Sok born 1989, has strived for success since the beginning of his childhood, as a young entrepreneur and a risk-taker. He has committed himself to acquire a set of social and marketing skills which brings the success to 2Kool. Sok has worked for many different companies as a marketing and sales representative. Sok has also spent 11 years developing his artistic skills individually and bringing his talent to the community, giving him firsthand knowledge of how art can impact the world.
CARI SMITH
Participated in Projects: Steven Lucero’s Private Collection Program (2003), Art Festival on 10th & Osage (2003)
School: University of Colorado Boulder
Major: Art [Painting] & International Affairs
Work: Conari Arts 942 Kalamath Denver 80204
Gallery Website: www.ConariArts.webs.com
Online Portfolio: www.artmajeur.com/cari
Since Art Street in 2003 I graduated from CU Boulder, and now I have a gallery and studio where I teach art on the side as private lessons. Conari Arts is my co-op gallery in the Santa Fe Art district that has shows every First Friday of the month. The gallery has 5 other artists and we are growing fast with all kinds of artists, jewelers, dancers, musicians, puzzle-makers, sculptors and carpenters involved.
KHUNDY SON
Participated in Projects: E–Foods, Furniture Design, Clay–mation Summer camp
School: Metropolitan State College of Denver
Major: Art
Minor: Business
Work: Gamestop/Comic book artist/and radio host
Wesbite:demonic-end.deviantart.com
I just finished high school early and now I’m going to college at Metro taking art as my major. I’ve also been working with a lot of other comic book artists and trying to start self publishing my work. Recently I just got into hosting a radio show. On this show, my friend and I review Anime, so if you’re into that sort of thing check it out at “fanoff.com” every Sunday night.
SAMNANG SON
Participated in Projects: Eating Healthy E-cards (2006), Mural Painting (Denver go Green) (2006)
School: University of Denver
Major: International Business
Minor: Political Science
Work: Volunteer in Partnership
Currently, I am a student at the University of Denver majoring in International Business with a minor in Political Science. I just came back from studying abroad in Beijing, China, where I attended Peking University. I love to travel and learn about different cultures so much that I plan to study abroad again this fall 2009. I only have one more year left from obtaining my bachelor degree and before getting into to the workforce, I would like to experience the world as much as possible. I would also like to spend two years working with the Peace Corps sometime during my life. My ultimate goal is to manage micro-financing in developing countries because I believe it is better to teach someone to fish rather than give them fishes.
As far as work goes, I am currently working at the Volunteer in Partnership program. With this program we go back to the schools that we came from and assist in any way possible so that these student will be able to attend some form of higher education. Though, I am not much of an artist, I love to support any form of community that makes this world a better place to live. I believe that art has contributed a tremendous amount of support that money or other forms of help cannot.
MATT STRUCK
Participated in Projects: Mural Project, E–foods, ArtLab at PlatteForum
School: University of Colorado Denver
Major: Music
Work: line cook/musician
Website: myspace.com/owetraviye
I am working on my new music project titled the Elizabeth EP. I finished my last CD called Parties and Funerals and have been performing at different venues around Denver. I am beginning to build an art collective that will be a channel for artists to connect and share with other artists. I spend a large portion of my time writing songs, playing the piano, listening to podcasts, and drawing.
SCOTT FERGUSON
Participated in Projects: (2000, 2001) Tile mural, Comic, Acting
School: School Of Visual Arts (New York)
Major: Illustration
Scott Ferguson was born in Denver, Colorado in 1986. Scott graduated from the Denver School of the Arts after attending for 7 years. This fall semester 2009, Scott will be in his senior year at School of Visual Arts in N.Y.C. finishing his studies in Illustration. In Denver, Colorado, Scott has been selling his art since 2002 and has had many solo art shows and has curated 2 group art shows.Scott has been included in many group art shows in Colorado, California, Montana, New York, and Vancouver. Scotts art has also been published in a few magazines. Scott recently has become very interested in making animations, learning about science, taking apart electronics, and cooking.
Scott’s art can be seen at his website:
www.dirtyboards.net and www.flickr.com/photos/dirtyboards/sets
Kiawa Lewis
When Kiawa Lewis graduated from George Washington High School in 2004 he didn’t know what to do with his life. Lewis commented, “Just graduating from high school was a feat for me given the obstacles I dealt with growing up.” Lewis briefly studied at a medical college but found that it wasn’t for him. In the next few years, Lewis held jobs at Wal-Mart, a cleaning company and a telemarketing firm. Lewis bluntly says, “I hated those jobs.” Hoping for a better job, Lewis sought out help from the Denver Westside Workforce Center. A counselor at the workforce center suggested Arts Street, to which Lewis replied, “I don’t want to learn to make art, I need a job.” However, after learning that the Visual Informatics Program offered by Arts Street was in fact a job training program that focuses on Web site design, programming, video production, publishing, and GIS mapping, he decided to give it a try.
At Arts Street, Lewis found that he had a passion for Web site design and GIS mapping. Through the program, Lewis learned industry-leading software like ESRI’s ArcView, ArcCatalog and ArcMap. Lewis worked on several community service projects while in the program. One of the projects required staffing a booth at STEMapalooza, a two-day event designed to create urgency and enthusiasm about the importance of science, technology engineering and math (STEM) education. While on a break during the event, Lewis began talking with other exhibitors. When one exhibitor heard about Lewis’ interest in GIS, they gave him information about a contact at TechniGraphics, a multi-national GIS company headquartered in Fort Collins. Lewis called TechniGraphics that day and told her about the GIS skills and experiences he was attaining at Arts Street. The representative was so impressed with what Lewis was learning and his passion for GIS that she scheduled a job interview with him the next week. Lewis traveled to Fort Collins for the interview and was offered a job the very next day.
Dakota Walters
Participated in Projects: DHA Architectural Signage Project
School: East High School
Website: http://dakotawalters.tumblr.com/me
I am a 17 year old aspiring architect and photographer. I have always felt that Architecture is the perfect marriage of creative and logical thinking. As a photographer I aim for my eyes to become the viewers; my perception of the world as I see it and hear it captured in a moment that can be translated through time that can provoke that same feeling or depict that moment even years later no matter who you are. I heard about Arts Street through Karen McChesney at East who is a Goodwill job coordinator and helps students get internships. But for some reason my application didn’t get submitted so I took matters into my own hands and called Stella directly who was so wonderful and let me come in and have an interview with her and Evan even after they had chosen their interns and took me on with full pay. I am very grateful to both of them.
