Artist Advisory Board (2023 - 2024)

The Artist Advisory Board was created to further involve artist community in the growth and development of ArtLifting. The board is composed of five current ArtLifting Artists and supports who are committed to ArtLifting's mission, serving a term of one year. By sharing their insights, experiences and ideas the Artist Advisory Board provides critical insights into how ArtLifting can best support its creative community. All with diverse backgrounds, each individual represents many facets of our community and contributes valuable perspectives to support our success as an organization.


ArtLifting is delighted to introduce the 2023-2024 cohort below and thank members for their time and energy to improve our organization. Upon completion of this term in July 2024, a new cohort of artists will represent our community and continue to share their important perspectives.

 

 

Juliana Alonso

Juliana Alonso

Juliana Alonso is an intuitive artist whose digital and physical works aim to spark a deeper connection to our inner sense of hope and joy. After experiencing losing motor ability to a neurological disorder, her drive to hold our most defining moments took on a new voice as she adapted her creative efforts in alignment with her body. From intricate pen etchings and flower preservation, which relied on motor accuracy, her art language became an exploration of acceptance and curiosity through uncertainty, and nature and abstraction, expressed in colorful watercolors in a playful practice filled with freedom.

MJ Cooper

MJ Cooper

MJ uses her wisdom, experience, and experimentation to make moving, expressive
works of art. In 2018, MJ became ill with viral meningitis, causing her to have a migraine for 9 months and lose her vision for 6 months. Art became her coping mechanism during this time. “It helped me create something beautiful during all of the pain I was going through,” describes MJ. Living through chronic illness and chronic pain has greatly influenced her creative process. She creates art to work through her emotions as well as bring peace to herself and others.

Laura Kupac

Laura Kupac

After two brain aneurysms and a stroke, Laura Kupac had to re-learn basic life skills such as walking, talking, dressing, and feeding herself. Since her stroke, Laura has experienced chronic homelessness as a result of her disability. Laura’s creations are a reflection of her determination to overcome her new challenges and have helped her regain her confidence and self-esteem.

Marc

Marc

After twenty years in the corporate business world, Marc experienced the abrupt onset of MS. With so many questions about the future and as his speech progressively labored, Marc turned to art — relying on the growing layers, texture, and color of his paintings to express his personal process. By actively engaging in his art creation, Marc is learning to test new boundaries every day and move beyond challenges.

Johnson Simon

Johnson Simon

Johnson Simon’s art encompasses the beauty of movement and gives him an outlet to move as freely as he desires through his work. The theme of motion is especially important to him as it is something that impacts him on a daily basis. Living with Cerebral Palsy, Johnson isn’t able to control all of his muscle movements. Though he desires to express himself through dancing, his disability limits him from moving about the way that he would like. Using his oil paint stick and brushes, he unites his intentional and unintentional movements to create works of art.

Alene Sirott-Cope

Alene Sirott-Cope

Alene's style combines her graphic design experience with technology and mixed media. She has worked as a professional graphic designer, potter, art director, art educator, and fine artist. She is an experimenter who likes to find new techniques that inspire her. Alene has had Type 1 Diabetes since college and is now dealing with the consequences, including all of the health situations that have occurred as a result, such as limited walking capabilities and open-heart surgery. 


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