Art Club Partner Bios:

Heather Chronister

Heather Chronister is certified in special education, English, and fine arts education with two bachelor degrees and a master’s degree from Eastern Washington University. She has a total of 18 years teaching experience and is invested in the community in which she lives and works. She believes art allows people, especially children, to express themselves and connect with others. She enjoys working in a community that values art and embraces young artists by showcasing their artwork in multiple ways.    

Rooted Sonshine

Building vibrant communities. Bringing people together. Strengthening human connections. 

Trevon Walton

I am an artist who has been spending my entire life finding ways to express myself and what I feel. I am a creative, finding love and passion in any and every medium that I touch, but I also find the ability to speak in a manner that can be difficult for me to do otherwise, it allows me to express myself in a raw, unfiltered manner. It also allows me to project part of me or my spirit into every thing I create, every detail of every painting, song, and body of work. My goal is to ultimately change the world, and give a platform for people like me, who may have been discouraged to be creative, and show them that being creative and expressive can ultimately heal in such a beautiful way. With these songs and these images, I tell you my story.

Heather Brown

Heather Brown grew up loving art, spending hours drawing and painting as a child. She took art lessons all through her schooling, including art classes at Mission Renaissance Fine Art. These classes in the impressionist style art have heavily influenced her personal artistic style. Brown has a degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University. Her teaching philosophy is that children should be able to explore their artistic side without being told exactly how their art should look. Her lessons focus on teaching and modeling basic artistic principles and techniques, and guiding children as they implement those ideas. Her goal is to give each child the artistic techniques and experience necessary to develop their style. 

Lisa Mueller

Lisa Mueller graduated with a BA in studio art from University of Kentucky. She has experience teaching art in homeschool co-ops, nonprofit art programs, private schools, charter/magnet schools, and private art lessons. She helped launch and run a new art program at Apple Valley Elementary School in Yakima. 

Christy Deniston

Christy Deniston is a Certified Integrated Mindset Coach, Certified Positive Parenting Coach & Educator, Certified Life Coach (Your Infinite Life Training & Coaching Co.), and Yoga RYT 200 Certified instructor (Anusara Inspired). Christy completed a BA in Psychology and her M.Ed. in School Counseling. She also leads engaging and creative preschool yoga at The Mat in Liberty Lake. 

Liberty Lake Municipal Library

Liberty Lake Municipal Library provides resources, opportunities, experiences, and services to inspire, entertain, and empower the community to connect, learn, and grow. As the heart of the community, the Liberty Lake Municipal Library preserves yesterday, informs today, and inspires tomorrow.

TAC at the Lake

TAC at the Lake is a small, education-based, non-profit community theatre located in Liberty Lake. We are committed to providing culturally enriching entertainment for all ages from Coeur d'Alene to Cheney. The center is designed to allow theatre new comers the opportunity to learn about and participate in local theatre, while also challenging theatre veterans to achieve more and to teach those with less experience. TAC at the Lake is focused on giving everyone an opportunity to be involved in community theatre. We seek to cast at least 30% of each show with talent that is new to our theatre.

Rosie Cerquone

ROSiE CQ (Rosie Cerquone) is a percussionist, singer, songwriter, writer, and sonic artist based out of Spokane, WA. She was trained as a classical percussionist, receiving a BM in Percussion Performance from the University of Montana in 2020. Rosie is most well-known in the percussion community for combining vibraphone and vocals through writing, performing, and producing accessible music using vibraphone, vocals, drums, percussion, bass, and electronics as the primary instrumentation.

The combination of percussion and voice is a growing field within the percussion community, and Rosie is at the forefront of bringing mallet percussion to audiences outside of the concert hall (she is possibly approaching the world record for number of times one person has brought a vibraphone into a brewery). She released her debut album in January, 2021, called the how & the why, which she wrote, recorded, and mixed herself. Her thoughtful lyrics are accompanied by vibraphone on every song, along with many layered vocal harmonies, drums, and percussion. She has performed around Washington, Montana, and Northern Idaho, and performed her original song "House" at the 2021 Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

Rosie often performs solo, but prefers to play with her band. In her intimate yet powerful trio setting, she is accompanied by Haydn Halsted on drums and percussion, and Logan McDonald on bass guitar and electronics.

Rosie also released her debut book, “Getting Gigs Outside of the Concert Hall: A Guide For Mallet Percussionists” in December, 2023. 

Rosie teaches private percussion and songwriting lessons, coaches the front ensemble at Central Valley High School, creates custom songs, compositions, and sound design by hire, and makes content for YouTube and Instagram. Rosie is  proudly sponsored by BlueHaus Mallet Shop whom she has a signature mallet with, and is also sponsored by Marimba One whose instruments she plays exclusively. 

Kim Girard

Kim Girard taught in Alaska for over thirty years and holds masters’ degrees in early childhood education and educational leadership, as well as a K-12 Library endorsement.  She spent most of her classroom years in kindergarten-3rd grade classrooms, and taught staff development classes for over two decades.  Her specialty areas included math and literacy development, project-based learning, and integrating art into all areas of the curriculum.  

Teresa Tapao-Hunt

Tapao Hunt is a certified special education teacher with the state of Washington and the state of Arizona. She has a master’s degree in special education and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has a total of 10 years teaching experience, 2 of which in a self-contained Autism program. Teresa has experience with multiple teaching models, behavior support and intervention, early childhood education, speech and sensory delays.

Dr Kelley Cullen

Dr. Kelley Cullen has served as the Development Officer on the Board of Directors for TAC at the Lake for over a decade. She brings to this position her experience as faculty at Eastern Washington University (Economics & Decision Science). Additionally, as a Policy Analyst at the EWU Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis, she is strongly committed to improving communities, in this case through increased opportunities for the dramatic arts.