Julia has been the Executive Director of Fine Arts for Children & Teens (FACT) since January of 2000. She brings over 19 years of non-profit management and program development experience to her work with FACT, as well as a deep and abiding passion for the arts and the creative process. She received her B.A. in Literature, with Honors, from Purchase College, Purchase, NY, in 1984. She is a board member of the New Mexico Arts Education Advisory Council and of the New Mexico Alliance for Arts Education. In 2008, she completed the Documentary Studies Program at the College of Santa Fe cultivating her long-standing passion for photography and storytelling. Julia will be taking a 10-month leave of absence from FACT beginning in August of 2009 to attend Harvard University's Graduate School of Education.

Indi McCasey is an experiential educator, circus performer, and outdoor enthusiast. In 2000, Indi received a B.A. from Fairhaven College for a self-designed major entitled Education for Environmental Responsibility and Social Justice. Since moving to Santa Fe three years ago from Seattle, Indi has studied and performed with Wise Fool New Mexico and supervised the Santa Fe Rape Crisis & Trauma Treatment Center's Project AWARE program. Indi has over 14 years of experience working with youth in a variety of experiential education settings including coaching swim lessons, leading backcountry trail crews of teenage volunteers, performing puppet shows about personal safety, and teaching circus skills.

Melanie Garcia joined FACT in May 2010. She has over 10 years experience in accounting. During the past years she has financially managed non-profit organizations, a daycare, after-school programs and businesses such as interior design, property management, law, and restaurants. After 5 years of working independently, she is excited to be back in the non-profit field. With two children of her own, she values an organization that dedicates its resources to the enlightenment and development of children. She lives in Santa Fe with her high school sweetheart, Mike and their two boys, Dacien and Xavier. Melanie has a love for the arts and enjoys gardening, reading, and going fishing and camping with her family.

Dallas lived in South Africa until she was 19 and then moved to London where she trained and worked as an X-ray technician. She moved to Santa Fe in 1980. While working for a flight instruction school she earned her private pilot license and participated in the annual Women's Air Race Classic. Prior to joining FACT she worked at the Santa Fe Community Foundation managing the office, distributing grants to local non-profits and maintaining their technology systems.

A native of Santa Fe, Cynthia received a B.A. from DePauw University in Art History and English Literature. She comes to FACT with experience in arts education, program development, administration, and volunteer coordination and recruitment. When she is not working, Cynthia enjoys hiking and karate.

A working watercolor artist with exhibits in Monterey Bay, California, Santa Fe and collections from coast to coast, Melinda has been at FACT since 2001. She received her B.F.A from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and has worked for 20 years as an art educator for children and adults in community and private art programs. Melinda was the founder and director of After School Artists, a visual-arts program for elementary-school children emphasizing using art-making and the creative process to build self-esteem. She is working toward her K-12 state teaching certification at the Santa Fe Community College. Melinda says she discovered the joys of color and design in her grandmother's drapery studio and was inspired to decorate and embellish her world ever since.

Shiela Cantrell was born and raised in Northern New Mexico. She feels very fortunate to have a large extended family close to her. Shiela received her B.A. in Elementary Education from the College of Santa. Fe. Shiela has had experience with children as a teacher, caretaker and as a mother of two wonderful girls. Shiela is very excited to join the FACT team. She believes that there is an artist in everyone and every child deserves the chance to explore their capabilities. Shiela has always had a passion for photography and loves working in the darkroom. You can find Shiela reading, swimming with her girls, boating with her husband or taking photographs.

Claire Comfort received a B.A. in visual art from Oberlin College in the spring of 2007. Since graduating she has been living in Santa Fe. Claire has worked with several arts education organizations including P.S.1 (NY, NY), 92nd St Y (NY, NY), The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (Santa Fe, NM), Girls Inc. (Santa Fe, NM) and is now thrilled to be working with FACT.

Aline started at FACT in September 2005. She received a B.A. in Foreign Literatures from Pomona College in California and her teaching credential from UCLA. Aline has experience working with children and youth as a teacher, careworker, and Americorps volunteer. She spent the past four years in Los Angeles, CA working as a kindergarten teacher. Aline returned to Santa Fe, where she grew up, in order to escape the insane L.A. lifestyle and to be near her extended family. Unfortunately the insane L.A. lifestyle seems to follow her wherever she goes, and she's still a workaholic fighting for time to go to yoga and ice skate.

Robin joined FACT in 2007 as an instructor, but has served as a volunteer in our studios for three years. He has lived and worked in Santa Fe as a visual artist for 20 years and is a certified expressive arts therapist ( C.E.A.T.). Robin is currently completing an Associates degree in Human Services with a concentration in the arts at Santa Fe Community College.

Santini has been educating both children and adults about fine art and the techniques of design and printmaking for the last fourteen years. Her experience with all ages has enabled her to grow as an instructor and artist. Santini has been an art and printmaking instructor at art centers and studios throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey and has instructed on-site at elementary and middle schools in New Jersey through the Printmaking Council of New Jersey. Santini was also an Adjunct Professor at Northampton Community College where she taught Visual Communications.