Instructors

Director of Education & Teaching Artist
jackiek@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Jackie (she/her) began at The Rose as a summer education intern and is delighted to return as the Director of Education. She has had the privilege of working as a theatre artist and teacher in communities across the country and world, including with Disney Musicals in Schools, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Lexington Children’s Theatre, Bay Area Children’s Theater, Shanghai Children’s Art Theater, 7 Stages International Theatre, San Francisco Playback Theatre, Chattanooga Theatre Centre and StageWrite. Her work at The Rose Theater ignited her passion for theatre for social change and she went on to receive her Masters in Counseling Psychology and Drama Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Since she has utilized theatre to facilitate dialogue for communities and organizations around topics such as harassment, immigration, veteran’s issues, LGBTQ+ pride and much more with San Francisco Playback Theater. Jackie has also brought drama therapy practices into schools in order to support students and families in building feelings of confidence, working through trauma and grief, fostering more positive relationships and preparing for big life transitions. Jackie is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the vibrant artistic community that so graciously and fruitfully supported her in her first steps out into the professional world of theatre education so many years ago.  

Teaching Artist & Early Childhood Director
stephj@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Stephanie (she/her) has worked at The Rose for over 16 years, as the Director of Early Childhood, Teaching Artist, Actor, Playwright and Director. She has had her adaptations of The Grocer's Goblin (co-created with Brian Guehring), Thumbelina: Adventure Day, and Kindness Begins with Us: The Tail of Two Wolves (co-written with Carina DuMarce) produced at The Rose Theater. Stephanie has her MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa, is a Yoga instructor, participated in the Diavolo Project: Nebraska, member of Omaha's The Moving Company, performed in The Woodsman (at The Bluebarn) and participated as a playwright at The Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Festival, and is a trained puppeteer specializing in shadow puppetry and Bunraku. Before moving to Omaha, she lived in NYC where she worked with Liz Swados on Jabu at The Flea Theatre, Lee Bruer’s production of Mabou Mines' A Dollshouse National and International Tour, Taylor Mac and The Jim Henson Company. www.stephaniejacobson.weebly.com

Teaching Artist & Associate Director, BROADWAY at the Rose & Director of Youth Productions
michaelj@rosetheater.org
(he/him/his)

Michael’s (he/him) work as a teaching artist is centered on taking what he has experienced as a performer, as well as his technical theatre training, and using these skills to successfully collaborate with other artists. Michael has been involved in the arts from a very young age. He trained in Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop before transitioning into acting and performing roles such as the role of Peter in Peter Pan and Nicely-Nicely in Guys & Dolls. After graduating high school, Michael shifted his focus to production design and stage management, receiving his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He then went on to be a Director and Choreographer for several children’s theater productions while teaching acting courses with The Coterie Theatre, and dance courses such as Musical Theatre Dance and Boys Dance & Conditioning with The Culture House. Michael is also a certified group fitness instructor.
He has worked as production and creative staff in several locations in Kansas City such as The Coterie, The Culture House, Theatre in the Park, Kansas City Actors Theatre, Jewish Community Center, and Olathe Civic Theatre Association.

Literary Manager, Playwright-in-Residence & Teaching Artist
briang@rosetheater.org
(he/him/his)

Brian Guehring is the award-winning Playwright in Residence of the Omaha Theater Company for Young People, where he has premiered many productions on the mainstage including Sherlock Holmes and the First Baker Street Irregular, The Grocer’s Goblin and The Little Mermaid, The Misfits, and Where the Red Fern Grows. His original Theater in Education plays The Mysterious Case Files of Silver Cash, Money Detective, The Super Adventures of Pyramid Man and Dr. Nutrition, The Bully Show and Nebraskaland! The New Nebraska History Themepark have toured local elementary schools for years. He has several plays published by Dramatic Publishing Company. He was honored with the Orlin Corey Medallion Award from the Children’s Theater Foundation in 2017.
At the Rose, Brian also co-teaches the teen Young Playwrights class, co-directs Senior Brigade, and is a teaching artist in the schools. Brian is the co-founder and co-director of the award winning teen theater troupe Pride Players.

Additional credits:
Most recently seen on stage at the Rose as…..
Skipper in Madagascar
Lord Farquaad in Shrek
Owl/Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh
Mr. Kraler in Diary of Anne Frank

Associate Director of CommUNITY Connections/Teaching Artist
carinad@rosetheater.org
(they/them/theirs)

Hau, mitakuyepi! Carina is a queer, nonbinary, Dakota Theater Educator & Actor originally from South Dakota.
Carina has been a Teaching Artist and Company Actor at the Rose since Fall of 2018; they are now the Associate Director of CommUNITY Connections at The Rose Theater.
As part of their teaching philosophy, Carina continues to make space for Native youth to share their culture and explore storytelling in a theatrical setting – breaking down the theatrical colonial mindset one straw at a time.
Some of their favorite theatrical endeavors include Giraffes Can't Dance(as Gerald), Winnie the Pooh (as Winnie the Pooh), Darkness Like A Dream (as Hermia),The Jungle Book (as Baloo), Ella Enchanted (as Olive), Eurydice (Director), and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Stage Manager/Prop Designer). #MMIR #BLM #EveryChildMatters

Pidamaye! Awáŋihdaka.
carinadumarce.weebly.com/

Teaching Artist & Director of Teen Programming
jayh@rosetheater.org
(they/them/theirs)

Jay Hayden (they/them/theirs) is an activist, educator, playwright, and brussels sprout enthusiast hailing from the stolen land of the Wangunk and Mohegan peoples, today known as Hebron, Connecticut. A graduate of the University of Vermont, Jay is licensed to teach High School English and is a self-professed Shakespeare buff.
Some onstage appearances at The Rose have included The Cat in the Hat, Howie D: Back in the Day (with Howie D of the Backstreet Boys), Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus, Giraffes Can't Dance, and several local touring productions. Jay's plays, The League of Super-Zeroes and Rising and Gliding Out are available on New Play Exchange. Work outside of Omaha has included performances with the Lake Dillon Theatre Company, AATE's Broadway-on-Demand production of Rumpelstiltskin, and Vermont Stage. Jay is overjoyed to be continuing work with The Rose in this new position and hope to appropriately serve the Omaha community in the coming years! Black Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. Indigenous Lives Matter. Stand with Hong Kong.

Teaching Artist & Accessibility Coordinator
frans@rosetheater.org
(he/him/his)

Fran Sillau (he/him) serves as the Accessibility Coordinator at The Rose Theater, where he organizes educational opportunities for students with disabilities. He also directs mainstage productions at the Rose including *Shrek: The Musical*, *Go,Dog.Go!* and *Hanna’s Suitcase*. He also co-wrote and directed the world premiere production of *The Doll Maker’s Gift*

Sillau serves as Executive Artistic Director of Circle Theatre, a company dedicated to creating theater that includes artists with disabilities. Under Sillau’s leadership, the Circle co-commissioned My Broken Doll, a play based on the life of holocaust survivor Beatrice Karp, adapted by Ernie Nolan, and Over the River, a play about friendship by Ellen Struve. In December of 2016, Sillau directed a regional premiere of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Sillau is an Aurand Harris Fellowship recipient and a winner of The Access Grant from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where he is a frequent contractor. He also served as a Teaching Artist Fellow for VSA: The International Association for Arts and Disability. On the subject of theater and disability, Fran has conducted workshops in Iowa, Nebraska, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Florida, Tennessee, New York, Washington, Connecticut, and at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C. He holds an MFA in directing and inclusion from Goddard College.

Teaching Artist Fellow
prentissm@rosetheater.org
(he/him/his)

Prentiss (he/him) earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Valdosta State University in May of 2020. He is a theatre artist specializing in acting, playwrighting, directing, and he's a teaching artist. Prentiss currently is a Teaching Artist Fellow at The Rose Theater. When it comes to art, Prentiss values thought-provoking work that delivers a powerful message. Some of the recent work that he has engaged in was a live stream of a play that he wrote called The Gay Roommate, a play about two young men who are roommates and at odds because they come from two different worlds. One roommate is straight, and the other roommate is gay. The play touches on themes of tolerance, homophobia, self-acceptance, friendship, and personal growth. He also debuted his Christmas play Twas the Night Before Bah-humbug, a modern re-telling of the Charles Dickens Classic but with a multicultural twist. The play centers on a young Black boy who discovers that he is the modern Scrooge. As an artist, Prentiss strives to find ways to create works that have a powerful message or seek opportunities to be a part of work that touches on themes of social change, positive representation, and Blackness. He plans to continue cultivating his artistic skills, expanding his career opportunities, and learning to find joy in every circumstance.
Let the growth begin!

Director of School-Based Programming
zoellas@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Zoella Sneed (she/her) recently graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with degrees in Theatre Performance and Theatre for Youth. In both her fields of study, she has dedicated herself to discovering opportunities surrounding equity/anti racism work and theatre for social change. She uses this focus to help create spaces for marginalized theatre artists to take up space and and use theatre as a platform to share their voices. Zoella also has a passion for musical theatre, and aims to bring her social justice work to the art in order to make musical theatre more representative and accessible for all people. Overall, her primary goal is to uplift and enrich the theatrical and emotional learning of young people and the theatre industry as a whole through multicultural, social justice, and empathy based theatre practices.

BROADWAY at The Rose Director
sueb@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Sue (she/her) has been The Rose’s Resident Choreographer for 12 years, creating choreography for How I Became a Pirate, Disney’s High School
Musical, Disney’s High School Musical 2, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Pinkalicious-The Musical, and Peter Pan-The Musical, just to name a few. Her latest Rose stage credits include Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, How I Became a Pirate, and Pinkalicious-The Musical. She was recently awarded the “Best Director” award at the regional Access Broadway convention as well as nominated for the jazz piece “Queen Medley.” Additionally, she was nominated for Omaha Entertainment Awards “Best Choreography” for both Disney’s High School Musical and Disney’s High School Musical 2 and was awarded “Best Choreography” for her pieces “Crawl,” “Sucked Under,” and “Wipeout” from regional conventions Showbiz, Access Broadway, and Dance Olympus.

Associate Director, BROADWAY at The Rose
michaelj@rosetheater.org
(he/him/his)

Michael’s (he/him) work as a teaching artist is centered on taking what he has experienced as a performer, as well as his technical theatre training, and using these skills to successfully collaborate with other artists. Michael has been involved in the arts from a very young age. He trained in Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop before transitioning into acting and performing roles such as the role of Peter in Peter Pan and Nicely-Nicely in Guys & Dolls. After graduating high school, Michael shifted his focus to production design and stage management, receiving his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He then went on to be a Director and Choreographer for several children’s theater productions while teaching acting courses with The Coterie Theatre, and dance courses such as Musical Theatre Dance and Boys Dance & Conditioning with The Culture House. Michael is also a certified group fitness instructor.
He has worked as production and creative staff in several locations in Kansas City such as The Coterie, The Culture House, Theatre in the Park, Kansas City Actors Theatre, Jewish Community Center, and Olathe Civic Theatre Association.

Rose Dance Project Director
mimil@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Born and raised in Omaha, NE, Mimi (she/her) has been dancing since she could walk. She began training at ballet schools and participating in many local ballet and theater productions at the age of eight, playing the role of Clara in “The Nutcracker” at the age of twelve. Mimi danced competitively in regional and national competitions for ten years, winning many scholarships and overall awards. She spent summers studying at Kansas City Ballet School Intensive, and after high school, went on to train professionally at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in NYC. While in New York, Mimi also studied at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway with world famous choreographers. Eventually, Mimi moved to Los Angeles where she continued dancing in Hollywood at Millennium Dance Complex, International Dance Academy and Debbie Reynolds Legacy Studio. She then wound up back home in Omaha where she enjoys teaching company classes and choreographing award winning competition pieces.
Mimi is also a local singer-songwriter and has opened for Tech N9ne at Sokol Auditorium in 2014 and for Kid Cudi, Mac Miller and Logic at the Grassroots Music Festival in 2015. Mimi’s love of the arts drives her passion for inspiring young dancers to be their best selves!

Rose Brigade Instructor
(he/him/his)

Jerry Brabec (he/him), tenor, is an Ordained Deacon on the clergy staff at Omaha St. Paul United Methodist Church where he serves as Minister of Worship. His responsibilities include the overseeing of liturgical preparation for the congregation of 500. He also serves as choral director for Temple Israel’s Kol Rina. Awarded the Master of Music degree from the University of Nebraska, he studied choral conducting with Dr. Cina Crisara and Dr. Z. Randall Stroope. As a chorister of the acclaimed Robert Shaw Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall, he sang for five years under the baton of the late Robert Shaw, was twice selected one of six participants in the Alice Parker Melodius Accord Fellowship Program and frequently continues his conducting studies with Ms. Parker during January in New York. At the Rose for the past ten seasons, “The Doll Maker’s Gift” marks his 36th show as a visiting music director/vocal coach. He also serves as music director for the nationally acclaimed Rose Brigade, one of the award winning offerings of the “Broadway at the Rose” program. Formerly, Jerry taught at the high school level for Council Bluffs Community Schools, served as associate artistic director of the Omaha Clarion Chorale, and as artistic director for the Kanesville Chorus and Renaissance Faire of the Midlands.

Teaching Artist
(she/her/hers)

Hey y’all! I’m Grace Brewster, your other teaching artist for Musical Theater 8-11! I received my BFA in Theatre for Youth from Samford University and am a teaching artist fellow with The Rose. In addition to being a teaching artist, I am a performer, director, dancer, and musician. You can also see me perform in Percy Jackson at the Rose later this year!! I’m stoked to be working with your students and want to thank you for encouraging them in the arts!

Voice & Rose Brigade Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Grace (she/her) is thrilled to be at The Rose teaching all things voice! Grace began acting and singing in shows at a young age, so she knows the excitement of catching the “theater bug” and taking lessons to improve your skill set. As a teacher, Grace has a passion for making music education joyful, accessible, and inclusive. She is dedicated to meeting students where they are at, tailoring lessons and pedagogy styles to meet individual needs, all while inspiring self-confidence and a love for the process of learning. Grace is a classically trained soprano and has many years of professional performing experience in art song, opera, choral repertoire, and musical theater. She received her master’s degree in music education and her bachelor’s degree in voice performance, both from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Voice Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Wendy Eaton (she/her), mezzo-soprano, is known for her “warm and colorful voice which she uses very skillfully…”. “Her rich musical background gives her a very clear understanding of a wide variety of musical styles in vocal music” Victor Yampolsky, music director Emeritus of the Omaha Symphony.

Wendy Eaton has been an active performer and teacher in the Omaha area for over 25 years, including 20 years of teaching at the collegiate level. Eaton appeared regularly as a company member at the Rose from 2001-2012 & still enjoys occasionally performing with her colleagues at the Rose as much as she enjoys teaching with them.

Eaton’s love of classical song has been a driving force in her performing and teaching careers. She has been a featured soloist & guest artist with many local organizations including the Omaha Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Opera Omaha, Omaha Chamber Music Society, Orchestra Omaha, Omaha Symphonic Chorus, the River City Mixed Chorus and the Nebraska Choral Arts Society. She has also performed in concert and recital throughout the state as a member of the Nebraska Arts Council Touring program and also throughout the country. Equally at home on stage, Eaton’s opera and musical theatre credits include Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Genevieve in The Long Christmas Dinner, Desiree, in A Little Night Music, Lady Thiang in The King and I, and Gertrude McFuzz in Suessical, the Musical.

Eaton has taught through Broadway at the Rose since its inception. She helped develop the curriculum of the Voice Area. Eaton also teaches in the Creighton University Music Department, where she has been a member of the voice faculty for 10 years. She also maintains a private studio teaching students of a wide variety of backgrounds and ages.

Rose Brigade Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Angela Frey (she/her) is in her 5th year as musical director of the Jr. Rose Brigade. By day, she is a music specialist at Arbor View Elementary in Elkhorn, where she serves as Elementary Department Chair. She was most recently seen on the Rose stage as Mother in A Christmas Story. Other Rose credits include The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and The Music Man. She is actively involved in Omaha area theatre, and is an experienced private studio instructor and vocal audition coach. Angela has worked as a professional actress for theatre companies in New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Indiana, and has toured with the Nebraska Theatre Caravan.

Rose Brigade/Acting Instructor
briang@rosetheater.org
(he/him/his)

Brian Guehring (he/him) is the Playwright in Residence, Literary Manager, and Teaching Artist for the Omaha Theater Company. Brian has worked at the Rose for twenty-five years and currently serves as the acting coach/stage director of the Junior and Senior Brigades. He is the co-founder and co-director of the award-winning teen theater troupe Pride Players. Brian’s recent plays for the Rose have included Sherlock Holmes and the First Baker Street Irregular, The Mysterious Case Files of Silver Cash, The Grocer’s Goblin and The Little Mermaid, The Misfits, and the upcoming Popularity Coach. He has recently been seen on stage as the Skipper in Madagascar, Lord Farquaad in Shrek, Toad in Frog and Toad, Rabbit/Owl in Winnie the Pooh, and Prince John in Robin Hood. He earned his MFA in Theater for Young Audiences from the University of Texas at Austin and his BA in Theater from Duke University.

Musical Theater Instructor
Teaching Artist & Director of Youth Productions
stephj@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Stephanie (she/her) has worked at The Rose for over 16 years, as the Director of Early Childhood, Teaching Artist, Actor, Playwright and Director. She has had her adaptations of The Grocer's Goblin (co-created with Brian Guehring), Thumbelina: Adventure Day, and Kindness Begins with Us: The Tail of Two Wolves (co-written with Carina DuMarce) produced at The Rose Theater. Stephanie has her MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa, is a Yoga instructor, participated in the Diavolo Project: Nebraska, member of Omaha's The Moving Company, performed in The Woodsman (at The Bluebarn) and participated as a playwright at The Eugene O'Neill Puppetry Festival, and is a trained puppeteer specializing in shadow puppetry and Bunraku. Before moving to Omaha, she lived in NYC where she worked with Liz Swados on Jabu at The Flea Theatre, Lee Bruer’s production of Mabou Mines' A Dollshouse National and International Tour, Taylor Mac and The Jim Henson Company. www.stephaniejacobson.weebly.com

Front Desk Receptionist
(she/her/hers)

Dance Instructor
(she/her/hers)

A native of Omaha,Nebraska, Nikki (she/her) has been an instructor in the Omaha area for over 30 years. As a past member of the Nebraska Junior Ballet, she performed locally in many classical ballets, such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Many years of intense classical ballet training have helped Nikki to easily transition into performing and teaching various styles of dance, including: contemporary, lyrical, jazz, dance team, and hip hop. Currently Nikki is also a choreographer for the Rose Dance Project competition company. Her pieces have won numerous choreography, entertainment, and other awards on the regional and national level. Dance training, teaching, and inspiring children to learn and grow, is her first passion. In addition to teaching, Nikki also works full time as a Registered Dietitian. She is married to her husband Matt and is a mother to two children, Zach and Ella.

Tumbling Instructor
(he/him/his)
Michael Montez
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska.

Former Junior Olympic competitive gymnast.

Recreational gymnastics coach(NOVA/Viking Ship)

Acrobatics/Tumbling instructor(The Rose, Smitty's PAC, I am Dance, Pear Tree Dance)

Rose Studios Manager
Dance Instructor
biannahp@rosetheater.org
(she/her/hers)

Biannah (she/her) was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines. There, she first discovered her love for performing through her ballet training at Halili-Cruz School of Ballet. She performed and competed with the school and became part of the Quezon City Ballet-- the official national and international performing group of HCSB. At the same time, she also studied voice, piano, and organ at the Yamaha School of Music. At age 15, during one of her trips to Dance Excellence--an international dance convention in Los Angeles--she met the Young Americans. She auditioned, got accepted, and joined the group right out of high school at 16 and has travelled to places in Europe, Japan, and the USA while performing and teaching. After two years, she decided to get her bachelor's degree at Midland University in Fremont, and just graduated last May 2019 with a Bachelor's in Arts Management with a Minor in Business Administration and Theater Emphasis. During her time at Midland, she was very involved with the dance, theater, and vocal music activities. She was part of the Premier Dance Company that gave dance workshops and performed around the US. She played supporting, featured, and a lead role with the theater department and was an acting teacher for Midland's Performing Arts Studio. Currently, she's getting her Masters in Business Administration at Midland University while serving the Performing Arts Department as their Theater Graduate Assistant. She is looking forward to this new chapter of her life of being able to share passion and love for music and the arts at the Rose!

Dance Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Sarah Keating Ryland (she/her) grew up dancing in Lincoln, NE. She began her teaching career at Hart Dance Academy, and was a member of the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company, dancing in their annual production of the Nutcracker, as well as other ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and Copellia. She graduated from the University of Nebraska--Lincoln, where she danced on scholarship with the Scarlets for four years. She was a head instructor for Universal Dance Association, as seen on ESPN, and had traveled across the US and Europe teaching and choreographing. After graduating with a BA in English, she moved to Omaha, where she has continued to teach for the past 21 years, both as a studio owner and as a company teacher. Her passion is for ballet and perfect technique in all genres of dance! Sarah is married to Bill Ryland and mother to Clara, Trey, Katlyn, Faith, William, Hope, and John Paul.

Voice Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Dance Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Dance Instructor
(she/her/hers)

Shelby (she/her) began dancing with Ballet Omaha and Omaha Theater Company Ballet. She received her B.F.A. In modern dance performance from The University of The Arts. Shelby returns to The Rose with over fifteen years of teaching experience. Shelby has performed with Omaha Modern Dance Collective, Brian Sanders’ JUNK, Behold Modern Dance Collective. She is trained in Progressing Ballet Technique and has completed multiple certifications from Lisa Howell of The Ballet Blog. Recent credits include Honk! (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble) which she received a Shellie award nomination. Shelby also received a Shellie nomination for her choreography of Crazy For You (Brentwood Theater Company).

Teaching Artist
(she/her/hers)

Natalie Hanson (she/her/hers) is a multidisciplinary theatre, music, and dance artist from Tacoma, Washington residing in Omaha. Natalie’s choreographic and original musical composition was last featured in a collaborative performance art piece entitled "Dollhouse" funded by Amplify Arts through their Generator Grant series. Natalie has been an actor with the Rose in various productions since 2017, and has thoroughly enjoyed furthering her career this past year as a teaching artist with focus in dance and musical theatre. Natalie has worked with Teatro Vista, Comedy Dance Chicago, and Matter Dance company in Chicago where she previously resided. Recently, Natalie's solo project Facade Queen was also nominated for "Outstanding New Artist" for the OEAA awards this past year, and she looks forward to continuing exploration through songwriting and creating music for movement in her future endeavors.

Teaching Artist
(he/him/his)

Alfred has been performing in Omaha for 5 years and is really excited to work with the Rose again after having a wonderful time in their production of The Sound of Music. He started as a dancer at Creighton and has since continued his education in singing and acting.

Additional credits:
The Sound of Music - The Rose

Instagram
al.ibsen

Teaching Artist

Donovaughn is so happy to join the Rose family,and help bring theater to the children of Omaha.
He's had a strong passion for theater since he was very young,and a joy for anything musical based.
He hopes to make the world a little brighter by helping children express themselves through the arts.