Harper College

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Panelists

Julie Chapman
President, Julie Chapman Music (JCM)

Trina Gizel PhotoHaving studied classical piano since the age of four, Julie Chapman is an American pianist & neoclassical composer. Her recent album of original songs, Homage to the Northwoods, can be found on Spotify and other major streaming platforms. Julie is featured on various neoclassical playlists and has over 15,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Her music and music videos can be found on her YouTube channel, Julie Chapman Music.

Having raised four children, Julie is now an empty nester and resides with her husband, John, and their little dog, Sophie. Her pieces are performed and recorded on her Hamburg Steinway Grand Piano in their home in Palatine. Julie and John have a 2nd home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where she finds solace and inspiration for her music. Her pieces reflect her contemplation of nature, relationships, and life.

Over the years, Julie has served as the Fine Arts Director for a K-12 private school. She has held positions that include music ministry, private piano instruction, and choral directing. While Julie is thankful for and has experienced tremendous joy in all these opportunities, her heart remains devoted to her piano and composing. 


Frankie Johnson 
Owner, Mainstreet Arts Center

Frankie Johnson Photo

Frankie Johnson is an accomplished artist with over 40 years of experience in painting with oils, pastels and watercolor. Frankie has been painting since she was ten years old when she had her first oil painting classes as a private student. It was a gift from her grandmother and she has been painting ever since.

Frankie has taught drawing, oil and pastel painting at The Studio In The Woods (Wauconda, Illinois), The Studio of Long Grove and the Mainstreet Art Centre. In 1994, she opened the Mainstreet Art Centre and has assembled a talented staff of instructors over the years. She conducts workshops in portrait and landscape painting at various locations such as The Clearing in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, Dillmans in Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin and the Mainstreet Art Centre.

Frankie has participated in many juried exhibitions and plein air painting competitions and won numerous awards for her paintings through the years. Her work has appeared in shows and galleries all over the United States. She is currently represented by the Fine Line Designs Gallery in Ephraim, Wisconsin. and Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Frankie's paintings, including numerous portrait commissions, hang in corporate and private collections throughout the country.

Frankie’s work has been collected by hundreds of art lovers around the world. Winning top National & Regional awards, confirms, that her hard work and dedicated passion has had some remarkable rewards. Mainstreet offers 35 classes a week with over 300 students coming through weekly, with ten instructors. They also offer workshops with renown artists from all over the world several times a year to teach their specialty, various mediums and subjects.

Mainstreet offers 35 classes a week with over 300 students coming through weekly, with ten instructors. They also offer workshops with renown artists from all over the world several times a year to teach their specialty, various mediums and subjects.


Gina Roxas
Executive Director, Trickster Cultural Arts Center

Gina Roxas PhotoGina Roxas is a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, has cultivated her understanding of the environment by integrating the traditional wisdom imparted by her Grandmother and family Elders with insights from the humanities and sciences. She leverages this comprehensive knowledge base to design and implement the community programs offered by Trickster. Additionally, Gina oversees and conducts initiatives that emphasize Indigenous plant knowledge, focusing on its significance in healing, environmental justice, and self-determination. ;

 


Brigid Tileston
K-12 Director of Fine, Visual and Performing Arts
Barrington 220 School District

Brigid Tileston PhotoBrigid Tileston serves as the K-12 Director of Fine, Visual and Performing Arts in the Barrington 220 School District. Brigid passionately inspires those in her community to realize the power of the arts through her extensive community outreach and the development of engaging and continually evolving artistic opportunities for students. Through her collaborative work with K-12 students, arts staff, and the wider community, Brigid empowers learners of all ages to think creatively, take risks and apply artistic problem solving beyond the classroom. In Barrington 220 the fine arts program includes extensive classes and after school activities in the following arts areas: visual arts, music, dance, theatre, and television. Before beginning her current role in Barrington, Brigid served as an assistant principal at Hoffman Estates High School, a department chair at Fremd High School, and as an English and Theatre teacher at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, IL. Brigid obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and English Education from Marquette University in 1998 and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago in 2006. Brigid enjoys how her current role as the Barrington Director of Arts synthesizes leadership, the arts, communication and community in creative and forward-thinking ways.

 


Tiana Weiler, CMP, Director of Cultural Services
Village of Schaumburg, Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts

Tiana Weiler PhotoTiana is a 30-year hospitality veteran with experience in venue operations and event management of convention centers and theaters. Tiana has been with the Village of Schaumburg for almost 2 years as the Director of Cultural Services. Previous experience includes Director of Event Management at McCormick Place for 15 years. Tiana has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Speech Communications Theater Arts from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. After graduating with a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN Tiana worked for the Minnesota Orchestra.

Tiana is a member of the IAVM and APAP. In 2004 Successful Meetings Magazine named Tiana Convention Service Manager of the Year in the Convention Center Category.


Moderator

Nupur Sharma
Assistant Professor/Department Chair, Fashion, Harper College

Nupur Sharma is a Chicago based Textile and Fashion educator. She has been engaged in the global fashion industry and academia for over 30 years. Nupur earned her graduate degree in Design from the University of Cincinnati and industry career experience includes working with Haggar Clothing Company, Sears, Design Craft, Mudlark, Victoria Secret and Kohl's. Her areas of expertise are - Textiles, Industrial Sewing, Apparel Evaluation, Costume History, Global Trade and Tariff, Trend Forecasting and Visual Merchandising. Nupur exposes her students to international topics in design to encourage her students to think beyond the American experience and to cultivate a global perspective on fashion.

Last Updated: 2/21/24