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Explore your creativity in a supportive community. Choose your creative focus, build your skills, and bring your artistic expression to life.
“ GIA rearranged my wiring... it was my first time experiencing life on my own and helped me decide THIS was where I wanted to go with my life. I’ve become a more caring, kind, and empathetic person, and I also learned to be more accepting, not just for other people but for MYSELF. I learned to love myself the way I am. GIA felt like a home... my life has been altered by being accepted and appreciated by this lovely family.”
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At the Arts Institute you are given the tools and guidance to explore and amplify your creative side. Join young artists from all over Vermont for an exciting two weeks of collaboration, creation, and inspiration. You’ll be surrounded by a supportive community that unites around the artistic disciplines that excite you. Attendees chose two focus areas from a wide range of creative mediums including: theater, music, writing, painting, film, dance, comics, and more. Workshops, nightly artist series performances, and collaborative projects prompt new discoveries and inspiration. The Arts Institute celebrates diverse perspectives and artistic styles, fostering meaningful and life-changing experiences.
The biggest and best known of the Governor’s Institutes, the Arts Institute (sometimes known as GIA!) has helped shape the trajectories and artistic visions of thousands of students, including world-famous musicians, actors, and artists. Together, we will build a vibrant artistic community, bringing together outstanding professional teaching artists and curious, motivated students to explore the processes of creativity. We can’t promise you’ll end up famous – but we promise you’ll have an amazing two weeks of fun, learning, and inspiration and leave with a whole new perspective and commitment to your art.
All students who apply to this Institute can make use of our sliding scale tuition model. GIV’s sliding scale tuition essentially acts like an automatic scholarship to automatically reduce tuition costs without the need for additional paperwork or outside sources. For information regarding this Institute’s sliding scale tuition support, please click here.
Choose from a menu of dozens of expert-led courses in film, visual arts, music, dance, writing, theater, and other media, then immerse yourself in two of your preferred class selections.
**Classes are different each year and announced when you arrive!
Outside of class, your time is filled with engaging workshops led by community members–teachers, staff, and you! Always wanted to learn… beatboxing? Salsa dance? Ukulele? Or teach… Pastel techniques? Adobe Premiere Pro? Haiku?
GIA’s open workshop format is endlessly enriching, empowering, and engaging.
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Breakfast
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM: Community Meeting
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM: Community Chorus
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Morning Class
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Workshops
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Afternoon Class
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Workshops / Specials
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Dinner
7:30 PM: Artist Series
9:30 PM: Suite Check-in
10:30 PM: Bedtime
Watch the Video
Whether or not you take a music class, you’ll be surrounded by music at GIA. Chorus in the morning will have you singing and dancing all day long. Classes often include songwriting, choir, group or individual composition. Musicians will grow personally and artistically as they learn to write their own music, collaborate with others, and have ample opportunity to perform on stage! Jam sessions abound, and many a GIA band has formed and performed in a mere 2 weeks.
Check out these VIDEOS or listen to GIA on Bandcamp
Over two weeks, our visual artists overflow the gallery with original works. We offer classes in a range of mediums–both 2D and 3D. Our drawing or painting classes include AND move beyond the boundaries of traditional practices. We work with nude models, we use weird tools, we work with our eyes closed, we work BIG and small. We work representationally AND abstractly. Our goal is to break you out of your comfort zone and provide you with some non-traditional approaches to visual arts!
Watch: Visual Arts at GIA
Theater performance classes will develop characters, scenes, and emotions that translate to the stage. Past classes included Improv ensembles, clowning, individual character and scene work. You’ll learn new theater exercises and games that hone your skills and help you work with others. Non-performance theater classes have included mask-making, stage prosthetics/makeup, and our infamous lighting classes which–beyond creating amazing projects–offer the opportunity to light professional performances in the evening!
Meet one of our GIA theater faculty alums – Isaac Eddy
All ability levels are welcome in our dance classes (and all of our classes for that matter). Unlike conservatory classes, or Ballet 1, 2, or 3, our classes are centered around movement and self-awareness. We learn how to express ourselves, ask questions, and have fun through movement. We often have one class involving choreography (both developing your own and learning others’) and one that delves into experiential and authentic movement.
Watch: Dance at GIA
We offer classes where writers can engage deeply with their craft. Creative writing classes in the past have included fiction, narrative, poetry, lyric writing, playwriting, and some with a mix of everything. Our writers are given the opportunity to write for the page, and are also encouraged to share their work through readings and performances, both in classroom settings and amongst the larger community.
Our writing students often find themselves Filled with Inspiration
Film, photography, and digital media arts are so ubiquitous in our world that they have also become an integral part of our curriculum. Students make anything from narrative or informational films to abstract and multimedia projects. In Vermont State University Castleton’s fully equipped video studio with green screen and editing suite, there’s no shortage of possibilities! With access to the Adobe suite, our digital artists have created photoshop stills and animations, utilizing photography and traditional art mediums.
Every night we enjoy unique evening performances by musicians, illustrators, sculptors, comedians, theater troops, dancers, filmmakers, poets, songwriters, creators, and collaborators. You will see local artists, alums, faculty & staff performing on the BIG STAGE at the Vermont State University Castleton Fine Arts Center. The Artist Series is the highlight of our evenings, where we come together to be inspired, to ask thoughtful questions, and to expose ourselves to many different artists and artistic genres.
Watch: Artist Series at GIA
Check out this video from GIV Alum Isabel Pless as she shares some of her experiences at the Arts Institute and her developing career as a singer, songwriter, and performer.
Corey grew up in a log cabin in the woods of Middlesex, Vermont. After graduating from Wesleyan University he became a professional contemporary dancer, while also mixing in some carpentry, teaching, cooking, arts administration, emergency medicine, conflict resolution, and educational advocacy. He is now the Co-founder and Chief People Officer at Luminary (www.roli.com and www.playlumi.com), a music technology company, headquartered in London, UK, where he lives with his wife, Kate, and their daughters, Hazel (7) and Willa (4). He is inspired by the work of, among others, Toni Morrison, Noella Coursaris Musunka, James Baldwin, and Cary Wolfe. He attended GIA in 2000.
Corey and the Arts Institute team can be reached at [email protected]
Malina Leslie (she/her) is a red-headed giggler who graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA in English and Art. She is a quilter who likes to paint with fabric and draw with thread to portray people in various emotions. She also likes to make comics and worked for cartoonist Alison Bechdel on her comic book “Are You My Mother.” Malina is often found birding because birds are awesome. She has lived for significant chunks of time on four of the seven continents and has gotten really good at decorating envelopes because of it. Originally from Hardwick, Vermont, she attended GIA as a student in 2005 and is always thrilled to return!
Malina and the Arts Institute team can be reached at [email protected]
Janice Amaya (they/them/elle) is an actor, theatermaker, and educator. Recent theater credits: Orlando (Signature Theatre Company), Shhhh (Atlantic Theater Company), Lunch Bunch (Play Co), Mushroom (People’s Light Theater Co), Cartography (John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), Sally Forth (Lincoln Center), As You Like It (Apocalyptic Artists Ensemble). Film: Patriot’s Day (Lionsgate, Dir. Peter Berg). Janice is a Co-Director at Pipeline Theatre Company and a founding member of The Hummm. MFA, Harvard University and the Moscow Art Theater.
Learn more about Janice at https://www.janiceamaya.com
Sarah Lowry is a theater maker and Registered Drama Therapist. Lowry works both as an individual and family counselor in South Burlington, as well as in the Winooski Middle and High Schools where she collaborates with educators and students to incorporate trauma-informed, youth driven, creative arts work into curriculum. In the clinic, Lowry uses somatic and creative practices to work with predominantly LGBTQIA+ youth as well as with teens, young adults, and families who have experienced trauma. Both in the counseling room and on the stage – Lowry centers her work on listening to young people and uses storytelling and theater as tools to center the voices and perspectives of teens in Vermont. As a white, Jewish, queer 40-year-old counselor and artist, Lowry brings her own life and experiences into her relationships with young people, and strives to make work that prioritizes the leadership of young people to tell their own stories. She is thrilled to be a part of the GIA community.
Andrew Fish is a painter and printmaker based in Somerville, MA. He studied at School of Visual Arts in NYC and received his MFA from Goddard College in VT. He has attended several artist residencies including the VT Studio Center, Manship Artists Residency + Studio in Gloucester, MA, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China, and Mass MoCA’s Assets for Artists Residency in North Adams, MA. He is the recipient of a Mass Cultural Council Finalist award in Painting, a Somerville Arts Council grant, a NY Studio School Award, and a St. Botolph Club Fellowship. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows nationally and internationally including The Painting Center, NYC, Childs Gallery, Boston, MA, Artzu Gallery in Manchester, UK, and Addison Ripley Fine Art in Washington, DC. Fish teaches at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. He is originally from VT and attended GIA as a high school student. He has also served as an RA and faculty member. Fish’s work explores the intersection of abstraction and representation, using the figure to investigate contemporary society and personal experience.
A native of Hardwick, Vermont, Andy Gagnon has dedicated his life to music. Gagnon has worked with the Vermont Jazz Camp, U-32’s summer jazz camp, the Get Thee to the Funnery camp in Barre, and the Green Mountain Youth Symphony Summer C.A.M.P., as well as being a private percussion instructor for many years. Gagnon has also served as a mentor for Music-COMP (formerly the Vermont MIDI Project) and as a guest conductor for numerous Vermont district music festivals. Gagnon holds a B.S. in Music Education with a concentration in music composition from the University of Vermont, and an M.F.A. in Music Composition from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. He regularly performs with The Renegade Groove, LOVECRAFT, The Vermont Jazz Ensemble, and PURPLE feat. Craig Mitchell, among many other artists and groups. Andy currently lives in Morrisville, Vermont with his wife Leah, their dogs Spock and Kiwi, Fable the cat, and Poppy Seed the chinchilla. He is the instrumental music teacher at Stowe Elementary, Middle, and High schools.
Annella Kaine is another one of those multi-hyphenate artists you keep hearing about. She runs a small craft stained glass business in her New York City home, with a focus on queering an artform that people most often associate with religious imagery. They are also an actor, writer, and audiobook narrator. In addition to producing their own work, Annella works in the live interpretation space, using the arts as an educational medium to teach everything from conservation principals to deposition skills for early-career lawyers. You can often catch Annella performing with and about animals at the New York Aquarium and The Bronx Zoo, under the umbrella of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
beccs is a recording artist, vocalist, songwriter, and educator based in Hudson, NY. A 2025 NYFA Artist Fellowship Finalist and 2024 Official SXSW Artist, her work has been critically acclaimed by KCRW, Refinery29, NYLON, HuffPost Queer Voices, Audiofemme, LADYGUNN, John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Holding up a mirror to herself and society at large, beccs confronts and heals audiences with a soul-stirring voice that is as dynamic as it is vulnerable. beccs (Becca Sasha Gastfriend) trained at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where she honed her craft for acting, composition and voice work. Combining technical rigor with an intuitive, soulful whimsy, beccs uses music — both on stage and in the classroom — as a tool to build connection and heal.
Buzz Slutzky (they/them) is a non-binary/transgender and Jewish multidisciplinary artist, educator, writer, filmmaker, and performer based in Brooklyn, New York. They have taught visual art and filmmaking at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), The New School, School of Visual Arts (SVA), SUNY Purchase, and worked as an educator at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art. Buzz is currently obsessed with fountain pens and watercolor in addition to every other drawing material!
Cavan Meese got his start in theater at an early age with the Bread and Puppet Theater and in performances at schools, libraries, clubs, festivals and small theaters around the country with his family. Cavan is an alumni of the Governor’s Institute on the Arts and first studied lighting design and television production at Vermont State College Castleton. He went on to The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he studied theater arts and apprenticed with lighting designers and directors at the Pennsylvania Ballet, The Arden Theater, Pig Iron Theater, and others. Cavan has designed for Anais Mitchell (Hadestown), Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour, Phish, Vermont Stage Company, Lost Nation Theater, The Barre Opera House, Kingdom County Productions (The Voices Project Tour), Ryno Fest, The Northeast Kingdom Music Festival, and toured extensively as both a performer and lighting technician. Cavan is founder of The Parker Pie Company and the Village Hall barn stage in West Glover.
Daryl Seitchik is a cartoonist and teacher. She is the author of the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Exits (Koyama Press, 2016) and the ongoing semi-autobiographical comics series Missy, which was recently published in The New Yorker. Her most recent book, Now and Other Dreams (Fieldmouse Press, 2022) collects surreal short story comics made over the last ten years. Daryl teaches comics workshops at schools, libraries, and museums throughout New England. She has two adorable cats and co-runs the micropress Parsifal Press with her partner in Vermont.
For twelve years Isaac performed with Blue Man Group in New York City, Chicago, London, and Las Vegas. Isaac was a professor of Theater and Drama at Northern Vermont University Johnson. He is currently the Artistic and Education Director at Hope Center for the Arts which offers free arts education to all teenagers in Springfield, Massachusetts. Isaac is also a writer and a cartoonist and has been published in the New Yorker, Time magazine, and the New York Times.
Nehemiah Luckett has been composing, performing and music directing for more than 30 years. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, he has been featured at the National Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, St. John the Divine and has performed on six continents. Music Direction credits – Scene Partners, Primer for a Failed Superpower, jazz singer, Where We Stand, Sistas, Wedding Band, and Amani. Upcoming composition projects include: Love Out of Time – an afrofuturist queer Bible-based opera, A Burning Church with Zhailon Levingston and Alex Hare, Triple Threats with Tracey Conyer Lee, and Adia and Clora Snatch Joy with Mfoniso Udofia. Nehemiah is a composer, performer, music director and educator living with his husband in the Bronx.
Ruth is a fabric artist and sculptor. She uses secondhand materials and a sense of humor to make quilts, plushies, installations, and sculptures that visually delight and existentially question. She loves to teach people of all ages to use the sewing machine, aka the Ultimate Power Tool. Her work has been shown all over Vermont, and her students are award winning super-artists. She laughs Really Loud.
Shani Stoddard is a performing arts educator and teaching artist from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. He studied Dance and Musical Theatre at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies and Dance from Vermont State University (formerly Johnson State College). His artistic work explores the celebration of movement, narrative storytelling, and the relationship between body, place, and community. He lives in Stannard, Vermont, with his husband and their four dogs.
Storm is an intensely creative and rigorous thinker. A multi-hyphenate drummer, writer, composer, and educator; Storm has been combining music, theater, and social justice theory single-mindedly and is sought out not just as a skilled maker but as a teacher, dramaturg, and consultant on intersectional thought in the musical theater form. MFA in Theater, Sarah Lawrence College.
Tania Balan-Gaubert is New York-based artist, curator, and cultural producer who grew up between Chicago and Brooklyn, born to Haitian parents and raised with the stories, traditions, and spiritual practices of her culture. That upbringing is at the heart of everything she makes. She creates art using everyday objects, photographs, fabrics, and found materials, weaving together family history, folklore, and memory into works that feel like they exist in multiple worlds at once. She has shown her work at museums and cultural centers across the country, from Chicago to New York to the Bay Area.
Former Poet Laureate of Belfast, Maine, and 2024 nominee for the Poet Laureateship of Vermont, poet, bass clarinetist, and composer Toussaint St. Negritude conjures whole liberations in full tempo. US Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks described his work as “full of sweet sounds and surprises.” Originally from San Francisco, Toussaint has lived and broadly thrived across the African Diaspora, from the sacred mountains of Haiti, to the Coltrane District of North Philadelphia. He, along with bassist Gahlord Dewald, is the leader of the band Jaguar Stereo!, a free-form ensemble of his own poetry and improvisational jazz, and his works have been widely published and recorded for over 40 years. On an alpine sanctuary facing east, Toussaint St. Negritude continues to thrive in the farthest elevations of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
Victoria is an award winning commercial and film Director based in Brooklyn, NY. Victoria considers herself a creative swiss army knife, boasting extensive experience concepting, shooting, directing and editing content for brands like Coca Cola, RocNation, Smartwater, Airbnb, Lysol, BOSE and Nissan among others. As a working Filmmaker, Creative Director and Musician, she has crafted a career that intersects and engages with her many creative passions rather than just one. Crafting video content for some of the biggest advertising agencies in the US, her experience as a Latinx woman and her obsession with authenticity colors all of the work she does. Be it music videos, television commercials, social content or films, she brings an intersectional and culturally informed perspective to her work, while creating discourse, honoring and uplifting minority communities any way she can. After building and leading content studios at several major ad agencies in the US, she is now Founder and CCO of Misdemeanor, her independent content studio, and continues working as a freelance Creative Director in New York City.
Emily’s entire personality is based on her love of three things: art, warm beverages, and Vermont. Born and raised in Castleton, she left for the big city (Washington D.C.) for 5 years, but she eventually had to follow the call of New England’s mountains and relocated closer to home in Western Massachusetts. With a background in musical theatre, costume design, and art history, she loves to take an interdisciplinary approach to art and loves the challenge of a new medium. By day, she works in marketing for a Vermont-based skincare company. But when she isn’t working, she can be found exploring museums, taking deep breaths of fresh air, making music, making herself laugh, sewing, researching niche historical topics, and generally frolicking. She was first introduced to the magic of GIA as a student in 2011 and always considers it the highlight of her year to spend time learning from and being inspired by our amazing young artists.
Manda recently graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, where she specialized in environmental and animal law. Before that, she received a degree in environmental anthropology from Binghamton University. Currently, she works as a staff attorney for a non-profit that represents low and moderate-income Brooklyn residents in housing court and works to preserve affordable housing. Outside of work, she loves to read, do yoga, go on long walks, play board games, craft, bake, and crochet. She has recently ventured into crocheting clothing…with varying results. GIA is one of her favorite places in the world, and she cannot wait to return.
Apple is from Enosburg Falls, Vermont, just a few minutes from the Quebec border. He currently is a student at the Maine College of Art and Design and is about to enter his senior year! Apple specializes in illustration, working with a wide variety of materials. Apple spent three years working on a farm and this experience greatly influences his work. He loves to draw animals, people, and strange little beastlies. Apple has exhibited his work in many art shows in MECA&D, done many private client jobs, and sells prints and comics when there’s time! In his down time you can catch Apple at the lake fishing, or relaxing at home doodling in his sketchbook.
Aja is a filmmaker currently living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. After growing up in the woods of Southern VT and attending GIA as a student many moons ago; Aja followed his passion for filmmaking to Syracuse University where he received a BFA in Film, and to FAMU international in Prague in the Czech Republic where he studied 35mm. Between smaller and more personal artistic endeavors, Aja works full time as a set lighting technician on feature films; from tasteless comedies for streamers, to indie award show darlings, to big marvel blockbusters. After finishing principal photography on Black Panther 2 in 2022, Aja moved on to his first ever self-produced feature film that was shot right here in Vermont in the fall, alongside many artistic collaborators from GIA and beyond. Aside from trying to avoid burnout on Captain America 4 and a yet to be released SNL Biopic all last year; he also loves to watch movies of any kind (ideally on the big screen), binge-read fantasy and sci-fi, listen to music that sounds like breaking machinery, ride his onewheel and have a nice cup of PG tips English tea. He truly cannot wait to spend the summer returning to his roots and helping to try and pass on the artistic passion to young artists in his home state of VT.
Ari Slavin is currently living in Tiohtiá:ke/Montréal, Canada, where she is studying studio arts at Concordia University. Ari’s creative journey began with dance and performance art; after graduating high school, her pursuit of understanding movement brought her from New York City to Chicago and beyond, eventually shifting her focus toward the visual arts. Ari is fascinated by the power of play and world-building, viewing them as essential tools for connecting with others and reimagining the world around us. Originally from Vermont and a former attendee of GIA herself, Ari is looking forward to creating a memorable experience with everyone this summer!
Brittney comes to you from Burlington, VT. As a performing artist, she found her love of creation and exploration as a GIA student in 2014. She studied Theater at Northern Vermont University – Johnson, where she focused on Performance Art and Technology. During that time, she found a love for fusing artistic expression with activism and self-awareness. She currently works as an actor all across Vermont, tours shows to high schools and performing with many of the regional theaters across the state. As of late, when not auditioning, performing or seeing shows, she can be found writing poetry, streaming online, and making music with her friends. She truly enjoys the conversations and connections to be made when sharing and creating art with her peers and she is excited to get the chance to do that with you all at GIA this summer!
Cassidy is an arts educator, organizer, and photographer from the Upper Valley of Vermont. She is currently based out of Los Angeles, where she has recently pivoted away from a career in the film industry and now helps run an after-school program and teaches art to 6th, 7th and 8th graders. She is also passionate about her work with her local chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a climate organization currently focused on community building, immigrant solidarity, and a 2028 general strike. When not collaging with her students, she can be found jumping on her mini trampoline, playing guitar and singing on the porch with her friends, and laughing almost as loudly as Ruth.
Evan is from Alexandria, VA, and now lives in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. Coming from a background of photography including advertising, portraiture, and photojournalism, he loves blending creative images with poetry or conceptual writing. When not with a camera he can be found on the ultimate frisbee field, marking new restaurants off his list, or following esports tournaments. He enjoys embracing new technologies and dabbles in coding as needed for creative endeavors. Evan is currently teaching MS photography in Maryland.
Kaelan Selbach is a filmmaker currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York. After Growing up in the woods of Southern VT and attending GIA as a student many moons ago; Kaelan followed his passion for filmmaking to Syracuse University where he received a BFA in Film, and to FAMU international in Prague in the Czech Republic where he studied 35mm. Between smaller and more personal artistic endeavors, Kaelan works full time as a set lighting technician on feature films and TV, currently on American Horror Story Season 13. Aside from his work he also loves to watch movies of any kind, binge read fantasy and sci-fi, listen to music that sounds like breaking machinery, eat donuts and have a nice cup of PG tips English tea. He truly cannot wait to spend the summer returning to his roots and helping to try and pass on the artistic passion to young artists in his home state of VT.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Laura brings a thoughtful and dynamic perspective to her work, shaped by her academic and professional experiences. As a graduate of Long Island University with a degree in political science, she developed strong analytical and leadership skills that continue to influence her creative endeavors. Passionate about architecture and interior design, Laura is driven by a deep interest in transforming and personalizing living spaces in innovative ways. Her time spent in Chicago, where she designed office interiors in the Hyde Park neighborhood, further broadened her design sensibilities and hands-on experience. Through various leadership roles across New York City, she has cultivated a collaborative mindset and a commitment to fostering learning environments for all.
Lola is a lover of music and social worker-to-be from Barnard, VT. She attended GIA in 2019 and is now embarking on her first year as an RA! YAY! She is passionate about being outside, working in crisis intervention work, amplifying young voices, playing music, learning about people, and contributing to a better world. She especially loves to song write and sing. She is so excited to meet everyone and be creative together!
Max Deoss (he/him) is a queer illustrator and educator currently pursuing his BFA At Maine College of Art & Design, where he has been an RA for two years. He is focused on inkwork, and primarily creates pieces with dramatic lighting and stark contrast. Inspired by comics, woodcuts, and music, Max is working towards careers in band merchandising, tattooing, and art education. In his free time, Max enjoys playing guitar and hanging out with his leopard gecko, Kismet.
Sam is a creative and nature lover from Central New York. Having recently finished an Environmental Biology degree at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the importance of nurturing a positive and protective relationship with Earth and it’s inhabitants takes center stage in her life. She loves to learn, and as an artist, her work uses a growing assortment of mediums including natural fibers, clay, watercolor, and much more. She is delighted to be a part of the endlessly supportive and creatively expansive GIA community.
Sakeenah is an educator and writer, living in the world without borders or boundaries. She is currently traveling and working on a collection of essays about home and existential exile. Sakeenah has inhabited many lives—as a history teacher, non-profit leader, school administrator, and somatic healing practitioner. She is interested in archiving the “human experience” and helping students access the deepest parts of themselves. She graduated from Barnard College with a degree in American and Pan-African Studies. Her work is featured in various literary journals.
Sarah is a writer and filmmaker fascinated by the limits of language and narrative. She takes a process-oriented approach to her work, experimenting with conditions and environments that support her (and the work’s) natural rhythms, pace, and needs. Sarah is based in Syracuse, NY.
Sofi is currently a student at the University of Vermont, where she majors in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minors in Critical Race & Ethnic Studies. Originally from Albuquerque and raised in a small town in Central North Carolina, she brings a love of movement, storytelling, and community to her work. A visual artist at heart, Sofi loves to create sculptures, textiles, and watercolor pieces inspired by the natural world and by her experiences as a female‑identifying person of color. Outside the studio, she’s a lifelong martial artist, an avid reader, and someone who finds joy in soul music, sunrises, tiny critters, and shared laughter. She’s excited for the opportunity to nourish her creativity and curiosity as a part of the GIA community.
Stefan E. Billups is a production leader and multidisciplinary artist with more than 35 years of experience across theater, music, film, and live entertainment. A Master Production Engineer, his work spans Broadway-adjacent productions, major concerts, film, and studio recording, with credits including Technical Director, Producer, Music Director, Director, Lighting and Sound Designer, Composer, Actor, and Vocalist. He serves as Production Manager for the 2026 Governor’s Institute on the Arts, where he leads all theatrical and technical operations for the institute, and as Technical Production Manager at Vermont State University Castleton, where he oversees theater, film presentation, sound, lighting, and audiovisual systems. His work includes collaborations with artists such as Brian McKnight, Roy Ayers, and Kool and the Gang, and he is equally proud of the students he mentors into confident creators. He focuses on finding the sweet spot where technology and emotion connect, and brings a calm, clear approach to communication that makes complex processes feel accessible and achievable. At GIA, he is here to support creative risks, safe spaces, and bold storytelling from every corner of the campus. From his beginnings as a young performer in Springfield, Massachusetts, to a career spanning stages and studios, his work reflects a lifelong commitment to perseverance, craft, and artistry. To every dreamer stepping onto a stage or behind a console: never stop creating, never stop learning, and never stop believing in the magic of live performance.
Anna is a nurse from Portland, OR. During the school year, she works her dream job as an on-site nurse at an outdoor school in the woods. She loves traveling, practicing her Spanish, and is into all things birds.
Martha was a school nurse in Central VT for 23 years until moving to the coast of Maine in 2019. During the Covid pandemic she worked for the Maine Dept. of Education helping schools manage their infections. Martha is also a psychiatric nurse and works remotely for the VT Department of Mental Health. She has been involved with the Governors Institute for over 15 years and loves working at GIA because it is two fantastic weeks of art, music, theater, dance – and really happy, creative students and staff!
Sequana Skye, RN, has been privileged to work in a variety of settings throughout her nursing career including labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, medical-surgical, home health, hospice and last, but certainly not least, summer camp nurse. Among many camps she has worked at, she particularly enjoyed Camp Kaleidoscope at Common Ground Center, a camp for young people on the autism spectrum and their families, and Circus Smirkus Camp. As though nursing didn’t take up enough of her time and energy, she also graduated from Goddard College with a MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies and Vermont College of Fine Arts with a MFA in Film. She is honored and thrilled to be a member of the GIA staff.
