Directory

The WRA was established in 1975 to promote and preserve the art of Rosemaling. Some of our members are accomplished Rosemalers, but many more are beginning painters and individuals simply interested in learning more about Rosemaling and of course, just having fun!

Yukiyo Kawano is a third-generation hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) who grew up decades after the bombing of Hiroshima. Her work is personal, reflecting lasting attitudes toward the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kawano received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Art in 2012. Since then, Kawano’s work has been seen in U.S., Japan and Australia. Kawano has also given lectures at Aspen Institute in Tokyo, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Main, Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans, Louisiana among many others and also appeared in radio shows, such as OPB Radio, Portland, Oregon and 3CR Community Radio, Melbourne, Australia. Kawano has received numerous grants, including the Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant in 2012 and Project Grant in 2015; a Regional Arts and Culture Council grant in 2016, 2018 & 2019; The Oregon Arts Commission in 2017 & 2019; and The Andy Warhol Foundation, Precipice Fund, 2019. Since 2016, Kawano’s project Suspended Moment has been selected by New York Foundation of the Arts’ fiscal sponsorship program. She teaches through VCFA studio mentorship program (AT) and is an Advisory Board Member of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (Oregon PSR). Kawano currently lives in Portland, OR.

Yoona Lee is a Seattle-based visual artist, writer, and racial justice activist. Her artwork has been shown at Sotheby’s NYC, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Vermillion, Ghost Gallery, Gary Henderson Gallery, and Zeitgeist Coffee, among other venues. Her art and writing have been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Seattle Journal for Social Justice, Breadline 4-Year Anthology, and The Stranger (a Seattle news and culture biweekly) and its daily blog.

VamoLá! is a Seattle-based Brazilian drum and dance ensemble that brings the spirit of Carnaval to life through vibrant parades and performances.

Kickin Celtic Music - For years, Seattle-based BOWI has been entertaining audiences with a blend of traditional Celtic music and unique energy. The BOWI sound encompasses a wide range of music including driving Jigs and Reels, exciting vocals, and beautiful ballads. An incredibly flexible and adaptive group, BOWI has performed at everything from Pubs and local faires, to private parties and weddings. Acoustic or "Plugged in", BOWI has never failed to get the hands clapping and feet stomping.

The band consists of: Tony Schuler (guitar, vocals), Rich Teachout (tenor banjo, whistle, octave mandolin, vocals), and Leah Cupps (bodhran, vocals).

Zoe Roberts is a singer songwriter currently attending West Seattle High School. She plays all around Seattle at venues such as The Crocodile, Skylark Cafe, Folklife Festival, West Seattle Farmers Market, Columbia City Beat Walk, 13 Coins, and various events hosted by Totem Star. She has performed internationally at Warung D’Atas Grill & BBQ in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.

We are a Peruvian dance group in Ellensburg, WA.

Painter | Illustrator | Muralist

Destiny City Film Festival’s mission is to use the power of vibrant cinematic storytelling to curate an engaged community audience for independent film. Part of that mission is providing a safe space for stories that have not historically received equal representation. We strive to be inclusive, welcoming, accessible and encouraging of all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Disability communities and all marginalized voices as we continue to evolve and learn.

Kikagaku Moyo have come a long way –both literally and metaphorically– since their humble beginnings busking on the streets of Tokyo back in 2012. A tight-knit group of five friends who bonded over the desire to play freely, and explore music associated with space and psychedelica, their initial ambitions were modest semi-regular slots in the cramped clubs of the city’s insular music scene. Yet the band’s progressive, folk-influenced take on psychedelica marked them out from their peers and re-started Japan’s psych rock scene; it also brought them international acclaim.

Professor of Alaska Native Languages and multimedia artist.

Pat Chessell was born in Vancouver, British Columbia – not the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of Celtic folk musicians. His first public appearance was with his family friend, the late Danny Burns in Vancouver's now defunct Culpepper's Pub, a venue which became well known for hosting some of the best Celtic music in town.

Mikailah Thompson is a member of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe of Lapwai, ID. Thompson graduated from Lewis-Clark State College as of May 2020 with a degree in Business & Communication and minors in Nez Perce Language, Leadership, and Marketing. She currently resides in Alexandria, VA.