Dr Jjenna Hupp Andrews is a Professor of Studio Art at Mott Community College in Flint Michigan, where they have taught Sculpture, Studio Art Foundations, & Art History courses for the last 10 years of their 25 years of teaching art and art History They earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metalsmithing/3D and Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Central Michigan University. Their Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a concentration Humanities and Society, focused on the social efficacy of art and critical visual literacy was earned from Union Institute & University.
Dr. Andrews is an active mixed media, sculptor and installation artist, working mostly with a variety of fibers, recycled, discarded, and found materials. Social Efficacy and engagement are at the foundation of their artwork and research. Their sculptural and installation work uses the figural form to explore empathy between the self and the Other. This focus has manifested through sculptural and installation work that addresses social, cultural, environmental, and political issues. Their current work explores the inattention to and/or ignoring of issues affecting our world today, specifically who is visible and who is invisible and who decides in our contemporary world.
Dr. Andrews’ interdisciplinary visual and scholarly research interests focus on the SOCIAL EFFICACY of visual and performance art, as well as visual/media LITERACY in higher education. The INTERSECTIONS & INTRUSIONS between visual art and the world we live in are where EFFICACY lives. I explore the where and the how visual arts can EXPOSE, ENGAGE with, and open up SPACES for the understanding of diversity, difference, equity, accessibility, and most importantly, with issues of social justice.
Dr. Andrews actively exhibits their artwork and has had several of their artworks in journals like Fiber Arts Now and Penumbra. They have had articles published in periodicals such as American Society for Aesthetics Newsletter and the booksLost in Media The Ethics of Everyday Life, and Artists Treading Water: Defining the Flint Water Crisis Through Art.
Justin Brown is a part-time film instructor at Mott Community College. He is an Emmy-winning writer, director, editor, and sometimes actor. He has a background in the world of media and independent production, working in various roles with iMichigan Productions, as well as founding his own production company MopHead Artistics. He has a passion for all things creative and enjoys learning new things. He holds a BA in communications and an MA in liberal studies from the University of Michigan-Flint and an MFA in filmmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Justin also serves as the Director of the Flint Youth Film Festival, a festival that gives young filmmakers a chance to highlight their work.
Marvin Dabideen is an adjunct instructor at Mott Community College who began teaching Art Appreciation in Fall 2024. Marvin is a Trinidadian-American visual artist and educator who has lived and worked in Michigan since 2003. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Michigan-Flint, having taken early art classes at Mott Community College. He then received his Master of Fine Arts at Kendall College of Art and Design, where he also served as a Continuing Education Instructor in Painting and Drawing. Apart from creating and exhibiting his own work Marvin has curated numerous art exhibitions celebrating local artists within the Flint and Grand Rapids communities.
I've been teaching at Mott for over 20 years, helping early childhood, elementary, and art education majors learn how to teach art to children. My background is in art and museum education. I've taught PreK-12 art and was the head of the education department at the Flint Institute of Arts since moving to Flint in the late 1990s. I'm originally from New York and lived in Illinois for a few years before coming to Michigan. I believe in the power of art and how it benefits our lives.
Rufus Ferguson is a multi-genre keyboardist raised in Flint, Michigan and based in Detroit, Michigan. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz piano from Western Michigan University under the mentorship of Roger Jones, Jeremy Siskind and Matthew Fries. He began his musical journey at a young age as a gospel pianist and organist and later began playing jazz piano at age 13. His commitment to being well-versed in multiple genres of music has afforded him many unique opportunities such as playing with Grammy-nominated and award-winning artists and groups of all genres.
Rufus is an experienced performer who has traveled the world sharing the stage with such artists as The Temptations, The Velveletes, Bishop Marvin Sapp, Rodney Whitaker, Dwight Adams, Brandon Williams, Wycliffe Gordon and so many more. Rufus is currently featured on Grammy Nominated producer Brandon Wiliams upcoming album alongside pianist Taylor Eigsti and Robert Glasper. He is also an experienced arranger, composer and teacher, specifically in the jazz and gospel music genres. His compositions and arrangements have been showcased by his 9-piece ensemble at the 2018 Gilmore Keyboard Festival and his orchestral arrangements have been performed by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra as well as the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra. Rufus has served as class piano instructor at Western Michigan University where he also directed the University Jazz Lab Band. He has also served as Assistant Professor of Jazz and Popular Music at Albion College.
Andrea Zlatec Floden, pianist, is a life long resident of Flint and has been playing and studying the piano since the age of five. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Music at MCC, teaching class piano, music appreciation and accompanying students for twenty-five years.
Professor Floden is the past President of St. Cecilia Society, plus a fifty year and honorary member. She has been active in the community as a soloist and accompanist (for almost everything). Professor Floden is a life member of the Flint Federation of Musicians, the Michigan and National Federations of Music Clubs, too. She continues to serve as a private instructor and accompanist, at the Flint School of Performing Arts.
Mara Jevera Fulmer is Professor of Art and Design at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan, having been hired in 1997 to develop Mott’s Graphic Design degree program which launched a year later in 1998. Dedicated to lifelong learning, she teaches a wide range of subjects including typography, corporate communications, advertising design, cross-cultural design, and design fundamentals, as well as illustration and book arts. Throughout her courses, Dr. Fulmer shares with students her passion for design’s relevance in society, connecting critical thinking, technology, and culture, while encouraging students to prepare for their own continuing growth and adaptation to changing conditions.
Throughout her career Dr. Fulmer has been recognized for her professional design work receiving several ADDY Awards, among others. She has also been recognized for her commitment to teaching and service including the AACC Faculty Member of the Year Award of Excellence, President’s Service Award, and the inaugural Faculty Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award from Ferris State University. Dr. Fulmer was also awarded a Fulbright Specialist Grant to teach “Art and Design’s intersections with Society and Politics” at the Ekaterinburg Academy of Contemporary Art in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Advocating for two-year programs in design, Dr. Fulmer also served as a member of the national AIGA Design Educators Committee to support recognition of community college students studying design.
Dr. Fulmer received her doctorate in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University. Her dissertation focused on the value of creative arts learning experiences for the success of non-arts majors. She’s also earned a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art-Graphic Design from Michigan State University focusing on design and visual anthropology, and culminating in a thesis exhibition that was a cross cultural-focused multimedia installation. She also holds a Master of Arts in Advertising Design from Syracuse University (New York) where her thesis resulted in a published anthology - Symbols and Patterns of Grassroots Culture in the Fiji Islands. She previously earned a Bachelors degree from the University at Albany, State University of New York, in Fine Art Photography and Journalism, while also studying commercial art at the Junior College of Albany.
Other roles that Dr. Fulmer has served in at Mott include Faculty Director for the Center for Teaching & Learning, and Interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, where she assisted in transitioning fellow educators through the start of the pandemic shutdown. She also chaired the MCC Council, a college-wide equity and belonging-focused committee developing initiatives supporting student and employee success from 2020-2024. Early on in her time at Mott, she lead three international study tours to Fiji collaborating with the Fiji Museum and the Oceanic Center for Art & Culture to provide students with an immersive cross-cultural arts experience.
Before Mott, her roles included Art Director for the University of the South Pacific, Fiji Islands, a multinational university that serves the entire Pacific basin. She had also previously served as Art Director for the University at Albany/SUNY, and before that worked in various aspects of magazine, book, and newspaper publishing in upstate New York. Dr. Fulmer also maintained an international design consulting practice serving clients around the USA and internationally, including the World Wildlife Fund, Fiji Museum, International Labor Organization, Pacific Islands Museum Association, Fiji Government, New York State Museum, Ferris State University, Wayne State University, and many others. Her pro bono work through the United Nations Online Volunteer Program also led to numerous projects for various organizations, including the Mus-Art Museum (Cameroon, North Africa), RESPECT Refugiados NGO (Spain), and UNESCO/Institute for Pacific Studies, to name a few.
Currently, Dr. Fulmer maintains an active arts practice focusing on book arts, letterpress printing, and historical typography in a modern context, blending digital, analog, and experimental approaches in her work. An active exhibiting artist, her monoprints, book arts and letterpress work has been included in exhibitions in Australia, Fiji, and around the USA. She has published articles on art, design, and education, and keeps an occasional contemplative blog on a variety of topics such as personal observations, challenges, and a creative life. You can see what she’s been up to and Learn more at lookinglassdesign.art.
Kim Giacchina has been an adjunct instructor at Mott Community College since 2009. She holds a Master’s degree in Humanities with a focus on Global Culture and Art History from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor’s in Multidisciplinary Social Science with an emphasis on Asian Studies from Michigan State University. A certified yoga instructor, she also teaches a unique Art & Yoga class at the Flint Institute of Arts.
Christi Jones has been part of Mott Community College’s Media Arts and Entertainment Technology department faculty since 2018. She was one of the first graduates of the MAET program back in 2012. She immediately went on to pursue her B.S. in Mass Communication from Rochester College, then her M.A. in Communication and Digital Media from Saginaw Valley State University in 2016. After working for over 8 years at a local marketing agency creating ads and TV commercials, she resigned to pursue a second Master’s Degree. In 2023 she received her M.A. in Film and TV Post-Production from DePaul University in Chicago. While studying in Chicago she also worked in the local TV industry, on shows such as Chicago MED, Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and The Bear. Her final semester was spent living and working in Los Angeles, CA. There she was able to dive deeper into the TV and Film Industry- even working on a Marvel show! She enjoys bringing her knowledge and experience to her students, and sharing the current trends in the TV and Film Industry.
Josh Justice is the Support Specialist for the Fine Arts department as well as the Gallery Coordinator for Mott Community College’s Fine Arts Gallery. He graduated from Mott with his associates in business marketing and management in 2007, went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Michigan - Flint, then returned to Mott to earn his Certificate of Completion in the Media Arts and Entertainment Technology program. Josh went on to further his photographic studies and passion for music with The Entertainment Institute, covering the last 2 Vans’ Warped Tour dates in Michigan. He has covered a wide variety of musicians, from Queen to Slipknot and Insane Clown Posse to Chappelle Roan. He is an award-winning photographer whose work has been featured in numerous publications, including the Detroit Metro Times, Cleveland Scene, HeadrushTV, and on a Jones Soda Bottle.
Tim Kranz is an Associate Professor of Studio Art at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan where he teaches all levels of courses associated with Drawing and Painting. He was born and raised in Flint Township and Graduated from Swartz Creek High School. Tim began studying art at Mott Community College in 1995 and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan-Flint. He graduated from U of M-Flint in 2001 with high honors earning a Bachelors of Fine Art in Painting and Drawing and a minor in Art History.. During his undergraduate studies Tim also majored in Graphic Design and Art Education.
From 2007 to 2010, Tim attended graduated school at Kendall College of Art and Design. In May of 2010 he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Kendall (K.C.A.D) earning the terminal degree for Studio Art, the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting. Tim began teaching at the University of Michigan-Flint in 2010 before fulfilling his dream of becoming the full-time Drawing and Painting Professor at Mott Community College in the Fall of 2016.
Tim has been awarded several collegiate, professional, and art-related awards, publications, and has artworks in several private and Public Collections, including Kettering University in Flint, MI. He has taught several types of courses and subjects and currently teaches all levels of Painting, Drawing I, Drawing II, Figure Drawing, and Portfolio In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Tim Kranz is also a working Studio Artist. His current works are typically oil painting as well as, charcoal drawings, and watercolors. Throughout his career and studies, Tim has created many types of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art beyond drawings and studio paintings including murals, sculptures, printmaking, and ceramics.
Heather O'Brien grew up in Michigan and started her journey in the visual arts at what was then the Genesee Area Skill Center (now the Genesee Career Institute), where she studied commercial art, screen-printing, sign painting and typography. It was there that she discovered the importance of visual art and design as a vital means of communication; she learned to draw and began her career as a painter before focusing on ceramics.
Heather O’Brien holds an associate degree from Mott Community College, an undergraduate degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and a graduate degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has shown her work in museums and galleries throughout the United States and her work is part of the permanent collection of The White House. Her work has received recognition and awards, most notably the National Society of Arts and Letters Ceramic Prize, and she was selected as one of Ceramics Monthly's "Emerging Artists 2003". To celebrate 1000 years of porcelain, in 2004, one of her pieces was selected to travel to Jingdezhen, China as part of the exhibition highlighting exceptional work in contemporary porcelain. Her work can be seen in the popular books, "500 Cups" and "500 Pitchers”. In 2005, Heather was the Artist in Resident at the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Inspired by the intellect, insight and creativity of her students, she remains committed to teaching as a means of countering misinformation and giving back by fostering students' foundational knowledge and critical-thinking skills. Some of her former students have established successful careers in the visual arts, with several citing her instruction as pivotal to their professional growth. Having taught in diverse, academic environments in two different countries and five different states, she consistently describes Mott Community College as a hidden gem for visual arts education. Heather O’Brien currently teaches in both Flint and Detroit.
Townes Osborn Miller is Professor of Music and Coordinator at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan, and she also serves as the Adjunct Flute Instructor and Director of the Flute Choir at Saginaw Valley State University. She is the woodwinds coach for the Saginaw Bay Youth Symphony Orchestra and maintains a private studio. She is proud to be a Gemeinhardt Teaching Artist.
Dr. Miller tours internationally with the International Flute Orchestra and the Metropolitan Flute Orchestra, with whom she will be performing in 2022 in Provence, the Italian Riviera, and the Baltics. She will also participate in a three-day residency and concert at the New England Conservatory, Jordan Hall, in Boston. Just before the pandemic began in February 2020, Dr. Miller premiered a piece she commissioned for Flute, Mallet Percussion and Piano, by Bill Withem, Dragonfly. In 2019, Dr. Miller premiered a flute/organ piece written for her and Nicholas Schmelter by Moonyeen Albrecht, Psalms for Flute and Organ (set 2). In 2018, Dr. Miller performed on a world premiere piece for flute choir, Three Lyric Escapades, by Bruce Frazier, at the National Flute Association Convention. She gives recitals regularly throughout Michigan and in January of 2020, performed at Western Carolina University, North Carolina. She looks forward to taking the stage again with guest artist Dr. Brittnee Seimon, mezzo-soprano, and Dr. Carl Angelo, piano. Dr. Miller was the Artist in Residence for the St. Paul's Music in the Heart of the City concert series in Flint for their 2019-2020 season.
An active clinician and adjudicator, Dr. Miller has presented Flute 101: Tips and Tricks to Ensure a Better Flute Section and Recommended Solo and Ensemble Literature for Flute at the annual Michigan Music Conference. Her presentation for flute was also accepted into the 75th Midwest Clinic conference for December 2021. She has adjudicated for the Flint Institute of Music, MSBOA, and the Southeast Michigan Flute Association among others, throughout the United States.
Dr. Miller serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for the National Flute Association Conventions every year. These conventions attract nearly 3,000 flutists from all over the world. Dr. Miller also serves on the Board of Trustee’s for the Flint Institute of Music, chairs the Patron Development committee and serves on the Executive Board. She is a past member of the Flint Cultural Center Corporation board. Dr. Miller received her DMA with honors, from the University of Kansas and her MA and BA from Western Carolina University. Her primary professors were Dr. Eldred Spell and David Fedele.
Matthew Packer received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1987 and his Master of Music degree in 1995 from Central Michigan University. While at CMU, he studied voice with Timothy Caldwell and Dr. Jeffrey Foote, choral music with Dr. Nina Nash-Robertson, piano with Dr. Forrest Robinson, and composition with Dr. David Gillingham. His doctoral work was done at the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Orange Park, Florida, and he attended seminary at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio.
Matt has been a professional church musician since 1983. He taught elementary music for LakeVille Schools and has taught part-time at Mid-Michigan Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint. In addition to his responsibilities at MCC, Matt is the music director for Flushing United Methodist Church, the Flint Male Chorus, Swartz Creek Center Stage Community Theater, and choral accompanist at Swartz Creek High School. He is active as a singer and pianist at senior care facilities, sacred and civic functions and also performs as half of the duo, Brother 2 Brother.
Mary Procopio, Associate Professor and Music Coordinator, has served as Director of Instrumental Studies at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan since 2006, where she teaches classes in world music, music history, music appreciation, and directs the college concert band and chamber ensembles. An active performer, adjudicator, and clinician, Dr. Procopio received her doctorate in flute performance with a concentration in ethnomusicology, an M.A. degree in ethnomusicology/musicology, and an M.M. in flute performance from Michigan State University, and her B.M. degree in music education and performance from the Crane School of Music (Potsdam College, NY). Her doctoral dissertation focuses on Haitian classical music that is inspired by traditional and ceremonial music, and examines how music, nationalism and identity intersect in Haitian culture. Her master’s thesis examines the causes for ambivalence felt by many Haitians towards Vodou, and the ways in which Haitian composers and educators are challenging those ambivalent feelings, working to bring together social classes and communities, and educating Haitian and non-Haitians about Haitian indigenous culture.
Dr. Procopio has received numerous fellowships and grants to conduct research in Haiti and the United States, and was the recipient of a Title VI Foreign Language Areas Studies (FLAS) fellowship to study Haitian Creole. She has presented papers, lecture recitals and performances throughout the United States, Canada and Haiti at regional, national and international conferences for the Society for Ethnomusicology, KOSANBA, The Haitian Studies Association, the College Music Society, The American Folklore Society and the Midwest Popular Association. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Haitian Studies Association, and has served on the Advisory Board for Instrumental Change, Inc. In 2004 Dr. Procopio was invited to give a four-day residency at Marshall University in West Virginia, where she was also a guest artist for the Marshall Fluteworks Festival. She has been a guest lecturer at Olivet College and a guest clinician at the Red Cedar Band Festival. In 2004 she received the Geoffrey Gilbert Memorial Teaching Award from the Florida Flute Association, and was awarded the first annual Best Graduate Student Presenter Prize from the Great Lakes regional chapter of the College Music Society. Dr. Procopio has taught at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan—Flint, the Flint School of Performing Arts, the Leocardie and Alexandre Kenscoff Cultural Center, Ecole de Musique St. Trinité and Ecole de Musique Dessaix Baptiste (Haiti), the Limonest Conservatoire (France), and St. Croix (Virgin Islands).
Currently, Dr.Procopio performs with and is artistic director of Z.A.M.A. (Zanmi Ansanm Mizik Ayisyen), which promotes the music of Haitian composers, and the London Trio, which was selected to participate in the Michigan Arts and Humanities Touring Program and performed twice at the East Lansing Arts Festival. Dr. Procopio was selected to perform in the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir in 1998. She has performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique Sainte Trinite (Haiti), Chamber Orchestra of Northern New York, Champlain Valley Symphony Orchestra (VT), Jackson Symphony Orchestra (MI), and the Limonest Wind Band and Dream America Orchestra (France).
Dr. Procopio’s articles “Crossing Borders: Solo and Chamber Music for Flute by Haitian Composers” and “When East Meets West: Takemitsu’s Itinerant for Flute Solo” were published in the National Flute Association’s Flutist Quarterly in the fall of 2006 and winter 2006 respectively. In 2007, she released the CD Belle Ayiti: Mizik Savant Ayisyen (Beautiful Haiti: Haitian Classical Music) which features music for solo flute, flute and piano, and flute and strings by Haitian composers. She is a member of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Haitian Studies Association, KOSANBA (the scholarly association for the study of Haitian Vodou), National Flute Association, College Music Society, American Folklore Society, and the American Musicological Society.
In her spare time, Dr. Procopio breeds and shows sporthorse Haflinger horses throughout the Midwest and East coast. Her current music-related projects include recording a second CD of Haitian classical music, publishing music by Haitian composers that is currently unavailable (except in manuscript form), and acquiring instruments and musical supplies for music schools in Haiti.
Dr. Rembiesa is the coordinator for the Media Arts, Film & Theater programs at Mott Community College. He has over 30 years of multimedia, radio, TV, film, video and audio production experience. He is an award winning film producer with over 30 documentary film credits and has written several feature length scripts. He holds both a B.A. and M.A. in Media Arts & Technology from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from The University of Toledo.
Dr. Rembiesa is a regular attendee of both the National Association of Broadcasters and the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Conferences and Expos, and a member of the National Academy of Televisions Arts & Sciences, the Broadcast Education Association and the Michigan Production Alliance. He is currently an advisor for the Lapeer Education Technology Center and School, Genesee Career Institute as well as the Davison, Montrose and Fenton high school media arts and broadcasting programs. He has advised and assisted several organizations on how they can better use video and audio technology in their organization including the Genesee County Ennis Center for Children, Hurley Children’s Hospital, Flint Public Library’s StoryCorps, and the Flint Youth Film Festival.
Dr. Rembiesa has presented at several global conferences on college level teaching and learning including the Sino-foreign Seminar on Internal Quality Assurance of Vocational Colleges in Zhejian, Hangzhou, China and IHTEA Conference at Xiamen University. He is a co-chair of Mott Community College’s Committee for the Assessment of Student Learning where he has been instrumental in revamping the college's assessment tools as they pertain to accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.
Holly Richardson, Adjunct Professor in Music, graduated from MCC in 1986, and finished her BME at U of M-Flint. Catherine McMichael was Professor Richardson’s piano coach at U of M. She earned a MA from Marygrove College in 1994. Professor Richardson has an additional 21 hours of graduate credit from WMU and Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. She has been part of the Music Faculty at MCC since 1998, she also is employed full time at Flint Community Schools and is an adjunct professor at Ferris State University. Professor Richardson performs locally with the High Heeled PianoTrio, and for charity events and area churches.
Timothy Schmalz is an educator, composer, multi instrumentalist, and conductor whose studies and career in music have brought him from Maryland, to Boston, to Los Angeles, and now to Flint. Tim spent 8 years in Los Angeles working in the media music industry, and worked on many prominent projects for which he composed original or additional music. Some of the projects include Supergirl, Playmobil, Smallfoot, Terminator: Dark Fate, and Sonic: the Hedgehog. His original work can be heard in various branding campaigns and documentaries for companies like Acura, Coachella/Goldenvoice, Audi, Nurburgring, and many others. His studies include Berklee College of Music, UCLA, and competitive workshops like the ASCAP film scoring workshop, and the Los Angeles Film Conducting Intensive. Since becoming a Michigander, Tim has embarked on a forthcoming collaboration and album release with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Now a proud part of the Mott Community College music technology department, Tim hopes to share his experience and expertise on a wide range of subjects for his students.
Although perhaps best known among the professional community for his works for wind band, Matthew Schoendorff writes for all types of ensembles. His pieces have been performed on several continents and are on many state festival required music lists. Schoendorff’s music has received recognition by the first National Band Association’s Young Composer Mentor Project, The National Association for Music Education (MENC), and several competitions and festivals in Michigan.
He currently serves as faculty in music theory and composition at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), music theory and aural skills at Mott Community College (Flint, MI), and music theory, composition, and songwriting at the Flint Institute of Music School of Performing Arts (Flint, MI). Previous appointments include Theory and Composition Chair at the National Music Institute for Young Artists (in affiliation with the Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills, MI), middle/high school instrumental music in the Coldwater Community Schools (Coldwater, MI), and theory and composition at the Mott Community College Jim Lee Fine Arts Camp (Flint, MI). He has performed as a euphonium and/or tuba section member with the Ann Arbor Concert Band, the Hillsdale Wind Symphony, the Saginaw Eddy Concert Band, and ensembles at both Michigan State University and Western Michigan University. He served as guest conductor for the Ann Arbor Concert Band during the 2003-04 season.
First published as an undergraduate student at Western Michigan University, Schoendorff continues an extensive writing and publishing career. His music is published by Grand Mesa Music Publishers, TRN Music Publisher, MSB Publishing Co., Advance Music, and The Tuba Press. He is a member of ASCAP. In addition to his published compositions, he is also co-author of a warm-up method for wind band. Schoendorff appears in Composers on Composing for Band, Vol. IV (ed. Camphouse; GIA Publications, 2008) and Musicianship: Composing in Band and Orchestra (ed. Randles/Stringham; GIA Publications, 2013). He previously was the composer- in-residence for the NUCLASSICA Ensemble in Detroit, MI and has arranged for the OPERA REMIX Initiative at the Townsend Opera Company in Modesto, CA.
Schoendorff completed his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in composition at Michigan State University, where he studied with Jere Hutcheson and Ricardo Lorenz and served as a graduate assistant in music theory. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in composition and education from Western Michigan University.
Elizabeth Sevick is a multifaceted artist and educator with a passion for fostering creativity and technical skills in various mediums. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. Sevick’s educational background also includes a bachelor's degree in studio arts from the University of Michigan – Flint and an associate's degree from Mott Community College. While pursuing her MFA at Kendall, she served as a graduate assistant, operating Gallery 602 in downtown Grand Rapids curating exhibitions, and collaborating with international artists. With over five years of teaching experience at the college level, Sevick has instructed courses such as Color and Design, 3D Design, Painting, and Art Appreciation. These roles have allowed her to impart her knowledge and passion for art to students, nurturing their creativity and technical proficiency. Additionally, Casselman has received two artist residencies through Site Studio, teaching mural painting to K-12 students at Cook Arts Center in Grand Rapids. Currently, Sevick serves as an instructor at both Mott Community College and St. Clair County Community College.
As a dedicated artist and educator, Alicia Music-Shaver serves as an adjunct professor in the Photography Department at Mott Community College. Her academic journey in photography started at the University of Michigan-Flint, where she completed her BFA in 2016. Her talent and hard work earned her a full-ride scholarship to Kendall College of Art and Design, where she further honed her craft and received her MFA in 2019.
Alicia began her career at Mott in 2019, initially teaching Art Appreciation before transitioning to the Photography Department in 2022. She also assists with the annual student art exhibition and continues to spearhead the HELP Portrait Project, an initiative that uses the power of photography to serve the local community. Alicia is passionate about teaching students both creative expression and current industry standards to prepare them for a career in photography.
Jim Shurter is Professor and Department Chair of Art, Design & Photography at Mott Community College, where he has served the Flint community for two decades. His path began on stage—with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from the University of Michigan–Flint—but a growing passion for visual communication brought him back to MCC for an A.A.S. in Graphic Design. After completing that degree, and while working as an Art Director for a local marketing firm, he was invited to teach a print‑production course at Mott. The experience confirmed his commitment to teaching and mentorship, leading him to pursue an M.F.A. in Studio Art with a concentration in Graphic Design at Michigan State University.
Since joining MCC full‑time in 2007, Shurter has twice received the College’s Outstanding Faculty Award (2013, 2021). He teaches courses ranging from foundations to the Design Center—a client‑driven capstone course that pairs students with real‑world clients—and as Department Chair, he serves as the chief liaison between administration and faculty. In that role he guides curriculum development, faculty hiring and mentorship, budgeting and scheduling, and student‑focused initiatives such as advising support and enrollment management. He is always looking for opportunities to expand the program’s community presence through external exhibitions, guest‑artist collaborations, and outreach events that foster an inclusive, high‑impact learning environment.
Outside the classroom, Shurter directs James Shurter Design, his creative practice he founded in 2001. His portfolio spans branding, print, and graphics for clients such as the University of Michigan–Flint, Oakland University, Mott Community College, the Flint & Genesee Land Bank, Flint Youth Theatre, Shoreline Stixx, and Respect Nashville to name a few. This active practice keeps his teaching grounded in current industry standards.
Committed to community engagement, Shurter has held leadership roles with the Flint Institute of Arts (Trustee, 2022‑24), Friends of Modern Art (Trustee 2018‑24; President 2022‑24), the American Advertising Federation – Greater Flint (College Connection Chair, 2017‑present), and AIGA Detroit (Education Director, 2016‑17) In 2023, Shurter received the Silver Medal Award from the American Advertising Federation of Greater Flint—its highest honor—for outstanding contributions to advertising, creative excellence, and community service. Whether directing his personal design practice or guiding a student critique, Shurter champions empathy, collaboration, and design as a catalyst for positive change.
I hold a BFA in Film from Centro de Estudios en Ciencias de la Comunicación (CECC - Mexico City), and an AA in Photography from Escuela Activa de Fotografía (EAF - Mexico City), and an MFA from Cal State University Long Beach. I also hold a Marketing Certificate from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
I have been working as a professional photographer and cinematographer since 2008 in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Detroit. I am also a member of the Local 600 Cinematographers Guild as a first camera assistant.
In addition to actively participating in the field of photography and cinema I am also a professor at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), St Clair County Community College and Mott Community College where I teach Art History, Film History, Video Production, Contemporary Art, Careers in Photography, Basic Photography and Advanced Digital Imaging. I have also been invited as a teaching artist at CCS to lead a seminar on The Language and Creation of Video Essays.
My work has been exhibited in galleries and cultural centers across the United States of America such as the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, Kentucky, and the Axis Gallery in Sacramento, California. In addition to my exhibition record my work has been published by CuratorLove (May 2019) and LensWork magazine (2014).
Personal/Professional Website www.alanvidali.com
HI! I am one of four full-time Academic Success Specialists at Mott Community College and have been advising for about 15 years. I also teach in the Music area, primarily guitar classes/ensembles and Music Appreciation. I earned my Bachelor's in Music Education from UMF, my Master's in Music from OU, and my Doctorate in Community College from FSU. I am excited to help you attain your educational goals while here at Mott and look forward to working with you!
Frank Yon has been deeply involved in the musical life of the Flint area since arriving in the seventies as a music educator for the Montrose Community Schools. A graduate of Central Michigan University, with a masters in music from Michigan State University, he was a jazz soloist in the CMU Swingin’ Chips and 1st trumpet in the CMU Wind Ensemble. Using his many experiences in playing jazz all the way through high school and college he established the Montrose Middle School Jazz Ensemble, winning top honors in competitions with AA high schools. They have also been the featured band at the MSBOA Convention in Ann Arbor. He has played trumpet for every kind of ensemble including the Shrine Circus, Christmas at Whiting Orchestra, fifteen years in the Flint Symphony Orchestra, Holiday on Ice, and the Star Theater Orchestra for twelve years. While with the Star Theater Orchestra he got to play for many entertainers such as Helen O’Connell, Louie Bellson, Milton Berle, Rosemary Clooney, Jim Nabors, Mark Hamill, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope and many more.
His Montrose High School Jazz Ensemble competed to top honors locally as well as in Toronto, Virginia Beach, Chicago, and New York City. Mr. Yon was director of the Mott Community College Jim Lee Fine Arts Camp for several years as well as an adjunct professor at MCC for the past 25 years. He presently directs the jazz ensemble and jazz combo.
