Arthur Jones is currently a clinical professor of culture and psychology in The Women’s College at the University of Denver, where he teaches courses that deal with the intersection of issues of race, class, culture and gender. He also teaches similar courses in the university’s general education program. He has a particular expertise in African American music culture, and is the Founder and Chair of the Spirituals Project, which focuses on preserving and revitalizing the music and teachings of the sacred folk songs created and first sung by enslaved African Americans. Art is a skilled group facilitator, with experience facilitating group discussions with participants from widely diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his teaching, scholarship and community work, including the University of Denver’s Outstanding Core Faculty Award, and the City of Denver’s “Unsung Heroes” Award in 2008 on the occasion of Denver’s 150^th anniversary. The award was presented to 150 living “unsung heroes” who have contributed to making Denver a great city. He serves currently as Chair of the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs.

ARTHUR JONES

Sheila Bisenius comes to the commission with an impressive arts and culture background. Most recently, Bisenius was the Special Assistant to the Director of Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City, as well as the Education Volunteer and Departmental Assistant at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was also the Executive Director of the Denver Architectural Foundation in 2002 and 2003. Bisenius currently serves on several boards, including Opera Colorado and the Clyfford Still Museum. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Loretto Heights College and has done graduate work at New York University, University of Denver, and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts.

MARIA COLE

LORI FOX

JOSE MERCADO

YOLANDA ORTEGA

Sandra K. Reichborn has spent decades as a successful Interior Designer and Art Consultant.  She also has a passion for collecting art.  Her formal art education, interior design career and many years of pro bono work in the Denver art and interior design communities have provided her with knowledge, contacts, experience and wisdom that contribute greatly to the vision of the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs.   

Steve Sander is the Director of Strategic Marketing for the City of Denver, overseeing the overall marketing strategies for the City and its agencies, as well as providing senior-level consulting on a wide array of communication and branding issues.  In his 25-year career, Sander has worked on a variety of large local and national consumer and nonprofit marketing campaigns. With an extensive web of relationships within the local community, he specializes in developing strategic partnerships to create unique communications opportunities for his clientele.  Sander was formerly vice president/account supervisor for both Barnhart Advertising and Karsh & Hagan before forming Sander/GBSM in 1996. In 2007, he created Sander Marketing before being appointed to his current position.  Sander serves on the board of directors for VISIT DENVER, the Metro Denver Sports Commission, the Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission, the Friends of the Denver Firefighters and the Cherry Creek Arts Festival.  He is an alumnus of Leadership Denver.  Sander earned a journalism degree from the University of Colorado, with graduate study in marketing, and began his professional career as an award-winning sports photographer at the Boulder Daily Camera.

STEVE SANDER

Ken Santistevan is the Assistant to the Superintendent for Denver Public Schools in Community Relations.  He was formerly the Director of Public Affairs for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA).  His position at the DCPA included community relations, government affairs, arts and education policy/advocacy and the promotion of careers in the arts.  Previous to the DCPA, Santistevan was the Minority Business Advocate for the State of Colorado.  His civic endeavors are many, including serving as a volunteer of the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for the past 16 years, taking an instrumental role in the development of the Colorado Minority & Women Business Council, co-founding the United States Hispanic Junior Chamber of Commerce, being appointed to the Colorado Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap, and serving on the boards of the Colorado Hispanic League, Minority Enterprise & Educational Development, Inc., Colorado Alliance for Arts Education, Colorado Business Council and the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation.  Santistevan is the recipient of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Youth Service Award and the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award. 

Gillian Silverman is an assistant professor of English and co-director of the Women and Gender Studies Program at the University of Colorado Denver.  She also co-directs the series “Feminism & Co.: Art, Sex, Politics” -- a program designed to address issues relating to women and gender at The Laboratory of Art + Ideas at Belmar.  Her research and teaching interests include American literature and culture, critical theory and the history of the reading.  She has published in academic venues and in mainstream venues including The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, The New York Observer and The Los Angeles Times.  She is currently completing a book about reading practices in nineteenth-century America.

IVAR ZEILE