A message from the Board’s President, Theresa Reed
People from all over the world will be coming to Fairbanks this year for our 29th Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. We hope you’ll be one of them! Register for the Festival and take any number of the more than 100 classes we offer each day during the two weeks. (Please refer to the Registration Form). If you come to Fairbanks as a VISITOR, attend the wonderful concerts that are part of this exciting annual event held on the beautiful University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. We hope you will decide that FAIRBANKS, ALASKA is where you’d like to be during the last two weeks of July! Please give us a call at 907.474.8869 or send an email to
if you have questions. We are here to help!
Board Members: Theresa Reed, President; Don Gray, Vice-President; Joy McDougall, Secretary; Dave Stephenson, Treasurer. Jaunelle Celaire, Sandy Clark, Patty Kastelic, Doug Lange, Karen Parr, Susan Stitham and B.J. Williams. Legal Counsel: John Tiemessen Emeriti: Eddie Madden, Dick Scott and the late Jean Mackin.Historians: David and Linda Witt.
Staff
Executive Director and Founder
Website Design
Jo Ryman Scott Executive Director and Founder with Eddie Madden, Boston.A Fairbanks resident for the past 55 years, Jo has received numerous statewide awards for her contributions to the arts including two Governor’s Awards and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She began her teaching career 61 years ago in a South Dakota country school. She describes herself as a passionate educator, and finds happiness in being able to produce this Festival – with help from many friends and supporters, including her husband, Dick.
The Festival board and staff are grateful to Kade Mendelowitz for the work he does maintaining our web site. He also has considerable tech and production skills, and has helped the Festival run smoothly for the past 15 years. Originally from New York, Mendelowitz is Associate Professor at Theatre UAF and recently authored three interactive CD tutorials on technical and theatre design. Readers are invited to view samples of his work at:
www.TheatricalDesign.com
Business Manager
Board Volunteer
Judy Robertson Divinyi Business Manager
Business Manager Judy came to Fairbanks in 1959. She owned and managed Arctic Travelers Gift Shop for 25 years. She started helping Jo Scott in 2003. Her bookkeeping/accounting skills are valuable to the Festival, and she enjoys doing this work part-time in her home-office. Her husband Carl gives considerable volunteer time to the Festival.
Joy McDougallhas participated in the
Festival for the past 21 years. After teaching for 23 years, she retired in 1997, and since
that time, she has volunteered her time —
with help from her husband, Robin — to
efficiently administer the coordination of
guest artists’ housing and courtesy cars. This
is no small task, and we are deeply grateful to
Joy and Robin for their dedicated work.
Public Relations / Marketing Director
Catalog Cover Artist
Adela Batin Jackson Public Relations / Marketing Director Adela enjoys creating new marketing tools for
the Festival. Check out our new color
brochure and online ENOTE! A life-long
Alaskan, she has her Bachelor of Arts in
Advertising Design & Photography. As a
culinary artist, her passion is food
photography. Her “Alaska Recipe Note Cards”
and “Cooking Up Adventure” video will be for
sale in our Festival Gift Shop.
Erin Kelly Poland Erin is a third generation Alaskan born and
raised in Fairbanks. She graduated from
Monroe Catholic High School and attended
the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She owned
her own child care business for 9 years. Now
she enjoys working part-time with the
Festival so she has more time with her family.
Cassy Kelly Bartch
Summer Office Manager, during Festival
Cassy Kelly Bartch was born and raised in Fairbanks. She received her MBA and BA degrees in Business Management from UAF. This is the fifteenth summer that she has helped with the Festival. Cassy is a self-taught photographer and owns Exposures Studio Photography. She is also co-owner of The Pretzel Chef. She left her job as a business analyst to manage both businesses and to be a stay-at-home mom.
Jane Sandstrom
Assistant to Executive Director, summer months
Jane Sandstrom is an active musician in the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Fairbanks Flutists, and Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre. For over 19 years she has taught science, currently at West Valley High School. A Nebraska native, she is delighted to assist in the Festival’s “behind-the-scenes” work and attend her tenth Festival.
Classroom Scheduling
Orchestra Librarian; Stage Manager
Meta Bravos
Classroom Scheduling, during Festival
Meta Bravos is a long-time Festival participant. For the past three years, her work for the Festival has involved coordinating classrooms with UAF Wood Center Scheduling to find locations for all our Festival classes –no small task! Meta teaches general music at Anne Wien Elementary School, and she is on the Board of Directors for our community’s newly formed, Opera Fairbanks.
James Smaby
Orchestra Librarian; Stage Manager, during Festival
Originally from Michigan, James Smaby has been a Fairbanks resident for a little over four years. During that time, he has attended UAF as a cello performance masters student. His other interests include voice, composition, cooking, and science. This is James’s fifth year as a Festival participant.
Production Manager
Tech and Sound, during Festival
Matt Krell
Production Manager, during Festival.
This year Matthew Krell designed sound for No Exit, was the Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and finally graduated from UAF as a Theatre Major. This is his seventh year with the Festival, and his second as Production Manager, starting as a mover of chairs and music stands!
Gary Toth
Tech and Sound, during Festival
Gary Toth and his wife moved to Fairbanks from Denver Colorado 1 ½ years ago. He is currently the Director of Performance Operations at Davis Concert Hall. For the past 25 years (and currently) he’s owned and operated Audio Visual Interiors specializing in design and installation of home theaters and whole house audio system.
Festival Photographer
Todd Paris is the Photo Manager at the UAF Office of Marketing and Publications. He has been a long-time supporter of the Festival and is creating an informational brochure to send around the country when it’s out this fall. Todd will be taking photos during the two weeks for publication on our website and for use in Festival publicity. His photos will be available for purchase on-line during the Festival at www.parispub.smugmug.com
A message
Jo Ryman Scott Executive Director and Founder with Eddie Madden, Boston.A Fairbanks resident for the past 55 years, Jo has received numerous statewide awards for her contributions to the arts including two Governor’s Awards and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She began her teaching career 61 years ago in a South Dakota country school. She describes herself as a passionate educator, and finds happiness in being able to produce this Festival – with help from many friends and supporters, including her husband, Dick.
The Festival board and staff are grateful to Kade Mendelowitz for the work he does maintaining our web site. He also has considerable tech and production skills, and has helped the Festival run smoothly for the past 15 years. Originally from New York, Mendelowitz is Associate Professor at Theatre UAF and recently authored three interactive CD tutorials on technical and theatre design. Readers are invited to view samples of his work at:
Judy Robertson Divinyi
Joy McDougallhas participated in the
Festival for the past 21 years. After teaching for 23 years, she retired in 1997, and since
that time, she has volunteered her time —
with help from her husband, Robin — to
efficiently administer the coordination of
Adela Batin Jackson
Neville Jacobs
Erin Kelly Poland Erin is a third generation Alaskan born and
raised in Fairbanks. She graduated from
Monroe Catholic High School and attended
the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She owned
her own child care business for 9 years. Now
she enjoys working part-time with the
Festival so she has more time with her family.
Tom Nixon "Chena Gold" watercolor © 2007
Cassy Kelly Bartch
Summer Office Manager, during Festival
Cassy Kelly Bartch was born and raised in Fairbanks. She received her MBA and BA degrees in Business Management from UAF. This is the fifteenth summer that she has helped with the Festival. Cassy is a self-taught photographer and owns Exposures Studio Photography. She is also co-owner of The Pretzel Chef. She left her job as a business analyst to manage both businesses and to be a stay-at-home mom.
Jane Sandstrom
Assistant to Executive Director, summer months
Meta Bravos
Classroom Scheduling, during Festival
Meta Bravos is a long-time Festival participant. For the past three years, her work for the Festival has involved coordinating classrooms with UAF Wood Center Scheduling to find locations for all our Festival classes –no small task! Meta teaches general music at Anne Wien Elementary School, and she is on the Board of Directors for our community’s newly formed, Opera Fairbanks.
James Smaby
Orchestra Librarian; Stage Manager, during Festival
Matt Krell
Production Manager, during Festival.
This year Matthew Krell designed sound for No Exit, was the Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and finally graduated from UAF as a Theatre Major. This is his seventh year with the Festival, and his second as Production Manager, starting as a mover of chairs and music stands!
Gary Toth
Tech and Sound, during Festival
Gary Toth and his wife moved to Fairbanks from Denver Colorado 1 ½ years ago. He is currently the Director of Performance Operations at Davis Concert Hall. For the past 25 years (and currently) he’s owned and operated Audio Visual Interiors specializing in design and installation of home theaters and whole house audio system.
Todd Paris is the Photo Manager at the UAF Office of Marketing and Publications. He has been a long-time supporter of the Festival and is creating an informational brochure to send around the country when it’s out this fall. Todd will be taking photos during the two weeks for publication on our website and for use in Festival publicity. His photos will be available for purchase on-line during the Festival at 
