Arkadiy Gips
Classically trained by Vladimir Novak, who later founded Holland’s leading music school, Arkadiy Gips began performing with chamber and symphony orchestras as well as performing solo acts. Being a laureate of many national and international music competitions, he continued his education and graduated from the Rostov Music Conservatory. Gips became a well-known violinist in Eastern Europe where he played with a variety of orchestras. His performances included Ukrainian, Jewish, Hungarian and Polish music. In addition to ethnic music, his interests varied, among them country, folk and jazz. In the U.S., Arkadiy has performed with many noted musicians. Today, Arkadiy not only plays, but conducts, arranges and composes music.
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Gaye Reissland
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Gaye Reissland received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Cross Disciplinary Studies at Ohio Dominican University. Her work has been exhibited in many local galleries and throughout the country in various traveling shows. She has worked with The Ohio Alliance of Art Education as a lead artist and has taught as a master artist for the past several years at Aminah Robinson’s birthday celebration. Gaye is the recipient of several awards including the Daniel Rudd Award for Excellence & The Queen Brooks Award for Artistic Excellence. Gaye’s work is part of the permanent collections at The Columbus Metropolitan Library and The Greater Columbus Arts Council.
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Pamela Feldman-Hill
Pamela Feldman-Hill is an award winning artist who specializes in custom artworks celebrating Jewish lifecycle events and Biblical imagery. She is also the North American representative for some of the world’s most well-known Ketubah and Judaic artists under the old company name Pearl Editions. Feldman-Hill has been painting since grade school, and continued her studies at The Ohio State University with a BFA in General Fine Arts and an MA in Printmaking. Her love of Life Drawing and her background in creating illuminated manuscripts has informed much of her fine art work.
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Janet George
An enthusiastic life-long learner whose curiosity and passion for exploration drive her creativity, Janet George is a “self-taught artistic jack of all trades and master of none.” Janet exhibits pieces reflecting her various creative interests. With work ranging from photography to collage to assemblage to digital art Janet has been exhibiting, and curating exhibitions, since 2008. Her work is represented in several corporate and private collections including Saint Mary of the Springs Mother House, Saint Joseph Montessori School, The Hilton Columbus, Franklin County Treasurer’s Office, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Northside Neighborhood Pride Center, Amethyst Women’s Recovery Center and Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services. She is a member of Creative Women of Color and The Eastside Arts Initiative, two Columbus-based arts associations. A committed community volunteer, Janet enjoys using her creative skill to teach and support youth.
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Nepali Cultural Dance Club (NCDC)
NCDC is a nonprofit organization established in Reynoldsburg, OH in 2014. A splash of culture between Bhutan, Nepal and America, NCDC is here to continue what human civilization has been doing for years and believes that dance is an instrument used to express every emotion within our bodies. NCDC is continuing Nepali cultural dance traditions by teaching the next generation.
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Tariq Tarey
Tariq Tarey is a distinguished documentary photographer, visual ethnographer and filmmaker based in Columbus, OH. Over the years, he has captured thousands of portraits of refugees from around the world. Tarey himself was an asylum seeker; 26 years ago he arrived at JFK airport in New York with $72 in his pocket. Tarey is renowned for his commitment to storytelling through the lens. His exhibitions, such as “Forlorn in Ohio” and “Bhutanese-Nepali Neighbors” have been displayed at prominent venues such as the Ross Museum, Wright State University, and Ohio History Connection, and showcase his ability to capture the essence of his subjects, earning accolades like the Ohio Museums Association’s Best of Show award. Beyond his artistic contributions, for more than two decades, Tarey has worked for Jewish Family Services as its director of Refugee Social Services. He also serves on Ohio’s New African Immigrants Commission and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ New American Advisory Council.
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