The Community

Xiaoxiao is a Ph.D. candidate in the Arts Administration, Education and Policy program. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in art history from the University of California, Berkeley. She recently worked as a volunteer/researcher at community-based arts organizations in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Through combining community service with academic research, she takes the role of a participant-observer to explore and reflect on how engagement practices in communities, museums, and classrooms may inform one another in constructing culturally responsive learning environments.

Alice Yu-Chin Cheng is a Ph.D. candidate in the Arts Administration, Education, and Policy program at the Ohio State University. Alice received her B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature in Tunghai University, Taiwan, and an MA in Art Education from the Ohio State University. With a background in teaching in nontraditional classroom settings in marginalized communities in Taiwan, Alice is interested in how the arts can be a space for critical dialogue. Alice’s current research looks at how arts and cultural encounters can engage students in learning about social justice issues.  

Jasmine graduated from Miami University where she studied Art Education, Art Therapy and minored in Ceramics. Her research involves the use of storytelling to navigate the challenges Black art educators may have faced during their time as early art educators. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at OSU. 

Robin Gordon (co-founder) brings her sensibilities as a theatre maker, educator, & administrator and her training in Fitzmaurice Voicework and Somatic Experiencing to the study of arts workers & organizational cultures. Previous tlp exhibitions: “Body, Books, & Belonging: Exploring epistemologies in pandemic times” (2021),  “Pandemic Piñata: Arts-based phenomenological explorations of pandemic experiences” (2022), "Co-creation Station: Inviting arts-based dialogue in a public, interactive, arts-based research exhibition" (2023, 2024), "Daring Invitations" (2024), and "Researcher Exposed/Researcher Obscured" (2024).  

Julia Harth is a PhD candidate in Arts Administration, Education and Policy, specializing in Museum Education and Administration. Julia received her BA in Art History and BA and MA in International Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Through her work with the Wexner Center for the Arts and the Columbus Museum of Art, Julia explores best practices in museum learning, teaching, and community engagement. 

Amy Holihan is an alumna of the AAEP program, having earned her M.A. in Arts Policy and Administration in 2022. She now serves as Senior Project Manager for Music Columbus. Her work in the arts spans genres and cities. As a former professional ballet dancer, she performed with Pennsylvania Ballet and New York City Ballet, then transitioned to work in development and marketing for organizations such as The School of American Ballet, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Columbus Metropolitan Library. She also holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Erin J. Hoppe is a lifelong learner, maker, researcher, and educator. She is a Graduate Teaching Associate and PhD Candidate at Ohio State University researching embodied experiences and role of creativity in the lives of arts administrators utilizing critical arts-based inquiry. She has two decades of experience as a nonprofit practitioner. 

Polina Isurin is an artist and educator with experience in museums, schools, organizations, and universities. She has been teaching visual art courses to middle, high school, and college level students since 2012. She has a BFA in Painting and Drawing from The Ohio State University, an MFA in Studio Art from Tufts University, and recently completed her PhD in Arts Administration, Education and Policy with a concentration in Art Education at The Ohio State University. She is both committed and interested in how creative and pedagogical practices can coexist.  

Aelim holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. She received her BFA in Sculpture and MA in art theory and art education. Aelim has work and research experience in a broadcasting station, art museums, and research institutes. Aelim is co-founder of the trace layer play collective. 

Noor is an alumna of the Arts Administration, Education and Policy program at The Ohio State University. She received her BA in Interior Architecture and her MFA in Design Research and Development. Noor explores the intersections of design, fractal patterns, and psychological well-being to develop a fractal mindset. Her work with codesign and participatory methods led her to co-found the trace layer play collective.