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Building Community Through Creative Projects

Who we are
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Director | Office Manager | Board Members | Advisory Board Members

Who we are starts with some history. The idea for Concrete Couch came out of the experience of running the for-profit, limited liability company Public Art Associates. In that endeavor PAA’s director Steve Wood worked with numerous local non-profits, and saw how much fun non-profit management can be!

The result is Concrete Couch.

Concrete Couch has no paid staff, and no regular expenses associated with the running of our organization. (We do raise money on a project-by-project basis to pay for instructional and facilitation services and other expenses associated with each individual program).

We DO have a director, a whole host of amazing teachers, a fantastic board of supportive and talented folks, and an Advisory board of helpful souls whose names we shamelessly exploit.

Here they all are:

Director

Steve Wood received a BA from Colorado College in 1984, and has apprenticed with master muralist Eric Bransby. He has received numerous awards, including the “Community Weaver Award” (1998, from KRCC, and the Colorado Springs Independent), the “Public Art Empowering Youth Award” (1999 from the Pikes Peak Arts Council), the “Continuing Support for Arts Education Award” (2003, from the Arts, Business and Education Consortium) and the “Service Learning Award” in 1996.

His community art projects have also garnered numerous design awards, including the “Project of the Year” award from the American Public Works Association in 2003.

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Lead Teacher

Naomi Marshall has worked with us since 2005. She received a BA from Colorado College in 2008 in Studio Art. Giant puppet making, book binding, gardening, construction, and farming are among her many talents.

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Board Members

President of the Board:

Patti Smithsonian is an internationally acclaimed master puppeteer.

She works regularly with the Kennedy Center’s Imagination Celebration and Colorado’s Young Audiences program, and numerous other groups. Patti works with people, helping them explore, create and perform in a wide variety of settings.

Currently Patti is translating several of her puppet shows into Spanish…es mui bueno, que no?

Secretary of the Board:

Caren Camhi. Caren has a finance and accounting background. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends,  hiking, running and traveling.

Treasurer:

Carol Benight. Carol is a CPA who runs Attentive Accounting Associates. Carol was instrumental in helping Concrete Couch receive their 501c3 designation, and now keeps our books and accounting practices up to snuff.

 

Peter Gallagher, Aquatic Habitat Consultant

Mary K Burnett, Special Projects and Urban Development, City of CS

Sean O’Meallie, Artist and Professor at UCCS

Phil Barnett, Photographer and CC webmaster

Wendy Fay, Art Educator and Painter
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Advisory Board Members:

Eric Bransby, Muralist and Uber Teacher

Dan Stuart, Attorney

Rodney Wood, Art Guru

Jim Houk, Landscape Architect and Community Planner

Kat Tudor, Artist and Fountain Lady

Kay Folan, Fantastic Cook and Philanthropist

Bill McCormick, Engineer and dam safety inspector.

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