Staff
For nearly a decade in her role at Seattle Public Schools (SPS), Gail’s passions as an arts educator are to create learning experiences where young people thrive,
Gail Sehlhorst
For nearly a decade in her role at Seattle Public Schools, Gail’s passions as an arts educator are to create learning experiences where young people thrive, take risks, and are in community with others. She has closed arts access gaps across the district, doubling the number of music and visual arts programs, and has collaborated with teachers and teaching artists to create curriculum that is culturally responsive, antiracist, and activates 21st Century Skills.
Previously, Gail was the Director of Education for Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Arts & Education Program and worked as a teaching artist in K-12 classrooms with ACT, Arts Impact, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and Seattle Repertory Theatre. She’s been a faculty member of the WA State Teaching Artist Training Lab, developed curriculum for the University of Washington’s Arts for Learning Project, and did curriculum and assessment consultation. Gail has also been a commissioner for ArtsWA.
Gail is the mom of a Seattle Public School student, loves being in nature, seeing shows, dancing, and eating good food with friends and family.
Rayna’s career has been dedicated and in service of Seattle’s arts and culture scene, with an emphasis on empowering young folks in creative work and advocacy.
Rayna Mathis
Rayna’s career has been dedicated and in service of Seattle’s arts and culture scene, with an emphasis on empowering young folks in creative work and advocacy. She has managed youth arts programs through Seattle Art Museum, TeenTix, and Northwest Folklife and is proud to now continue this work with Seattle Public Schools.
In 2018, Rayna was awarded The Washington Art Education Association’s 2018 Outstanding New Art Educator of the Year. She has co-presented at national conferences, including for the American Alliance of Museums and the National Art Education Association, on topics such as Questioning the Progress: Millennial Women Discuss Gender, Racial Equity, and Inclusivity and Career Days: The Un-Sugar-Coated Version of Working in Art Museums.
In her spare time, Rayna is a storyteller and frequents the local jazz and lindy hop scenes..
Tina is a Seattle-based creative with a background in theater. Her work focuses on the intersection of art and social justice as exemplified through Arts Corps, the award-winning nonprofit she helped found.
Tina LaPadula
Tina is a Seattle-based creative with a background in theater. Her work focuses on the intersection of art and social justice as exemplified through Arts Corps, the award-winning nonprofit she helped found.
Tina has taught performance and storytelling at Centrum Arts, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and The University of Washington, and she has combined forces with The Frye Museum, The Museum of History and Industry, Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival, and Northwest Folklife to curate exhibitions and events that elevate the art and perspectives of young people.
Tina is also a faculty member for the WA State Teaching Artist Training Lab and a national advisor for the Teaching Artist Guild.
Tina immerses herself in local art and music, walking her dog, plotting for the revolution, and taking photos.
Pam supports Seattle Public Schools music and arts teachers through in-classroom mentoring and relevant professional development that is both culturally responsive and student centered.
Pam Ivezić, PhD
Pam supports Seattle Public Schools music and arts teachers through in-classroom mentoring and relevant professional development that is both culturally responsive and student centered. Prior to her position in Seattle Public Schools, Pam was a tenured professor of Music at the College of New Jersey, and an adjunct instructor at Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky. Her fondest years of teaching occurred in Arkansas City, Kansas, where she had the privilege of learning the art of teaching from her middle school music students..
Pam serves on the Seattle Opera Education and Programming and KING FM Community Advisory Boards, the OSPI Arts Cadre of Educators, and is a contributor to the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Teaching with Primary Sources catalog. She also remains an active singer in the Seattle area.
When not thinking about music, Pam can be found staring up at the sky with her astronomer husband hoping the asteroid (#174515) he named after her does not appear.
Ashraf Hasham
he/him/his
Partnerships, Education, and Grants Manager — Seattle Office of Arts & Culture
Ashraf oversees the City of Seattle’s investments in artists, cultural organizations, arts education, and the creative economy.
Ashraf Hasham
Ashraf oversees the City of Seattle’s investments in artists, cultural organizations, arts education, and the creative economy. He comes to this role from The Vera Project, a nationally-renowned, participatory, all-ages, volunteer-fueled music venue and DIY arts space, where he served as its Executive Director. Prior to that, he worked at Chicago’s largest arts education provider, Urban Gateways, and Seattle’s TeenTix, a revolutionary arts access and youth empowerment organization.
Ashraf co-hosts “Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation,” interviewing practitioners, teaching artists, and organizational leaders dedicated to bettering themselves and the youth they work with. Ashraf serves on Americans for the Arts (AFTA)’s Arts Education Advisory Council, the Friends of Waterfront Seattle’s Community Connections Committee, and on the board of Washington Ensemble Theatre.
Ashraf can be seen in the wild on various dance floors as well as at arts events, thrift stores, and live music venues around town. Ashraf also speaks Urdu.