Our Team
Erica Kelso, Executive Director
Born and raised in the community of Ogdensburg, Erica Kelso has embarked on a diverse and eclectic journey that has shaped her into a dedicated advocate for the arts and sustainable education.
Erica’s journey began with a sense of service, as she enlisted in the United States Marine Corps right out of high school. Driven by her passion for creative expression, Erica earned a BFA in Creative Writing from SUNY Potsdam. Building on her commitment to education, she furthered her academic journey with an MST in Secondary English Education, also from SUNY Potsdam. Currently, Erica is pursuing a PhD in the Philosophy of Sustainability Education at Prescott College, dedication to fostering sustainable practices in education and leadership settings.
Erica’s career path reflects her diverse skill set and dedication to community service. From teaching in public schools to working in outdoor education, she has consistently sought ways to make a meaningful impact. Most recently, her work with the local nonprofit GardenShare focused on addressing food insecurity in St. Lawrence County, specifically by supporting local farmers’ markets.
As a mother of four beautiful children, Erica understands the transformative power of art in shaping young minds. A poet herself, she is not only an advocate for creating a better world but also a practitioner of art, recognizing its importance in personal and community development.
Thrilled to bring her wealth of experience and passion for the arts to the SLC Arts Council, Erica is excited to contribute to the council’s mission as the Managing Executive Director. Art has been a constant in her life, and now, as she raises four budding artists of her own, she is eager to play a role in creating opportunities for local artists and increasing access to artistic programs in the North Country. Erica Kelso’s commitment to service, education, and the arts makes her a valuable addition to the SLC Arts Council, and we warmly welcome her to our community.
Email: erica@slcartscouncil.org
Alicia Murphy, Grants and Services Manager
Alicia Murphy has served as SLC Arts Regrants Coordinator since May, 2014. She administers the New York State Council on the Arts’ Statewide Community Regrants Program in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties, a program that awards over $80,000 annually to North Country artists, municipalities, libraries and non-profits, for the purpose of arts programming. She is responsible for the smooth, cyclic operation of the program, including its management, promotion and implementation. Alicia also coordinates a professional development program that serves the tri-county area. In 2022, she will also administer the National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan, which will regrant $100,000 to local arts-focused organizations and individual artists.
Alicia received her Bachelor of Science, in Business Administration, from SUNY Potsdam in 2003. She has worked in customer service, in one form or another, for most of her adult life, and has run a couple of small, home-based businesses. Prior to coming to SLC Arts, Alicia served as local Coordinator for a statewide non-profit organization, the purpose of which was to help individuals and families to meet needs that may met through other resources – where she successfully launched and branded the program; developed and supervised five new community initiatives, and coordinated a team of 20 volunteers.
In addition to work experience, Alicia credits a great deal of her pertinent experience to being very active in her community. She has served on the boards of the Waddington Redevelopment Association, the Waddington Main Street Alliance, and the Waddington Chamber of Commerce, organizations focused on economic development, neighborhood revitalization, enhanced communications, and socioeconomic growth. In 2011, Alicia was awarded the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Commitment to Community award. In 2012, she graduated from the St. Lawrence Leadership Institute.
Alicia lives in Waddington with her husband and four cats. She loves her job, and considers herself fortunate that she “gets to give away money for a living,” and play an active role in bringing the arts to North Country communities.
Email: grants@slcartscouncil.org
Emilia Gatti, Program Coordinator
Emilia Gatti has returned to the North Country after living in Philadelphia, PA for 8 years. She graduated from the Crane School of Music in 2010 and moved shortly after to Philadelphia with her now husband.
Once moved in, Emilia found a job teaching art and music to toddlers and their families but quickly moved on to working in an afterschool program in the heart of Philadelphia. She music directed the after school musical, led world drumming classes, and helped students create their own podcast, complete with their own music. Once she was hired as a full time classroom teacher in the same school, she invited the arts into her classroom by leading mural tours as part of a Chinatown unit and had students create a classroom meditation soundtrack, where students chose calming sounds, they were recorded, and spliced into their own calming soundtrack.
After coming back to Potsdam, Emilia worked at the North Country Children’s Museum, leading music after school classes as well as co-running art and music camps. Emilia lives in Potsdam with her husband, son, and two cats.
Emilia is at the Creative Spirit Community Arts Center on Wednesday and Friday during our open hours. If you are interested in teaching classes with us, please reach out to her at emilia@slcartscouncil.org
Steena Hooper, Marketing Coordinator
Born in Ogdensburg, Steena (Dustina) Hooper’s passion for art was inspired early on by their elementary art teachers. After graduating from SUNY Fredonia in 2013 with a bachelors in photography, they went on to live in Rochester NY & outside of Boston MA before moving back to the North Country in early 2021.
During their time outside of the North Country, Steena was able to experience working with a variety of mediums in their various roles over time; including vinyl work at a print shop, and content marketing through retail social media platforms. Although they spent most of their working life in various forms of customer service management roles, they continued to pursue a freelance photography business – known now as Steena Lee Artistry. In tandem with their passion for the arts is their love for music and community. With a primary focus in live performance photography, they began to intertwine their love of community service by providing photography services for the local PotsdamDIY punk music scene over the last few years.
Steena’s interest in community service began in 8th grade in Builders Club, and during highschool as part of North Country Adolescent Outreach and Supporting Peers Options to Resist Tobacco (aka SPORT). In 2010 they joined the co-ed community service organization, Alpha Phi Omega, Chi Pi chapter. They served a variety of roles during their active years, and as an alumni served as a Chapter Sponsor. In 2012 Steena received a Chapter Distinguished Service Key from the Alpha Eta Mu chapter at SUNY Canton for their service to the chapter during their petitioning phase into achieving their charter.
Steena hopes that in closer participation with the SLC Arts community it will help inspire their own creative interests outside of photography.
Melanie McLean, SLU PIC Intern
Melanie is a rising junior at St. Lawrence University, where she’s studying political science and business with a minor in statistics. Originally from Norwood, NY, she brings her love for the North Country and her passion for community engagement to everything she does.
Melanie enjoys exploring all kinds of art, spending time outdoors, and hanging out with friends — and we’re thrilled to have her energy and creativity supporting the marketing and planning of this year’s North Country Arts Festival!
She’ll be with us through June and July, wrapping up her internship at our newest event, NoCo Glow, on August 2nd — be sure to come out and say hello!
Nav Atkinson, Arts Clerk & SUNY Potsdam Presidential Intern
Nav Atkinson is a sophomore at SUNY Potsdam, where she is studying for her bachelor’s degree in art education. She hails from Harrisville, New York, and enjoys any kind of art, but she especially enjoys charcoal, printmaking, and crochet.
This summer, she will teach classes at Creative Spirit every other Saturday and act as our SUNY Potsdam Presidential Intern (PIP).
Email: nav@slcartscouncil.org
Dana Butcher, Arts Clerk
Dana Butcher is a recent graduate of SUNY Potsdam where she received a degree in Arts Management. She is passionate in all things art; from theater, to community projects, to her own personal explorations in whichever medium she is interested in at the time. She has been making art for as long as she can remember, and is overjoyed to be able to share her knowledge with her community.
Email: dana@slcartscouncil.org
Alec Silluzio, Arts Center & Teaching
Alec can be found in the Creative Spirit on some of our Saturdays between 10am-4pm. Including this upcoming Saturday! Alec is attending SUNY Potsdam studying to be a future art teacher. Come hang out with Alec this Saturday and create some Comic Flipbooks. This class is great for all ages and ability and Alec is looking forward to meeting you!
Emial : alec@slcartscouncil.org
Board of Directors
John Berbrich, President
David Crowell, Vice President
Lisa Dashnaw, Treasurer
Virginia Burnett, Secretary
Keri Strock
Raamitha Pillay
Dakota Newark
Rivka Eckert
