MEMBERS

PRESIDENT

Louis Holstein is a curator and community builder who believes in the power of art and the strength of community. A collaborator at heart, Louis enjoys working with artists and creatives who long to build a world where everyone has a place to belong, space to grow, and the ability to thrive. His art reflects the importance of being bolstered by community and a deep conviction that art is the bridge from intolerance to empathy. Playing in various mediums, Louis’ artistic voice is communicated through abstract expressionist paintings, writing, and curation.  

Louis currently resides in Nashville, TN, with his wife and two children. 

VICE PRESIDENT

Delanyo Mensah is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and advocate whose work bridges art, justice, and community. As a queer, first-generation Ghanaian-American, Mensah’s creativity draws from her rich heritage and lived experiences, centering Black women and queer people of color. Her artistic practice—spanning photography, poetry, and mixed media—boldly challenges conventions and invites viewers on a journey of self-discovery and connection. She weaves together the past and present through cultural elements like adinkra symbols, offering new meanings that reflect her intersectional identity.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEAD

Caitlin Blomstrom (she/her) is an artist and arts professional with a BFA in Painting + Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She was an artist-in-residence at Penland School of Craft in 2023 and at Kunstraum in Brooklyn, NY in 2022. She was featured in New American Paintings in 2018. Caitlin is also a curator and loves to collaborate with artists and friends. She currently lives and works in Nashville, TN. Caitlin creates paintings and art objects as a way to interpret her surroundings and is interested in re-contextualizing everyday encounters.

SECRETARY

A tapestry that can visually endure, reflecting nostalgia, potential, security and beauty - painted materials, pieced fabrics, ribbons, fragments, are assembled and stitched with embellishment techniques, layering paint on pattern. Wild, untamed green spaces inspire through a similar unraveling and rebuilding process. Theresa Buffo received a BA from The Colorado College with honors in Painting. A longtime Chicagoan, she recently relocated to Nashville with her husband and two sons. As a COOP member she enjoys curating, grant writing and community building at the gallery. When not in the studio you will likely find her planning or working in a garden.

TREASURER

Beth Reitmeyer is a visual artist who likes to make people happy with her colorful installations. Her work investigates landscapes and the joy of unexpected yet beautiful spaces and places discovered as one explores the land: clouds, rivers, caves, geodes, and stars. These environments allow viewers to explore the land and get to know one another in a profound way, providing space for renewal and persevering. Reitmeyer’s work has recently been exhibited at the Frist Art Museum; ChaShaMa, NY; OZ Arts; Zg Gallery, Chicago. Beth has been an artist-in-residence at The Studios at MASS MoCA, ChaNorth, the Golden Foundation, and ChaNorth.

CURATORIAL DIRECTOR

Sai Clayton (she/her) is a Nashville-based visual artist and curator. Clayton’s work situates self-portraiture and cultural icons as representations of transcultural paradoxes. Her recent exhibitions include: neutral zone, The Forge (2024); Game of Two Halves, Electric Shed (2024); Switchyard 1, Zeitgeist Gallery (2024); HĀFU, Random Sample (2023). Residencies include State Gallery, Stove Works, and the Hamblet Artist-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University. She is the Curatorial Director at COOP Gallery in Nashville and was the 2021-22 Curatorial Fellow at the Frist Art Museum. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from Middle Tennessee State University.

CULTURE CARE TEAM LEAD

Nija Woods, as an abstract expressionist, channels her unique artistic style across various mediums, from fine art to journals and sculptures. In each piece, she masterfully combines colors with a deliberate choice that encourages reflection, acknowledgment, and transformation. This distinctive approach goes beyond aesthetics; it delves into the realm of color psychology, triggering profound emotions that pave the way for passive changes in overall health. Nija is also Certified in Color Therapy, Yoga Therapy, Meditation, and as a Therapeutic Art Life Coach Whether it's a canvas, a journal page, or a sculpted form, Nija's art invites individuals to engage in a transformative journey of self-discovery and well-being through the thoughtful interplay of colors.

COMMUNICATIONS LEAD

Ashleigh York is an abstract artist living and working in Nashville, TN. With a unique artistic voice and a playful and evocative exploration of planet Earth’s color palette, they strive to inspire through inventive and experimental work. Their practice explores the interplay of abstract textures and vibrant colors to create immersive artworks that evoke energy, joy, and exploration, inviting viewers to engage with their senses and embrace the expressive power of art as a source of inspiration and personal exploration. She incorporates recycled materials into her practice as much as possible and partners with local organizations to help promote sustainable practices and reuse.

FLAT FILE TEAM CO-LEAD

As a mother of three, a wife, a visual artist, educator, and researcher, I often find my priorities shifting among these roles. Originally from a small town in Northwest Tennessee, I have lived in various places, but I truly felt at home upon my return. Now in Middle Tennessee, I reconnect with my childhood and embrace my identity as a woman. My artwork reflects my tumultuous past, combining aspirational imagery that represents femininity and explores the female psyche, along with floral motifs that resonate with my spiritual beliefs. My faith, which I discovered later in life, is essential to me, providing stability and fostering compassion for others.

FLAT FILE TEAM CO-LEAD

Jon Jarrett Kinsland is a Tennessee artist working in ceramics and mixed media. He holds a BFA in sculpture and ceramics from Murray State University of KY and has exhibited his work across the southeastern United States. Spontaneity, biomorphism, pareidolia, and the belief that perfection gets in the way of fun, are subjects that energize his creative pursuits. When not in the studio you can find him reading forgotten lore, spending time with his wife, and experimenting in the kitchen.

HOSPITALITY TEAM LEAD

Amanda Lomax is a lens-based visual artist living and working in Nashville, TN. Amanda’s work promotes sensitivity to color by exploring hard-edge color fields in digital photographic printmaking. Her 2023 exhibitions include Galerie Tangerine, James May Gallery, and Folkestone Art Gallery. Her work is held in the permanent art collection of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Minted.com. She is represented by TurningArt.com and ArtBeat Nashville. She is a recipient of the 2020 Tennessee TriStar Arts Award, a graduate of the 2018 Periscope Arts Program, and currently serves on the Curatorial Committee of COOP Gallery. She has been working with the photographic medium since 1998.

SOCIAL MEDIA CO-LEAD

Sarah is a printmaker living and working in Nashville, Tennessee. Her practice is shaped by the joy of the process: every linoleum block is a visual puzzle of light, texture, and space. She pulls inspiration from books, music, podcasts, or whatever rabbit hole she’s most recently fallen into. Sarah earned her BFA from Watkins College of Art in 2018 and has since exhibited her work in 16 states, tabled at dozens of art markets across the Southeast, and regularly hosts workshops to recruit others into the cult that is print. Her goal is for each print to lie just shy of disorienting—visually dense enough to require a second look, rewarding those who let themselves linger.

SOCIAL MEDIA CO-LEAD

Téa is a Creative Producer and Marketing Consultant for visual artists, galleries, and solo-preneurs. She’s helped artists promote exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles, get featured in podcasts and publications like American Theatre, and produce large projects, including video installations and podcasts. She works with her clients to expand their audience, build loyal relationships, and lock in opportunities, whether that means securing a show, getting publicity, selling work or services, or upleveling in their industry. She’s currently based in Nashville with clients in Los Angeles and New York.

MEMBER

Anna specializes in mixed media and oil. Her beautifully chaotic paintings explore creative identity and celebrate idiosyncrasies that make that make us one of a kind. A peculiar mix of surrealism and magical realism, her paintings have been described as ethereal, vibrant, and empowering. She describes her work as "pretty paintings with gritty undertones."

Anna currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is grateful for her success in selling to private art collectors as well as having regular art shows and participating in art fairs. When not in the studio, she enjoys playing music, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their furry posse of dogs, cats, and chickens.

MEMBER

Ashley Mayfield is a figurative ceramic sculptor and educator, working in Nashville, TN. She received her bachelor of fine arts degree in painting, with an emphasis in both sculpture and fiber arts, from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She continued her graduate studies in ceramic sculpture, attending classes and workshops nationwide. She has worked as an art educator at the Frist Art Museum and with the Art Embrace program. Her work has been featured in publications including 500 figures in clay Volume 2 and Joomchi & Beyond. Ashley’s work can be seen locally at the Shimai Gallery of Contemporary Craft.

MEMBER

Bailey is a Nashville-based painter at heart, but whether through visual art, branding, or collaborative projects, she’s drawn to anything that offers space for meaningful expression. She believes the world would be a bleak place without artists and creatives — and champions spaces that celebrate their voices. She uses emotion as a driving force in her work. Attempting to capture fleeting feelings in tangible form. Raised in South Mississippi, she carries a strong connection to Southern culture and seeks to honor its richness and complexity in a world that often misrepresents it. She has spent years cultivating relationships in Tennessee and is passionate about helping others visually express who they are. Through authentic, emotion-driven work, she strives to create connections and uplift the creative community around her.

MEMBER

Brandi Coates is a Nashville native, self-taught artist, and arts advocate. She holds a BFA in Art and Design from Cumberland University and a Master’s in Education in Instructional Leadership from Tennessee State University. With nearly seven years in nonprofit arts education, Brandi has worked at the Frist Art Museum and the National Museum of African American Music, creating programs that inspire and connect communities.

Now at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, she supports local charities and creative initiatives. Her art focuses on dry media—pencil, graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, and oil pastel—while also exploring acrylic and watercolor. Brandi’s work reflects her dedication to fostering creativity, education, and access to the arts for all.

MEMBER

Cara Anne Greene is an artist and small business operator based in Nashville, TN. Her arts practice is rooted in process and materiality experimentation utilizing textiles, ceramics, and glass. She draws inspiration from both family craft practices and the reuse material movement. Raised in Nashville with deep family roots in Tennessee, she is passionate about fostering experimental arts in the South. In addition to being a member of COOP, she is also the current COO of Dryden Studio and a board member of the Arts and Business Council.

MEMBER

Galylea is a Nashville-based artist who specializes in stained glass work, drawing inspiration from both nature and past experiences. Through vibrant colors and symbolic designs, she creates pieces that explore themes of identity and belonging. Her creative approach is often experimental, sometimes drawing inspiration from intentional sources. By reconnecting with her roots through Mexican poetry, she translates words into visuals, allowing literary imagery to shape her artistic vision. Galylea is also extremely passionate about supporting local artists and works to foster an inclusive creative community where both artists and art enthusiasts can connect and share their diverse perspectives.

MEMBER

Living in Tennessee, nature is integral to being. My art has an intentional focus - on the tree itself, the graceful extension of the branches.

Since our neighborhood was devastated by a tornado in 2020, trees - those that survived– have new meaning to me. Like humans in their endurance, in their grace, and their frailty. The various tree studies are the foundation upon which I weave my color experimentation. The branches flow in and out within the composition, at times more prominent while at other times more subtle. I feel that the paintings are tapestries of color.

My work currently does not have any overarching theme but a quiet contemplation of the moment

MEMBER

John Holmes is an artist and creative technologist whose work integrates emerging technologies, experience design, and social practice. He creates sensory objects and environments that invite embodiment, reflection, and play. His ongoing research project Material & Immaterial examines how digital systems displace embodied experience and threaten to reshape the meaning of human life. He is also the founder of New Media Nashville, a cultural studio using art and technology to expand agency, build shared tools, and prototype new ways of being together. Across both practices, Holmes treats experience as a medium for systemic insight and transformation.

MEMBER

Marzuwq Bholai is a Museum and Arts Professional. He is the current Exhibitions Coordinator at the Tennessee State Museum.

In his personal endeavors, Marzuwq is the founder of Studio 7 art services, an independent company specializing in exhibition design and art installation. He is also the co-founder of First North, a community-based clothing brand that focuses on bridging the gap between all things art, music, and fashion-related.

Marzuwq prides himself on being able to utilize his professional skillset and experiences to fuel passion-based projects.

MEMBER

I am an artist and art educator from East Tennessee. I recently completed my MFA in Studio Practices form the University of Colorado Boulder and I am moving back to Tennessee to teach Ceramics at the University School of Nashville.

My work is inspired by the traditional handcraft techniques, like sewing, knitting, smocking, and quilting, that I learned from my grandmother who is an expert seamstress. I take various elements from those traditions, whether they are aesthetic qualities or specific processes, and translate them into other materials, like clay, paper, and plastic landscaping tarps, that aren't associated with those crafts.

My work reveals an obsession with texture and handwork. My highly textured surfaces, though orderly in one sense, contain enough variability to implicate the slow work of hands as opposed to machines. These multi-layered, dimensional surfaces resist a flattening or simplification of complex experiences; instead, they offer a space with physical depth for more complicated considerations.

MEMBER

Paz Suay is a visual artist based in Nashville, TN, originally from Valencia, Spain.

She grew up in an environment where painting and architecture naturally intersected, which led her to pursue studies in Architecture, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, and Illustration.

In 2015, she established the art program at Valencia Montessori School—an experience that deepened her interest in abstraction and process-oriented practices grounded in the same elements and principles of art she taught her young students. Painting and collage are recurring languages through which she explores life’s dualities and connects with the surrounding culture.

Paz treasures the virtue of community and actively collaborates with Blend Artists Collective, Nashville Collage Collective, FFF, Buchanan Arts, and COOP. She enjoys life in Inglewood with her husband, two sons, and their dog, Luna.

MEMBER

Sarah Budeski is a letterpress artist and designer based in Nashville, TN. She is a Designer / Printer at Hatch Show Print, a letterpress print shop located in downtown Nashville. In her fine arts practice, she explores identity through the printed word and book arts. Sarah grew up in Montana where she was raised on river and mountain time. The beautiful state encouraged her to stay for college where she received her B.F.A.’s in Printmaking and Graphic Design at Montana State University, as well as a minor in Art History with a focus on contemporary curatorial practices.

MEMBER

Shaun Giles is an artist and museum educator. As the Frist Art Museum’s community engagement director, he manages community partnerships, curates community exhibitions, and supervises educational outreach programs. He holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University and has been with the Frist Art Museum since 2005. Shaun was recognized by the Tennessee Art Education Association as the 2015 Museum Educator of the Year. He also serves on the Governing Board of Tennessee Craft and the Public Art Committee for Metro Arts: Nashville Office of Arts and Culture.

MEMBER

Taylor Walton's passion for creativity has been evident since his upbringing in small-town Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he was always sketching and experimenting with different artistic mediums. Recently, he relocated to the vibrant city of Nashville, seeking to establish himself in its bustling art scene. As a freelancer, Walton has created numerous opportunities to showcase his talents in a variety of venues. In July 2022, Walton made his debut as a featured artist at the EPHEMERA show held at NKA Gallery, which was met with great acclaim. His next exhibition titled, 'I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU MFKAZ,' debuted in December 2022. Walton is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, refining his skills and developing his creative voice. With his enthusiasm and dedication, Walton is well on his way to establishing himself as a prominent figure in the art world.

MEMBER

Ter Carter is a self-taught, Nashville-based visual artist originally from southern Nevada. When they are not working on American traditional, illustrative tattoo flash, they are primarily working with acrylic, gouache, ink, and fabric. They enjoy making surreal, confrontational pieces and feel they accomplish that by way of fabric; applying fabric to canvas allows their art to enter the third dimension and into the personal space of the viewer. Carter strives to embody the feeling of attempting to assimilate a nonbinary body into a binary world: finding the balance of blending in, begging to be seen, and the violence committed against self in the process.