Ask An Artist (ages 11-18)

Curious about a career in the arts? Join us for the 3rd annual opportunity to connect with a wide variety of local artists from the world of digital illustrations to stained glass, to improv and theater, to creative writing and much more. Be inspired by the artists as you learn about their career path and their chosen field in the arts. 

More Artist Bios coming soon! Check back for additional details.

Jessica Adams (bio coming soon!)

Jay Annelli is a local author and editor. He's a consultant for Wizards of the Coast, working as Loremaster (or continuity editor) on every piece of Magic: The Gathering fiction released in the last eight years. He's written three art books for Wizards, as well as writing creative text for over a dozen card sets. Jay has been hired for projects by publishers including Penguin Random House, Abrams Books, Hachette Book Group, Catalyst Games Lab, and Hit Point Press, as well as consulting on comics from IDW, Boom!, and Dark Horse.

Lee Demer is a multimedia artist from Frederick with 13+ years of experience exploring many different types of art. Mostly self-taught, much of their inspiration comes from video games, anime, music, and other artists. The core of Lee's work is a focus on bright colors, emotional themes, and experimentation.

Ayanna Gallant is a musician, poet, voiceover talent, and educator with a passion for creativity. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of New Hampshire in Music Education with a focus in low brass and jazz voice (2005), and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Arts Integration (2010). Ayanna has studied mindfulness science, theory, and practice at Lesley University and is a certified sound therapist through Biofield Tuning. In her 16 years as a public school music teacher, Ayanna taught general music, band, chorus, musical theater, and world percussion ensemble. She has performed as a freelance musician on low brass, voice, guitar, and African drums in venues all around the country. 

AJ George-Wright (they/he) is a performer based in Frederick, MD. They are a company member with Maryland Ensemble Theatre. A Hood College graduate, he previously directed for Hood Improv Troupe, and performed in several original sketch shows.  He currently directs and performs with Oh Crit! The DnD Improv Show, The Jane Austen Improv Show, and co-hosts a surreal late-night talk show: Being Human: With Rich & AJ for METComedyNight, Maryland Ensemble Theatre's own comedy incubator. With "Oh Crit!" AJ has performed at gaming conventions, including MAGFest, PAXUnplugged, AwesomeCon, and various venues around the greater DC/Baltimore area. AJ also stage manages for MET.  When they're not making jokes onstage, AJ is a children's librarian.

Nikoletta Gjoni is a writer out of the D.C. area. Her work has appeared in the 2023 Rising Stars London Independent Story Prize anthology, Atticus Review, The Ex-Puritan, and the Night Ginkgo Press inaugural issue, among others. She has also been previously nominated for the PEN/Robert J. Dau prize, Best of the Net, and Best Microfiction. She was a 2024 scholarship recipient for the Salty Quill Writers Retreat in Maine and will be a 2026 writer-in-residence at the Chateau d’Orquevaux in France. When she's not writing, you can catch her facilitating creative writing workshops around the DMV area and editing manuscripts.

Katie Rattigan (she/her) is a local artist, performer, and educator. A graduate of Hood College, Katie owns and operates her own small business, Wild Thing Pottery, and has purveyed her fun and functional, nature inspired wares at venues and events across Maryland including: the Frederick Punk Rock Flea Market, Artisan Grind Markets, Frederick Pagan Pride Day, the May Day Faerie Festival, and the Persephone Maker's Market. She is a member of the Frederick based ceramics collective Ash and Anarchy. She has been teaching ceramics in one way or another for the past fifteen years and working in clay for the last twenty. Katie balances the stress of ceramics on her body with regular improv practices and performances with Oh Crit! the DnD Improv Show and has performed with them at AwesomeCon, MAGFest, and PAXUnplugged. She is also member of the witchy band Vesper's Echo as well as a member of Austen Improv. Katie currently teaches all manner of artistic endeavors at a local private school and sometimes runs hand building programs at various libraries in the area.