Ask An Artist (ages 11-18)

Curious about a career in the arts? Meet local artists, hear their success stories, and find your inspiration! 

Nicole Abuhamada is an interdisciplinary artist whose interests span across literature and visual arts. With a background in fashion modeling and acting, Nicole gained international fame as the winner of America’s Next Top Model, Covergirl spokesmodel, and appeared in a diverse range of film and tv productions. Nicole has exhibited her work, most recently in her show, Notional Ekphrasis. Nicole’s art and poetry has been published in Unbound Morpheum, Sapere Magazine, and Pen in Hand literary journal, and she is the author and illustrator of the children’s book, Lipton Loves. Nicole manages an art program for neurodiverse adults where she mentors self-employed artists. Nicole is currently in the process of developing a book for the Maryland Zoo, showcasing the artwork of the neurodiverse artists she works with. Additionally, she holds the esteemed role of art director for a large-scale sculpture installation, which is set to become a permanent feature at the Maryland Zoo.     

Jessica Adams is a stained glass artist who specializes in window hangings and smaller pieces. A recent law school graduate, Jessica enjoys exploring various artistic mediums but has been creating glass art since 2021. Jessica finds inspiration in popular nerd culture and nature but has recently been branching out to 3D pieces.   

Ayanna Gallant, owner of Aya Cultural Arts Studio, 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 recently acted in the world-premier of “Craft Town: A Midsize Retail Noir” at Maryland Ensemble Theatre. He currently directs and performs with "Oh Crit! The DnD Improv Show," a house team with METComedyNight, Maryland Ensemble Theatre's own comedy incubator. With "Oh Crit!" AJ has performed at gaming conventions, including MAGFest and PAXUnplugged, and various venues around the greater DC/Baltimore area. When they're not making jokes onstage, AJ is also a librarian. 

Juliet Drake Hossain spent the first part of her creative life in the performing arts, working in music, theatre and film. She obtained a B.F.A. in Performance from Hofstra University in 2002, and professionally acted until the birth of her two children. As an Air Force spouse, she was afforded eclectic experiences while living in the Washington, D.C. area, New York City, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tokyo, Delaware and southern New Jersey. Juliet now works out of her studio in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland, where her favorite tools are her paintbrushes and her Glowforge laser cutter. She is endlessly inspired by her vibrant children, her travels and her theatrical background, and frequently focuses on the contemplation of self through the bridging of art and science. She seeks to explore our relationships with each other, and within the cosmos and the laws of nature.

Leslie King combines her experience in theater and mastery of clay, to create narrative ceramic characters inspired by both reality and myth. With a BA in Theater from the University of Maryland, Leslie started out as a puppeteer in New York City's Central Park, performing and making puppets at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre. Then, moving to Denmark she worked as a scenic artist at Det Kongelige Teatre (the Royal Theater) in Copenhagen, painting sets, creating specialty props and masks. After completing her degree in Graphic Design from Denmark’s Design Skole (now The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts), she spent a decade working as a graphic artist and videographer for CSC in Denmark. During that time, she worked internationally on projects in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, France, and the US. Leslie has been working with ceramic sculpture since 2016, earning her MFA in Ceramic Sculpture from Hood College in 2021. She is represented by TAG/The Artists Gallery in Frederick, MD.

TJ McCann invites the observer of her paintings to take a journey into the natural world and consider the elements of beauty therein.  Her goal is to capture attention from across a room and tempt a viewer to look more closely and her objective is to grasp and represent a moment redolent of simpler times.  Her drawings and paintings lean toward accurate representation of the visible world, sometimes referred to as realism, and along the lines of William Bliss Baker, Albert Charpin, Robert Bateman, and Bob Travers.  Her work has been highly influenced by some of the premier thinkers and writers in our recent history such as Albert Einstein, John Muir, and Frank Lloyd Wright.