Consultant – Katy Betts

Katy Betts
ArtsNow Visual Arts Consultant

Katy Betts is an artist and educator with over ten years of experience teaching core subjects and visual art in the public school system. She served as department chair and yearbook adviser in her previous school for several years and has been a teacher leader throughout her career. Katy has worked with students of all ability levels to integrate their art experiences with literacy and math throughout her time as a teacher. Additionally, she has taught private art lessons to students and works as a local artist out of her home studio. Katy earned her bachelor's degree in Visual Art from Berry College in 2007. In 2012, she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Georgia State University. Her passion is to awaken creativity and utilize visual art to engage all students in the learning process.

Consultant – Ashley Drake

Ashley Drake
ArtsNow Music Consultant

Ashley, a former music educator with over 14 years of public education experience, is a Shorter University graduate with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction: Integrated Arts. She is also a former Teacher of the Year.

She was a co-author of revising teaching standards and developing new course titles for the Georgia Board of Education's Performance Standards. She has also designed and developed performance evaluation assessments for Gwinnett County Public Schools and instructor-led training for adult learners at the annual Georgia Music Educators Association in-service conference.

Ashley is passionate about music education and believes it is essential for a well-rounded education.

Consultant – Taylor Spreeuwers

Taylor Spreeuwers
ArtsNow Consultant

Taylor Spreeuwers is an art educator with over 15 years of experience in the classroom. She spent half of her career teaching middle school art in the public school system. The other half has been in her private home art studio, where she teaches home-schoolers, after-school art classes, and summer art camps. Since 2018, Taylor has returned to the public school system setting in various forms as an Artist in Residence, art consultant, and occasionally as a substitute at her children's elementary school. Taylor believes visual art is a tool for connection and creativity to open the mind and explore all subject areas, ourselves, and the world around us. Taylor has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art Education from the University of South Carolina and a current teaching certificate from the State of South Carolina. She is also a working freelance artist. Her hand-built clay sculptures and painted murals can be seen in local establishments and private homes in the Columbia area.

Consultant – J’miah Nabawi

J’miah Nabawi
ArtsNow Consultant

J’miah, bilingual in Spanish and English, is a multifaceted performance storyteller and self-publishing author of his World-Beat Books. His storytelling is known for incorporating story-specific vocabulary and songs in the languages of Twi, Spanish, French, Yoruba, Japanese, Gullah, and Ki-Swahili during his performances and reflects the musical folktale drama style. J’miah’s work with children and youth in underserved rural and urban areas has been recognized by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives the Mayor of Boston, MA, and the Miami Dade City Council in Miami, FL. He is also a recipient of the National Storytelling Network's ORACLE Award for Outstanding Service and Leadership in the Southeast Region for his community leadership through storytelling."

Consultant – Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT

Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT
ArtsNow Visual Arts Consultant

Debi is a long-time teacher and advocate for art education and is currently the fine arts department chair at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee. She is the former President of the Georgia Art Education Association, has served on various boards for the National Art Education Association, and is currently the NAEA Southeastern Vice President. Debi has won numerous awards as a teacher and is an accomplished artist and author, receiving national recognition for her work, “The Art of Making Art.” She has published 10 books and resource guides and is a contributing editor for “Arts and Activities” magazine. Debi has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of South Carolina with a concentration in studio art, an art teaching certificate from the Moore College of Art and Design, an MAEd (art education), and Ed.S (art education) from the University of Georgia. She is also a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia.