Team - ArtsNOW

Melissa Dittmar Joy
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Melissa is a Dance Education Consultant and choreographer and works with Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, Brenau University’s dance department, and other arts organizations in the southeast. As a dance educator, she has taught in the public schools of North Carolina and Georgia, Atlanta Ballet, Brenau University, co-authored the Gwinnett County Public Schools dance curriculum, and served on the team to review the Georgia dance standards. Melissa received her BS in Dance Education and minor in Theatre from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Melissa has won numerous awards for her choreography and she presents at conferences and professional development workshops sharing her love for dance and its place in every classroom.

Laurin Dunleavy
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Laurin is a movement integration specialist with over ten years of in-classroom teaching experience and is focused on K-12 Teacher Professional Development and Teaching-Artistry in the classroom. Laurin is passionate about using movement to motivate and teach across all curriculums and was recently appointed the project manager for Georgia's Department of Education's Dance Standard revisions for K-12. Laurin holds a BFA in dance performance from Brenau University. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and when she’s not dancing, you can find her spending time with family and collecting rare plants.

Julie Galle Baggenstoss
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Julie Galle Baggenstoss is a full-time teaching artist who uses dance as a vehicle to explore the world. She has spent over 20 years working nationally as a flamenco artist in K-12 schools and is a published scholar. Julie is an adjunct lecturer in the dance program at Emory University and a collaborator with Mathematics in Motion, which presents math-inspired choreographies. She is a former instructor at the Atlanta Ballet. She has choreographed and performed for clients, such as Georgia State University School of Music, the Atlanta Opera, the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, The Flame Foundation in Dallas, Coves Darden P.R.E., Coca-Cola, and Visa.

Keighly Brown
ArtsNOW Dance & Theater Consultant

Keighly is an Atlanta actor, singer, dancer, and musician. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music, where she honed her music, dance, and theatre skills. Keighly has lived and auditioned in both New York City and Atlanta and actively performs gigs locally in the Atlanta area. She is deeply passionate about the arts and advocates for its vital role in the academic classroom. Keighly inspires others by demonstrating the transformative power of creativity, encouraging individuals to express themselves and embrace their unique talents.

Simone Liberty
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Simone Liberty specializes in arts-integrated programs for students in grades K-8. She holds a Master's in Public Administration and an Arts and Cultural Management certificate. Simone has developed and led creative curricula through in-classroom, afterschool, summer camp, and homeschool formats. As a strong advocate for the belief that art is for everyone, Simone is passionate about developing methods and programs that break down barriers to access the arts.

Tamara Irving
ArtsNOW Dance Consultant

Tamara Irving, an esteemed arts educator and performer, boasts a rich background in dance. Her impressive career includes performances with the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Opera, and lead roles in Disney's The Lion King. With 12 years as the former dance director at North Atlanta High School and adjunct roles at Kennesaw State University and Brenau University, she's a pillar in arts education.

Barry Stewart-Mann, MFA
ArtsNOW Theater Consultant

Barry is a professional actor, storyteller and arts educator based in Atlanta. A graduate of Harvard University with an M.F.A. in Theatre from the University of San Diego, Barry is also on the faculty of Lesley University’s M.Ed. Program in Integrated Teaching through the Arts. Barry has performed at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, the Florida Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Rep, and Studio Theatre in D.C., as well on such local stages as Theatrical Outfit, Theatre Emory, Horizon Theatre, and the Atlanta Shakespeare Theatre. Barry is a performer and teaching artist with the Alliance Theatre, Georgia Wolf Trap, Georgia Council for the Arts, Fulton County's Teaching Museum, and Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning. He also teaches workshops in drama integration at numerous colleges and universities.

Susie Spear Purcell
ArtsNOW Theater Consultant

Susie has been acting and teaching theatre arts for more than 30 years, with a long resume in television and film. She is currently the Director of Synchronicity Performance Group’s Playmaking for Girls community outreach program, developing curriculum and training a teaching staff of 15 female artists to empower teen girls in Georgia detention centers and DFACS Group Homes as well as refugee girls in their playwriting and summer programs. As a former program director for The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company in Los Angeles, Susie developed curriculum to help imprisoned boys write plays and perform in front of large audiences. Susie teaches Film acting classes and Meisner Technique acting classes to adults and children in Los Angeles and Atlanta.

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.

Rue S. Lee-Holmes
ArtsNOW Music Consultant

Rue teaches music to students in the public schools of North Carolina and works as an adjunct music instructor in the Department of Music at the University of Mount Olive. She is a board-certified music therapist and holds certifications in Orff Schulwerk and World Music Drumming. She is a published author, presents at state conferences, and conducts training for arts educators. Rue holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Meredith College, a Master of Music in Music Education with Music Therapy equivalency from East Carolina University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Maribeth Yoder-White, PhD
ArtsNOW Senior Music Consultant

Maribeth joined ArtsNOW as a consultant in September 2006 and taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Appalachian State University. She is sought after internationally as a consultant and clinician in the areas of choral music education and as an Orff specialist. Maribeth is currently President of the Southern Division of the National Association for Music Education and previously served as president of both the North Carolina American Choral Directors Association and the North Carolina Music Educators Association. Maribeth earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Lenoir-Rhyne College, as well as a Master of Music Education and a PhD in Music Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Shannon Green
ArtsNOW Visual Arts Consultant

Shannon, a former museum educator at the High Museum of Art, is a practicing visual artist and has created installations for Art on the Belt Line in Atlanta, Dashboard Co-op and Flux Projects. She is the co- founder of the Indie Craft Experience, a local organization featuring hundreds of local, regional, and national artists. Her classroom experience includes working with students and teachers to integrate visual art into curriculum and promote visual literacy. She is currently merging science and art through the process of creating natural pigments and paints from native rocks and plants. Shannon holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and studio art from the University of West Georgia and is also certified from the National Center for Montessori Education. She is passionate about working with students and teachers to create meaningful connections through the arts.

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.

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.

Behind powerful learning are people with passion.

Core Team

ArtsNOW has assembled a core team of outstanding, nationally recognized educators, fundraisers and consultants who provide the strategy for schools to integrate the arts into their daily lessons. Assisted by members of our core team, Pamela Walker, CEO and President of ArtsNOW, offers consultation services to principals and school leadership to develop strategic plans for integrated learning solutions and professional learning that, together, encourage school communities to achieve their full potential.