Guest Artist Program

The Guest Artist Program was created in 1991 to provide students with direct personal contact with practicing professional artists, to help foster relationships with the broader arts community, and to bring a breadth of professional art expertise and artists into the school.

This program is important because it brings prominent global and local artists and scholars into DSA classrooms to teach specific art techniques, provide external critique of student work, and give students the unique opportunity to work with a professional in their art in order to envision a range of career possibilities. The Guest Artist Program is a unique, signature offering at DSA and students view this program as an invaluable resource for all DSA students.

Karis Peterson (Class of 2023) at the DSA Friends 2023 Gala, photographed by The Blended Lens

Without Guest artists, there is no DSA

Below is a non-comprehensive list of Denver School of the Arts Guest Artists since 2020. This list will continue to grow and expand, along with our student artists’ abilities and creativity.

Air Force band of The West Clarinet Quartet (Bands), Alejandro Castaño (Bands – percussion), Alex Heffron (Guitar), Alexander Lumens (Creative Writing), Allison Watrous (Theatre), Amalia Adiv née Ritter (Theatre), Amy Maples (Vocal), Anastazia Coney (Dance), Annie Barbour (Theatre), Anthony Zator (Bands – brass/jazz), Ashley Matkowsky (Video Cinema Arts), Aubrey Klinger-Fearns (Theatre, Dance), Austin Allen (Theatre), Azar Kohzadi (Creqtive Writing), Ben Whitmer (Creative Writing), Benjamin Tomkins (Orchestra – violin), Billy Winger (Theatre), Bohee Paek (Piano), Brandon PT Davis (Theatre), Caitlin Plant (Creative Writing), Candy Brown (Theatre), Cathy Peterson (Bands – flute), Christina Caplan (Dance, Theatre, Vocal), Christopher Page-Sanders (Dance), Claudia Carson (Theatre), Cody Gardner (Theatre), Courtney Esser (Theater), David Barbour (Dance), David Short (Orchestra – cello), Dr. James Cline (Guitar), Dr. Robin Fountain (Orchestra), Eli Carpenter (Theatre), Elsbeth Williams (Bands – clarinet), Emily Macintyre (Stagecraft & Design, Creative Writing), Enion Pelta-Tiller (Orchestra – violin), Erin Pettitt (Vocal, Theatre), Fareed Haque Quartet (Bands), Gillian McNally (Theatre), Grady Soapes (Theatre), Grant Larson (Bands – saxophone/jazz), Greg Abrell (Orchestra – violin), Greg Harris (Bands – rhythm, perc/jazz), Hakeem Furious (Creative Writing), Hannah Newman (Creative Writing), Harry Plymell (Creative Writing), Ian Wisekal (Bands – Oboe), Ilasiea Gray (Theatre), Iliana Lucero (Theatre), Jake Thurston (Orchestra – bass), Jarrett Rashad (Dance), Jennifer Howard (Dance), Jess Austgen (Theatre), Jessica Comola (Creative Writing), Jessica Jordan-Schumacher (Creative Writing), Jessica Long (Creative Writing), Jimmy Bruenger (Theatre), Joel Warner (Creative Writing), Justin Zimmerman (Video Cinema Arts), Kadijah Queen (Creative Writing), Karen Slack (Theatre), Kitty Skillman (Theatre), Lance Rasmussen (Theatre), Leah Watson (Theatre), Leigh Miller (Theatre), Lisa Engelken (Dance), LouAnne Davies (Dance), Maddie Barr (Theatre), Margaret Mead (Vocal), Maria Mosina (Dance), Marlena Hooker Moore (Vocal), Mathu Subramanian (Creative Writing), Matt Diekmann (Orchestra – viola), Matt Fuller (Bands, Guitar), Melissa McCarl (Creative Writing), Michael Williams (Bands – flute), Molly Davidson (Creative Writing), Natalie Oliver-Atherton (Theatre), Nick Sugar (Theatre), Oleg Dedodyruk (Dance), Patrick Elkins-Zeglarski (Theatre), Peder Morgenthaler (Video Cinema Arts), Rachael Harding (Dance), Rachael Hutchings (Piano), Rico Jones (Bands), Rikki Ogden (Creative Writing), Robyn Julyan (Orchestra – violin), Roger Soren (Bands – bassoon), Ryan Hill (Theatre), Sabin Epstein (Theatre), Sam Wood (Theatre), Santana Trujillo (Theatre), Sarah Gerard (Creative Writing), Sarah Harmon (Theatre), Seamus Peart (Dance), Sean Watson (Dance), Stu MacAskie (Bands – piano/jazz), Stuart Macaskie (Piano), Tim Grant (Theatre), Tom McNally (Theatre), Vivian Kim (Dance), Xochitl Portillo (Creative Writing), Zach Rich (Bands – low brass/composition)