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.

BANDS

Air Force band of The West Clarinet Quartet (Bands)
Alejandro Castaño (Bands – percussion)
Anthony Zator (Bands – brass/jazz)
Cathy Peterson (Bands – flute)
Elsbeth Williams (Bands – clarinet)
Fareed Haque Quartet (Bands)
Grant Larson (Bands – saxophone/jazz)
Greg Harris (Bands – rhythm, perc/jazz)
Ian Wisekal (Bands – Oboe)
Matt Fuller (Bands, Guitar)
Michael Williams (Bands – flute)
Rico Jones (Bands)
Roger Soren (Bands – bassoon)
Stu MacAskie (Bands – piano/jazz)
Zach Rich (Bands – low brass/composition)

GUITAR

Alex Heffron (Guitar)
Dr. James Cline (Guitar)

CREATIVE WRITING

Alexander Lumens (Creative Writing)
Azar Kohzadi (Creative Writing)
Ben Whitmer (Creative Writing)
Caitlin Plant (Creative Writing)
Emily Macintyre (Creative Writing, Stagecraft & Design)
Hakeem Furious (Creative Writing)
Hannah Newman (Creative Writing)
Harry Plymell (Creative Writing)
Jessica Comola (Creative Writing)
Jessica Jordan-Schumacher (Creative Writing)
Jessica Long (Creative Writing)
Joel Warner (Creative Writing)
Kadijah Queen (Creative Writing)
Mathu Subramanian (Creative Writing)
Melissa McCarl (Creative Writing)
Molly Davidson (Creative Writing)
Rikki Ogden (Creative Writing)
Sarah Gerard (Creative Writing)
Xochitl Portillo (Creative Writing)

DANCE

Anastazia Coney (Dance)
Aubrey Klinger-Fearns (Theatre, Dance)
Christina Caplan (Dance, Theatre, Vocal)
Christopher Page-Sanders (Dance)
David Barbour (Dance)
Jarrett Rashad (Dance)
Jennifer Howard (Dance)
Lisa Engelken (Dance)
LouAnne Davies (Dance)
Maria Mosina (Dance)
Oleg Dedodyruk (Dance)
Rachael Harding (Dance)
Seamus Peart (Dance)
Sean Watson (Dance)
Vivian Kim (Dance)

PIANO

Bohee Paek (Piano)
Rachael Hutchings (Piano)
Stuart Macaskie (Piano)

ORCHESTRA

Benjamin Tomkins (Orchestra – violin)
David Short (Orchestra – cello)
Dr. Robin Fountain (Orchestra)
Enion Pelta-Tiller (Orchestra – violin)
Greg Abrell (Orchestra – violin)
Jake Thurston (Orchestra – bass)
Matt Diekmann (Orchestra – viola)
Robyn Julyan (Orchestra – violin)

VOCAL

Amy Maples (Vocal)
Christina Caplan (Dance, Theatre, Vocal)
Erin Pettitt (Vocal, Theatre)
Margaret Mead (Vocal)
Marlena Hooker Moore (Vocal)

VIDEO CINEMA ARTS

Ashley Matkowsky (Video Cinema Arts)
Justin Zimmerman (Video Cinema Arts)
Peder Morgenthaler (Video Cinema Arts)

Allison Watrous (Theatre)
Amalia Adiv née Ritter (Theatre)
Annie Barbour (Theatre)
Austin Allen (Theatre)
Billy Winger (Theatre)
Brandon PT Davis (Theatre)
Candy Brown (Theatre)
Claudia Carson (Theatre)
Cody Gardner (Theatre)
Courtney Esser (Theatre)
Eli Carpenter (Theatre)

THEATRE

Erin Pettitt (Vocal, Theatre)
Gillian McNally (Theatre)
Grady Soapes (Theatre)
Ilasiea Gray (Theatre)
Iliana Lucero (Theatre)
Jess Austgen (Theatre)
Jimmy Bruenger (Theatre)
Karen Slack (Theatre)
Kitty Skillman (Theatre)
Lance Rasmussen (Theatre)
Leah Watson (Theatre)
Leigh Miller (Theatre)

Maddie Barr (Theatre)
Natalie Oliver-Atherton (Theatre)
Nick Sugar (Theatre)
Patrick Elkins-Zeglarski (Theatre)
Ryan Hill (Theatre)
Sabin Epstein (Theatre)
Sam Wood (Theatre)
Santana Trujillo (Theatre)
Sarah Harmon (Theatre)
Tim Grant (Theatre)
Tom McNally (Theatre)