Keynotes

Jennifer Kuo, MPH, CHES® | California for the Arts + Social Prescribing USA

Jennifer Kuo, MPH,CHES® presents The Wonder Prescription: Harnessing the Arts for Public Health & Healing. In a world where health and well-being extend beyond medicine, the arts are emerging as a transformative force in public health. This keynote will explore the growing movement of social prescribing, highlighting how creative engagement fosters healing, connection, and resilience. We’ll uncover how the arts spark wonder, inspire hope, and serve as powerful tools for community well-being. Join us in reimagining healthcare—one where creativity is not a luxury, but a vital ingredient for a healthier, more connected world.

With 20+ years of experience, Jennifer brings an assorted spectrum of skills with her background working in health and wellness, community engagement, education, marketing, and event/program planning for corporations, non-profit organizations, and the public sector. For the past few years, she has focused on initiatives that explore the intersection of arts in health and wellbeing mainly in the areas of education, research, and practice. She currently works as the Arts & Health Initiative Consultant at California for the Arts. She is also a contributor to the interdisciplinary research lab at the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine and supports education and programming for Social Prescribing USA. Her professional journey includes past roles at TOMS®, The Walt Disney Company, and Boys & Girls Club.

Born and raised in Southern California, Jennifer obtained her Master of Public Health in Community Health Education at California State University, Northridge, and her Bachelor of Arts in Marketing/Music at San Francisco State University. She is also a certified yoga instructor, social emotional arts facilitator, and a Certified Health Education Specialist. As a lifelong learner and community connector, Jennifer is a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), and National Organization for Arts in Health (NOAH). Additionally, she currently serves as the Los Angeles Chapter Chair for Sisters in Public Health.

Jennifer has a deep appreciation for the nation’s vibrant multicultural arts landscape and its profound impact on community health and wellbeing. She has seen firsthand how the arts can foster connection, healing, and resilience. Her favorite ways to relieve stress and find joy include dance and yoga, engaging with music—whether attending concerts or participating in a karaoke league—and practicing mindfulness by immersing herself in meditation and nature. Check out what projects she’s working on and stay connected with her at https://linktr.ee/jenniferkuo.

Dacher Keltner, Ph.D. | Co-Director of the Greater Good Science Center

Dacher Keltner’s research focuses the biological and evolutionary origins of compassion, awe, love, and beauty, and power, social class, and inequality. As a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, he is a leading scholar in the study of emotion, including a new project on awe around the globe, as well as power, class, and inequality.

Keltner also serves as the Faculty Director of the Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. In 2020, along with Michael Pollan and others, he co-founded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. The center conducts research using psychedelics to investigate cognition, perception and emotion and their biological bases in the human brain. In addition, Keltner is Chief Scientific Advisor at Hume AI.

Keltner is the author of The Power Paradox, as well as the bestseller Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life and The Compassionate Instinct. He has published over 190 scientific articles, and is the co-author of two textbooks. He is co-editor of The Gratitude Project: How the Science of Thankfulness Can Rewire Our Brains for Resilience, Optimism, and the Greater Good. He has written for the New York Times Magazine, London Times, and Utne Reader, and his research has been covered in TIME, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNN, NPR, and the BBC. His newest book is Awe: The New Science Of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life.

Presenters

Jillianne Abbott | Sarasota Art Museum

Jillian Abbott is a dedicated teaching artist and accessibility consultant for cultural institutions in Sarasota. She holds a Master of Arts in Health from the University of Florida, which enhances her commitment to fostering individual artistic expression and promoting well-being through the arts. Jillianne’s passion lies in creating positive and inclusive artistic experiences through community engagement in public artworks and projects.

Nicole Bentze, DO, FAAFP, FAMWA | Florida State University College of Medicine, Sarasota Regional Medical Campus

Nicole Bentze DO, FAAFP, FAMWA is a board-certified Family Physician and Dean of the Sarasota Regional Medical Campus of the Florida State University College of Medicine. Dr. Bentze is passionate about promoting scholarship, leadership, mentorship and well-being among the medical students and faculty.

Jennifer Bonamer

Coming soon!

Poet Emily Carr, Beach Witch | Project Pride

Dr. Emily Carr is a beach witch, love poet, Tarot reader, author of four collections of poetry, fitness coach, and recovering professor. She’s the author of four collections of poetry, including the only book of poetry—whosoever has let a minotaur enter them, or a sonnet—to inspire a beer of the same name, available at the Ale Apothecary in Bend, Oregon. Emily founded the MFA in Creative Writing at Oregon State University – Cascades and the BA in Creative Writing at the New College of Florida. These days, Emily is Operations Manager for Project Pride SRQ, a local nonprofit with a simple yet powerful mission: building an inclusive community where everyone is united, supported, and celebrated. Join Emily for monthly Writing & Resilience Workshops at Project Pride Headquarters in the Rosemary District.

Amber Lucia Chabus | Artist

Amber Lucia Chabus is a DC-based artist who finds joy moving her body in spaces with other creatives. Amber graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018 with degrees in Dance and Kinesiology. She has performed professionally with Heart Stück Bernie, ReVision dance company, darlingdance, Light Switch Dance Theater, Xing Dance Theatre, Orange Grove Dance, and DanceTheYard. Amber was part of the inaugural Dance Metro DC Performance-in-Progress cohort and has had choreography shown at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Atlas Performing Arts Center, and Dance Place (Washington, DC) and at Island Grown Dance and the Built on Stilts Festival (Martha’s Vineyard). Amber made her evening-length choreographic debut at Dance Place with Sana, Sana. When not dancing or working in Communications at Sidwell Friends School, Amber keeps her personal brand consistent with cats (shout out Donut), watermelon, and the color pink.

Connie Cuadrado | Sarasota Art Museum

Connie Cuadrado, Director of Learning and Engagement at Sarasota Art Museum, is a photographer, teaching artist, creative thinker, and mother of two boys. Born and raised in Columbia, she has worked in museums across South America, Europe, and the United States, leading and facilitating outreach, accessibility, and art integration initiatives for over 20 years.

Deborah Engel, MSN, RN, CWON | Sarasota Memorial Hospital Healthcare System

With 18 years of nursing experience, I have developed a strong passion for supporting new graduates as they transition into the acute care environment. As one of the Nurse Residency Program (NRP) Coordinators at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, I take pride in being part of a program that has been accredited with distinction by the ANCC three times. Our NRP offers newly licensed nurses the opportunity to develop their skills through a tiered approach, progressing from foundational to complex competencies. This is achieved through weekly progress meetings, specialized classes, seminars, and simulations. It’s truly an honor to guide these nurses through what can be both an exciting and sometimes overwhelming phase in their professional journey.

Anni Giles | Afición Flamenca

Anni Giles is a dancer with Afición Flamenca. She is a dedicated student of flamenco whose study has focused on dance while striving to understand all aspects of the art. The nonverbal communication between singers, dancers, and musicians in a flamenco cuadro is a particular interest. The art of flamenco, with its distinct rhythms, melodies, and poetry is a continual inspiration for her.

William Giles | Afición Flamenca

William Giles is the guitarist for Afición Flamenca. He is a native Floridian and graduate of Florida State University where he studied Anthropology and Music. Introduced to the art of flamenco in the 1960’s, he has admired, feared, and pursued its beauty and complexities ever since.

Carolina González Ph.D. | Afición Flamenca

Carolina González is the singer of Tallahassee-based flamenco group Afición Flamenca. Originally from Spain, she has studied and performed flamenco for almost twenty years. She is also a Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at Florida State University.

Kris Grey | Parsons School of Design and School of Visual Arts

Kris Grey (they/he/she) is a New York City based transgender artist whose cultural work includes curatorial projects, performance, writing, and studio production. Grey was a Fire Island Artist Residency recipient, a resident artist for the ANTI Festival for Contemporary Art in Kupoio, Finland, and a teaching artist at The International Centre for Training in the Performing Arts in Brussels, Belgium. Past curatorial projects include Queer Objectivity at the University of Maryland, MIX NYC Experimental Film and Performance Festival, and the Queer Culture Performance and Lecture Series at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Grey’s writing has been published in print and on the web for Huffington Post and Original Plumbing. Their latest writing, Trans*feminism: fragmenting and re-reading the history of art through a trans* perspective, written in collaboration with Jennie Klein, was published in Otherwise: Imagining Queer Feminist Art Histories. Grey earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a Masters Degree in Fine Art from Ohio University. They perform, teach, and exhibit work internationally.

John Gulledge, PhD | Wittenberg University

John Gulledge is an Assistant Professor of English at Wittenberg University, where he teaches courses on early British literature, disability studies, and the health humanities. His research focuses on historical representations of disability and illness and the affective encounters of wonder and awe. John also holds a fellowship through “The Healing Humanities” initiative, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and currently serves on the Clark County Combined Health District’s Board of Health.

James Hutson, PhD, PhD | Lindenwood University

James Hutson, PhD, PhD is an administrator, innovator and researcher in higher education, with a diverse range of subject-matter expertise in research, emerging technology, inclusivity, and accessibility. He holds doctoral degrees in Art History and Artificial Intelligence. He has held a variety of positions at Lindenwood University over the past 14 years, including chair of Art History, program manager of Pre-Art Therapy and Pre-Art Conservation, and Assistant Dean of Graduate and Online Programs for the School of Arts, Media, and Communication. Currently, Dr. Hutson serves as Lead XR Disruptor and Department Head of Art History and Visual Culture for the College of Arts and Humanities. His scholarship focuses on digital cultural heritage and neurodiversity in the metaverse.

Piper Hutson, EdD | Missouri Arts Council

Piper Hutson, EdD, is a professor and Arts and Health Specialist based in Missouri, specializing in neurodiversity, cognitive neuroscience, and the transformative potential of art in healing. As a coauthor and researcher, Piper explores the intersections of brain networks, sensory experiences, and creative practices to foster inclusion and well-being, particularly for neurodivergent individuals. Piper collaborates with state arts councils, museums, and healthcare organizations to design and implement programs that leverage cutting-edge technology—including haptics, biometrics, and sensory tools—to enhance interoception, emotional regulation, and cognitive resilience. With a strong foundation in neuroaesthetic research, Piper’s innovative initiatives merge art and science to inspire wonder, promote self-awareness, and support transformative healing experiences.

Mitsi Ito

Mitsi Ito’s path to Sarasota, and the Wonder Symposium, has been circuitous. Born in Brazil to a Japanese-Brazilian father, and American mother, Mitsi grew up in NYC where she was daily surrounded by wonder. Early visits to museums, Broadway and off-Broadway theatre, the opera and ballet, transfixed and mesmerized her, awakening her lifelong curiosity and desire to see and experience more of the world. She has lived in Tokyo and Barcelona, skied in Patagonia, meditated in Malaysia, and traveled to Egypt and throughout Europe. She speaks 3 languages fluently and intends to continue living in wonder. Although she initially planned to go into politics, journalism, or international law, Mitsi has been an ESL instructor, summer camp director, arts management consultant and event coordinator, technical writing editor and translator, medical interpreter, and has moonlighted as an extra in Catalan television and film.

Brooke Keller, PhD | The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Dr. Brooke Keller is the School and Teacher Programs Coordinator at The Ringling in Sarasota, FL. She holds a Doctorate in Museum Education and Visitor Centered Exhibitions from the School of Art Education at Florida State University. In her 12+ years working in museum education, Dr. Keller focuses on Constructivist approaches by creating spaces where each learner feels valued and supported to explore something new.

Sydney Lemelin | Artist

Sydney Lemelin holds a B.A. in Dance and B.S. in Information Science from the University of Maryland, College Park (Go terps). She spent a post-bacc year in rural Vermont ripping up floors and creating spreadsheets for The Field Center, an interdisciplinary performing arts center. Then, purely for dramatic affect, Sydney relocated to southern Florida. She now brings boutique contemporary performance to the idyllic sea-side village of Sarasota as The Ringling’s Performance Producer. She has enjoyed dancing with Amber Lucia Chabus, Moving Ethos, BANDportier, Heart Stück Bernie, PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER, Britta J. Peterson, Jo Lloyd (Melbourne, AUS) and Orange Grove Dance. She has presented work with Project Alchemy’s Choreographer Showcase, Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s Rising Choreographers Showcase, Dance Place, Baltimore Theater Project, The Clarice Center for Performing Arts, and more.

Hsuan Chi Liu | Florida State University

Hsuan Chi Liu is currently a PhD student at Florida State University in the Museum Education and Visitor-Centered Curation program. Building on my academic background in neuroscience and library and information science, along with work experience at a science center, a memory care facility, and in experience design within a forest setting, my research interest focuses on designing creative frameworks to support visitor engagement, promote mental health and well-being, and facilitate community participation. I am exploring approaches that draw on embodied inquiry, ecological psychology, A/r/tography and affect theories.

Ann Rowson Love, PhD | Florida State University

Ann Rowson Love is Associate Professor and Director of Museum Education & Visitor-Centered Curation in the Department of Art Education at Florida State University. She co-edited Visitor-Centered Exhibitions and Edu-Curation in Art Museums (Villeneuve & Love 2017), Systems Thinking in Museums (Jung & Love, 2017), and Dimensions of Curation: Considering Competing Values for Intentional Exhibition Practices (Love & Villeneuve, 2023). She co-authored An Introductory Guide to Qualitative Research in Art Museums (Love & Randolph, 2024). She is currently co-authoring a new book entitled Reimagining Feminist Curation through the Artistic Practices of Contemporary Women Artists. She has published and presented nationally and internationally.

Paula Lynn | National Gallery of Art

For ten years, Paula Lynn has led audience research at the National Gallery, where she examines the demographics, motivations, and experiences of onsite visitors. Previously, she spent 15 years in art museum education, developing and researching programs that fostered aesthetic development and critical thinking. Currently, she is dedicating more time to exploratory projects that delve into themes such as fun and awe in art museums.

Kelli Maldonado | Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation

Kelli Maldonado is the Executive Director of Mission & Impact at the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, where she leads ARTSELF – an initiative connecting arts and wellness. ARTSELF fosters self-reflection, stress management, and community engagement through Performing and Visual Arts.

Hedda Matza-Haughton, LCSW | For the Health of It Consultation Services, Arts for Health Sarasota-Manatee

Hedda Matza-Haughton, LCSW, a consultant, health educator, social worker, national speaker, award winning playwright and specialist in drama and creativity through laughter, is the President of “For the Health of It” Consultation Services, which promotes the health of organizations, businesses, and individuals in an electrifying, “out of the box” non-traditional manner, integrating the arts to promote health and education and explore a variety of health and social concerns. She utilizes interactive improvisational drama to tap into participant’s creative abilities in a fun, playful, and inspiring atmosphere, as an essential component in providing programming for organizations and individuals of all ages. Her work facilitates an increase in problem solving and creative thinking skills in dealing with a variety of personal life, business, community, management and organizational situations. She has appeared on local and national TV, and national conferences concerning her two nationally acclaimed programs, “Laugh for the Health of It,” and “Words Not Spoken.”  Ms. Matza- Haughton has been a teaching artist in the Artists in Schools Program in Sarasota, and one of the founders and current Co-chair of Arts For Health Sarasota-Manatee, Inc.  She has also written and performed an award winning one act play entitled, Inner Voices: Sex, Intimacy, and Aging. She has recently created an inspiring eight week interactive arts program entitled, Strengths and Challenges of Aging thru Improvisational Drama, sharing it in the community and originally sponsored by Ringling Museum. This program will be done again sponsored by Ringling this May thru June 2025. This program has been put into a community performance/audience participation program and been presented at a few community Sarasota County locations. The presentation at the Wonder Conference 2025 will give participants a taste of this work.

Ames Morton-Winter | The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Ames Morton-Winter works as the Coordinator for Youth and Family programs at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Virginia, a Master’s degree in Education – Curriculum and Teaching from the College of William and Mary, and a Master’s degree in Liberal Arts-Museums Studies from Harvard University. Her first book, Purposeful Museum Programming Using Visitor Response Pedagogies (Rowman and Littlefield 2024), explores how all museums, regardless of size, theme, or location, are poised to serve the public as community builders and unifiers, as well as places of respite and belonging. She also received recognition from the Florida Association of Museums as the 2024 Outstanding New Museum Professional and her certification in mindfulness through the Greater Good Science Center at UC-Berkeley.

Katie Nickel, EdD | The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Katie Nickel, Ed.D. is the Head of Educational Programs at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. At The Ringling, Katie oversees a team of brilliant museum educators who create innovative programming ranging from stroller tours to workshops for older adults. Katie is a visionary leader who works across teams to implement a range of educational initiatives and engage the museum’s mission into all areas of visitor experiences. She holds BA and MA degrees from the University of Florida and an EdD from the University of South Florida. Her dissertation research exploring how cultural humility might be taught to healthcare professionals in an art museum setting underscores her commitment to inclusive programming for all audiences and her deep belief that art provides lessons for our shared humanity. Katie’s research areas include the intersection of arts and health, innovative program evaluation, and the ways wonder manifests in informal learning environments.

Hunter O’Hanian | Independent Scholar

Hunter O’Hanian has had a long career creating art and supporting visual arts and LGBTQ+ studies. He has held significant professional positions, including Executive Director of the Stonewall National Museum and Archive and the College Art Association. He was also the founding Director of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. Also, he served as the Director of the Foundation for Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Additionally, he led artists’ residency programs as the President of Anderson Ranch Arts Center and the Director of the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. He graduated from Boston College and obtained his law degree from Suffolk University. Phaidon released his most recent book, Amos Badertscher: Images and Stories, in May 2025.  Additionally, his curated exhibitions will be on view this summer in Brookings, SD; Chicago, IL, and Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Giovana Pérez-Oliveras | The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Giovana Pérez-Oliveras is the inaugural Arts & Health Programs Coordinator at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. Pérez-Oliveras has over 5 years of experience in program and event management serving diverse populations of the community including older adults, military veterans, individuals on the neurodivergent spectrum, BIPOC community members, hospital and memory care facility patients, healthcare practitioners and leaders, and more. Her current work focuses on community impact through accessibility, wellness, and the exploration of the intersection of arts and health. Pérez-Oliveras’ love and appreciation for the arts began as a young child, growing up as a visual artist specializing in graphite drawing, watercolor illustration, and sculpture.

Mariah Pierre, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, HNB-BC | Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

Mariah Pierre BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, HNB-BC is a board-certified nurse working at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. Mariah is passionate about providing holistic approaches to patient care.

Jennifer Lemmer Posey | The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

Jennifer Lemmer Posey, the Tibbals Curator of Circus, has worked with the circus collections at The Ringling for over twenty years. She oversees and interprets the museum’s collection of objects and ephemera related to the history of the circus, including the Howard Bros. Circus Model, the Wisconsin Pullman Car, bandwagons, posters, costumes and more. With research interests focused on the relationship of the circus arts, mass media, and popular culture, Lemmer Posey has published in The American Circus, The Amazing American Circus Poster, and Early Popular Visual Culture. From 2013 to 2017, she served as editor for Bandwagon, the Journal of the Circus Historical Society and was an Advisory Scholar for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrating the Circus Arts in 2017. Lemmer Posey has curated a wide array of exhibitions at The Ringling, including the reinstallation of the Historic Circus Galleries, A Kaleidoscope of Color: The Costume Designs of Miles White, and regular rotations of the poster galleries in the Tibbals Learning Center. 

Nathalie Ryan | National Gallery of Art

Nathalie Ryan is a Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where she has led programs for educators, families, teens, and the adult public since 2002. Her current work at the National Gallery is researching awe and wellbeing in the museum with Professor Dacher Keltner at the University of California at Berkeley. Since 2008, Nathalie has been an instructor at Harvard Project Zero, teaching online and in-person courses on Artful Thinking, Mindful Looking & Making, Engaging with Global Issues Through Art, and Empathetic Perspective-Taking in the Museum. Additionally, Nathalie is a teaching artist in book arts and letterpress at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. Nathalie believes in the power of the arts to help people slow down, notice the world around them in new ways, spark curiosity and wonder, and make connections with oneself and others.

Maria Schaedler-Luera | Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation

Maria Schaedler-Luera is a Brazilian-born educator and artist specializing in arts and health, with a focus on using theater as a tool for healing, self-expression, and community building. As Co-Founder of Atomica Arts, Maria empowers individuals through creative exploration and connection. She also serves as Co-Executive Director of LifeLine Productions, a nonprofit using the arts to amplify personal stories and reduce the stigma around mental health.

Phoebe Scheidegger | Florida State University

Phoebe Scheidegger is a graduate student in Museum Education and Visitor-Centered Curation with hands-on experience in creating educational programs, interpretive plans, and program evaluations. My approach centers on designing inclusive, accessible spaces that encourage personal meaning-making and engagement, with a belief that learning happens both inside and outside the museum. I strive to make education accessible to all learning styles and have worked with diverse audiences, including children, families, older adults, and individuals with dis/abilities. With this experience, I aim to create collaborative, impactful programs that foster conversation, contemplation, and discovery. I am excited to continue developing my career at the intersection of education, curation, and community engagement.

Bruno Wu | Chef

Chef Bruno Wu was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, grew up in Westchester County, NY, and attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA before moving to Los Angeles in 2009. He graduated from The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California, Los Angeles on the President’s Honor Roll with an Associate of Science Degree in Culinary Arts. After having worked in various restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area including Bossa Nova, The Katsu-ya Group, Status Kuo, and 88 Steak House, Chef Bruno has set out to personalize the restaurant experience and bring it to your home. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or want to have a remarkable night eating in with friends, discover the joy of having a Personal Chef!