ACA Community Artist Ambassadors

ACA Artist Ambassadors are an integral part of ongoing efforts to offer unique arts programming to private groups throughout Southeast Volusia County. Through existing relationships and decades of community outreach, service, advocacy, and partnerships, ACA has a reputation of serving as a connector in designing programs that create lasting impact.

Volusia County Public Schools

ACA leads mentorship and experiential learning to youth in our local public schools and offers them opportunities to exhibit their work.
– Silver Sands Middle School Art Club (Title 1 school)
– Campbell Middle School Art Projects (Title 1 school)
– Volusia County Select Exhibition (curated feature of the most talented youth in our community)
– Advanced Art Workshop at ACA Yurick Studios
– Teacher mentorship by visiting ACA artists
– Cudas Unhooked at NSB High School (for homeless & economically challenged youth)- #Greatness: Behind the Scenes (county-wide)

Sponsored by Wharton Smith Construction

New Smyrna Beach Leisure Services at Alonzo ‘Babe’ James Community Center

In partnership with the City of New Smyrna Beach, ACA artists offer unique opportunities to youth of the Westside community.
– Weekly summer camp workshops

– Juneteenth celebration with African dance
– Field trips to ACA main campus

Sponsored by the City of New Smyrna Beach Leisure Services

Homeschool Art Camp at Yurick Studios

Modeled after the long-running ACA Summer Art Camp, this popular monthly program is open to homeschool kids.

Supported by United Way Foundation

Florida Department of Education Blind Services

ACA has a commitment to support accessibility by producing several programs that offer creative opportunities for the blind and partially-sighted community.
– Young Sound Seekers (Supported by the National Park Service)
– Rehabilitation Center Gallery (student produced tactile art on display)
– IMAGES Student Art Exhibition (student produced tactile art on display)

Sponsored in part by the FLDOE

Children’s Home Society

For many years, ACA has supported foster youth with Arts & Wellness programs designed by raise self-confidence, motivation, and community bonds.
– Community Art Exhibition
– Monthly visits and field trips

Beachside Nursing & Rehabilitation

ACA’s long-running partnership in Arts & Wellness, with artists and volunteers visiting our valued elders on a monthly basis. Visiting artist presenters include global musicians of 1Beat and NPS rangers.

Veteran Affairs

Inspired by the NEA Creative Forces Initiative, ACA artist ambassadors support our veterans with creative programs designed to heal, empower, and guide them into positive reintegration to civilian life.
– Collaborative mural at the Lake Nona Dementia Care Center
– Monthly creative workshops at the Daytona Beach Vet Center

ACA Artist Ambassadors in the Community:

Laura K. Bohn is a professional artist, art educator and ATR registered art therapist. She recently completed her Master’s degree in Art Therapy in December 2014. She has been an art educator for many years and is now an art therapist available for facilitating art and wellness workshops. She has exhibited at the Florida Museum for Women Artists, DeLand Museum of Art, IGM gallery in Los Angeles and Wolfe Gallery in De Land, Florida. Some of the art festivals she has exhibited at includes IMAGES, Mount Dora, Gaspiralla, De Land, and Maitland. Laura has taught classes and workshops at De Land Museum of Art, Ormond Memorial Museum of Art, The Hub, Casa Montessori School and Children’s House Montessori School, and now shares her talent at Atlantic Center for the Arts leading workshops in expressive arts.

Monica Vidal is an internationally accredited psychologist, certified NLP master practitioner, corporate trainer, and public speaker. She combines her expertise in psychology with her passion for art to help people navigate grief. By creating art, she believes we can honor loved ones and rediscover our purpose. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Monica has traveled the world, drawing inspiration from art in cities like Los Angeles, Paris, and Dubai. Specializing in fabric and yarn, she views art as a reflection of the soul, and is passionate about guiding and inspiring others through her work.

Justin Lang (aka Justincredible) joined ACA in 2019 as a creative arts teacher and ambassador, inspiring youth to find their spark and build confidence through creative expression. Born and raised in South Florida, Justin was surrounded by music from an early age, influenced by his jazz musician grandfather and music-loving parents. His passion for music expanded in high school, where he began writing poetry and recording music. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, Justin won multiple talent competitions and created radio intros for established DJs. He has since served as a Lead Creative Writer, led the #GREATNESS Creative Arts Mentorship program, held teaching and counseling positions, and ranked 15th in the U.S. Blackberry Peach National Poetry Slam competition.

M.B. McLatchey currently serves as one of Florida’s Poet Laureates for Volusia County and is the recipient of the 2011 American Poet Prize. She was recently selected as a Writer-in-the-Spotlight by the national Association of Writers & Writing Programs. A widely-published author and the recipient of several national literary awards, including theMay Swenson Award for her book of poems, The Lame God, published by Utah State University Press, M.B. is a professor of Classics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. She completed her graduate work in literature and teaching at Harvard University and Brown University and the M.F.A. in Poetry at Goddard College. Find her at: www.mbmclatchey.com

Bethany Bennett is an interdisciplinary artist who earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Central Florida and her Masters of Fine Arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The artwork she produces question women’s equality and role in society. Her investment in the community is to boost others confidence and self-worth through artistic practices. Currently she is a professor at Daytona State College and leads community outreach at Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Dr. Eileen Hernández is a board-certified OB-GYN and mixed media abstract artist with 17 years of practice in Florida. As an ACA Arts & Wellness Ambassador, she has exhibited in nine shows, pioneered the Calming Totems program with ACA and Orlando Health, and won the “Celebrating the Genius of Women” Award in 2022. Her work, which blends scientific analysis with creativity, draws inspiration from global colors and textures, promoting mindfulness and healing feminism. Dr. Hernández’s art serves as both a therapeutic outlet and a tool for coping with the demands of healthcare. “Inspiration is everywhere—go create and find your own way to heal.”

Award winning poet Sonja Jean Craig, Secretary of Florida State Poets Association, has been certified by Florida State Poets Association for completion of the Twelve Chairs Poetry Course. She is published in several anthologies including Isolation Challenge, FSPA’s Cadence, Fresh Fish, Poetic Visions and FWA’s Collection. Her guidance cards, A Love Affaire With Life, includes her poetry and photographs. Sonja Jean lives a life of magic and wonder in beautiful New Smyrna Beach with her beloved cats and poetic perspective.

Sauda Jackson has used art as a way to break down barriers to communication and to provide tools for building self-esteem. She leads arts, dance and empowerment groups in her local community. Ms. Jackson has developed an empowering ritual for all to use, The Universal Hug. Through the Universal Hug, participants are given an opportunity to slow down, breathe, ground, tap into their own power, focus on gratitude, release tension, to remember their heart’s desires, to remember to be compassionate with themselves and to emotionally reset. All are encouraged to use this tool often and to share it widely.

Alabama local, Daria Hammond creates work that has the power to transform minds and transform the environment, helps her to recognize and identify with her purpose as an intermediary to intercede. So, she sees her work as a message of hope and healing and something unforced but, unavoidable—graceful but, powerful.

Peggy Imbert has helped ACA realize its Arts & Wellness Initiative in the community since 2014. She is a fiber artist and uses her crafting skills to design easily accessible projects for each of her programs. Alongside Mary McBride, she pioneered techniques and best practices for working with elders who navigate cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Her background as a entrepreneur in local childcare has given her the foundation to build activities for multi-generational programs in the community. Peggy leads the ACA Summer Art Camp and has facilitated Creative Caregiving and Creative Aging with Oceanview Nursing and Rehabilitation in New Smyrna Beach.

Rachel Chase has been a teaching artist since age 15, starting as a classically trained ballerina and later becoming a semi-professional modern dancer, studying with Alvin Ailey and performing in Orlando. She earned her BFA from the University of South Florida, focusing on video art, performance, painting, and printmaking. With over 15 years of experience teaching movement and art, Rachel also holds a Master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Rollins College. As a therapist, she uses expressive and visual arts to guide others toward well-being. Passionate about creative expression and community, Rachel invites you to join her in the ever-evolving process of intuitive creation. www.rachelchase.com

Vicki Gross (MT-BC), a Florida State University graduate, has dedicated her career to music therapy. She began her work at ACT Corp. in Daytona Beach as a day treatment and social network counselor and later ran the first Adult Day Care Center in New Smyrna Beach, FL. In 2000, she founded Comprehensive Music Therapy Services to serve the East Central Florida community. Over the past 14 years, she has worked with a variety of clients, including intellectually challenged residents, homeless individuals, foster children, and the elderly. Vicki’s passion for music therapy remains strong, as she is deeply moved by the transformative power of music in expressing emotions and fostering connections.

Eve Payor joined Atlantic Center for the Arts as a musician and electronic soundscape artist. Eve advocates for the connection between music, environment and wellness. In the Fall of 2016, she created an Arts & Wellness program of soundwalks, which gave the public opportunities to experience natural surroundings through listening techniques, meditative breathing, and mindfulness. Eve also mentors youth to help them find their creative spark, develop professionalism, and real-world assets for careers in the arts.

Robert Sabljak, A.P. owns and operates his Pathway to Healing Acupuncture and Massage Therapy practice in New Smyrna Beach. He has been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine and teaching Tai Chi for 23 years. As an acupuncture physician, Robert’s practice also includes nutrition counseling and exercise programs as key components in his treatment plans. Robert studied Tai Chi while attending the Shanghai Institute and he recommends this as a remarkable exercise for combining cardiovascular activity while improving strength and balance as well as stress reduction. Understanding that the leading cause of injury in elders are falls, the A.A.R.P. promotes the use of Tai Chi for its ability to strengthen and improve balance.

Janice Stieber Rous is the creator of Body Dialogue, an integrative therapeutic system that reorganizes the body and develops new mental feedback to eliminate dysfunctional movement patterns. Combining principles from the Alexander Technique, Stough Breathing Coordination, Qi Gong, Yoga, and Body Soul Rhythms, she has been teaching internationally and leading women’s retreats since 2003. A former dancer who studied with the Martha Graham company from age twelve, Janice holds a Master’s degree in Arts Education and Administration from Bank Street School of Education. Her private practice, focused on arts and wellness, began in 1981 in New York City, where she worked with the Manhattan School of Music, Joffrey Ballet, and Juilliard. Now based in Orlando, she also teaches at UCF and Opera Orlando. www.bodydialogues.com