2024 Snohomish County Arts Commissioners
Not sure which County Council District you are in? Check the District Map here. See below for vacancies.
Nicole Ng-A-Qui, Chair
AT LARGE (DISTRICT 1)
Nicole is a long time resident of Snohomish County and small business owner. She lives with her two sons and their many well loved pets. Nicole is a graduate of Colorado State Univ. with a major in Natural Resources Management and minor in Piano Performance. She is an Arborist and native plant landscaper. Nicole currently provides piano accompaniment and serves as a cantor for her local church,and is an active volunteer in local 4-h groups.
Contact: Nicole.ni-a-qui@snoco.org
David T. Lotz
DISTRICT 2
David is an abstract watercolor painter and photographer of Northwest landscapes as well as a researcher in augmented and virtual reality technologies. An experienced Arts Administrator, he has served as the Chief Technology Officer at the Seattle Art Museum and currently resides in the Artspace Everett Lofts (AEL) in [Creative] District 2 that he represents on the Arts Commission.
Contact: David.lotz@snoco.org
COLIN COLE
DISTRICT 3
Colin has been an actor since early childhood, performing on stage and in competitive dramatic events through high school. In addition to featuring in independent films and working as an extra on Hollywood productions, Colin has performed at the Jet City Improv theater. He has also worked as an assistant editor and an associate producer at a local production company creating reality and
documentary programming for national television networks.
Contact: Colin.cole@snoco.org
Kate MacKenzie
District 5
Dr. Kate MacKenzie is a classical musician, music instructor, and arts advocate. As a freelance bassoonist, she regularly performs with orchestras and chamber ensembles in Seattle and Los Angeles. She has participated many orchestral tours worldwide and has performed in Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Japan, and China. As an arts advocate, she is the founding member of the Lake Stevens Community Band and is involved with many other arts programs and organizations in Snohomish County.
Contact: Kate.mackenzie@snoco.org
Kari johnson
AT LARGE (DISTRICT 5)
Kari Johnson is an abstract, landscape, and mixed media artist. She is a strong advocate for arts education and equity in the arts. She is a member of the Lake Steven s Arts and Parks Foundation.
Kari is an art docent for the Lake Stevens School District and volunteers with her daughters Girls Scout troop.
Contact: Kari.johnson@snoco.org
JAYM GATES
AT LARGE (DISTRICT 1)
Jaym Gates is an author, publisher, and designer. She is the former Communications Director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and is a co-founder of Falstaff Books and Project Lodestar, and serves as an administrator for the 100 Year Starship's Canopus Awards. In her spare time, she works in mixed media, writes for tabletop games, and makes jewelry in her workshop in Arlington, where she lives with her partner and their dogs and horses.
Contact: Jaym.gates@snoco.org
Joy Ratzel
AT LARGE (DISTRICT 5)
Joy Ratzel has lived in Snohomish County since 2013. Joy and her husband have 2 children. As a family they enjoy gardening, golfing, hiking, and paddle boarding. Joy has been creating art her whole life. Everything from poetry, acting, photography, painting, jewelry making, pyrography, interior & event design, lithograph study, pottery, etc. Joy’s desire to work on the Snohomish County Art Commission comes from a long-standing passion to make art accessible and celebrated as an integral part of education and societal framework. Her thesis was on the positive impact that youth involvement in arts programming has on standardized testing scores, and therefore the overall economic health of a community. Between volunteer work, work on a board of directors for a local nonprofit, being a homemaker, and engagement in various other community efforts, Joy always finds a way to connect art with her efforts.
Contact: Joy.ratzel@snoco.org
Maria G. Casey
At-Large (District 2)
The founder and principal instructor of the Fat Brush Art Workshop, Maria holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Universidad Femeninna de Mexico, and a Diplome’ de Maitre de Formation de Pebeo in Art from Provence, France. Maria is certified for Children with Special Needs: Physical Disabilities, and the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, (NAMI).
Maria ran her own interior design business, worked teaching art for TV and as a project art coordinator for two magazines. Currently, Maria is an arts instructor for the Seattle Archdiocese, teaching a wide variety of creative expressions. She collaborates with the Lynnwood Library, Everett Community College and the WAGRO Foundation where she worked with underprivileged children, helping them to understand their culture and identity through the arts.
Contact: Maria.Casey@snoco.org
VACANCIES:
DISTRICT 4 - Vacant
AT LARGE - VACANT
Thank you for your interest!
The Arts Commission has 11 voting members, a representative for each of the five council districts, and six At Large members. No more than three commissioners can reside in the same council district at any one period.
County residents with relevant experience, skills, and the ability to dedicate a minimum of five (5) hours per month to a Commission Committee, are encouraged to apply.
NOTE: Currently 8 of the 11 seats are filled. To be eligible to serve on the Commission, you must reside in either District 1, 2, 3, or 4. Nominees (applicants) can nominate themselves. Find your Council District Map Here.
Snohomish County Arts Commission Nomination Form - Please email your completed Nomination Form to Annique.Bennett@snoco.org, County Parks, Arts Program Manager.