Anne Cornell, Tom Dugdale, Jeffrey Jacquet, Michael Schmidt, and OBLSK

Anne Cornell is a conceptual artist whose practice is rooted in education and innovation. She is the daughter of a teacher and an engineer. Cornell is informed by her humanities studies as an undergraduate at Kenyon College and subsequent training as a pianist in Germany. She has a near lifelong practice of studio figure drawing and a great regard for portraiture. Cornell considers people her most important medium and her community a studio. By meeting people where they are and using local, at hand (or found) materials, her works give voice to a particular culture. Her processes compound native ingenuity and possibility. She has directed the Pomerene Center for the Arts in Coshocton, Ohio, since 2000.

Tom Dugdale is a director, writer, and associate professor of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts at The Ohio State University. He has developed many community-engaged productions, including Calling Hours with residents of Coshocton, Ohio; Into the Void, a journey into space and black holes with Central Ohio Symphony; and My Whole Life Changed, a documentary film with high school students about the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom is the author of Directing Your Heart Out: Essays for Authenticity, Engagement, and Care in Theatre, published by Bloomsbury/Methuen Drama.

Jeffrey Jacquet is associate professor of Rural Sociology in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University. One of the first sociologists to study the process of hydraulic fracturing, Jacquet has gone on to examine a range of renewable and nonrenewable energy related social and environmental systems at institutions including the University of Wyoming, Cornell University, and South Dakota State University. At Ohio State, Jacquet leads students through coursework and mentorship to examine the areas of energy, environment, and rural societies. Jacquet is cochair of the Global Coal Transitions Research Coordination Network, funded by the US National Science Foundation.

Michael Schmidt was born in Akron, Ohio, and now lives in Copley, Ohio. He holds an MFA in drawing and painting from California State University, Long Beach (2013) and a BFA in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art (2004). He has exhibited internationally and is in private collections around the country. Schmidt currently works as a freelance artist and holds adjunct professor positions at the University of Mount Union and the University of Akron.

OBLSK is a team of artists, inventors, and designers who come together to create interactive installations, finely crafted imagery, and powerful multisensory experiences. Values of environmental sustainability and social equality are central to their projects. OBLSK’s areas of expertise include large-scale projection mapping, interactive and experiential design, and light sculpture. They collaborate with clients and artists ready to pioneer new ways of engaging their audience and creative-minded organizations interested in developing their brand using art and technology.