CAPE staff members come from a variety of professional and artistic backgrounds, including visual, performing, and digital arts. They bring a unique blend of talents and a strong commitment to arts integration to their work. For staff directory, click here.
Amy Rasmussen
Executive Director
Amy is an experienced arts administrator, strategic planner, marketer and fundraiser. She holds degrees from DePaul University and Columbia College Chicago. Named a Champion of Change for Arts Education by President Obama! She plays oboe, flute, alto sax and guitar and has a passion for chamber music.
Teju Adesida
Associate Director of Education, Community Programs and Research
Teju holds a B.A. and M.A. in Communications from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. She is also the artistic director of Fehinty African Theatre Ensemble, a company founded by African immigrants in Chicago.
Mark Diaz
Associate Director of Education, In-school Programs and Exhibitions
Mark oversees in-school arts integration programs and CAPE Exhibitions, supporting teacher- and teaching-artist partnerships to expand pedagogical arts practice. Mark is an artist and educator who received an MFA from U of Illinois at Chicago.
Brandon Phouybanhdyt
Program Coordinator
Brandon liaises with teachers and artists and manages professional development workshops for CAPE’s in-school programs. He holds a B.A. in Art History, as well as certificates in computer science, gender and women’s studies, and digital studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Hannah Martin
Program Coordinator (West Chicago)
As Program Coordinator, Hannah assists with CAPE’s After School Programs and professional development workshops in West Chicago. Hannah is an alumna from West Chicago Community High School. She holds a B.S. in Arts Administration and B.A. in Chinese Languages and Cultures from Butler University.
Grace Philion
Program Coordinator
As Program Coordinator, Grace works with CAPE teachers and partners to provide administrative support for CAPE’s After-School Programs. Grace received her BSBA from Washington University in St. Louis with majors in Organization and Strategic Management and Political Science as well as a minor in Dance.
Noé Cuéllar
Research Program Coordinator
Noé assists in CAPE’s research and after school programs. As a CAPE Artist/Researcher, he has offered listening appreciation lessons and activities to K-12 students. Noé holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a joint MA between Danube University Krems (Austria), Aalborg Universitet (Denmark), and Uniwersytet Łódzki (Poland).
Michelle Green Arnson
Communications Consultant
Michelle helps CAPE achieve strategic goals for marketing, communications, and development through the planning, creation, and analysis of public events, donor engagement, and multimedia materials. She holds a B.S. in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas and an M.A. in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
