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.
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 BA in Art History, as well as certificates in computer science, gender and women’s studies, and digital studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Grace Philion
Program Coordinator
As Program Coordinator, Grace works with CAPE teachers and partners to provide administrative support for CAPE’s afterschool program. 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.
Ana Vitek
Program Coordinator (West Chicago)
Ana coordinates the CAPE’s afterschool program in West Chicago as an enthusiastic connector. With a Master’s in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and as a practicing painter and fiber artist, Ana believes in the power of the arts to spark imagination and lifelong exploration.
Noé Cuéllar
Manager of Strategic Operations
Noé strategizes CAPE’s multiple operations in support of programs, research, and reporting communications. A former CAPE teaching artist, 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).
Sydney Herrick
Development and Communications Associate
