Meet your Instructors
Madeleine Ahlborn
Founder & Steward
Madeleine (Maddy) is the visionary of The Church Project and the host of the Creative Citizen: the Unexpected Artist podcast. She seeks to tell about unexpected stories of artists in the San Luis Valley.
Macey Sigaty
Lead Instructor
Macey leads various photography and print based workshops for Sunday artist-led workshops, helps build the monthly calendars, and she owns her own small businesses, What on Earth Ink and #JoysquadSLV, because everyone needs a photo booth at their special event.
Sarah Shapard
Sustainable Crafting
Sarah is a multi-disciplinary artist with interests in photography, graphic design, paper crafting, jewelry making, and more! She runs a small business called SStwins Designs with her identical twin sister.
Kevin Hernandez
Founder of L8gacy Project and Valle Libre
Kevin is an audio / visual artist and founded The L8GACY Project in 2021 to bring people together on a deeper level through creative expression. Kevin was born and raised in Denver Colorado and now lives in the San Luis Valley. He is a singer songwriter and photographer and brings these technical skills to each project in collaboration with community all over Colorado.
Emily Trinkaus
Co-Founder of Dance Church
Astrology teacher and guide
Emily has a background in natural healing and energy medicine, and has studied and practiced Polarity Therapy, BodyTalk, Reiki and Reflexology. This background informs and infuses her practice as an astrologer, and she works with astrology as a healing art.
Tim Seabold
Co-Founder of Dance Church
Singer/Songwriter/Musician
Tim is not only an experienced independent contractor, he brings together community through dance and song, "This space is designed to amplify our manifestations", he says to the Valle Libre crowd from the main stage.
"skip the gym, come to Dance Church"
Jean Alger, PhD.
Professor of writing, editor, and co-owner of Narrow Gauge Book COOP.
In 2017, Jean came to the San Luis Valley to teach for Trinidad State College. She continued to write poetry, and started working on a memoir. In 2022, she started Ink and Vein Writing and Mindfulness Services, and in 2023, after teaching college-level writing for 15 years, she left academia to pursue a more creative and self-determined life.
Shes taught yoga with Sweetgrass, works part time at the Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative, hosts monthly Playful Writing workshops, and offers one-on-one coaching and is a discerning editor.
Bothe Kretsinger
Haunted Highway - R A B B I T R O A D
Host of the monthly BASSment Dance party with featured artists and open decks for musicians. House painter by day, aspiring mad scientist by night. Grew up just North of Alamosa and moved back recently with my wife and two cats. Our kid is college bound and is a great roadie when they visit and we're throwing a rave or death metal show at our house in the middle of nowhere/everywhere.
Community Projects
Youth Mural, Puzzle, & artist cards
There is always a project to find at The Church Project. We are currently working on and off on a puzzle of wildflowers, preparing for Summer with community gatherings and celebrations in the grounds, and learning to be good neighbors.
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The youth mural is on-going, thanks to LOR Foundation and seed money for supplies, we now have 8 monthly programs, 5 of which are led by local artists and community members.
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You can find the artist card project in the main program space, sign up sheet available.
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Kris Gosar
Aritst, local business owner, retired professor of drawing and painting
Kris is a painter and a teacher, and owns and operates Gosar Sausage. On Wednesday evening he leads a figure drawing session.
