Jackie Bartley's poetry has appeared in hundreds of journals, including JAMA, Image, Gulf Coast, and Roanoke Review.  She has been an artist in residence the Ragdale Foundation, The Mary Anderson Center for the Arts, and Seaside Institute.  She has published five chapbooks and two full-length collections, the latest of which, Ordinary Time won the Spire Poetry Award and was published in 2007. Currently, she is an adjunct assistant professor of English at Hope College.


Rob Bondgren earned both his MFA and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has exhibited his work at Gallery 2, Gallery 312, NFA Space, Finch Gallery and estudiotres in Chicago, as well as at galleries outside of Chicago, including the energy gallery in Toronto, Harper College in Palatine, Art at Large in New York, Louisiana State University. He currently teaches in the Division of Continuing Studies at SAIC, where he is also the Associate Director. Bondgren also serves as the Gallery Director of estudiotres in Chicago.


James Brandess is both a figurative and a landscape painter.  He is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  He maintains his studio in Saugatuck, Michigan.


Chris Ferris graduated from Cabrillo Culinary School in Santa Cruz, California.  She has worked for restaurants and catering companies throughout California; including working on projects with the legendary Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.  Upon moving to the Midwest, Chris was the chef for Sault & Pepper Catering Company in Highland Park for several years.  Since moving to West Michigan, Chris has become a favorite caterer and a friend to many of the area restaurants.


Michael Pfleghaar has been a full time fine-artist for the last twenty years, and lives in Grand Rapids, MI.  He specializes in oil on canvas and paper, as well as drawing and ceramic sculpture. Recently, he has been focusing on landscapes of Northern Michigan as well as the desert landscape and modern architecture of Palm Springs, California. During his career, he has received numerous honors for his work, both nationally and internationally. In 2007 he was awarded Best of Show in the Michigan Clay Competition “Fire and Mud” and was also featured in American Craft Magazine.  He received his BFA in painting from Grand Valley State University in 1988. www.pfleghaar.com.  


Mae Van Ark is an art teacher and artist.  She has taught students of all ages and has been a watercolor instructor for 25 years.  Mae has exhibited in many galleries and juried shows and her work is in corporate and private collections throughout the country.


Renee Zettle-Sterling is an Associate Professor of Art and Design at Grand Valley State University. She received her MFA in Sculpture/Installation and an MFA in Metals/Jewelry from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, and a BFA in Papermaking/Fibers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has shown her work widely, including shows at Gallery Yu in Tokyo, The Museum for Art and Design in Hamburg, Artspace in Richmond Virginia, Zolla/Lieberman Gallery in Chicago, Artisans Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, and Arts and Literature Laboratory in New Haven. Her work has been widely published in a variety of magazines and books.


Image credit: Rob Bondgren, UC0710 (Flower Shadow or Hula Dynamic), 2007
collage,gouache,spray paint, acrylic, ink on paper, 14 3/4" x 11".