Meet Our Featured Speakers:

Nichole DeMent brings over two decades of dedicated leadership in the Pacific Northwest’s nonprofit arts sector, currently serving as the Executive Director of SOLA (Support of Old Lady Artists) where she works with women artists across Washington through the SOLA Award, in addition to SOLA’s other professional programs for mature artists. Her journey has encompassed pivotal roles, such as Program Manager at Artist Trust, where she spearheaded the development of materials and training for artists and art archiving specialists through the Joan Mitchell Foundation’s Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) program. Nichole’s career reflects a deep-seated commitment to empowering artists of diverse backgrounds, aligning with her personal mission to elevate art, artists, and creative expression within society.

In addition to her organizational leadership, Nichole has shared her expertise by teaching art and its business aspects at various higher education institutions and nonprofits across the PNW. As an artist herself, she delves into the intricate nuances of human experience, finding inspiration in the layers of everyday life, the beauty of nature, and the complexities of the subconscious. Her explorations and inquiries into human consciousness have led her to study art and archetypes in prehistoric caves and rock art sites across Europe. A graduate of The Evergreen State College with a focus on Fine Art Photography and Art History, Nichole’s creative endeavors have garnered recognition in esteemed publications such as “Miroir Magazine” and “Encaustic Art in the 21st Century.” Her works, including fine art photographs and mixed media encaustic pieces, adorn collections including the Swedish Medical Center Art Collection and the Museum of Encaustic Art, as well as private collections. Nichole’s personal artworks are represented by the SAM Gallery at the Seattle Art Museum.

Chloe Allred is a painter, writer, and educator based in Yucca Valley. She is a contributing artist and writer for the book, “We Believe You” (published by Henry Holt in 2016) and the cover artist for the poetry collection “Preposition” (published by Undercurrent in 2021.) Her paintings and writing have been featured in Orange Coast Magazine, Huffington Post, USA Today, and the BBC. She is a founding and active member of The Body Joy Project, a feminist artist collective that critiques and challenges the way our culture thinks about the body. She is a tenure-track art professor at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree California. Allred’s subjects range from surreal portraits to whimsical landscapes; empathy is at the core of both her art-making and teaching practice.