CCCAC STAFF
Cynthia Coté, Executive Director
Cynthia Coté is the founding director of the Community Arts Center. Though her primary duties revolve around management and community outreach, she is passionate about supporting and encouraging artists in their work. Everything she knows about running the Arts Center she learned on the job - except her humility and sense of humor which comes from being at the tail end of a long line of siblings.
She was magnetically drawn to the place of her roots in the fall of 1992 and couldn’t find any reason to leave. So she spent all the money she had on an abandoned mine house in Osceola Location and continues to make it home. She acknowledges the conscious effort required to balance her administrative work and her art practice. She actively shows in group and solo exhibitions and creates temporary site specific installations with her book constructions, color pencil drawings, and collected curiosities.
She was magnetically drawn to the place of her roots in the fall of 1992 and couldn’t find any reason to leave. So she spent all the money she had on an abandoned mine house in Osceola Location and continues to make it home. She acknowledges the conscious effort required to balance her administrative work and her art practice. She actively shows in group and solo exhibitions and creates temporary site specific installations with her book constructions, color pencil drawings, and collected curiosities.
Bonnie Loukus, Associate Director
Bonnie Loukus has worked at the Copper Country Community Arts Center since 2002. She coordinates our programming, outreach, classes, fundraising events, and maintains our social media and website. She curates the Youth Gallery, manages our volunteer program, is responsible for graphic design materials, and assists with all other manner of odds and ends of running an Arts Center.
As an artist, Bonnie is a trained oil painter, practicing printmaking, letterpress printing, and book arts. She has a humanities degree from Michigan Technological University and a BA of Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, Culture and Environmental Studies from Finlandia University. She has been awarded artist residences including residency at TYPA, the Estonia Print and Paper Museum in Tartu, Estonia and at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. Her artwork can be seen at www.bonnieloukus.com
As an artist, Bonnie is a trained oil painter, practicing printmaking, letterpress printing, and book arts. She has a humanities degree from Michigan Technological University and a BA of Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, Culture and Environmental Studies from Finlandia University. She has been awarded artist residences including residency at TYPA, the Estonia Print and Paper Museum in Tartu, Estonia and at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. Her artwork can be seen at www.bonnieloukus.com
Daniel Schneider, Letterpress Printer
Daniel Schneider is our letterpress printer in residence. He teaches classes, conducts demonstrations, talks, and prints fundraising items for the CCCAC. He has done a lot of heavy lifting to help set up our letterpress studio. Daniel earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and a Masters in Industrial Archaeology from Michigan Technological University.
You can view Daniel's research work, prints, and fine press books on his website Industrial Rust.
You can view Daniel's research work, prints, and fine press books on his website Industrial Rust.
CCCAC Board of Directors
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Stephanie Carpenter, President
Stephanie Carpenter is a fiction-writer and a senior lecturer in creative writing and literature at Michigan Tech University. Since moving to the Keweenaw in 2013, she’s been a frequent student at the CCCAC, where she enjoys experimenting with new art forms like letterpress and basket-making. She joined the board in Spring 2018, bringing her communication skills to the team. |
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Kris Raisanen Schourek, Secretary
Kris Raisanen Schourek was a high school biology and art teacher for 40 years, as well as a photographer. As a working artist and an art teacher, she was familiar with the CCCAC for many years prior to joining the Board. She has been a member and the secretary for over 15 years. She brings leadership and public relations experience to the board. Her love of writing is reflected in the minutes she composes, and her love of cooking and baking is frequently shared at CCCAC events. |
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Ellen Campbell, Treasurer
Ellen R Campbell is CEO of NECi (nitrate.com) and Silver Bear, Inc, applying the power of biotechnology to environmental challenges. She has been Treasurer of Lake Linden's Downtown Development Authority for a number of years, demonstrating her fascination with economic development. Ellen views a vibrant arts infrastructure as basic to quality of life for all communities. |
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John Arnold
After a lifetime out West, John Arnold’s interests in historic preservation and the design of sustainable and meaningful built environments led him to Michigan Tech to study the use and reuse of the Keweenaw’s living postindustrial landscape, and, like many before him, decided to stick around. John is an architect with UP Engineers & Architects in Houghton. |
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Linda Lohmann
Linda has been an art teacher since 1981 after receiving her BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and her teaching certification from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has taught workshops on 0-3 art to preschool teachers and ceramics workshops to Chicago area H.S. art teachers. Linda recently retired from L’Anse Area Schools where she was the K-12 art teacher for 10 years. She currently coordinates classes for Michigan Arts Access, a drop-in art class affiliated with CCMH in Hancock, MI while also teaching a ceramics class at CCISD. Linda's own work is mostly drawing and painting with passions for printmaking and photography. |
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Meg Pachmayer
Meg Pachmayer was born and raised in the Keweenaw, and experienced first hand the positive impact the Arts Center had on area youth after its creation in the 1990s. She joined the board for a second time in August 2020 after taking a decade long break. Meg is passionate about her community, and enjoys volunteering her time and skills. She is a small business owner, homeschooling mom to her 2 boys, art lover, and adventurer. |
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Susana Peters
Susana is an attorney, ombuds, mediator, and senior lecturer in Social Sciences department at Michigan Tech University. |
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Lana Skubick
Lana Skubick is the Upper Peninsula & Program Specialist at YouthWork Industries, a nonprofit conservation corps that provides job and life skill training to young adults. She moved to the Keweenaw in 2020, and is an active member of the community. She enjoys gardening, cooking, and caring for her four dogs and small flock of poultry. The arts have been a large part of her life from a young age, with some of her favorites being drawing, watercolor, ceramics, and piano. |
Interested in joining the board? Expand your skills, share your strengths, and be an ambassador for the arts by joining the CCCAC Board of Directors. We seek a diverse group of positive-minded volunteers and encourage young people to apply. This is an active board, participating in Kerredge Gallery openings, fundraisers, events, and special projects. Anyone interested in finding out more is welcome to contact cynthia@coppercountryarts.com.
Applications are reviewed by current board members, and prospective members are invited to attend a board meeting.
Applications are reviewed by current board members, and prospective members are invited to attend a board meeting.
