Art Without Limits 2025

Art Without Limits will be held on October 8, 2025!

This day-long event will focus on arts entrepreneurship and developing an entrepreneurial mindset in the arts. Speakers will share their experiences and interact with attendees to hone skills and broaden networks.

Guests will hear from guest speakers in the fields of Theatre, Fashion, Art, Game Design, Dance, Music, Visual Communication Design and Marketing/Branding! These presentations on arts entrepreneurship are designed to benefit students, alumni and the public alike. High school groups can attend the full conference and receive unique sessions in Theatre, Fashion, Art, Game Design, Dance, Music, Visual Communication Design and Marketing/Branding. These sessions are developed to engage and immerse prospective students in understanding viable pathways into the arts and will help in understanding what careers are available to them should they want to major in any of these areas.

This year's events will take place in person on the Kent Campus. 

  • FREE event!
  • Open to ALL KSU students, faculty and staff
  • Open to the public – those around Northeast Ohio are encouraged to attend.
  • Interactive activities and presentations for attending High School groups.

Register to Attend

Speakers and Presentations
Image of Delita Martin

DELITA MARTIN | ART

Delita Martin (b. 1972, Conroe, TX) is an artist and activist based in Huffman, Texas. A multidisciplinary creator who draws, sews, collages and paints on paper, Martin often depicts Black women whose stories have historically been omitted from Western art. Combining modern and traditional materials and imagery, Martin constructs images inspired by her personal history in order to generate new narratives and challenge societal norms. 

 Martin received a BFA in drawing from Texas Southern University and an MFA in printmaking from Purdue University, and previously taught drawing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 2020, she launched the Black Box Press Foundation, dedicated to supporting artists whose work inspires activism and social change. Martin’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in numerous private and public collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Bradbury Art Museum, Arkansas; Gorman Museum, California; Crystal Bridges Museum, Arkansas; David Driskell Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota; Minnesota Museum of American Art; and National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C., among others.. Her work The Gathering, was commissioned for the Moody Center for the Art’s tent series in 2021 and is now part of the Rice Public Art collection.  

Black Box Press

Instagram: @blackboxpress 

 
Image of Bobby Sanabria

BOBBY SANABRIA | MUSIC

A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, documentary film producer, activist, radio host, writer, and multi-Grammy nominated as a leader, Bobby Sanabria is a native Nuyorican son of the South Bronx. His versatility as both a drummer and percussionist from small group to big band has become legendary. He's performed and recorded with every major figure in the history of Latin jazz, jazz, and salsa, with such legends as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Eddie Palmieri, Paquito D'Rivera, Candido, Charles McPherson, Larry Harlow, Ruben Blades, Celia Cruz, and the Father of Afro-Cuban jazz, Mario Bauzá as his drummer for 9 years touring and recording on his major Grammy nominated albums. He is the leader of Quarteto Aché, Sexteto Ibiano, Ascensión, and his Multiverse Big Band. His big band albums have all been nominated for Grammys for a total of nine, including Afro-Cuban Dream: Live & In Clave!!!, Big Band Urban FolkTales, Multiverse (double Grammy nominated), and West Side Story Reimagined which was awarded the Jazz Journalists Record of the Year Award for 2019 and hailed as a masterpiece by the Wall Street Journal, as well as Kenya Revisited Live!!! and Tito Puente Masterworks Live!!!, with Bobby conducting the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, including his most recent Grammy nomination for VOX HUMANA with his Multiverse Big Band for the 2024 Grammys. DRUM! Magazine named him Percussionist of the Year (2005); he was named Percussionist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2011 and 2013. He has been named one of the top ten percussionists in the world by the readers and critics of Downbeat magazine for the last 10 years and is a member of Max Roach's legendary percussion ensemble M'BOOM. Mr. Sanabria has composed the music for several award winning, critically acclaimed documentaries - From Mambo to Hip Hip: A South Bronx Tale (2006) where he was also a producer, consultant and on air personality, Some Girls (2017), and La Madrina: The Savage Life of Loraine Padilla (2020). Other documentaries he has been featured in on screen and acted as a consultant, producer are, The Palladium: Where Mambo Was King (2003), Latin Music U.S.A. (2006), We Like It Like That: The Story of Latin Boogaloo (2015), and Let's Get The Rhythm 2016). In 2012 Maestro Sanabria was selected by legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock to represent Latin jazz with his Quarteto Ache' as part of the first Annual UNESCO International Day of Jazz at the United Nations 

Among his numerous awards include induction into the 2006 Bronx Walk of Fame, the 2018 Jazz Education Network's LeJENS of Latin Jazz Award and being honored by his name being read into the U.S. Congressional Record by Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio in 2008. In 2019 he was named Godfather/Padrino of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. He was recently bestowed an Honorary Doctorate by Lehman College in New York. He is on the faculty of New School University (his 28th year), is the Co-Artistic Director of the Bronx Music Heritage Center/Bronx Music Hall, and is the host of the Latin Jazz Cruise on WBGO FM, America's leading jazz station. His lifetime dedication to spreading the history, culture, of jazz and Latin jazz to the general public as a performer, as well as educating a new generation of players, composers, arrangers, has no parallel. His latest critically acclaimed double CD with his Multiverse Big Band, VOX HUMANA, recorded live at Dizzy's, NYC features vocalists Janis Siegel, Antoinette Montague and Jennifer Jade Ledesna and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz recording (2024). 

More About Bobby Sanabria

Instagram: @thebobbysanabria

 
Professional Headshot of Aiden Meany

AIDAN MEANY | FASHION

Aidan Meany is the founder and CEO of Found Surface, a Cleveland-based factory specializing in apparel and soft goods. Aidan leads the company’s innovation in digital knitting, blending technology with traditional craftsmanship to create high quality and sustainable goods. Found Surface partners with Rust Belt Riders to compost factory waste and is actively bringing commercial natural dye to market. The company is also pursuing the production of regional animal fiber at scale in partnership with Jordan Masters at West Virginia University. Aidan’s focus on transparency and collaboration positions Found Surface as a leader in responsible American production. Found Surface is a one-stop-shop for clients looking to design, develop, and produce their soft goods sustainably in the USA. 

Found Surface

 
Image of Susan Rich

SUSAN HAZEL RICH | VCD

Susan Hazel Rich is a business owner, designer and illustrator. In 2014, she transitioned from a graphic design career to developing her own brand, Hazelmade, a stationery and home goods line of small-batch, USA / Midwest-made products that are both quality and beautiful works of art made to last. Hazelmade has thousands of retail customers and is carried in more than 600 stores worldwide. Susan has been recognized as a top designer within her field by local and national organizations, received the prestigious “40 Under 40” award for leadership, and remains committed to her community through mentoring, teaching and volunteering her professional skills. 

Hazelmade

Instagram: @hazelmade 

 
Image of Jarryd Huntley

JARRYD HUNTLEY | GAME DESIGN

Jarryd Huntley is a Sr. Lead Optimization Engineer at Owlchemy Labs working on Dimensional Double Shift. As a leader in Cleveland's game dev scene he's taught classes and workshops, organized numerous events, and also co-author of the 2017 book Game Programming for Artists. Jarryd was lead programmer on the 2023 Peabody Award-winning game We are OFK, he was also inducted into the Video Game Awards Future Class 2021. With talks worldwide, he brings a unique perspective by drawing on his experiences from enterprise software engineering to playing as a professional musician. His studio, Polytundra, has ported games to consoles and released its own title Art Club Challenge which was featured in the 2017 Smithsonian American Art Museum Arcade. 

More About Jarryd Huntley

 
Image of Larry Heyman

LARRY HEYMAN | THEATRE

Larry Heyman is an internationally recognized and award-winning freelance designer based in Cleveland. He is a USA Local 829 Scenic Designer, with over thirty years’ experience in set design as well as properties design, fabrication, and supervision, across theatre, film, television, commercial projects, and higher education. 

He is also an author and has created classes, completed research, and worked extensively in higher education classrooms and performance spaces. He has lectured and written extensively about all aspects of design and production, encompassing script analysis, paperwork, organization, research, sourcing, procurement, and fabrication. Larry thrives on creative problem-solving, budgeting, and design and fabrication. 

His design method is director-focused and searches for terms, metaphors, and visual motifs that may often seem remote, but create a unique outside-the-box perspective for actors and audiences alike.

He has a diverse portfolio of design work, ranging from opera, theatre, film, commercial work, and trade events. 

Larry is also known for developing a new, low-cost, non-staining, non-fiber reactive stage blood recipe used in theaters nationwide. His recipe was included in Jennifer McClure’s book, Bloody Brilliant: How to Develop, Execute, and Clean Up Blood Effects for Live Performance, as well as an article in a professional publication. 

Affiliated companies: The Goodman Theatre, The Huntington Theatre, the LaJolla Playhouse, Prague Shakespeare Company,  The Cleveland Playhouse, Kaleidoscope Productions, Paramount Pictures Corp., Twentieth Century Fox, MTV, and Touchstone Pictures. 

More About Larry Heyman

 
Professional headshot of white woman with dark brown hair and glasses

LESLIE SHAMPAINE | DANCE

Leslie Shampaine is an award-winning filmmaker and teaching artist. After a 13-year career as a professional ballet dancer, she transitioned into documentary film, producing content for PBS, CBS, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. She was part of the production team for the Emmy-winning Kennedy Center Honors, creating over 30 biographical films about American artists.

Her PBS feature documentary, Call Me Dancer, has won 24 prestigious awards, including China’s top documentary prize. The film was shown in over 90 film festivals, on airlines, in cinemas, and screened at U.S. consulates in India and Nepal.

As a 2024 Fulbright Scholar to India, she led workshops and screenings, using the universal language of art to foster cross-cultural dialogue. Her dedication to the arts continues to inspire global connections, bridging cultures and fostering understanding through storytelling and mentorship.

Selected credits include the PBS programs: One World: India, Avoiding Armageddon, and Closer To Truth; Who Betrayed Anne Frank (Discovery Channel) – winner of a Telly, a Cine Golden Eagle, and a Gold Remi at the Houston WorldFest; DC Cupcakes (TLC); Smithsonian Networks series’ Seriously Amazing Objects; and Fireworks, with George Plimpton (A&E), which was nominated for an Emmy and an ACE. 

More About Leslie Shampaine

Instagram: @leslieshampaine 

 
Professional headshot of Lynette Shy

LYNETTE SHY | MARKETING AND BRANDING

Lynette Shy is the founder of Confluence Arts Solutions, a marketing agency built specifically for small and midsized arts organizations. With over two decades of experience in arts marketing, Lynette specializes in helping artists and arts administrators grow their audiences, increase revenue, and build systems that actually work. She’s known for her practical, people-first approach to strategy and has worked with organizations across the country on everything from ticket sales to digital campaigns. Lynette is also a frequent speaker on the future of arts.

Confluence Arts Solutions

Instagram: @lynette_shy and @confluenceartssolutions 

Speaker Schedule
Time
Speaker
Topic
Location
9 – 9:50 a.m.Delita Martin 
Founder of Black Box Press and Dema Designs
ArtUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
10 – 10:50 a.m.Bobby Sanabria 
Performer, Band Leader and Non-profit Director
MusicUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
11 – 11:50 a.m.Aidan Meany 
Founder of Found Surface
FashionUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
12 – 12:50 p.m.Susan Hazel Rich 
Founder of Hazelmade
Visual Communication DesignUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
1 - 1:05 p.m.ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF ARTSLAUNCH! 2025  University Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
1:05 - 1:55 p.m.Jarryd Huntley 
Game Developer
Game DesignUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
2 - 2:50 p.m.Larry Heyman 
Set Designer
TheatreUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
3 - 3:50 p.m.Leslie Shampaine 
Filmmaker and Former Dancer
DanceUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
4 - 4:50 p.m.Lynette Shy 
Founder of Confluence Arts Solutions
Marketing and BrandingUniversity Auditorium, Cartwright Hall
2025 High School Activities and Sessions

A day full of engaging presentations, workshops and sessions across the disciplines of Fashion, Art, Theatre, Dance, Music, Visual Communication Design, Branding and Marketing and Game Design.

These activities offer a hands-on experience for all high school attendees and are geared specifically to students looking at careers in the arts!

 

Art Without Limits Speakers

  • Our speakers will be sharing their insights on how to grow as an arts entrepreneur and develop an entrepreneurial mindset in the arts.

Discover Theatre and Dance

  • Learn how to make your dance reels dynamic and engaging by selecting clips that highlight your versatility and artistic identity, so you can present yourself as a marketable, professional performer.
  • See displays of student, staff and faculty Design, Technology and Production work and learn about opportunities in the school and industry.
  •  Play games, learn harmony and maybe even do a box step or two with an introduction to acting and theatre. 

Interactive Music Session

  • Play alongside the Kent State Orchestra. The session will include fun repertoire, opportunities to conduct and other engaging activities.
  • Learn about creating music for video games, animation and film from a local media composer. 
  • Attend a presentation of the vibrant efforts in Music Technology, Music Production and Audio Recording taking place in the Music Technology program on Kent's Stark campus. 

Fashion Workshops

  • Explore the Kent State University Museum on a tour with insights into career opportunities.
  • Hear from fashion student entrepreneurs about their unique businesses as part of Fashion Market.
  • Join the Fashion Library in a variety of enjoyable craft activities, including making your own pom-poms.

Business Entrepreneurship Showcase

  • Team up to brainstorm creative ventures, guided by entrepreneurship students. From reimagining cities to bringing on social change, participants will pitch their team's idea at the conclusion of the session.

LaunchNET

  • Create a variety of fun arts and crafts activities while learning about key topics such as branding, pricing, marketing and pitching. 

Guided Art Sessions

  • Discover the state-of-the-art Center for Visual Arts with guided tours of our studios.
  • Learn about stone setting techniques, learn the basics of sculpting a head and bust in clay, screenprint on a tote or make a piece of art in the ArtTech Studio.
  • Learn how to generate revenue streams from public and private commissions. 
  • Hear from professors on the intersection of art history and museum work.

Game Design Demonstrations

  • See works by students, faculty and alumni from Kent State’s Animation Game Design program, including animated shorts, computer games, and tabletop games. 

Visual Communication Design

  • Work together to create a growing gallery installation with Pantone-inspired collages.
  • Learn how to bring shape-making into your illustrations and capitalize on gestural form as you learn to design characters for the comic book industry. 
  • Collaborate on an animation project while applying the process of rotoscoping. Using simple, everyday tools, participants will transform live-action movement into expressive animated frames.
  • See how a comic page is made using traditional and digital materials. Learn about layout, composition, storytelling and media exploration.
 

Hands-on sessions will be provided by Kent State faculty and staff. 

Questions?

Additional questions can be sent to Eric Black at eblack11@kent.edu
 

Art Without Limits Program

Art Without Limits 2025 Program

This day-long event will focus on arts entrepreneurship and developing an entrepreneurial mindset in the arts.

Guests will hear from guest speakers in the fields of Theatre, Fashion, Art, Game Design, Dance, Music, Visual Communication Design and Marketing/Branding! These presentations on arts entrepreneurship are designed to benefit students, alumni and the public alike. Whether you’re currently studying, have graduated, or are simply interested in the field, everyone is welcome to gain valuable insights and inspiration from our exceptional speakers.

 

 

2025 Art Without Limits Special Thanks

College of the Arts:

Dean Diane Petrella 

Associate Dean Kim Hahn 

Sarah Labovitz, Director, School of Music 

Tony Hardin, Director, School of Theatre and Dance 

Mourad Krifa, Director, School of Fashion 

Jillian Sokso, Director, School of Art 

Sarah Spinner Liska, Director, Kent State University Museum

Jen Crabtree, Marketing, Communications and PR Director

Madi Getz, Marketing and Communications Specialist

Elise Miller, Student Marketing Assistant

Allison Smith-Hernandez, Associate Director, Advancement and External Relations

Taryn McMahon, Associate Professor, School of Art

Eric Black, Recruitment Coordinator

Pam Hutson, Coordinator of Operations and Special Projects

Tisha Bogovich, Senior Resource Manager 

Linda Colby, Business Manager 

Donna Laverne, Business Manager 

Evie Sabolek-Smith, Business Manager

Brian Gardner, Information Technology Team Leader

Matt Marquis, Information Technology Manager

David Cooper, Senior Information Technology User Support Analyst

Arts Entrepreneurship Student Organization

All the students who are displaying art and performing at Art Without Limits

College of Communication and Information, School of Visual Communication Design:

Daniel Alenquer, Director 

Christina Campbell, Special Assistant

Candice Harris, Student Recruitment Project Coordinator

Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship:

Shawn Rohlin, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Director of the Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship

Linda Hale, Manager of the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship

Nick Petrella, Entrepreneur-In-Residence, John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship; Assistant Professor, College of the Arts

LaunchNET Kent State:

Zach Mikrut, Director Danielle Flemister, Assistant Director

Presentation Moderators:

Daniel Alenquer 

Ambre Emory-Maier 

Gennie Neuman Lambert 

Kendra Lapolla 

Taryn McMahon 

Mark Nowakowski 

Nick Petrella 

Chris Totten

Art Without Limit Event Planning Committees:

Nick Petrella, Event Chair

Selection Committee:

Daniel Alenquer, VCD Ambre Emory-Maier, Dance

Suyeon Ko, Music 

Gennie Neuman Lambert, Theatre 

Kendra Lapolla, Fashion 

Taryn McMahon, Art 

Mark Nowakowski, Music 

Nick Petrella, Arts Entrepreneurship 

Chris Totten, Animation/Game Design 

Anderson Turner, Art

Marketing

Jen Crabtree 

Madi Getz 

Elise Miller

Reception

Allison Smith-Hernandez

Student Displays

Allison Smith-Hernandez 

Anderson Turner

High School Activities

Eric Black 

Matt Cola 

Candice Harris 

Nick Petrella

A/V and IT

David Cooper 

Brian Gardner 

Matt Marquis

Registration and Surveys

Eric Black 

Joe Giffen 

Ellen Kratky 

Allison Smith-Hernandez

Contracts and Hospitality

Pam Hutson Evie Sabolek-Smith

Venue Reservations and Catering

Janet Carnahan 

Natalie Dolezal 

Tessie Shipley

College of the Arts Announces ArtsLAUNCH! 2025 Winners

The College of the Arts is thrilled to announce the winners of the ArtsLAUNCH! 2025 Grant Competition, co-sponsored by the John S. And Marlene J. Brinzo Center For Entrepreneurship and LaunchNET Kent State.

The competition was open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at Kent State University. Applicants were asked to submit proposals in one of two categories: 1) the creation of new art demonstrating creativity and uniqueness or 2) the creation of a new art venture that would positively impact the arts economy.

Congratulations to our 2025 ArtsLAUNCH! winners Brooke Ulrich (New Art, Undergraduate) for "Socially Street x SONDER," Nicole Malcolm (New Art, Graduate) for M.F.A. senior thesis exhibition "don't forget me," Sophia Marion (New Arts Venture, Undergraduate) for "The Fashion Market," and Sydney Kay (New Arts Venture, Graduate) for "Sip n Print."

The proposals were judged by a panel consisting of Sarah Spinner Liska, director of the KSU Museum, Cheryl Petrovic, president and CEO, Therm-Equip and Brian and Michael Raitman, co-founders of Raitman Art Galleries.

About ArtsLAUNCH! 2025 Winners

Brooke Ulrich

Program of Study: Fashion Merchandising
Category: New Art, Undergraduate

Project: "Socially Street x SONDER"

Video Submission

Nicole Malcolm

Program of Study: M.F.A. Print Media and Photography
Category: New Art, Graduate

Project: "don't forget me"

Video Submission

Sophia Marion

Program of Study: Fashion Merchandising
Category: New Arts Venture, Undergraduate

Project: "The Fashion Market"

Video Submission

Sydney Kay

Program of Study: Studio Art with Printmaking, Photography and Papermaking Concentration
Category: New Arts Venture, Graduate

Project: "Sip n Print"

Video Submission

Art Without Limits for High School groups!

Join us for a day full of engaging presentations, workshops and sessions across the disciplines of Fashion, Art, Theatre, Dance, Music and Game Design. These activities offer a hands-on experience for all high school attendees and are geared specifically to students looking at careers in the arts!