Marc
Ross
Director of Sales
Jon
Bailey
Solutions Consultant
Sarah
Mackessy
Client Success Specialist
Patrick
Spike, “Spike”
Theatre Community Liaison
Russ
Gage
Director of Client Services
Jim
Hanushek
Client Services Representative
Katie
Behrens
Client Services Representative
Megan
Keating
Client Services Representative
Eric
Guerin
Client Services Representative
James
Dixon
Client Services Representative
Alex
Blouin
Client Services Representative
Tim
Curtis
Client Services Representative
Jessica
Johnson
Client Services Representative
Rhone
Geha
Client Services Representative
Tom
Geha
Client Services Representative
Donna
Benoit
Data Specialist
Joe
Meyer
Data Specialist
Greg
Maguire
UI/UX Designer
Ness
Blackbird
Co-Owner & Developer
Don
Rea
Technical Manager
Blake
Swensen
Systems Administrator
Jacob
Hammond
Developer
Markus
Weltin
Developer
Hermpheus
Martini
Developer
Ben
Jones
Developer
Sam
Litowitz
Developer
Sam
Valenti
Developer
Jenny
Gaddy
QA Manager
Valerie
Leith
QA Tester
Gary
A. Hanson
QA Tester
Andrew
DeMoss
Accountant
Jake
Ayres
Administrative Assistant
Heather
Blackbird
Co-Owner & General Manager
Marc Ross
Director of Sales
ABOUT
Marc has been involved with performing arts his whole life starting as a singer in the Boys Choir of Westchester in Kindergarten. Growing up, Marc played the double bass and later the electric bass eventually becoming a professional freelance musician for over 15 years playing in all styles including rock, jazz, classical, funk, reggae, polka, big band, fusion. In 2007 Marc’s work shifted towards technology and non-profit arts support through his work with online software. With Arts People since 2009, Marc leads his team in providing organizations the tools to grow their audience, develop their donor base, and fulfill their mission to engage their communities through art.
LOVES
Favorite book: “More of a paper than a book, I highly recommend everyone in the arts read Susanne Langer’s “The Cultural Importance of Art” to validate how important your contribution is to our community and way of life. It literally changed my life.”
Favorite Movies: A good Bond film, Glengarry Glenn Ross, and Spinal Tap
Inspired by: “Caffeine, lots of caffeine… that and a good Jimi Hendrix or Jaco Pastorius solo.”
FACTS
Marc holds a BA in Psychology from Clark University with a Music Minor in Jazz Studies and concentration in Shakespeare Studies. Later he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
His favorite authors are William Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss.
Being 6’3” he enjoys playing basketball.
Jon Bailey
Solutions Consultant
ABOUT
Jon has worked in the Live Events/Ticketing industry for over 15 years as everything from a Box Office Manager to Venue Staff to a Sales Representative. He has worked in the arts, professional sports, the music industry and other ticketing software providers, including Ticketmaster. He jokingly says he earned his "4 year degree in Nightclub."
LOVES
Helping arts organizations develop and accumulating stories to tell.
When not working, he is more than likely doing something with his family.
FACTS
Jon is a native San Franciscan and works for Arts People from the City By The Bay. He is involved in the San Francisco theatre scene as both a fight choreographer and occasional actor. He attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
Sarah Mackessy
Client Success Specialist
ABOUT
Sarah has immersed herself in the arts as an administrator and performer for over ten years. She received a B.S. in Production Management from Indiana University and completed a two-year professional actor training program at the Portland Actors Conservatory. Sarah has had numerous roles in the local theater scene, both on stage and off.
LOVES
Helping fellow artists and art supporters reach out to their communities, cultivate relationships and move culture forward.
Snuggling with cats Vernon (a blonde Manx kitten) and Thom (a silver Nebulong).
Americana-folk-bluegrass music and she currently sings with The Naked Bootleggers (a band out of Boulder Creek, CA that gigs all around the Santa Cruz area).
FACTS
The first performance Sarah remembers seeing was Crystal Gayle singing at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw, Indiana! In her spare time she enjoys writing songs and playing music with her husband, treasure hunting at local thrift stores and practicing yoga.
Patrick Spike, “Spike”
Theatre Community Liaison
ABOUT
Spike, as he is affectionately known, has been administering, creating, advising and consulting for non profit performing arts groups for nearly 30 years. With MFA and BA degrees in theatre directing, and formerly the Director of IT for Portland Center Stage, Audience Development Director for Bag&Baggage Productions and more, he is an Arts People system expert, having helped formulate the software system from the ground up. Spike is also an active performer and director around Portland and the west coast.
LOVES
Helping others who have a passion for the arts and its creation to thrive and succeed.
A favorite quote: "Just because you're odd and no one understands you, doesn't make you an artist."
Passionate for film, poetry, pugs, and more… Spike’s interests are varied!
FACTS
Spike has founded theatre companies, served on Boards of Directors at arts organizations. Having lived recently in a larger RV lovingly christened "Wellington", Spike now shares a home in Scappoose, OR with his husband Fernando (the Brazilian YouTube sensation with his channel EasyUSA), and their pugs Max and Myko and chocolate lab Fred.
You can visit Spike's online portfolio at www.patrickspike.com, and laugh along with the character of Phoebe he created for a past production that now lives on due to great demand at www.callmephoebe.com.
Russ Gage
Director of Client Services
ABOUT
Russ' background in the arts includes over fifteen years of producing film festivals and live performances in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and most recently Portland. Russ has a BA from San Francisco State University in International Relations.
LOVES
The goose bump inducing thrill of a packed-house standing ovation for a film that has taken its audience on a shared journey to a new place.
Disappearing into the Wallowa mountains for a few days.
FACTS
If Russ could go anywhere, he'd go backpacking with his dog Rufus in Patagonia. In the summer he can be found growing more food than he can eat in his backyard.
Jim Hanushek
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Jim has been heavily involved in theater for many years, acting as Board President and then General Manager of Lemon Bay Playhouse (an Arts People client) and currently serving on their board. Originally from Cleveland, by way of Pittsburgh, Suriname, and Saudi Arabia, Jim now resides in Florida. He holds both a BA and MA in Elementary Education.
LOVES
People who see a humanitarian need and then take action on it.
Favorite quote: "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." --Will Rogers
Online learning, a well-played game of Bridge, and jalapeño peppers.
FACTS
Jim’s first experiences in the arts were in music, playing the trumpet in junior high school. In college he could have been found playing guitar at a hootenanny. One of his ideal vacations would be to go fishing on a lake in Canada.
Katie Behrens
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Katie has has been an actor/performer since high school and currently performs and teaches improv and sketch comedy at Curious Comedy Theater. Originally from New Hampshire, she attended Messiah college in Pennsylvania where she majored in theatre with a concentration in acting and directing. She has livesin Portland, OR.
LOVES
Seeing the incredible and original projects clients offer to enrich the arts community all over North America.
Watching most sketch comedy from Kids in the Hall to The State to SNL to “everything.”
Dr. Who, grilled sandwiches, and the phrase “nailed it!”
FACTS
Katie, clearly the extrovert of the office, holds the record for most karaoke nights in a row at a different location - 10. She fell in love with Ireland on a previous trip, and someday hopes to own a vacation home there one day.
Megan Keating
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Megan comes to us from Rome Little Theatre in Rome, GA, having recently served as Executive Director. Her time there began 11 years ago, when her son, Grayson, performed in a production of Tom Sawyer, and she helped backstage. She holds degrees in Art and Animal Science, and has started two small businesses, including a graphic design company she continues to run today.
LOVES
The wide array of personalities you meet working in theater. Training dogs including her pups Mello, Clover and Brook. Working on home improvement projects.
FACTS
Knows her way around a theater, from set building to spotlight operator. The great granddaughter of Johnny Gruelle, creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy, and comes from a long line of famous painters and cartoonists (although she didn't inherit those abilities!)
Eric Guerin
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Eric’s theater experience started in 1995 when he joined the musical group Up with People. The group toured worldwide promoting diversity through performances and community service. He was a “roadie” for about five years touring hundreds of venues large and small. He was the Director of the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts (Michigan) for over 8 years managing a variety of performances from High School plays to world renowned acts.
LOVES
Twisty mountain bike trails, camping and travelling with his family, designing and building theater props and mochas.
FACTS
Eric is French-Canadian. He was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada but is now a proud U.S. Citizen. He thinks that any dessert without chocolate is not truly dessert.
James Dixon
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
James is a local performer and director in the Portland arts community, social justice activist, and active company with Theatre Vertigo based in Portland, Oregon. James really enjoys working solely in the arts community and decided to make Portland his home after nine years of falling in love with the rainy weather.
LOVES
James loves challenging, risky theater and most importantly working with kids in the arts and aspiring young performers. James is also a Star Trek fan, watches RuPaul's Drag Race religiously, Project Runway, Game of Thrones, Grey's Anatomy, and enjoys watching videos of baby animals when he needs a happy boost.
FACTS
James was once an Electronic Warfare Systems technician for the U-2S spy plane when he served in the United States Air Force, has traveled to over 32 states and 7 countries, and James is a North Carolina native.
Alex Blouin
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Alex was born into a theatre family and never looked back. A graduate of Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, she has been clowning, singing, dancing, directing, teaching, coaching, choreographing and doing schtick professionally for 17 years. Living the circus life, Alex has performed recently in New York, Philadelphia, Kansas City KA, Seattle, Portland, Blue Lake CA and plenty of places in between. She has recently found a home at Ferndale Rep in Ferndale CA.
LOVES
Making funny things, The stunning power of an artist onstage standing still and telling the truth.
Playing folk music (three chords and the truth!) with my band-mate David.
Physical comedy, Tito the cross-eyed kittycat, fish tacos, travel, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest!
FACTS
Alex once did time steps with Gregory Hines (and a few dozen other people). If she could travel anywhere, she would fly to Edinburgh by way of St John's, Newfoundland.
Tim Curtis
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Tim has been with the Riverfront Playhouse since 2007 when he answered an email looking for males to play zombies in the premiere of 'Night of the Living Dead – The Musical.' The email stated "no lines just a lot of moaning and groaning, and the show opens Friday!" He thought, "This is perfect for me." They lied, there was a song. In subsequent productions, he went on to take bigger roles, but admits being a zombie was the best of all the roles. He has been active with the Riverfront Playhouse since then and has been the Vice President of the Board for several years.
Whats exciting about working here? "Helping people on what I believe is the best ticketing software on the market. I have had nothing but positive interactions with everyone at AP. That is something that resonates with me and I wanted to be a part of that."
LOVES
Cooking and Baking
Phototagraphy
Plays and Musicals
Star Wars / Star Trek / and all things Disney
Bond Movies
Traveling
FACTS
He has guarded Willie Nelson, Don Rickels, Liza Minelli, & Frank Sinatra in his career. He has absolutely no knowledge of sports and has no interest in them. Tim loves making people laugh.
Jessica Johnson
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Jessica has had a lifelong passion for the arts, which began when she started tap and ballet dancing as a toddler. Today she prefers staying behind-the-scenes. Her professional background in the arts includes over 15 years of stage management and over 10 years of nonprofit marketing and development experience.
LOVES
Hiking and exploring Western NC and the surrounding areas. Coffee. Animals. Learning. NPR & Podcasts. Listening to an album from start to finish. Supporting local small business & the arts. That “I can’t get enough of…” feeling that you get from a good story (be it in a book, movie, tv show, or live performance).
FACTS
Though Jessica was born and raised in New England, she now resides in Asheville, NC, a place that has felt like home since the first time she visited. She and her husband have two cats, Stevie & Munch, and spend as much time as they can volunteering at a nearby wolfdog sanctuary.
Rhone Geha
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Rhone is a Portland native whose love of the arts has manifested itself in various ways throughout his life, particularly through his experience as an actor and original member of Pulp Productions in Olympia, WA, as well as through his passion for world literature.
LOVES
Learning languages (he is pursuing Arabic while struggling to keep hold of his French), waking up at odd hours to support his beloved Liverpool FC from across the pond, and going to Portland’s many great independent cinemas. He loves the practice of cooking every day, and is striving to love the practice of writing every day.
FACTS
Rhone works to support his community by co-teaching a weekly ESL class. He recently returned from living in Bordeaux, France, and has hopes of someday traveling through Latin America (Mexico and Brazil are at the top of his list.)
Tom Geha
Client Services Representative
ABOUT
Tom has always had an artistic bent, growing up with headphones glued to his head, playing various instruments, singing in choirs, and performing in school theater productions. Originally from New Mexico, his entire adult life has been lived in the lush and scenic Pacific Northwest. Professionally, he has a quarter century of experience in the healing arts field as an acupuncturist.
LOVES
Music, animals, nature and spirituality are his main loves. He is a lifelong fan of northern New Mexican cuisine, heavy on the red and green chile.
FACTS
Tom has been a community radio dj of indie rock and experimental/ambient music. He has 2 loveable cats: Mr. Buddy and Peanut Butter, and several surprisingly aged tropical fish.
Donna Benoit
Data Specialist
ABOUT
Donna has been involved in the field of data management for nearly 30 years, and has been working with Arts People since 2006. Originally from San Jose, California, recently living in Vancouver, WA, and now in Boise, ID, Donna has a BS in Business Management and a minor in Cybernetic Systems from San Jose State University.
LOVES
Working with data because she is so detail oriented and it suits her well.
Animals, camping, gathering with friends and family.
Live theater productions big and small.
FACTS
Donna usually has three or four books she is reading on her kindle at the same time. She has a very strong faith life and family life and is a great lover of nature.
Joe Meyer
Data Specialist
ABOUT
Joe Meyer joined Arts People after a long career with the US Postal Service. Most of his time with USPS was spent working in Information Technology. He held many different positions but most of his career was spent working as an IT Manger or an IT Program Manager. He is a life-long supporter of the theater and musical arts, he is excited to use his database and programming skills to deliver great customer service.LOVES
Joe loves Excel spreadsheets, cats, board games and burritos. And he recently took up the sport of paramotoring. He is also a connoisseur of dad jokes and loves a good pun.FACTS
Joe won first prize at the Utah State Fair for his portrayal of Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew many years ago, but hasn’t been on the stage since. He was also a classic rock DJ for many years. Originally from Utah, he has lived in Washington DC, Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and North Carolina. Currently he lives in Vancouver, WA with his wife Cathy and their eccentric cat, Mia.
Greg Maguire
UI/UX Designer
ABOUT
Greg’s client services background includes 4 years as a Specialist with Apple Computer in Boulder, Colorado. He studied at the University of Colorado where he received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Greg has dabbled in the arts since he was young; first in school theater, then as a member of a folky pop-rock band in college, and now he is an accomplished photographer.
LOVES
Making and sharing his art, and helping others share their art with their communities.
Watching live music, be it an indie alternative rock group or a symphony in the park
Digital photography, ukelele, couscous, and his pet ficus, Eric.
FACTS
The gloaming, or ‘golden hour’, a half-hour period in the evening where subjects appear to be glowing is where Greg’s inspiration lives, and his creativity thrives. Greg once lived in Wellington, New Zealand, and if he could travel anywhere it would be Salar De Uyuni in Bolivia.
Ness Blackbird
Co-Owner & Developer
ABOUT
Ness Blackbird started Arts People (formerly Ticket Turtle) in 2005 with his wife and business partner, Heather. He holds a BA in Psychology from Marylhurst University and a MA in Psychology from Greenwich University. He is the original mastermind behind the system our clients use today.
LOVES
Cooking and baking for people.
Telling stories to his kids.
Playing Bridge and indoor soccer.
FACTS
Recently completed his first middle reader fantasy novel Finding Evekitas.
Walks about 5 miles a day with his dog Rosie.
He will make you a birthday cake if you ask.
Don Rea
Technical Manager
ABOUT
Don has a degree in Studio Art from Wesleyan University, but has also developed software in one form or another since he was 15. He has extensive experience is database design, user experience (UX) design, and automation of communications (also commercial photography and digital animation). Originally from the Pittsburgh area, he now lives in Portland, OR and loves it.
LOVES
Black and white film photography, making food, brewing beer, traveling anywhere he's never been before.
FACTS
Has been to 46 states and three continents. Just 4 and 4 to go!
Had 33 teeth for most of his life (an extra wisdom tooth!)
Left to himself, spends most of his time reading. Thinks of himself as an artist whose medium is software.
Blake Swensen
Systems Administrator
ABOUT
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Blake graduated from college with a degree in theater. He decided he needed a fall back career and everything pushed him toward the computer industry, eventually landing him in Portland to take advantage of opportunities in the Silicon Forest. In his nearly three decade computer career Blake has offered support for virtually every type of computer and network including VAX, CP/M, DOS, Prime/OS, Solaris, Sun/OS, Macintosh System Software, several flavors of Unix and, of course, Windows.
LOVES
Science fiction stories. He's published two of his own and is shopping a third.
Music! Plays bass and guitar and is a total deadhead.
His yellow lab Samantha, who passed three years ago at the ripe age of 17.
FACTS
Blake and his wife Emily are the parents of twin boys entering High School. Blake is passionate about the joy that "Making" can bring to a person's life. In fact, he’s been running a summer camp, Tinker Camp, for elementary school kids with a friend for the last five years teaching kids how failure is part of the trial and error process, not a reflection of a personal flaw -- so that they can bravely experiment with ideas, without it negatively affecting their self-esteem.
Jacob Hammond
Developer
ABOUT
Jacob has been active in web development since 2000, first building websites in high school and then working for a large variety of companies exploring his passion for web development. Originally from Mckinleyville, California, he now lives in southern Oregon.
LOVES
Building things and solving technical problems.
Favorite quote: "All I know is that I know nothing." --Socrates.
His pets: Cannon (golden retriever), Kimo (corgi) and Bago (cat). FACTS If Jacob were sent on a 15 hour journey, the book he’d take is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, in hopes of finally being able to finish it.
Favorite quote: "All I know is that I know nothing." --Socrates.
His pets: Cannon (golden retriever), Kimo (corgi) and Bago (cat). FACTS If Jacob were sent on a 15 hour journey, the book he’d take is Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, in hopes of finally being able to finish it.
Markus Weltin
Developer
ABOUT
Markus holds a Masters degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Portland State University and a BS in Botany from the University of Vermont. With over 10 years experience programming he has expertise in jQuery, PHP, SQL, JavaScript, CSS, and Linux.
LOVES
That brief "aha" moment when you actually understand something.
Mixed metaphors: For example: "A bird in the hand gathers no moss."
Costa Rica, in its entirety.
FACTS
Played the towns-kid in his third grade class' production of "Oklahoma".
As a diver is awed and humbled by the ocean and its creatures, has been as deep at 210’, lived at one time in American Samoa.
Can be bribed with a good IPA.
HermpheusMartini
Developer
ABOUT
Herm is a southern California transplant who moved to Portland to pursue his career in web development. He comes to Arts People after consulting for several years, and working as a lead developer at a local development firm. Has specific expertise in WordPress, PHP, jQuery, SASS/LESS/CSS and front-end tooling.
LOVES
Clean, semantic code and open source software.
All flavors of electronic dance music.
Favorite books are Prometheus Rising, Walden, and Neuromancer.
FACTS
Read as a part of the first undergraduate poetry reading at UCSD.
Enjoys Astrology as a thought exercise. Is a Sun Gemini, Moon Sagittarius, Taurus rising.
Considers programming to be another form of writing.
Ben Jones
Developer
ABOUT
Ben is a native Portlandian who loves great experiences. With a background in Civil Engineering, Ben jumped into software development after teaching himself how to program. Above all, Ben is a generalist who enjoys solving problems and getting things done.
LOVES
Family and community.
Exploring and tinkering.
Building and playing games.
FACTS
Founded a youth maker club called PDX DIY (http://pdxdiy.org)
Can solve Rubik's Cube (best time is 1:54 minutes).
Will draw you a robot if you ask.
Sam Litowitz
Developer
ABOUT
Sam studies optimization, and system design in his spare time. He then works to apply his studies to a wide range of applications. When Sam is not doing the above he spends time exploring the environment whether it be beautiful buildings, manicured gardens, an awesome desert, or a wild growth.
LOVES
A good book with a comfortable place to read it and a cup of coffee. Notable favorites include Dune, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, and whatever is being brewed on the stove. Nothing beats having a set of tunes and you can find Sam listening to a wide range of music from Ghoultown, or The Seatbelts to Vivaldi. When live performance dates and free time align you can find Sam enjoying the music no matter the venue!
FACTS
Sam has a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University. He has been programming for 15 years, originally learning PHP and C. One of his first projects was a very basic web framework written in PHP. Sam is an avid admirer of the creative works of others and constantly looks for new creators and works!
Sam Valenti
Developer
ABOUT
Sam has been an arts administrator for the last eight years on the big island of Hawaii at Aloha Performing Arts Company, a client of Arts People. Originally from the Chicago area, he received a BS in chemistry with a minor in computer science from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO.
LOVES
The mix of technology and arts in his job, and helping small theatre move forward.
Travelling and exploring different cultures with an eye towards the unique and alternative.
Michael Crichton novels, the movie The Princess Bride, and eating artichokes.
FACTS
A big fan of live theater, the first production Sam ever saw was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He can be found on stage himself occasionally, with his last role being White Dude in Toxic Avenger in which he played 14 characters, including 2 female, and died 3 times.
Jenny Gaddy
QA Manager
ABOUT
Jenny started promoting Arts People in 2006 and has worn many hats at the company. She has worked in Sales, Admin, and Client Services. Jenny holds a BA in Humanities from The Evergreen State College and a graduate degree in health services from the National College of Natural Medicine.
LOVES
Spiritual practice, reducing, reusing, recycling, and the written word.
FACTS
Has 4 different kinds of backpacks. Cooks delicious vegetarian food.
Valerie Leith
QA Tester
ABOUT
Valerie's musical background includes 3 years of high school Show Choir, before GLEE made it cool. Worked at the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University for several years. Has her BA in Sociology from Portland State University.
LOVES
Her two rescue dogs, Jack & Teppy, and her two cats, Stevie and Evie.
Running marathons and halves.
Camping by the coast.
Visiting Hawaii.
FACTS
Originally from Brazil, Indiana. Terrified of tornadoes. Had a childhood goldfish named Bob that lived for more than 12 years.
Gary A. Hanson
QA Tester
ABOUT
Gary grew up in the shadow of the Adirondacks in upstate New York and originally studied media production. However, he carried those organizational production principles along a completely different career path; he has worked in libraries and on loading docks, as a courier and the “office guy” at a concrete supply company, managed independent video stores and was the administrative “man behind the curtain” for a clothing resale company, with every experience feeding into his philosophy; “learn a little bit about everything”.
LOVES
His wife Jenn, their cats Benjamin and Paxton, their chickens Romana, Lilith, Grace Jones and Butterbean, and beer. In that order.
FACTS
Has a household Godzilla shrine.
Is the papermaking apprentice to his wife at Pulp & Deckle, their handmade papermaking arts studio.
Produces the “I’ll Have A Beer And Talk” podcast in his basement on a weekly basis, “the only podcast produced in an undisclosed location somewhere underneath Portland, Oregon that talks about beer and technology.”
Andrew DeMoss
Accountant
About
Andrew has been active in the accounting world for six and a half years, spending four years in public accounting and two and a half years with an apparel manufacturer in the outdoor industry. He takes great joy in finding the story within numbers, and using data to help inform decision making.
Loves
Spending time with his two dogs, Toula and Chief. Being outside, ideally snowboarding, running, hiking, or mountain biking. Exploring Portland’s expansive offerings in the art of creation – specifically as it relates to food, beverage, and performance.
Facts
Andrew is a native of West Chester, PA. He has a BA in economics from Colorado College and a Master’s in Accounting from North Carolina State University. Andrew is a licensed CPA in the state of Oregon.
Jake Ayres
Administrative Assistant
ABOUT
Jake has done battle with and made peace with the arts since he got a toy guitar one year for his birthday. He is a writer, reader, musician, film composer, infrequent photographer, and occasional painter. Always too shy to try out for the school play as an actor, he was perfectly happy in the pit band or stage managing.
LOVES
Printed words. Concerts. Walks in the woods. Cooking. Ridiculous hypotheticals. Singing loudly in the shower. Dancing like an embarrassing dad at a wedding.
FACTS
Has lived in Illinois, Michigan, England, California, Connecticut, upstate New York, and now Portland. Puts out a local poetry journal called Windowcat. Won a state-wide theater award in Connecticut for stage management. Can’t name all 50 state capitals.
Heather Blackbird
Co-Owner & General Manager
ABOUT
Heather Blackbird started Arts People in 2005 with her husband and business partner Ness. She holds a BA in Filmmaking from The Evergreen State College and a MA in English from Portland State University. She strives in her work at Arts People to create a great workplace in service of a project that helps others.
LOVES
Arts People and each and every one of its clients and employees!
Being with her family.
Singing, harmonizing, and learning songs from all over the world.
Watching movies.
Sitting under trees of all kinds.
FACTS
Has a deep respect for volunteerism. Admires communities that make art together. Overuses metaphors. Grew up in Cave Junction, Oregon. Plays a mean game of Pictionary.
Arts People has been growing since 2006 into the team it is today, and we’re still growing.
We are very lucky to have drawn such amazing people together to work with on this incredible project. We are happy to see new clients joining us all the time.
We created the product for arts organizations because we are believers in the power of art. And we saw the need for an affordable, holistic technology solution for arts organizations to sell tickets and manage data.
We also knew we wanted to create a company we felt like coming to work at everyday – and we still do.
Our product is developed with our clients’ needs at the center, and we continue to see taking care of our clients and our staff as parallel projects. We believe this is the true purpose of a company: to ensure its employees are well-cared for and the product is well-built and supported skillfully.
We are grateful to our clients for their business, to our team for their hard work, and to you for considering becoming a part of our community of users.
Our Team
Arts and technology professionals who love what they do and are dedicated to your success.
Giving Back
A few of the amazing organizations we love and appreciate.
Inspiration
We’re an inspired bunch. Here are some of our latest inspirations. Check it out!
First Page
Short videos of our community reading the first page from books they love. Some classics, some lesser known, and all amazing.
Jobs
Interested in a career at Arts People?
Get Started
Get in touch to see if we’re a fit for your organization!
“This has been an amazingly easy process handled with the best of professionalism , understanding and patience.”
Roger Potter - Julie K Music
Contact
2410 N Lombard St
Portland OR 97217
Phone: 866-788-7853
Fax: 503-914-0345
Email: info@arts-people.com
