Here is some information on the staff members who have participated in this exhibition:
CRAIG HAMILTON ARNOLD
Membership Director & Donor Relations
Craig Hamilton Arnold is the Fresno Art Museum’s Membership Director. He has worked at the Fresno Art Museum since 2011. Members and visitors see him in person mostly at the Museum’s Opening Receptions for new exhibitions (and other events) when he deliberately stands out in front the entrance glass doors to greet people.
Craig Hamilton Arnold’s duties include (but are far from being limited to) maintaining the Museum’s mailing list, preparing mailings (about 35,000 pieces of mail per year), recording all donations and producing acknowledgement letters with appropriate tax language, keeping track of memberships and sending out membership renewals, working to see that the Council of 100 receives enough memberships and donations each year, coordinating the Museum’s fundraising efforts with Executive Director and Chief Curator Michele Ellis Pracy, and helping with the Museum’s events. He also proofreads and lightly edits the Museum’s wording for flyers, postcards, and brochures; the text for fundraising and acknowledgement letters; the text for the website; the wall texts for exhibitions; and the text of exhibition catalogs, ensuring that staff follows the Museum’s agreed-upon style.
Craig Hamilton Arnold is a second-generation native of Fresno, and he grew up on his Armenian uncle’s raisin ranch in Fresno’s Sunnyside district. He was one of the valedictorians of his class at McLane High School. After high school, he was an exchange student for one year in Bordeaux, France. He earned a B.A. cum laude in Classical Civilization and French from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a diploma from the School of Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome, and an M.A. in Classics (Latin Emphasis) and an M.A. in French from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Craig Hamilton Arnold was expected to follow a more academic path and be a college professor, but he found the world of museums more appealing as museums maintain academic standards but are visited by people for enrichment throughout their lifetimes. He visited museums with his family as a matter of course since his childhood. He also found that museums needed his skills in information management and languages. He has always enjoyed and appreciated museums and is very grateful that he has been able to work in museums.
Craig Hamilton Arnold worked in Los Angeles for several years at the Getty Conservation Institute first for the Conservation Information Network, a group of online databases of technical information for the worlds of art conservation and architectural conservation, and then for the semi-annual print publication Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts which is the abstract bulletin for the technical literature in art conservation, architectural conservation, museum environments, and archaeological site management which was distributed to museums, art organizations, and government agencies in twenty-three countries. He designed the database which allowed the conversion of Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts from a semi-annual print publication to an online searchable database, available worldwide on the Getty Conservation Institute website. Returning to Fresno, he worked for several years at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art, History and Science as Membership and Development Manager. After the closure of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum in 2010, he was recruited by Linda Cano and Eva Torres for the membership role at the Fresno Art Museum as he was also known to them as a longtime member.
JOHN BREWER
Preparator & Art Handler
During the early 1970s, through his father’s contacts, John Brewer worked part time at the Balboa Art Conservation Center (an art restoration laboratory in San Diego) and for the registration department of the San Diego Museum of Art. Combining their training with his interest in design, fabrication, and photography was the beginning of John’s career as an art preparator. As the Balboa Art Conservation Center grew, John became a full-time employee. After six years and a cross-country bicycle ride, John came to Fresno to work with his father at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art, History, and Science, retiring after twenty years as Director of Operations/ Preparator. John worked there for another five years part-time as a preparator for exhibit installations, ending with the closure of that museum in 2010. Soon after, John began working part-time at the Fresno Art Museum as a preparator, and he continues to this day.
MARIAH CALVERT
Art Instructor
Mariah Calvert is a Fresno-based artist with a degree in Studio Art. Her work focuses on the female gaze, combining bold color and intentional form to explore women, architecture, and anything that intrigues her. Mariah has worked in many areas of the Fresno art community and currently serves as an Art Marketing Coordinator, museum oil painting instructor, and owner of a downtown studio where she teaches private lessons and collaborates with local artists.
At the Fresno Art Museum, Mariah has served as an art instructor, both leading school tours and teaching art classes. She now specializes in leading adult oil painting classes on weekends. Mariah chose to work at the museum because it allows her to merge her love of art and education while connecting with the creative community that continues to inspire her work.
Mariah finds it deeply meaningful to experience artwork in person, to study brushstrokes, technique, and emotion firsthand. The museum provides that opportunity for constant learning, helping us better understand history, culture, and humanity. Through art, we can discuss both beauty and hardship, addressing issues of racism, inequality, women’s rights, and other human rights challenges of the past and present, as we continue the fight for a better future.
When revolutions happen, it is often the artists who document and define them. Working at the museum allows Mariah to be part of that ongoing conversation, learning, teaching, and celebrating art’s power to reveal truth and inspire change.
SUSAN YOST FILGATE
Education Director & Public Relations
Being greatly inspired by her very talented older sister, Susan began creating art, poetry, and short stories as a young child. Growing up in Pennsylvania, she had numerous opportunities to visit museums in New York City, Washington, D.C., Toronto, and throughout Europe. She fell in love with museums from an early age and had planned to pursue a degree in archaeology, even doing fieldwork in England during several summer vacations. When Susan realized that an archaeology degree involved many physical anthropology classes with an emphasis on science and math, she turned to the visual arts, eventually pursuing a degree in art education at the Pennsylvania State University’s main campus where she studied painting with Harold Altman and fiber art with David Van Dommelen.
Susan also took classes in museum education, completing a research project on-site at the Brooklyn Museum—the catalyst that truly launched her into the field. After earning a B.S. and a teaching credential in art, she followed-up with graduate studies in museum education. She moved to San Francisco in 1976 and worked as a docent at the de Young and Legion of Honor Museums.
Economic realities led to a break from the museum world in the 1980s and 1990s. During that time, Susan worked in art licensing for Peanuts® products and later as a paralegal doing extensive legal writing. She remained involved in the arts, having married an artist and illustrator. She was fortunate to be able to teach art at her daughter’s elementary school and often freelanced as a graphic designer. Eventually, Susan and her family moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea where she wrote and designed children’s books with her husband and worked as the creative director at an art and book publishing company. That position involved travel and allowed her to explore major museums across the United States and Europe.
When Susan moved to Fresno in 2005, she volunteered as a docent at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art, History, and Science and was hired by the Fresno Art Museum in 2010 to run the Museum’s education department and create graphics for marketing. Her artwork throughout the years continues to reflect her enduring love of color and the organic forms characteristic of Art Nouveau. Though long devoted to dogs, she recently found herself adopted by a black cat named Lucy and is now a fan of felines.
DENISE GORHAM
Art Instructor & Guest Services
Denise Gorham was born in Pomona, California and raised in Fresno. She is proud to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Denise earned an Associate of Arts degree in Two-Dimensional Design and a Certificate in Studio Art from Fresno City College where she also became deeply involved in campus life. During her time there, she served as president of the Art for Community Transformation Club and founded and led both the Art and Ceramics Club and the Art History Club.
After transferring to California State University, Fresno, Denise graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Art History and earned a Certificate in Jewish Studies. Her interest in working in museums and galleries began thanks to her former boss and mentor, Ed Lund, who hired her as a Gallery Technician Assistant at Fresno City College. Denise later worked with Chris Lopez in the Phebe Conley Art Gallery at California State University, Fresno. Both taught her the art of installing exhibitions and, more importantly, the vital role that curators and installers play in sharing an artist’s story with the public. While the work can be challenging, helping to bring an artist’s vision to life has always been her favorite part of the job.
Torn between teaching and museum studies, Denise found that a career in museum education has been incredibly rewarding. It allows her inner history nerd to be surrounded by ancient artifacts and original artwork while embracing the challenge of learning about new exhibitions every six months. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her appreciation for visiting artists with the public. The most fulfilling part of her work is seeing visitors of all ages discover new insights or make meaningful connections during their time at the Fresno Art Museum.
GEOFF GOSSETT
Art Instructor
Geoff Gossett is an illustrator and animator who relocated to Fresno from Los Angeles in 2019. His work primarily focuses on portraiture, often using traditional media such as pen and ink, watercolor, and oil paints on a variety of surfaces, from paper and cardboard to napkins. Geoff creates both digital and traditional commissioned illustrations, bringing his unique style to each project.
His client list includes advertising agencies in both Los Angeles and Fresno, as well as animation studios like DreamWorks. Currently, he is working on a series of custom shirt designs for the high schools of Madera County, and he is exploring ways to combine analytical drawing techniques with more meditative approaches to his art.
SARKIS KGLYAN
Maintenance & Security
Sarkis Kglyan was born in 1957 in Yerevan, in the province of Nubarashen in Armenia. He graduated from Nubarashen School in 1975. After finishing school, Sarkis began working at the Nubarashen Texture Company for one year. After that, he enlisted in the military where he served for two years. While in the military, he attended the Military Culinary School where he received a 7th Degree Culinary Diploma, the highest honor available. Sarkis then worked as a cook for the remainder of his military service. With two assistants, he prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 1,600 service members. After finishing his service in 1978, Sarkis returned home and started working at the Nubarashen Shoe Factory as a shoemaker, alongside his mother and brother. His father also worked at the factory as a mechanic.
Sarkis met the love of his life, Armik, in 1982. They fell in love, got married, and had two children, a boy and a girl. As the youngest in his family, Sarkis and his young family lived with his parents. Sarkis, his father, and his mother worked while Sarkis’ wife took care of their home and the children. They lived a normal and happy life. Then on December 7, 1988, a powerful earthquake hit Armenia, taking many lives and bringing destruction to much of Armenia. After that, the Soviet Union began to collapse. Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union and became an independent nation. Due to the destruction caused by the earthquake and the war with neighboring Azerbaijan, Armenia’s economy collapsed, factories closed, and people went without water and electricity for weeks at a time. As time went on, everything became worse.
In 1992, the Kglyan family immigrated to the United States and settled in Fresno leaving behind their place of birth and homeland, just as many others had in 1915 during the Armenian Genocide when the Ottoman Empire killed one and a half million Armenians and forced the rest from their homeland.
Moving to the United States started a new chapter in his life. Sarkis and his wife wanted to continue their education in the United States, but first they had to provide for their family. Sarkis did not speak a word of English when he came to America. He began attending Clovis Adult School to learn the language. At the same time, He worked in a few different shoe repair stores in Fresno and Clovis. He did not refuse any type of work and did what was available.
After working many places and meeting many good people, Sarkis was hired as a custodian at the Fresno Art Museum. After seven years, he was laid off when the museum went through financial issues in 2010. Four years later, Sarkis returned to the Museum.
Today, Sarkis considers the Fresno Art Museum his second home. He loves his work and the people he works with. He loves his family, especially his grandchildren Narek, David, Sophia, Mipenia, and Ariana, who are a new generation of citizens that will do great things for their homeland and for all of humanity.
RACQUELLE JUSTO MENDIOLA
Art Instructor
Art has always been an integral part of each chapter in Racquelle Justo Mendiola’s life. Coming from a family with a legacy in the performing arts, her presence at the museum feels like a continuation of that tradition. It is a beautiful way of honoring her family’s creative roots while carving her own path. As a professional artist with a degree in Studio Art from California State University, Fresno, Racquelle was drawn to work at the Fresno Art Museum as an Art Instructor and Docent because of the city’s rich artistic community and the incredible legends who have shaped it. Working at a museum felt like a natural step toward deepening her connection to Fresno’s art scene and accelerating her own growth as an artist. To her, there is truly something magical about walking through galleries filled with stories and knowing that she is part of the team who keeps those narratives alive.
Racquelle believes that all museums are educational spaces. They are living archives that preserve culture and memories while inspiring creativity and building community. She takes pride in helping others experience that same sense of wonder. Racquelle finds joy in helping others feel inspired to return and support the arts after visiting.
Whether engaging visitors or sharing artists’ voices, being part of this museum allows her to continue weaving art into every chapter of her life while helping others discover its impact in theirs.
OLIVIA MYRACLE
Art Instructor
Olivia Myracle was adopted from China and has lived in Fresno ever since. Her passion for art blossomed as a child, inspired by the beautiful illustrated books in her family's collection. She was captivated by how art can whisk readers away into different worlds and stories.
Olivia received her A.A. in Studio Arts and Arts for Transfer from Fresno City College in 2023. In May 2025, she graduated from California State University, Fresno with a B.A. in Art with a focus in painting and drawing and a minor in Asian American Studies. While studying abroad in Italy and London, she developed a deep appreciation for the essential role that art museums play in the world. Olivia is very excited to work at the Fresno Art Museum as an art instructor because she loves having conversations about art and leading people in her community in creative activities. She quickly learned to enjoy guiding third grade students on tours through the museum and encouraging them to tap into their creativity during their time in the classroom where they can participate in an art lesson related to one of the current exhibitions. Olivia believes that art is a wonderful tool that can help us all relax, solve problems, express ourselves, and connect with others in a meaningful way.
CITLALI PALMA
Special Events Manager
Born and raised in Fresno, Citlali Palma grew up a creative child. She could be found drawing cartoon characters, sticking twigs into her bike to mimic the sputtering sound from a motorcycle, or spending quiet evenings engineering Lego cars and furniture for her Barbies. Today, Citlali continues to carry a natural curiosity and enjoys expressing herself through art. Her favorite creative outlets include graphic design, video editing, photography, and crafts such as repurposing cardboard into bat wings for a Halloween costume. In each season of her life, one creative outlet takes the lead. During the summer of 2025 on a family trip to Guanajuato, Mexico, photography held the reins.
Citlali Palma began her journey at the Fresno Art Museum in February 2023. As the Special Events Manager, she is responsible for overseeing all Museum event programming and facility rentals. The types of events include cocktail receptions, panel discussions, film screenings, fundraisers, and celebrations. When she is not at her desk, she can be found in the galleries filming a reel or taking photos for social media content. When she is not at the Museum, she can be spotted at Bevmo stocking up on wine for an upcoming Opening Reception or at Expo Rentals loading up her car with table linens and large quantities of glassware.
Through working at the Fresno Art Museum, Citlali developed a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the museum world: curatorial terminology, gallery etiquette, art history, artists, phases of an exhibition season, careers, and more. Her favorite part about working at the Fresno Art Museum is the amazing, talented, and supportive staff she works alongside. She pitches the Fresno Art Museum to others as a hidden gem, a place of tranquility and inclusivity, and a stage for visual inspiration. Citlali encourages everyone in her local community and beyond to visit.
REYNALDO RODRIGUEZ
Art Instructor, Exhibition Technician, & Guest Services
Born and raised near his hometown of Orange Cove, 35 miles east of Fresno, Reynaldo was always captivated by the immense natural beauty of the San Joaquin Valley. At the young age of 7, one of his uncles lent him a camera to shoot photos of a family trip up at a lake. Once he received the prints from that first roll of film, he was hooked on the magic of photography. Anytime he could get his hands on a disposable camera, he enjoyed documenting those happy, fleeting moments of life. While attending Dinuba High School, he spent a lot of time photographing the skateboarding and rock band communities that he and friends were a part of. After graduation, he attended nearby Reedley Community College to study graphic design and digital art. During this time, he put aside photography to focus on his education and adulthood. After college and the 2008 economic recession, Reynaldo found it difficult to find work in the arts, so he got a retail salesman position at an auto parts store. After several years, Reynaldo had worked his way up the ladder to the position of Closing Store Manager but realized that he was lacking creativity in this life. Reynaldo decided to enroll in the spring semester 2017 black-and-white film photography class at Fresno City College and soon rediscovered the great joy that this medium brought to his life. After he learned the true art of exposure, development, and printing in the darkroom, he decided to take the risk and quit his managerial job to return to school full time. At the end of 2019, he achieved his certification in the professional photography program at Fresno City College. Since then, he has come full circle and offers his skill in photography to the skateboard and music communities in the Fresno and surrounding areas.
In 2022, Reynaldo accepted an opportunity to teach a photography summer camp at the Fresno Art Museum which got his foot in the door. Since then, he has joined the art instructors to give educational tours for mostly third grade students and helps the curatorial team with framing artwork and exhibition changeovers. He enjoys that he can be a part of an educational program that inspires the youth with art and can help the curatorial process bring new artwork to Fresno.
LINDA ZUPCIC
Art Instructor & Graphic Designer
Linda Zupcic is a fine artist and graphic designer with a degree in studio art. She is probably one of the few people who actually work in the field they graduated in. Art is something she is compelled to do. No matter the job she held—ESL instructor, chimney sweep, freelance graphic designer, art director at an ad agency, waitress, art instructor— it was always in support of her own work as a fine artist.
Linda joined the Fresno Art Museum as an art instructor because she wanted to be around art (that wasn’t her own) and other artists. Creating is a solitary process, and it seemed the perfect place and way to interrupt her studio isolation. The exhibition rotations keep the job interesting, as art instructors need to learn about each new body of work that enters the galleries, which also means understanding the work in a social and historical context.
Linda enjoys the creativity involved in working with the children at the Museum. Every day is a different creative challenge, looking for new and fun ways to engage the children with the art. The feedback is always immediate–are the kids fidgety, whispering to each other, or attentive and involved in the discussion? She has tried to build a “toolbox” so she can change tack if needed. Linda also enjoys the childrens’ own creativity and the way they can still work without ego being too involved, losing themselves in the artistic process, putting materials together in ways others might not have considered.