The Collective

Alexandra Polidori is an Idaho Native, with love for her state and the City of Boise. Alexandra has worked within the community as an Event Coordinator for the past 4 years. Alexandra began work at the Old Idaho Penitentiary in May of 2022 and came into the role of the site's first Events and Rentals Coordinator, where she has grown a passion for learning and teaching others about the history of incarceration and its effects on society, as well the contemporary facets of incarceration and the justice system. Alexandra has headed programming that links the historical side of incarceration with the present, working alongside the Idaho Department of Correction. When she's not at work, you can find Alexandra walking the greenbelt or hiking when it's nice out, scouring Antique stores for new to her items, creating art and music, or hanging out with her cat, Nefertiti.

Charlee was born and raised in Idaho, and plans to stay. She graduated from Boise State in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. Charlee currently works at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, where she's developed a passion for learning more about incarceration and the justice system. She has had the opportunity to research different aspects of the history of incarceration in Idaho, mainly focusing on medical care. In her free time she enjoys reading, and spending time with her cats.

Steph, along with her husband and 3 daughters, have lived in Boise since 1996. Her daughters are all Bishop Kelly High School graduates (Go Knights!); two of them are College of Idaho grads, and the youngest is also now at the College of Idaho (Go Yotes!). Steph is very community inspired, involved and driven, and firmly believes that music, art and alternative culture are key pieces to our city’s and community members' vitality. She has been very fortunate to advocate for those elements as an active participant in Boise’s music and arts scene for many years, primarily as a co-founder and current director of Treefort Music Fest, and through past involvement with Radio Boise, Go Listen Boise and other music/arts-driven community organizations and events. She is currently an active volunteer within Boise Rock School/Juno Arts and Global Lounge/World Village Fest. In addition to passionately caring for her fellow humans, Steph works to help find fosters and adopters for dogs through a local rescue org called Freedom Bound Hounds.

Jessica Evett joined the board of the Idaho Prison Arts Collective in April 2021, and began serving as chair in the summer of that year after working with founder Michael Richardson on securing a fiscal sponsorship for the organization through Surel’s Place. She brings over 20 years of nonprofit experience, and is excited to be a part of IPAC as it takes shape. Evett currently works at the Idaho Humanities Council as the organization’s Development and Communications Officer, and prior to that spent six years serving as General Manager of Radio Boise (KRBX 89.9/93.5FM), a nonprofit community radio station serving the Treasure Valley and parts of Eastern Oregon. Prior to that, Evett spent 16 years in Montana and Colorado (1999-2015), with a career spanning natural resource work, communications, fundraising, and management at several outdoor stewardship organizations. Born and raised in Boise, she holds a B.A. degree in Psychology and Creative Writing from the College of Idaho, and an M.A. degree in Mass Communications/Public Relations from the University of Denver. She keeps her toes and fingers firmly planted in writing and the visual arts, with a particular interest in poetry and mixed media. She believes the arts are a critical component toward keeping the human spirit knitted together in turbulent times.

Incarcerated for over 26 years, Chris Shanahan credits the transformative power of the arts with empowering him to actively participate in his rehabilitation and support other peers with their own. Chris shares that his experiences in the Idaho State Correctional Center/Boise State University Prison Debate Initiative and "Sentences" creative nonfiction writing program were instrumental in providing him the skills, experiences and confidence he now applies to transforming the criminal justice system from the inside out. Inspired by those who dedicated their time, effort and resources to bringing the arts to him behind prison walls, he is dedicated to paying this investment forward. To date, Chris has helped create and lead three peer mentor programs in two prisons and also serves on the board of directors for Helpful Solutions Inc., a nonprofit committed to helping returning citizens with their reentry into the community. Currently a resident at the South Idaho Correctional Institution, Chris is excitedly pursuing his Peer Recovery Coach certification, as well as applying his skills in their groundbreaking Audio/Video Production program. In his spare time, Chris enjoys talking with his family and friends, as well as writing poetry.

Bio coming soon!

Timothy Guill is a full-time lecturer with the University Foundations and History Departments at Boise State University. He holds a BA in American History from the University of Idaho and an MA in 20th Century American Military and Diplomatic History from Boise State University. In addition, he has a Graduate Certificate in College Teaching and is currently pursuing a second MA in Mental Health Counseling. Timothy's excellence in teaching has been recognized with the University Foundations Teaching Award for UF200 instruction, and he was nominated for the 2022 Golden Apple Award. Timothy served in the Marine Corps from 1998 to 2003, an experience that deeply informs his teaching and academic interests. Beyond his work at Boise State, Timothy is an adjunct professor for the Social Sciences Department at Lewis and Clark State College, where he teaches courses for residents at correctional facilities in Oregon and Idaho. Timothy enjoys spending time with his partner Savannah, their two cats, and his son Finn when he is not teaching.

Jonah Shue has been involved in music and performing since he was just getting started in this world. Music was happening and all around with his parents playing and calling dances for friends in, what he likes to call, the undifferentiated beginning. Early lessons on the fiddle led to studying guitar in middle  school. He studied with many of the area’s finest players and teachers before studying classical guitar at the University of Oregon. Returning to Boise in 1991, Jonah played in local bands and taught private lessons at Old Boise Guitar Co. before moving to Boston in 1995 to study jazz guitar and violin at the Berklee College of Music. After traveling around and playing all over he came back to Boise in 2002 and with fellow teachers co-founded Old Boise Music Studios where he has been teaching since 2005. A life long devotee of swinging dance music, he performs regularly with two swinging bands The Country Club, The Frim Fram Four and as a duo with the magical Emily Tipton.

Cyndi Miracle, MS, CMI, is a Certified Mindful Schools Mindfulness Instructor and trainer in Boise, Idaho, who has worked with multiple schools, levels preschool-college, training staff and working with students to foster a compassionate, inclusive, trauma-informed learning of the methods , philosophy, and practice of Mindfulness. She has experience working privately one-on-one with families, youth, and adult clients, coaching to develop mindfulness practice to process and move through real life challenges in a healthy and lasting way. Cyndi is also a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, and has background in child development, both helping inform her mindfulness service offerings and adding a backdrop to customized services she can design. Cyndi's website: stillgrovemindfulness.com

Jessie has 30+ years of experience in fine arts, murals, graphic design, and typography, producing high quality artwork. She paints live at weddings and concerts, illustrate books and albums, designs logos and menus, and adorns bedrooms and buildings with custom artwork. Most recently, in addition to teaching with Idaho Prison Arts Collective, she has taught art lessons in juvenile incarcerations centers. Jessie's website: jessienilo.com

Hailing originally from a small town in Vermont, Michael is a writer, visual artist, and freelance web developer. He was lucky to teach art to prisoners back when he was an undergraduate in the early nineties, and to co-lead a writing program for incarcerated women when he was in graduate school at Sarah Lawrence College. He got his MFA in creative writing there, and published a novel, Plans for a Mushroom Radio, in 2003. He's currently working on a nonfiction book about consciousness and cosmology that will be coming out in 2022. He founded this organization in May of 2021.

Mark Person has a passion for helping people and sharing his stories of inspiration through his life experiences, which includes fifteen years spent being incarcerated. Today, he works closely with the Idaho Department of Corrections to improve communication between returning citizens and supervision by promoting his belief in the importance of a hug and a handshake.

Diane Raptosh’s collection American Amnesiac (Etruscan Press), was longlisted for the 2013 National Book Award in poetry. The recipient of three fellowships in literature from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, she served as the Boise Poet Laureate (2013) as well as the Idaho Writer-in-Residence (2013-2016). In 2018 she won the Idaho Governor’s Arts Award in Excellence. She teaches literature and creative writing and co-directs the program in Criminal Justice/Prison Studies at the College of Idaho. Her seventh collection, Run: A Verse-History of Victoria Woodhull, was recently published (Etruscan 2021). www.dianeraptosh.com