Staff

 

Sarah Jo Lightner

Executive Director

Sarah Jo is Executive Director of Methow Arts Alliance. She was born in rural Missouri and raised in Nebraska, she studied agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska and silversmithing at Oregon College of Arts and Craft. She spent 23 years in restaurant business management with 12 of those in Portland, Oregon operating her own restaurant.  In late 2008 she decided to sell her business and worked as a consultant until landing in the Methow Valley in 2010. Drawn by the arts and culture scene in Twisp and the deep sense of community in the Methow Valley she opened and silversmithing studio at TwispWorks and started working in non-profit. She deeply believes in the importance that arts and culture play in creating thriving rural communities and is excited to be part of Methow Arts Alliance where she started as Executive Director in April 2024. Sarah Jo proudly serves on the board of directors for the Winthrop Music Association, the Twisp Chamber of Commerce, and the Twisp Creative District. Sarah Jo and her family love boat camping in the Okanogan Highlands in the summers and traveling whenever they get the chance. 

director@methowarts.org

Amber Zimmerman

Youth Arts Initiative Instructor

Amber Zimmerman is the lead Youth Arts Initiative (YAI) Instructor at Alpine Lakes Elementary in the Cascade School District. Art is a way of life for Amber and her family. A fourth-generation artist, Amber earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Art from Evergreen State College. Amber has taught art extensively in the Cascade School District, developing and delivering both the KArt and LEAAP (Leavenworth Elementary Art Appreciation Project) programs in K-2 and K-5 respectively. She is active in the Leavenworth arts community, participates in gallery exhibits, and teaches community art classes for students and adults. She has participated in Washington State’s Teaching Artist Training Lab (TAT Lab) and Icicle Fund’s Conservation, History, and Art (CHA) residency. A mother of two, Amber refers to art as “the great problem-solver” and looks forward to helping students explore visual arts in a strategic, sequential way.

amber.methowarts@gmail.com

Maddie Lee James

Interim Education Director

Maddie has worked in the Methow Valley for the last 14 years; managing and marketing for Blue Star Coffee Roasters, doing social justice work for Room One, natural dying with Sara Ashford and operating Wild Color Baby and sitting on the board of directors for the Rural People’s Voice. She has a range of interests that are all driven by a passion for cultivating community, justice and beauty through art and storytelling. A favorite project of hers so far have been designing and leading the Youth Storytelling Project- a project through Room One where she had the honor of supporting 6 local teens from across Okanogan County in creating a series of short films that identified barriers and sources of resilience for the county’s youth.  Through her work at Room One and her time living in Omak, she also built relationships with a range of folks who are doing important work to serve youth all across this large and diverse county. She is excited to bring her passion for art, knowledge of Okanogan county, community organizing skills and dedication to equity for the youth of this region to Methow Arts. She lives in Winthrop with her partner, two daughters and infant son.  

eddirector@methowarts.org

Patti Somerville

Operations Coordinator

Patti is the Operations Coordinator here at Methow Arts Alliance. She contributes to the successful delivery of the arts education programs, along with coordination of all other events brought to you by Methow Arts. She has lived in the Methow Valley for almost a decade. Throughout her time here, she has learned to enjoy the people, plants and animals that call the Methow home and thrill at the myriad of ways to enjoy them all with the changing seasons. A stay at home mom and super volunteer for many years, she has also run her own landscape maintenance business for the past 6 years. When she isn’t digging in the dirt, you can find her enjoying the trails year round, or holed up in her arts and craft room at home.She is passionate about raising good humans, her friends and family and sustaining the connections that make life worth living. Patti, her 3 school aged children, her husband and 2 cats live just outside Winthrop.

coordinator@methowarts.org