Our Team

Executive Director, Mentor

Jesse was born in and raised in Salinas as a second generation American. He discovered Youth Arts Collective in his late teens, where his passion for art and creativity fostered. He spent over ten years as the owner/operator of Rosita’s Café and Jesse’s Lounge in downtown Salinas. Most recently he worked as a Development Associate with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Monterey County, where he discovered his passion for nonprofit development. He is a life-long advocate of the arts and aims to continue YAC’s mission as a community resource for the youth of Monterey County.

Program Director, Mentor

Marissa has been an artist and arts educator in Monterey & Santa Cruz counties for over 14 years. Her great loves include printmaking, pen and ink drawings, ceramics, public art installation, her partner and pets- not necessarily in that order! She has been a YAC board member for 3 years and has a passion for non-profit organizational development. "YAC is a wildly fun, inclusive community that celebrates each and every young person that walks through its doors. I am so proud to support an organization that fosters the individual development and success of our young artists. A vibrant arts community is one of the great signs of a healthy society."

Promotional Director, Photographer/Videographer

Grace Khieu is a photographer and multimedia producer, born and raised in the Monterey Area. She has been helping tell people’s unique stories since 2014 through photo, video, design, or a combination of them all. She earned a B.S. in Graphic Communication at Cal Poly SLO in 2020, where she was able to take a deep dive into wedding photography and digital media. Grace is also the co-organizer of TEDxYorkSchool where she aims to be an advocate for students and hopes to give opportunities and support to those who need it.

Administrative Assistant, Artist, Mentor

Natalia Corazza is an artist based in the Bay Area. While her work is primarily in oils and acrylics, she also works in graphite, charcoal, and pen for her drawings. Her work explores a variation of subjects from Latinx identity, Colombian country life and landscape, to various forms of magical realism. Corazza graduated with a BFA in painting and drawing from California College of the Arts in 2019. In 2020, Corazza co-initiated a mural collaborative called "La Neta Murals" and continues to paint murals across the peninsula with her team.

Founder, Artist, Mentor

Marcia began making, showing and selling her art in 1973. She specializes in airbrush paintings, illustrations and murals, but also enjoys making pastel paintings, ceramics and mobiles. She is a published children’s book author and illustrator and her art has been licensed for products. She taught airbrush painting at Rocky Mountain School of Art and Design in Denver. As a parent, she volunteered her skills for school play set designs, classroom art instruction and permanent murals. Aware of the need for afterschool programs, and places for our young to feel valued and inspired, Marcia and Meg opened YAC on Martin Luther King Day 2000 in downtown Monterey.

Founder, Artist, Mentor

Meg is a painter, illustrator, cartoonist, muralist, and the creator of Little Biddle Books. Her BFA is from California College of the Arts. She has exhibited her paintings in several one-woman and group shows, penned a comic strip that ran for seven years, and is currently published in FunnyTimes, Medium, and CartoonMovement.. As an illustrator, Meg worked in advertising, editorial, and now almost exclusively for education and healthcare clients – locally, Pulse Magazine, and for the last 25 years, Journeyworks Publishing (Santa Cruz). She’s also taught workshops on illustration, portfolio, and the business of art.

Artist, Mentor

Owner of Imagine Art Supplies. The former manager of Art Max and wax-chaser for sculptor Richard McDonald, Germain has expertise in many mediums. She has mentored at-risk teens and spearheaded mural projects for One Voice, Monterey, during the late 90s. She was a regular volunteer at Youth Arts Collective since its inception before joining the staff.

Artist, Mentor

Making art has been an important part of my life since the time I was a YACster. As a mentor I’m able to share my passion for art with the kids, support their creativity, their uniqueness, their personal and artistic outlooks. I have believed in the deep value of YAC since my daughter was a YACster 20 years ago, and now I’m grateful to be a part of this exceptional art collective of kids and mentors.

Artist, Mentor

Renata is an artist, architect and aspiring naturalist. She has been working on translating her love for nature and her interest in the built environment through her painted canvases. Her work is colorful and bold, with focus on compositions that present unique points of view. Because of her diverse background Renata is eager to share her experiences with others and mentoring seemed like a natural progression of her career.

Artist, Mentor

Arsenio Baca is a multi-faceted artist with experience working on canvas, murals, woodburning, tattoos, drawing, and more. Arsenio graduated from the University of New Mexico in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing in 2010. He is a self-taught artist who brings a knowledge of real-world application of artistry as well as an entrepreneurial spirit to find new ways to pursue creative endeavors in order to make a living. He has been working as a professional artist for 10+ years with murals in multiple states and commissioned art around the world. He brings a drive to share art and expression in ways that break down walls and invite collaboration from everyone he works with. His inspiration comes from the world he experiences all around him everyday.

Artist, Mentor

Jess Soriano visual creator through and through. With a B.S. in Health Science, she ventured into the world of Science Illustration, and from there, her perspective expanded from medical science to environmental conservation. Knowing there was much more to learn, she switched her focus inward, exploring the deeper parts of the psyche to find true balance between mind, body, and spirit. The desire to combine all these different aspects of herself is reflected in her work. From children’s book illustrations and printmaking to murals and even music videos, she’s adept in a variety of artistic mediums. Endlessly enthralled by our inner and outer worlds, she hopes her creative expressions will inspire others to explore their natural surroundings, see love in all living things, and open their minds to the beauty in unity.

Development Manager

Logan is an artist, mother, and teacher, just beginning her career as a grant writer. She has been working as a freelance illustrator for over 15 years and worked as an outdoor educator, park ranger, and high school art teacher in between projects. Logan is passionate about YAC, having attended the program from 2001-2002. She is excited to have the opportunity to put her writing skills to use promoting YAC. When she is not grant writing, illustrating, or taking care of her kids, Logan enjoys painting murals and gardening any chance she gets.

Bookkeeper

Suzi grew up in Carmel, attended Carmel High School and University of California, Berkeley. An expert in Quickbooks, MS Excel, and all accounting practices, she has been engaged in bookkeeping for over 25 years, managing the books for a hotel chain, local retail stores, software companies, individuals, nonprofits and many small businesses. She serves as a high school referee and works with kids on a daily basis.