Who we are
As Arts Education Manager, Andres Ortiz manages Mariposa Arts. In his role as a Teaching Artist Andres brings theater arts education to local youth throughout the county. Andres has been involved in theater since the age of ten. In 2010, he received his BFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. After graduation, Andres began his teaching career as a substitute teacher. He started working with the Arts Council as a teaching artist in 2014 where he has been able to combine both his background in the arts and education. In 2020, Andres was thrilled to move into the position of Arts Education Manager. Andres was born in California and raised in Texas. Although he grew up in a family of educators, performing has been one of his main passions since he was little. He has had the pleasure of working with several different theater companies throughout California and Texas, and is now delighted to share the joys and benefits of the arts with students and their families throughout the community.
Monica Galvan, Visual Arts Specialist, is Program Coordinator for Mariposa Arts, and is a SPECTRA teaching artist. Ms. Galvan has worked with the program for 6 months and specializes in curriculum development and working with middle and high school students. She graduated from UC Berkley with a Bachelor of Arts in Art Practice and received awards for her academic and artistic success including High Honors for her Studio Art, Art Practice, and Arts in Spanish. Although creating art has always been apart of Ms. Galvan’s life, she began showing her work professionally in 2011. Her sculptures, photography, drawings, and paintings have since been exhibited at the Cabrillo College Gallery, the Worth Ryder Art Gallery, and the Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery for multiple exhibits. Ms. Galvan began teaching art in 2015 at Coronado Elementary in Richmond, CA, where she developed standards based arts curriculum for their 6th graders.
Lauren Yurkovish, Bay Area-based artist and visual arts specialist, has had her artwork showcased in group and solo exhibitions across the world. As an illustrator her work has included, but is not limited to books, posters, billboards, and logos. Her international upbringing lends a unique perspective to her work that makes it accessible to a wide range of audiences. As an credentialed educator she trains students K-12 as well as adults. She runs professional development for other teachers and develops comprehensive standards based visual arts curriculum in all mediums including digital and darkroom photography.
Camilo Ortiz, originally from Colombia, Camilo was awarded a full scholarship to study at the University of Arizona where he received a Bachelor of Music in Classical Guitar Performance. Camilo is founder and director of Pied Piper Music Academy, which has provided music education to over 6000 students in Monterey county since 2009. He completed his Level I-II, and III Orff Schulwerk Certification from the San Francisco School from 2012-14. Camilo has been involved in El Sistema since 2010. He was a founding teaching artist and pre orchestra director at Youth Orchestra Salinas, and has been involved with the development of El Sistema Santa Cruz/El Sistema Pajaro Valley since 2014. Camilo has been a guest teacher at the Music Village workshops in Tampere, Finland sponsored by the Orff Chapter Jasesoi, and also has been guest teacher at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. As a musician he is the recipient of several awards in guitar competitions and has performed in different venues including Carnegie Hall, NY in 2022. He believes all children should have access to music education regardless of their socio economic status. For him, music is a door that can change the lives of children, open their eyes to the world, gain values, discipline, focus and skills that they can later use in other areas of life.
Amalia Diaz is a violinist and singer from Bucaramanga - Colombia. She is an active advocate for music education as a human right and she believes profoundly in the importance of equity and inclusion to create healthy communities. She has more than 20 years of experience as a conductor and teaching artist of youth orchestras and has helped create and train teachers in many countries including Jamaica and Honduras. She has also a very extended career as an accomplished violinist and singer and has performed with many symphony orchestras and popular ensembles as well. She just released her last album "Senderos" with guitarist Camilo Ortiz with whom she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in February of 2022. Amalia holds a master degree in violin performance and has won several competitions as a performer. Amalia is currently the Music Director and Conductor at El Sistema Watsonville.