About the Jurors
MARISSA HERNANDEZ
PAINT & MURALIST
Marissa Hernandez is a painter, designer, and muralist from Des Moines, Iowa. In her work, she explores the nuances of marginalized identities using shape, line, color, and portraiture to center Black, Indigenous, and People of Color while placing them in idealistic worlds. Her work often features faceless portraits as a way for widespread representation for BIPOC and other marginalized communities.
Her murals can be found in and around the Des Moines area at Conmigo Early Education Center, The Slow Down Coffee Co., Candle Bar DSM, and Art Terrarium.
BETTY WALKER
WATERCOLOR & COFFEE ARTIST
Betty Walker is a local Des Moines artist who paints in a variety of mediums, most notably watercolor and coffee paint. You can see her work at local fine arts festivals, business window murals, in local coffee shops, and an upcoming DMAC downtown digital mural. She was Cityview Magazine’s featured Local Artist of April 2020. She even has an oversized coffee painting hanging at Starbucks’ corporate office in Seattle. Betty was one of thirty-one artists selected to show at the New York Coffee Festival 2019, with her watercolor and coffee rendition of a world map, highlighting the coffee producing region of the world.
As an artist and a teacher, Betty loves to spread the joy of art through volunteering, donating paintings or time, and interacting directly with the community.
AMANDA ARTHUR-STRUSS
MULTI-MEDIA
Amanda Arthur-Struss is best known for her use of bright colors and whimsy in any medium she creates into art. Working in many different mediums, she specializes in acrylic painting and up cycling items into something new. Besides creating art, sharing knowledge is one of her passions and teaches online Zoom classes. Amanda is also a master level costumer and competes in competitions called Masquerades/Cosplays. Because she has so many art avenues, Amanda started her own business called Rainbow Lizard Design.
SARAH CASEY
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Creative director and founding partner Sarah Casey is the lead graphic designer for Kaleidoscope Marketing. From business cards to nationally distributed magazine redesigns, Sarah is the creative driver for most projects coming out of the agency.
Sarah’s experience runs the gamut from in-house designer for a national food manufacturer and distributer to a senior designer at an award-winning advertising agency. Her talent is on display for clients including Pharmacists Mutual Insurance, Children’s Miracle Network of Kansas City, Children’s Miracle Network of St. Louis, Iowa Lakes Community College and more banks than she can recall.
CHRISTINE HILBERT
MIXED MEDIA & JEWELRY DESIGN
Christine Hilbert is a mixed media painter and jewelry designer based in Winterset, Iowa. She combines vintage treasures of all kinds to create artwork and jewelry that echoes the past. Christine earned her BFA from Iowa State University and also studied painting at the Savannah College of Art & Design.
She is the Artist in Residence for The Well Women’s Ministry in Des Moines as well as for Ballet Des Moines Winter 2016 season. She works as a designer for her accessory line, Bean & the Sprout. She is the author/illustrator of the children's book, Echo of the Star.