LEADERSHIP
Miri Hunter, Ph.D. (Founder, Artistic and Producing Director) --
Miri is an Adjunct Teaching Professor at St. Mary’s College, where she teaches in the Liberal Education for the Arts Program (LEAP). She is the Producing and Artistic Director of the Hi Desert theatre Company, Thought Theatre and producer of the Desert Fringe Theatre and Cultural Arts Festival. As Founder of the non profit organization Project Sheba, her focus has been on using the arts, (visual, performing and literary) to transform culture through the use of storytelling in order to access individual wisdom. This, she believes, creates a culture of critical thinking and a healing for individuals and communities. She moved to the Hi Desert in 2013 and since has produced concerts, theatrical productions and festivals. She is an accomplished singer, guitarist, songwriter and performing artist.
Adia Jolle, BA (Actor, Filmmaker) —
As the child of two professional actors/singers/dancers, it was only natural for Adia Joëlle to follow in their footsteps. She was born to perform! An alumnus of Guildford Conservatoire in England, she studied musical theater for three years. While in England she had the incredible opportunity to work with British directors Paul Brennana and Jay Villiers on Women Beware Women and Much Ado About Nothing. Thrilled to be back home in Los Angeles, Adia has been fortunate enough to continue her career on the stage, on television and in film, including the award-winning independent film, Amnesia. Her passion for storytelling has grown and she’s expanding her creative horizons, boldly stepping into the role of director, producer and writer on her projects; documentary film, To Her Own Rhythm, and short films, D.R.A.M.A. Series, Act 1 and Act 2. There are more projects in development and Adia is enjoying every moment of this creative journey.
Thom Merrick, BFA (Visual Artist, Musician) --
Thom Merrick is a Contemporary artist born in Sacramento, CA (US) in 1963. He is the advisor and director of visual arts programming and development as it pertains to the Institute for Organic Inquiry. Thom Merrick’s first one-person exhibition was in New York City at the mythic American Fine Arts in 1988, and the most recent exhibition was MUSÉE D’ART MODERNE ET CONTEMPORAIN in 2020. Thom Merrick has exhibited in Switzerland, Germany, United States, Russia and elsewhere. Merrick has had over 20 solo shows and over 50 group shows over the last 33 years Important show are Documenta 9 Kassel, MoMA in New York City, Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK) in Frankfurt.Thom Merrick’s art can be found in important historical museum collections worldwide. Thom Merrick is ranked among the top artists globally. In addition Merrick is an accomplished bassist and guitarist.
Lisa Mednick Powell (Musician, Songwriter) —
Lisa Mednick-Powell is a musician and songwriter who resides in Twentynine Palms, California (close to Joshua Tree) with her husband and bassist extraordinaire, Kip Powell. Together they have a band called "Arroyo Rogers," which plays country hits from the 60s and 70s, along with songs penned by the Powells. As a keyboard player she has worked on stages and in studios from New York to New Orleans, and from Austin to Auckland. Some highlights for Lisa were working with Earl King, Alejandro Escovedo, Ray Wylie Hubbard, James McMurtry, The Chills, and Juliana Hatfield--just to name a few. Playing original music, both hers and that of others, is her strength. While living in New Orleans she was part of the popular rock and roll ensemble, The SongDogs. Since age seven, Lisa has pounded the piano, studying the classical greats, some jazz (with the late great John Malachi), and lots of rock and country. She also played saxophone for many years, studying for a time with the late great Charles Neville in New Orleans.
Kevin Hayles (Actor, Retired US Marine) --
Kevin moved to the high desert area of 29 Palms in 2003 as an active-duty Marine. From the time that he has been here, community theater has been an interest. With the deployment rotations being very frequent, h was not able to participate in the theater as some of his local friends were. finally he was able to play a small role in local theater in 2017. From his first show in the desert in 2017, since then he has been active in community theaters in the high and low desert. I have appeared in several productions in the high and low desert. He has worked with several talented theater companies in the upper and lower desert. However, Project Sheba has become his home theater company since appearing in Sam Shepard’s A, Particle of Dread in 2018. Currently, he is a member of the Desert Theater League (DTL) Board of Directors. During my time as a member of DTL, I have been fortunate to get to know several of the directors and actors in the area. Being on the Project Sheba Board of Directors will enable me to further strengthen the relationships between Project Sheba and the community it serves. His experience as a Marine, civil servant and as an actor has taught me that cultivating relationships is one of the most important keys to success. His personality and experiences have given him the skills to gain and maintain positive relationships across dimensions. This skill is important in achieving the goals of Project Sheba within the community.
Jeffrey Wisniewski, (Artist and Filmmaker) --
Jeffrey is a Los Angeles-based artist and filmmaker. His previous film, Battle of the Buddha, married his motion- capture expertise with his art world background, and blended the boundaries of what is art, what is video art, and what is commercial short-subject film. It exhibited at Patrick Painter Gallery, Los Angeles, California and Artpace, San Antonio, Texas and was met with critical acclaim. Wisniewski was one of the pioneers in developing a workflow for virtual production, as an Art Director on James Cameron's Avatar. Other Virtual Art Department (VAD) credits include Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin, Shawn Levy's Real Steel, and Jon Favreau's Star Wars: The Mandalorian for which he won the Emmy. Wisniewski gained international recognition through solo exhibitions including Artpace San Antonio, Texas (2009): Gallerie Rolf Ricke, Köln, Germany (2003); Gallerie Sima, Nümberg,
Germany (2003); David Zwirner, New York, New York (1995): Nordanstadt-Skarstedt (1992) and Centre d'Arte Contemporain,
Theirs, France (1991).
Stacy Davies, (Grant Writer, Event Coordinator) -
Stacy Davies is an award-winning journalist and media literacy educator. She is currently the editor-in-chief of the Hi-Desert’s Yucca Brevifolia Magazine.
