AOC Members Haiti

Emily Larkin

Emily Larkin is currently finishing her BFA with concentrations in painting and pre-art therapy, along with a minor in art history, at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Upon graduating, Emily plans to attend graduate school to study art therapy. As a person who believes deeply in the healing powering found in the creative process, the trip to Haiti was an opportunity that could not be missed. Emily wishes to pass on her artists statement, which follows.

In both painting and life the process is what makes the experience. How we move though the world, how we get from one corner of the canvas to the other, these are the moments I find to be the impetus of all that I create. The final product may be the destination however the road traveled is where the reward lies. Painting allows me to transcend the jaded reality of normal consciousness and transports me into a world where nothing exists beyond my paints, my subject, and the canvas. As an artist I believe in more than just the power and ability of myself in creating. Where I can step aside and let movements flow through me enjoying and breathing through every moment; this to me is painting.

A recent graduated of Eastern University’s Masters in Urban Studies, Emily Jameson considers herself a “backdoor artist” – someone who has come to see herself as an artist through a broader definition of the word. With a strong intercultural background, interest in world religions, international studies and sociology, Emily has always had an interest in stories and believes strongly in their power to unite and heal.

A desire to discover ways that stories could be used within the field of community development led Emily to the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley, California where she began her training in the digital storytelling modality. She subsequently enrolled in the University of Colorado to complete a certificate in Digital Storytelling and has been exploring the intersection of community building and storytelling ever since.

Emily is a native of the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Her current projects include an Oral History project with middle-school students exploring the historical narratives of their community; Intern for the Art of Restoration, a group of socially conscious artists seeking to use the arts for restorative justice in Oregon; Collaborating with an Urban Agriculture program in Vancouver, WA to bring in an oral history element to their work; and facilitating a workshop for formerly homeless women to tell their stories. A sign hanging on the wall of her high school English class nicely sums up Emily’s philosophy of story: “We all have stories. Stories are all we have.”

Jewel Bracey DeMaio

Jewel Bracy DeMaio is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Palmer Theological Seminary, and a Master of Business Administration at Eastern University. A Christian professional who’s directed her own corporate enterprise for 14 years, Ms. DeMaio is preparing for future professional work in the faith-based non-profit sector. Ms. DeMaio is strongly interested in serving underserved populations in Philadelphia and around the world. That includes people suffering from chronic economic oppression, societal marginalization, and those who are victims of emergency situations and natural disasters. Ms. DeMaio is the proud mother of Ruby, 11 and Michael, 10, all of whom are active in ministry in their home church in North Philadelphia.