The Inaugural Marcelo Avilés Scholars
Congratulations to this year’s Marcelo Avilés Scholars attending WAA Oakland 2026.
The Marcelo Avilés Scholarship Fund is an initiative started this year, 2026. Earlier this year we lost a dear friend and colleague in Marcelo Avilés. In his memory, WAA has established the Marcelo Avilés Scholarship Fund to support talented young arts professionals in attending the WAA Annual Conference. It is a fitting tribute because Marcelo’s career was shaped in part by this community. He was also a WAA scholarship recipient, which helped bring him to the 2022 conference in Calgary.
Amalyah Muñoz, Jesús Muñoz Flamenco
Amalyah Muñoz, Jesús Muñoz Flamenco
Amalyah Muñoz is a flamenco dancer, educator, and community organizer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a soloist with Jesús Muñoz Flamenco, a nationally recognized touring dance company dedicated to preserving and advancing improvisational philosophy and language that form the foundation of flamenco. Amalyah is also co-director and instructor of Flamenco Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through flamenco education, mentorship, and cultural engagement. Through innovative programming, she helps young people develop creativity, confidence, discipline, and a sense of belonging while fostering an appreciation for the rich traditions and contemporary relevance of flamenco. Through her performance and teaching, her work bridges generations and communities, using flamenco as a vehicle for artistic expression, personal growth, and social connection.
Tenessa Ripple, Artown
Tenessa Ripple, Artown
Tenessa Ripple serves as Festival Manager at Artown, where she works closely with artists, oversees performance logistics, and manages the permits, rentals, and venues that support a successful festival season. Driven by a lifelong passion for art and music, she is dedicated to helping Artown fulfill its mission of enriching the Reno community through accessible, multidisciplinary arts experiences. By supporting artists across a wide range of disciplines—from music and dance to visual arts and cultural programming—she helps create meaningful opportunities for connection, creativity, and community engagement.
Prior to Artown, Tenessa led a team of 30 at Grove Collaborative, championing the organization’s commitment to sustainability, consistency, and community. Outside of work, she enjoys she enjoys spending time with her husband and family, hiking local trails, practicing photography, and creating Zentangle art as a form of mindfulness and creative expression.
Nina Seul, Delirium Musicum
Nina Seul, Delirium Musicum
Nina Seul is Delirium Musicum’s Artist Liaison. Born in Europe to a French, German, and Italian family, she has built an international career across Europe and the USA as both an actress and producer. Nina relocated in Los Angeles in 2017 started a new chapter. In 2021 she co-founder Artak Pictures, a women-led production company committed to supporting underrepresented voices in film.
In 2023, Nina embarked on a new professional chapter when she joined Delirium Musicum. Drawing on her extensive experience in the entertainment industry, she plays a key role in the orchestra’s growth and development. Her responsibilities include booking performances and touring opportunities, producing artistic projects and events, managing operations and strategic initiatives, and expanding the organization’s visibility through partnerships, audience engagement, and communications. Combining creative vision, production expertise, and an international perspective, Nina is dedicated to strengthening the orchestra’s cultural impact and fostering meaningful connections between artists, institutions, and audiences.
Eric Shiring, Invertigo Dance Theatre
Eric Shiring (he/him) is a dynamic arts leader, educator, and former professional dancer with a deep passion for movement, storytelling, and community-building. With over twenty years of experience in dance education, cultural programming, and arts administration, Eric has led transformative programs across the U.S. and the U.K., merging artistic vision with strategic leadership. He has directed studios, performed with multiple dance companies, crafted inclusive curricula, and created spaces that uplift underrepresented voices in the performing arts. His background spans contemporary, ballet, and modern dance, as well as immersive performance installations. Eric brings a heart-centered, collaborative approach to every project, aligning closely with Invertigo’s commitment to connection, equity, and bold creative expression.
Eric Shiring, Invertigo Dance Theatre
Anne Stewart, Green Box Arts
Anne Stewart, Green Box Arts
Anne Stewart is an actor from Colorado who has appeared onstage and onscreen in a multitude of projects in Colorado Springs. Some of her past theatre credits include WAIT UNTIL DARK (Susan), THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Miss Dorothy Brown) at First Company, GUYS & DOLLS (Ensemble), WHITE CHRISTMAS (Ensemble) at the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, OKLAHOMA! (Ensemble) at Theatreworks, and JELLOFISH (Judy) at Millibo Art Theatre. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Her passion for the arts has expanded into arts administration, and she has had the joy of working at Green Box, an arts non-profit in the Pikes Peak Region, for the past two and a half years as Management Associate. In all aspects of her work, whether as an administrator or performer, she strives to become an effective collaborator in all her endeavors.
Purna Venugopalan, UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center
Purna Venugopalan is a cultural arts producer and analog photographer whose work bridges artistic communities across India and the United States. Purna currently serves as the Assistant Director of Programming for Performing Arts at the UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center, where she also leads the Asian & Asian American Arts and Cultures Program. Previously, she supported the growth of Nava Dance Theatre’s community initiatives and managed its national touring projects as Programs Manager. Her past work includes administrative roles within Brooklyn Raga Massive and Chelsea Factory in New York City, and with Serendipity Arts Foundation in Delhi, India. A former Bharatanatyam dancer trained in both India and the United States, Purna's interests center on supporting cultural work that remains underrepresented and under-resourced in performing arts spaces.
Purna Venugopalan, UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center
“I love the work, I love the people, I love my life.”
Those were some of the last words of Marcelo Avilés and his words reflect how fully he lived. Marcelo was the program director at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, a fierce advocate for the arts in the San Francisco Bay Area, and a beloved member of the WAA community. Known as a talented presenter who mentored emerging artists, his passion for the arts was matched only by his genuine love for the people who make this work possible.
Marcelo had been active in WAA since his early career, serving on our Conference Committee, Showcase Committee, Conexiones: Latino Arts @ WAA, and most recently on the Oakland Host Committee for our upcoming conference. He brought insight, warmth, and an infectious enthusiasm that elevated everything he touched. Marcelo reminds us that impact can be created at any age.
In his memory, WAA has established the Marcelo Avilés Scholarship Fund to support talented young arts professionals in attending the WAA Annual Conference. It is a fitting tribute because Marcelo’s career was shaped in part by this community. He was also a WAA scholarship recipient, which helped bring him to our 2022 conference in Calgary. Afterward, he wrote to us:
“Thank you for creating an event that brings the industry together in a thoughtful way that leaves us inspired to go out and make a better world.”
In his memory, and with the blessing of his mother, Linda Lucero, WAA has established the Marcelo Avilés Scholarship Fund to support talented young arts professionals in attending the WAA Annual Conference so that the next Marcelo has the chance to walk into a room and change it like he did.
Special thanks to Creative West
Creative West is doubling the impact of our inaugural scholarship fund drive by matching donations made to the Marcelo Avilés Scholarship Fund.
If you would like to invest in the future of the field, please consider donating.
Scholarship Sponsors
Thank you to our community of donors
Supporters Circle
Giles R Chiasson
Joseph Copley-Venturo Dìaz
Amy Carson-Dwyer
Joshua Ellis
Laura Evans
Adam Friedson
Dan Froot
Antonio Gomez
Romain Greco
Anne-Camille Hersh
Lindsay Kratz
Ilaan Mazzini
Gina Meola
Dave Meyer
Maurice Montoya
Lenore Naxon
Claudia Norman
Mladen (Mel) Puljic
Michael Sakamoto
Fredd Sanchez
Jeff Slayton
Barrie Steinberg
Christian Vela
Charter Members
Linda Lucero
Bill Bragin
Mentors Circle
Elaine Lipcan
Daria Yudacsfksi
Connectors Circle
Michael Alexander
Rachel Cohen
Mike Epstein
Karen Fischer
Beth Macmillan
Bill Smith