News Photo by Darby Hinkley From left, new Art in the Loft Director Kendra Neumann, Education Coordinator Lane Blair Olsen, and outgoing Art in the Loft Director Justin Christensen-Cooper sit on a bench on front of Dorothea Sandra's paintings at Art in the Loft.

ALPENA — Art in Loft is shifting some leadership roles, as Kendra Neumann is moving up to the executive director position, and Justin Christensen-Cooper is taking a new position as an art teacher with Alpena Public Schools. His last day at Art in the Loft was Friday.

Neumann and Christensen-Cooper are excited for the future of Art in the Loft, as well as the possibilities ahead for Christensen-Cooper at APS.

“It was a crossroads decision for me,” Christensen-Cooper said. “I love what’s been happening at the Loft, and I love what we do … This staff is going to continue that awesome work, with vision and leadership from the board, as well.”

Christensen-Cooper has been on staff at Art in the Loft for 12-1/2 years, and he has thoroughly enjoyed his role, but he is ready to try out a new one as an elementary art teacher. He will actually be able to teach two of his four children, so that was an additional factor in his decision.

“As they grow older in the school system, I get to be there and see that, actually be a part of it,” Christensen-Cooper said. “I taught middle school art for seven years … I loved art as a kid, and I loved doing art in high school and in my college years … Coming back to teach my own kids, that’s a full-circle moment. What a neat opportunity, and I couldn’t say no to that. I’m just really excited.”

He graduated from Michigan State University with an art education degree, with a K-12 teaching certificate.

“Teaching has also been such a big part of what I’ve done at Art in the Loft,” he said. “That’s kind of my happy place.”

He added, “I’m going to be a better teacher because of my time at the Loft.”

He has been the Art in the Loft executive director since 2017, and he said it has grown to be a community art hub for all ages, as well as continuing to serve as a wonderful gallery for artists to display and sell their work.

“I’ve been here for half of the Loft’s time,” he said. “In my time here, I’ve been lucky enough to say that we’ve seen pretty great growth, not only with our artist base, but with our programming, and we were able to bring on more staff members.”

He said being involved in the arts community is truly rewarding.

“People know, if they come to Alpena, we are an arts community, and Art in the Loft is the cornerstone of that,” Christensen-Cooper said.

He added that Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan and Thunder Bay Arts Council also do a great job of promoting the arts in the Alpena region, as well as many other local organizations, including the Downtown Development Authority through their Fresh Waves mural project.

Neumann is moving up from business manager to executive director of operations.

She started at Art in the Loft as a gallery associate “just before COVID.”

“We always used to joke that my job was just telling people that the elevator button doesn’t light up,” she said with a laugh. She added that it has been fixed now.

When beloved gallery manager Rick Jasso passed away in October of 2023, Neumann stepped into that role. She then moved up to business manager, and she is excited to take on the role of executive director.

In her time at Art in the Loft, Neumann has completed college courses, including a graduate certificate in accounting, and she recently earned a master’s in business administration from The University of Phoenix.

“My undergrad, I have a double bachelor’s in theater,” she said, from Aquinas College. “Performance, directing, and technical theater, so that’s always my connection to art. I can’t draw a straight line, but I support everyone who can do the fine art skills, and I will act, sing, and dance my way through.”

Also on the Art in the Loft leadership team are Lane Blair Olsen, who is moving from education coordinator to director of programming, and Mitchel Dipzinski is coming on as director of outreach. He spent two years as a gallery associate at Art in the Loft.

“I am beyond excited to be stepping into this new role as Art in the Loft’s director of outreach,” Dipzinski said. “I look forward to continuing to build and foster new and existing community partnerships while working alongside the new executive director of operations. The arts and the community of Alpena are two of my biggest passions, and I’m honored to be serving them both through this position.”

“My role is kind of just expanding,” Olsen said. “I’ve been into the classes and workshops, and the experiences with tour groups and kids. I’ll be overseeing some of the programming.”

Neumann said the three of them work very well together and all bring different types of artistic talents and perspectives to the table.

“The three of us are like the triforce of art,” she said. “I’m really excited to see how we can collaborate and blend that, and rely on each other and just keep growing it.”

Art in the Loft is located on the third floor of the Center Building at 109 N. 2nd Ave. in downtown Alpena.

Reach News Community Editor Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@TheAlpenaNews.com.