Since 1995, every US president has commemorated the Month of March as Women’s History Month. This year North Texas Performing Arts joins in celebrating the contributions made by women by featuring a collection of art from women in the NTPA family. Often seen behind the scenes volunteering and applauding their actors from the audience, this exhibit is an opportunity to shine the spotlight on those that make our theater possible.
We are proud to say that NTPA is a woman-founded organization and women serve as a majority on many of our boards, chair many of our boards, and serve as a majority on our staff.
Artist Reception – Meet the Artists!
Friday, March 25, 6-8 PM
Willow Bend Center of the Arts
6121 W. Park Blvd. B216, Plano, TX 75093
Light refreshments will be provided.
NTPA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the character of youth through quality performing arts education and family entertainment. The Women of NTPA art exhibit is an initiative of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. NTPA is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice in our programs. The NTPA Governing Board of Directors, Management Boards and NTPA Staff encourage all NTPA families and Patrons to boldly stand with us against racism in our country and to continue to exhibit the “10 Characters” taught at NTPA including Integrity, Leadership, Respect, and most important, to Love One Another.
For more information about exhibiting your art in the Neiman Marcus Welcome Center at the Willow Bend Center for the Arts, please contact Curtis Gittinger at curtis.ntpa@gmail.com or JoAnn Rodriguez at luzjoann612@gmail.com.
Erika Jones
Erika enjoys creating quirky characters and stories that affirm and celebrate cultures. Her creative mission is to show every child they are worthy of good and deserve positive representations of themselves in literature. She loves working in mixed media because it reminds her of time spent craft with her mother. Erika’s daughters have been involved in NTPA since 2016. Erika has two illustration projects launching in 2023: The Loud Librarian with Athenium Books for Young Readers and Black Girls with Harper Collins.
Karen Eichinger
Karen is a teacher, musician and artist living in Plano. She has been a proud NTPA mom to her daughter Maggie since 2017. Karen has created the set for Scrooge, the Musical for the past two years. In 2019, partially inspired by her scenic art work at NTPA, she decided to dig deeper into her life-long love of art and start drawing and painting more seriously. Her work is often characterized by vivid colors, and her subjects are pulled from the world around her. Currently, Karen is teaching elementary music in Richardson ISD; she also performs locally on flute, piccolo, and vocals. In between all of this, she explores her art whenever she can, and these continuing adventures can be found on Instagram @kdeichinger
Barbara Mason
Barbara is the owner of Dragonfly Studio Creations art gallery/studio and NDueseason Greeting Card Company. She combines hyper-realism with vibrant color and abstract forms to put a modern twist on traditional classic images. With each layer of extraordinary detail and color detail, her is intent is to capture the viewer’s curiosity and imagination as her paintings come to life. Each painting is a visual documentation of her journey as a painter.
Jo Alamares
Jo has always enjoyed arts and craft projects. She began to explore more “art” projects when her son Peter started performing at NTPA in 2015. The Graman’s Chinese Theater sign was created for the Plano Children’s Theater production of “Singin’ in the Rain”. Jo serves as the chairperson of NTPA’s Repertory Theater and is often seen in in the NTPA scene shop with her tools designing and constructing sets for the Repertory plays and many children’s plays.
Margarita Turano
Margarita is a former Wylie resident. She joined the NTPA family when her grandson Peter Alamares took the stage for the very first time in 2015. She took up needlepoint and cross-stitch as a hobby when she lived in New York. The Chinese dragon and two leopards are some of her favorites. Margarita is the mother of Jo Alamares, another artist featuring work in the Women of NTPA.
Rachel Fetter
Rachel is married with 4 children ages 9 to 29. She became involved with NTPA through her four children. She is a member of the Academy Management Board and has participated in some of the Community Theatre productions. She creates art as a hobby. She has no training but just enjoys trying different mediums and experimenting with making different kinds of art.
Natosha Scott
Natosha has been an educator for 23 years. She has taught piano lessons, 3rd grade – college level and has been a district administrator. She joined the NTPA Plano Management Board in 2019. She enjoys supporting her son Jude and the other children of NTPA however she can.
Candace Addison
Candace is so glad that she has found venue to express her passion for art both onstage and in technical support. Her family has called NTPA their home for four years and counting. Candace has a BS in chemistry and biology and is Doctorate in Medicine.
JoAnn Rodriguez
JoAnn Rodriguez does not consider herself an artist but loves all things that allow creative expression. JoAnn began volunteering for NTPA several years ago, serving on the scholarship committee and eventually supporting her two daughters as they took the stage or worked the tech booth.
Lyz Miller
Lyz is a certified math teacher with a love for the theater. In college she double majored in Math and Theatre, later completing her masters in Physician Assistant Studies. She has always looked to the arts as a cathartic relief. Currently Lyz can be found tutoring students in math, coaching at the NTPA academy and most importantly supporting her two sons with their schoolwork, theatre endeavors and life in general.