About the Authors
Ilya Natarius is a photographer, videographer, and engineer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Being active in the creative world for the past nine years and passionate about storytelling through the lens, Ilya has worked with a number of organizations such as the University of St. Thomas, Face Forward MN, and Infinitree Media to produce content for a wide range of clients that includes Summer Set Music Festival, Project Earth Festival, The Ivey Awards, and various musicians and performing artists throughout Minnesota. Ilya’s real passion lies in the world of analog photography and printmaking, where he can explore different subject matter outside of the confines of the professional world. During the day, Ilya is a full-time engineer working in high-tech storage.
About the Contributors
Rita Kovtun is a Minneapolis-based photographer and writer who has produced visual and written stories for news outlets; independent magazines; and art, cultural, and educational nonprofits. She crafts stories that shift perspectives and center on a shared human experience. She has worked with MinnPost, thirty two magazine, The Riveter magazine, Face Forward MN, the University of St. Thomas, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, as well as individual artists in the Twin Cities. Born in Russia, raised in the United States, and having spent extended time studying and volunteering in France and Costa Rica, Rita brings a global perspective to her work and a desire to create positive social change.
Nadia Honary considers herself a video artist. She has been doing multimedia production work of varying degrees for over ten years. Passionate about sharing stories through video, she has collaborated with and produced videos and photos for several nonprofit organizations and groups nationally and internationally, as well as with artists of various disciplines. Her experimental films have been featured locally at the Southern Theater and the Gamut Gallery. At present her work explores themes in identity and gender. She is producing an installation piece to be featured at the Pillsbury House Theatre in December. Nadia is working full-time for the local public access television station St. Paul Neighborhood Network teaching adults and youth techniques in video production.
Marcos Juarez-Gosselin has always used his media to inspire. Believing that a community effort is the main ingredient to positive social change, Marcos has set a goal to collaborate with businesses and artists that possess the same objective. As cofounder of Infinitree Media, Marcos focuses on engagement; whether personally or through media, he aims to create pieces or host events that allow space for conversations based around working together. Some sustainable partners of Infinitree Media include Paisley Park Enterprise, MJG Productions, Massive Amounts of Good, and the Farm Journal Foundation. By creating media with a purpose, Marcos wishes to serve a more supportive, aware, and socially engaged community.
