Our Team
A group of dedicated individuals united by a passion for the arts and a commitment to nurturing creativity in our community. Our directors and staff bring vision, expertise, and dedication to every aspect of our work—from teaching classes and managing programs to overseeing finances, coordinating fundraising, and producing special events—ensuring that Weehawken remains a vibrant and inclusive creative home for all ages.
Ashley King-Grambley
Ashley King has been working in the non-profit field for over twenty six years, specializing in arts non-profit management. She has served as the Executive Director of Weehawken Creative Arts since 2008 and started in 2014 also as the Executive Director of Ridgway Chautauqua/Sherbino Theatre. In her current role, she additionally leads The 610 Arts Collective gallery.
Previously, Ashley served a five+ year term as the Executive Director of the Gunnison Arts Center (2000-06) and also had a stint with the Steadman-Hawkins Research Foundation (Development and Education/Fellows Program), The Town of Gypsum (Special Events Coordinator), The Minturn Community Fund (Exec. Director), The Town of Minturn (Economic Development Director), Western State College (Student Programming Director), and Co-Founded the Eagle Valley Artists Alliance. She also served as a Peer Assistance Network Advisor (PAN) for the Colorado Creative Industries from 2005 until it was dissolved, and has helped several arts organizations throughout the state through her PAN work.
Locally, Ashley was also a long-time member on the Ridgway Creative District Committee, the Space to Create Ridgway Advisory Board, and the Ridgway Chamber of Commerce. For 14 years, she also led the Alpenglow Arts Alliance, an alliance of eight regional arts organizations with the aim of co-promotion of the arts and collaborative planning.
She splits time in Ridgway and Montrose with her husband Kevin, and their very handsome bulldog.
Ashley is happy to schedule a meeting with anyone who wants to learn more about these organizations or the projects we have brewing. She is generally in Montrose Mondays and Wednesdays and Ridgway Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and with weekend programs.
Natasha Pyeatte
Natasha Pyeatte has been dancing non-stop since the age of four, never having imagined doing anything else. She always knew that she would grow up to be someone who dances and inspires others to dance.
Natasha has extensive professional performance and choreography experience having trained and danced with the Colorado Ballet Academy in Denver; Gotta Dance and The Edge in Los Angeles; Grand Valley Dance Company; and Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. She has performed with Valerie Madonia, Tony Coppola, Feet First Dance Ensemble, Telluride Repertory Theatre, Telluride Aids Benefit, and the Morgan Wixson Theatre of Santa Monica. She has choreographed for Magic Circle Theatre of Montrose, Weehawken Dance, Ouray County Players, Telluride Dance Academy, and The Ames Conservatory.
As a committed educator, Natasha has been teaching dance and choreographing since 2001. Her specialties include tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, theatre dance and aerial silks. She has acquired dance instructor training under the direction of Valerie Madonia, current Director of the Colorado Ballet Academy; at Colorado Mesa University; Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance in Boulder, Co, Air Cat Aerials Yoga Certification training in Boulder, Co; and The American Ballet Theatre in New York. In 2012 Natasha completed her National Training Curriculum certification in all levels of the program. Natasha is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
In addition to her ABT certification, Natasha is a certified Pilates instructor, having finished her final comprehensive exam through Balanced Body with Annette Petit in Telluride in 2019 and her National Pilates Certification through the Pilates Method Alliance in 2021. Pilates has been proven to be an ideal form of cross training for dancers to keep them strong, balanced and injury free. By integrating Pilates exercises into the classroom, Natasha keeps her dancers safe so they can have a long career and healthy body.
Natasha is passionate about the arts and has enjoyed developing the Weehawken Dance program as the Artistic Director since the fall of 2007. Utilizing her endless energy and enthusiasm, she creates at least 2 Weehawken Dance performances a year. The communities of Silverton, Ouray, Ridgway and Montrose benefit from her talent in the 20+ classes a week she teaches. Her insight and vision inspire her students, fellow teachers and volunteers in addition to delighting anyone who sees her in action.
Claudia Brauer
Claudia Brauer grew up in Germany, where she pursued her love for the arts with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Therapy and Special Education. Over the past 15+ years, she has designed and taught a wide range of art programs in preschools, kindergartens, schools, and nonprofit organizations in both Germany and the United States. From 2015–2018, she served as lead art teacher at the Children’s Museum in Crested Butte, CO, before moving to Ridgway and joining Weehawken Creative Arts in 2019, where she continues to lead and inspire children’s art programs.
Since 2023, Claudia serves as Arts Programs Coordinator for Weehawken Creative Arts, bringing diverse classes and workshops to the community while fostering collaboration within Ridgway’s vibrant arts scene. She cares deeply about creating thoughtful, well-crafted experiences for people of all ages to explore, learn, and grow their creative potential, and believes that art has a powerful way of connecting people—to each other and to themselves.
When she isn’t teaching or planning art programs, Claudia can be found adventuring through the mountains with her watercolors and her husband, Jack. You might also occasionally find her at the 610 Gallery, happily rearranging walls in quiet pursuit of visual harmony.
Lexi Brailsford
Lexi Brailsford earned a BS in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2007. She and her husband, married the same year, have three wonderful children. The family moved from the Front Range to Montrose in 2011.
Lexi’s children began dancing with Weehawken in 2016, and all three continue to be part of our dance community. She began volunteering backstage in the Romper Room, then assisted with props, costumes, and our Montrose location. Today, Lexi serves as Weehawken’s Registrar and Systems Enthusiast, keeping enrollments and schedules running smoothly while supporting students, families, and instructors alike.
Lexi is part-time and is generally at Weehawken Montrose Monday – Thursday with class programming (3 pm – 8:30 pm) and works from home and “in the wild” otherwise.
Anna Quickle
Anna Quickle joined the Ridgway community from Ohio in 2022 and quickly became a vibrant part of it. She came on board with Weehawken Creative Arts in 2024, initially assisting Executive Director Ashley King, and her role has since grown to include business management and gallery coordination. With a background in musical arts and backstage production, Anna brings creativity, heart, and a steady hand to everything she touches.
When she’s not working behind the scenes or in the gallery, Anna enjoys golfing, baking, and spending time outdoors. She’s also an avid gamer and puzzle enthusiast, often accompanied by her 14-year-old cat. One of her favorite parts of life in Ridgway is cheering on Weehawken’s young performers as they dance, act, and shine. Passionate about supporting the local cultural scene, Anna is always ready to lend a hand and contribute to the community.
Anna is part-time for Weehawken and is based out of the Ridgway Gallery Monday – Friday. She also assists some of our aerial classes each week. She also works part-time for The Sherbino.
Sue Husch
Sue Husch plays a key role in shaping the non-music programming at the Sherbino and supports a variety of events for the Sherbino, Weehawken, and 610 Arts.
Sue is technically employed by Weehawken Creative Arts and the Sherbino contracts with Weehawken to get community programs work from Sue. Sue has owned and operated an event planning business since 1998 and has worn many hats over the years—including serving as long-time administrator for the Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons Association, and team member at Second Chance Thrift Shop (since 2015).
In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, cooking, reading, and is especially passionate about spending time with family, friends, and her dog. Her ongoing mission: to stay organized.
Sue works for Weehawken primarily on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays for portions of those days.
Mary Menz
Mary Menz is special projects coordinator for the Sherbino Theater and Weehawken Creative Arts, where she brings equal parts creativity and precision to every endeavor—from grant writing and event production to stepping in seamlessly wherever she’s needed most.
Prior to joining the team, Mary spent more than thirty years as a corporate writer and editor developing training materials and writing magazine articles for technical publications and regional magazines. The latter part of her career, she was drawn to writing more about nature and became both a Master Naturalist and Colorado Native Plant Master. She is the author of Wildflowers of Colorado’s Western Slope, Wildflowers of the San Juan Mountains, and An Illustrated Guide to Western Colorado’s Wildflowers.
In the summer, Mary also leads popular Wildflower Walk & Talk events for Weehawken’s adult education series.
Mary is part-time and serves both Weehawken and The Sherbino and is in the Ridgway office and gallery most Tuesdays. She works directly at programs, in the gallery, and out of her home as-needed.
Jessica Fox
Jessica Fox is a Studio Assistant at Weehawken Dance, where she enjoys welcoming families at the desk and helping out behind the scenes with shoe fittings, steaming costumes, and working with the seamstresses.
With a background in Communications, Theater Speech, and Psychology, Jessica loves connecting with the studio community—and you will likely notice her Southern accent the moment you walk through the door!
As a mom of two Weehawken dancers, she has a deep appreciation for the studio. Having done a little dance, cheer and some theater growing up, Jessica especially loves how Weehawken brings kids together to collaborate on big, beautiful theatrical productions.
When she’s not working at the front desk or steaming costumes, she loves creating sidewalk chalk art, singing in the shower (karaoke on rare occasions), watching movies, and spending time with her family and their dog, Bruno.
Weehawken Board
Dana Griffith, Board President
Marti O’Leary, Vice President
Rhea Bothe, Secretary
Sandy Kern, Treasurer
Mary Aliota, Member
Emalie Boyce, Member
Sandy Canright, Member
Jane Gardner, Member
Kevin Koprek, Member
Mary Nordlander, Member
Lissette Riviere, Member