Artist Boat
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Karla Klay, Executive Director Karla Klay is the founding director of Artist Boat. She has over 19 years of experience in arts and environmental education. She earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor's of Science from Texas A&M University in Marine Biology. Karla was raised in the Florida Keys by parents who developed the technology to keep sharks alive in captivity and shipped live sharks all over the world to large educational aquariums. Their neighbors were the dolphins of the Dolphin Research Center. This unique childhood with sharks in the backyard (the Gulf of Mexico) and dolphins as childhood playmates shaped an individual that has an extreme love of coastal margins, the marine environment, and the Gulf of Mexico. Karla Klay also is a recovering coastal citizen of the hurricanes of Katrina, Rita, Ike, and the BP "spill". She is deeply concerned with preserving coastal ecosystems that will create a more resilient coastal environment for citizens and wildlife. |
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Holly Fortenberry, Administrative Coordinator Holly joined the Artist Boat team in March 2010. She has a B.S. in Marine Biology and an M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, both from Texas A&M University. She was with the Marine Mammal Research Program at Texas A&M University at Galveston for 6 years where she earned her master's thesis working with Bottlenose Dolphins, served as Internship Coordinator, and participated in several other research studies along the Texas Gulf coast and offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Holly also volunteered with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network for 5 years and assisted with dolphin live rescues, rehab, husbandry and necropsies. Holly's passion for sustainability is evidenced by various accomplishments. She implemented a recycling program at a previous company, owned her own biotope aquarium business, and she was the founding convener of "Grassroots Greening: Gardening in the Blackland Prairie", a symposium held in Austin to create public awareness of disappearing prairie habitats and the importance of native plants. In addition to working at Artist Boat, Holly puts her passion and experience to work in the community by serving on various committees or boards in Galveston, where she is dedicated to promoting sustainability. |
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LuAnne Ashley, Director of Education
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Kari Howard, Habitat Restoration Adventure Program Coordinator Kari joined the Artist Boat team in July 2011. She has an Associates in Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as a Bachelors degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M at Galveston, specializing in wetland ecology. She has spent 3 years working as a wetland ecologist and NEPA writer for a consulting firm and over 10 years experience as a certified Texas Nursery and Landscape Association applying landscape and wildscape artistry for North Dallas and the Texas Gulf Coast recently focusing on native plant gardening and rain water harvesting. She is currently active as a certified Texas Master Naturalist for the Galveston Bay Area Chapter working with wetland and coastal prairie restoration in addition to Galveston Bay water monitoring. She enjoyed volunteering 3 years for NOAA at the Sea Turtle Facility during undergraduate school and welcomes any opportunity to incorporate her expertise in vegetation ecosystems with other ecological communities. As part of her hobbies, Kari is an avid nature lover and enjoys gardening, birding, and water sports of all kinds, in addition to painting with acrylics, pastels, and watercolors, and jewelry making. Above all she loves to share her enthusiasm with other people in the hopes that she may inspire others to find and follow their passions. |
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Abel Garza, Eco-Art Educator Abel Garza joined the Artist Boat team in May 2011. He has a bachelor's of fine arts degree emphasis in paint and printmaking from San Diego State University. He spent the past 8 years in California pursuing scholastic endeavors and making friends all over the place. He has obtained certification as a level 2 ACA coastal kayak instructor. Abel enjoys surfing, kayaking, swimming, hiking, backpacking, running , playing music, teaching and of course painting. Abel's works include many personal works and in school murals that can be found in the greater Houston area. |
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Lezlie Silverstein, Eco-Art Educator
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Kristin Livingston, Eco-Art Educator
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Kelly Cloughly, Eco-Art Educator
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Peggy Lee, Eco-Art Educator
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Jessica DiGiulio, Eco-Art Educator
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Jane French, Eco-Art Educator
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Ron Wooten, Eco-Art Educator
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