Team

Bringing Placer Artists Tour 2025 to you

Janet Nicholson

Program Co-Chair
Janet Nicholson has worked in partnership with her husband Rick since 1979 as Nicholson Blown Glass. 43 of those years have been spent on their property in Auburn. Janet has a deep passion for

Karen Killebrew

Program Co-Chair
Karen Killebrew is retired and lives in Applegate, CA.
She spent thirty years in the retail travel industry, and owned a travel agency in Oakland, CA for eighteen years.

Cindy Strickland

Endowment Chair
I’ve had the joy of experiencing the Placer Artists Tour for 29 yrs. I was so inspired by visiting artists in their working studios and hearing their stories of creativity that I decided

Kelly Peterson

Program Director
Kelly Peterson first experienced the magic of the Placer Artists Tour over 20 years ago when she and her family moved to Granite Bay. She was so impressed with the art community in

Helen Phillips

Board Member/Tour Founder
Helen Phillips started the Autumn Art Studios Tour (renamed Placer Artists Tour) in 1994 and chaired it for the first three years. She has worked on the steering committee for most of the 30 years and has watched

Bill George

Treasurer
Bill grew up in Chicago and had a summer job helping to maintain the grounds of the Art Institute of Chicago and spent many lunch hours roaming the galleries immersed in the works of

Stewart Feldman

Secretary
Stewart works as a consultant in communications, marketing and public relations. A former muralist, he directed community art projects under California Arts Council grant programs.

Cathy Mikles

Board Member
Cathy Mikles has a long history with creativity and art. From sewing and clothing design, to theater costuming, quilting, knitting, (both hand and machine), commercial design, teaching fashion design, and ultimately developing her own line

Susan Stoll

Board Member
Susan has been involved with the Placer Artists Tour as a Tour artist, a volunteer, and as an art
tour visitor. She is proud to serve as a member of the Placer Artists Tour board and is looking
forward to furthering her

Kellyn Planteen

Board Member
Kellyn Planteen joined the Placer Artists Tour as an artist in 2024, an experience that deeply impacted her. Kellyn is an oil painter, content creator, community builder and visionary. Originally from San Francisco, she attended

Rebecca Martinez

Communications Director

“The Tour is near and dear to my heart. I’m an on-again, off-again participant. But I’ve enjoyed helping out behind the scenes since about 2002. I guess that makes me a certain kind of veteran!

Trisa Swerdlow

Marketing Director

“Before my first year as a participating artist in 2015, I was an enthusiastic attendee of the Placer Artists Tour.

In the past seven years I

Gini Crepps

Designer

A native Californian, I have lived in the Sacramento area for over 40 years. I have been a graphic designer since 1975, and am currently the owner of IQ Design, Inc. where I combine my artistic

Cultural equity

Placer Artists Tour, board and staff encourage cultural equity and support artists of all backgrounds to join the Tour. Cultural equity is crucial to the future health of arts in our communities. Everyone, including but not limited to those who have been historically under represented, deserves access to a full creative life and an opportunity to share with the public on the Placer Artist Tour.