Greetings from Shake Rag Alley, where we’re looking forward to this week’s Fall Equinox and the cool changes the new season will bring. 

Chief among those changes is the arrival of Christina Kubasta who joins Shake Rag Alley as director of education, a new role that merges oversight of our creative programming for all ages. Christina is an award-winning teacher who is passionate about learning together, creating space for people to share their voices, and making connections between art forms. She’s excited to join Shake Rag Alley and curate programming that inspires, honoring the creative spark in all of us, as we find ways to tell our stories in a variety of media. As a poet and fiction writer, she explores growing up rural, growing up girl, and the intimacies of relationship. Originally from Wisconsin, she studied at Wells College in western New York and the University of Notre Dame. Her most recent book is the short story collection Abjectification (Apprentice House, 2020) and her next poetry book Under the Tented Skin is forthcoming in 2025. You can contact Christina at ckubasta@shakeragalley.org and find her at ckubasta.com and @CKubastathePoet. I look forward to upcoming opportunities for the Shake Rag Alley community to meet Christina once she’s finalized her relocation to Mineral Point from Oshkosh.

Christina succeeds Meghan Dudle as program director and will pick up where Elizabeth Johanna leaves off when she retires as Youth Program director this fall. While Christina comes up to speed, we’re grateful to Administrative Manager Alyssa Zasada for stepping up to ensure the remainder of our 2022 workshops run smoothly, and to Buildings & Grounds Manager Mike Kutzke and Hospitality Manager Ryan Newhard for all they continue to do to support Shake Rag Alley operations.   

Read on for the additional cool things to come as September stretches into October including workshops presented by artists Dick Anderson, Kate Church, Kris Miller, Richard Moninski, Jodi Ohl, Paul Pendola, Leslie Perrino, Josh Petit, Deb Ready, Lorraine Reynolds, Carole Spelić, Alfred Stark, Bob Tuftee, and Catherine Young; our final Alley Stage Reading Series featuring playwright Deanna Strasse; our second annual A Ghostly Gathering fall fundraiser; and more! If we can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (608) 987-3292 or info@shakeragalley.org. Throughout workshop season we’re in the office 9am-5pm Monday-Friday and weekends when workshops are in session.

Come create with us!

Sara Lomasz Flesch
Executive Director