We Are Artists.

Ali is a lifelong songwriter and owner of Happy Time Studio in downtown Issaquah. She teaches music, curates a fine art gallery, consults with nonprofits and arts businesses, and likes to help other artists of any age and stage of life build a strong sense of purpose.

Storyteller and owner of Epiphany Sutra

Nice to meet you! My name is John Riziki. I’m a singer-songwriter originally from Accra, Ghana, calling Seattle, Washington home. I immigrated to the USA with my family at just 5 years old. Growing up in different cultures, spaces and with different people gave me a unique perspective to share.

First writing songs as a teenager, to better navigate and reflect on my experiences. I now release music into the world – sharing the stories and moments that shaped me, in hopes that everyone can relate them to their own.

My art comes from a place of necessity. I have to do music. It's how I express myself, how I make sense of things, how I cope. It's honest, vulnerable, pieces of me. It is me.  (instagram)

Kim Mitchell is a mixed-media artist working across flame-worked glass, ceramics, and woodworking, rooted in craft traditions and the natural materials of the Pacific Northwest. Her practice reflects the region’s long heritage of glass and material arts and is guided by a ceaseless curiosity for new skills and processes.

After a career in fine art presentation and conservation, and many years teaching carpentry and ceramics to elementary students, she has returned to studio practice and wildcrafting. Kim is also an active steward of wild spaces and parent communities and is delighted to join Art Commons in supporting the continued growth of the Issaquah arts community.

Sarah E. Miller is the Seattle-based artist, writer, and community curator behind Show Your Art PNW, an organization connecting new and emerging artists with opportunities to exhibit their work. With over a decade of experience in marketing and community building, she creates accessible resources that help artists engage meaningfully with their local art community.

After being selected as a featured artist in the 2024 Issaquah Open Studio Tour, Sarah saw all the potential with this talented group and could not wait to help! A recent transplant, she wants to spend her time and energy enhancing all the talent and beauty of the area!

In her day job, Sarah manages Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park. Therefore, she understands the unique intersections of art, education and nature that is an integral part of Issaquah, and hopes to introduce many more artists and non-artists to this intersectionality.

Sonali Bhasin is a self-taught visual artist and art educator based in Issaquah, working across mandala art, acrylics, watercolor, pastels, ink, and traditional folk art. Her work explores art’s connection to emotional well-being and healing, creating spaces where people can slow down and reconnect with themselves.

Through workshops, she guides both children and adults to relax, experiment, and express their unique creative style. Passionate about fostering a vibrant local arts community, she creates experiences that invite people to explore and enjoy art together.

Sonali is also the author of Whispers of the Heart, a book of her poems. When not creating, she enjoys hiking, reading at the Issaquah Library, and supporting her son’s startup, Ultramons Board Game.

Tina Velazquez Hays is a mixed media artist, licensed mental health counselor and registered art therapist with over a decade of experience supporting youth and families. She has designed and implemented therapeutic and arts-based programs across multiple states and currently runs a private art therapy practice supporting adults in Issaquah, WA.

Tina has been an art docent in the Issaquah School District for six years and served on the City of Issaquah Arts Commission from 2021–2026 as co-chair and chair in 2026. She loves spending time outdoors with her family, neighbors and dog.