Meet the 2026-27 AZ Youth Arts Council!

We are proud to introduce the 15 exceptional young people who will serve on our 2026-27 AZ Youth Arts Council!
The AZ Youth Arts Council serves as peer-review panelists for the Creative Youth Grant, advising the Arts Commission on investments that directly affect young people. Over the next seven months , they will review issues related to arts and culture programs and services for young people and learn about policy related to equal access to the arts for all young people in Arizona.
Previous AZ Youth Arts Council member Elaine Huang has been contracted by the Arts Commission to support the council in the role of Youth Coordinator.

2026-27 AZ Youth Arts Council

Shireen Arora
Chandler, Maricopa County
Shireen Arora is a high school junior at BASIS Chandler. She pursues the arts, specifically Kathak (an Indian classical dance), to connect with her heritage, and it quickly grew into an essential part of her personal story. She believes the arts provide a forum for expression and as an outlet for creativity. Realizing that blind and deaf students are traditionally underserved in the arts, she runs the nonprofit Pathways to Potential which makes the arts accessible for these communities. She is honored to be selected for the council and is looking forward to understanding the different perspectives underlying pursuit of the arts.

Nadia Ashley
Chandler, Maricopa County
Nadia Ashley is the reigning Miss Juneteenth Arizona 2026 and a sophomore at Arizona State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Financial Planning. She is passionate about Black excellence, women’s empowerment, and using the arts as a platform for self-expression and community impact. Nadia is actively involved in the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the Black African Coalition (BAC), and Boss Up ASU, where she advocates for confidence, leadership, and mentorship for young Black women. She is honored to serve on the Arizona Youth Arts Council and support opportunities that inspire creativity and empower Arizona’s youth.

Bella Castaneda
Clifton, Greenlee County
Bella Castaneda is 15 years old and lives in a small mining town. She loves anything creative and artsy!

Kaitlyn Causer
Cameron, Coconino County
Kaitlyn Causer is 16, from Cameron AZ, and attends Tuba City Highschool as a Junior. She is Naakai Diné’e & born for Áshiihíí. Her main expression of art is through drawings & sketches, dabbling in writing. She is a lover of alternative music and animated media such as “FOB”, “PTV”, “Gravity Falls” & “Chiikawa.” They inspire her and have influenced her creative work.
Being able to create things freely has healed her in hard times of her life. She is very happy to be given the opportunity to help spread art and creativity to other people who might be going through a lot right now. She plans to be an Expressive Arts Therapist after Highschool so that she can continue to help people creatively.

Lennox Charley
Kayenta, Navajo County
Lennox Charley is a transgender Native American from the Navajo reservation. His goal is to promote the arts in his town and burn a path for young artists among his community.

Srinidhi Chervu
Yuma, Yuma County
Srinidhi Chervu is a senior at ASU Prep Digital and a passionate creative writer. Specifically, she loves writing creative nonfiction, prose, and poetry. Engaging as a member of the Youth Advisory Board for a global writing platform, and cultivating a network of artists as president of her school’s book club has punctuated the importance of encouraging the development of artistic communities throughout Arizona–especially for young people. She is excited to represent Yuma as a member of the Arizona Youth Arts Council and continue making a difference!

Sallie Choi
Globe, Gila County
Sallie Choi is a senior at Globe High School. Art has always been a huge part of her identity, whether through bass guitar, photography, poetry, oral history records, or musical theater. Cultural preservation and community involvement are pillars of her artistic identity, and she strives to reflect this while teaching art classes in the Globe/Miami/San Carlos area and preserving people’s stories. She is grateful to have shared her work nationally and community-wide with a critical essay in Scholastic Art and Writing’s national gallery and an ABC activity book at all local elementary schools and libraries. She is extremely honored and excited to represent her area in the AZYAC this year!

Zaiden Dillard
Maricopa, Pinal County
Zaiden Dillard, who goes by Zay, is truly grateful to be given this opportunity. He is a composer, a producer, a designer, and a cellist who enjoys fashion, music, and art.

Gabriela Hernandez
Nogales, Santa Cruz County
Gabriela Hernandez is a 17-year-old immigrant college freshman. She moved from Mexico in 2020 and began an entirely new life. She graduated high school in 2026 as valedictorian after attending for only three years. Art has become a way for her to express herself, discover who she is, and connect with her community. She enjoys drawing, ceramics, fashion, and traditional arts, and has discovered a passion for modeling. This year, she will participate in Border Fashion Week, exploring the connection between fashion, art, culture, and identity. She is also the Princess of Nogales, representing her community through cultural and community events.

Ashlee Horgan
Pima, Graham County
Ashlee Horgan is a 17-year-old Senior from Pima High School in Graham County! She deeply loves illustration and watercolors, which she has been doing since age 12. She also engages in graphic design, inks, acrylics, animation, and much more. She loves being outdoors, traveling, and learning languages. She is half-Kenyan and has a deep passion for environmental justice. She has played the violin for 10 years. Career wise, she wants to pursue dentistry while advocating for the environment, aiming to engage students in the arts and give them access to opportunities in rural communities.

Miras Nguyen
Oro Valley, Pima County
Miras Nguyen is currently a sophomore from Oro Valley. He joined the Arizona Youth Arts Council because art has always been an important part of how he sees and understands the world, and he wants to help ensure that everyone in his community has access to that opportunity. In his free time, he likes to play the violin, hang out with friends, and bake!

Victoria Nicolia
Douglas, Cochise County
Victoria Nicolia is in 9th grade. She has always enjoyed the arts, especially painting and drawing, with oil paints being her favorite medium. She also loves to travel and see the aspects of art in everything. Her favorite artists are Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre Bonnard, and Dali. She loves psychological horror movies, movies by Wes Anderson, and reading—with Frankenstein as her favorite book. Her favorite music genre is rock, especially from the ‘70s-’90s. She believes art is in everything people do and look at.

Clara Spencer
Prescott, Yavapai County
Clara Spencer is a sophomore at Prescott High School. She has studied piano and cello most of her life, is entering her second year as the backstage manager for the Arizona Philharmonic, and enjoys acrylic painting. She is excited to be part of a team working to bring more arts opportunities to Arizona youth!

Damien Valdez
Kingman, Mohave County
Damien Valdez is 14 years old and a freshman in both Mohave College and Lee Williams High School. He has been interested in the arts since 5th grade. He volunteers his time for the arts at Beale Street Theater and is also in the Lee Williams music programs.

Gowri Vinay
Chandler, Maricopa County
Gowri Vinay is a junior at BASIS Chandler. As a classical violist and creative writer focusing on poetry and short fiction, she views art as a vital medium for capturing emotions, building connections, and empowering self-expression. Passionate about youth arts advocacy, she founded the Soc