2025 - 2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Gabriela Kane Guardia
President
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Gabriela Kane Guardia completed an MA in Latin American Studies at UT Austin with a portfolio in the Arts and Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship Program. Her fieldwork and research engaged Chilean cultural policy and Indigenous representation. Gabriela is passionate about culturally-relevant STEAM education, shown through her leadership as the Executive Director at Latinitas. She previously collaborated with culture bearers for the preservation of folk and traditional arts as the Deputy Director at Texas Folklife. She holds a BA in International Studies and Spanish from Texas A&M University and previously managed SEAD Gallery in Historic Downtown Bryan. She advocates for public support of the arts, and serves as a board member at Texans for the Arts. In 2021, she was accepted into the prestigious cohort of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) Leadership Institute. Gabriela loves giving back to the community through her board service with Austin Emerging Arts Leaders, Texans for the Arts, and the advisory council of the Innovation Collaborative.
Bailey Pownall
​Vice President
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Bailey Pownall is a born and raised Austinite who serves as Deputy Director at Texans for the Arts, Bailey oversees initiatives in fundraising, policy advocacy, and community engagement, helping to sustain a vibrant arts community throughout the state.​ Bailey co-founded Mural Supply Co., a company dedicated to supporting the creative economy through a range of supplies and services. From wall preparation and UV protection application to commercial and public art projects, Mural Supply Co. provides comprehensive solutions for artists and organizations. Mural Supply Co. also organizes mural festivals, bringing together local artists, businesses, and community members to celebrate and enhance public spaces. Bailey believes that the arts have the unique ability to bring people together, support economic growth, and tell meaningful stories. Whether organizing mural festivals, advocating for arts-friendly policies, or providing essential services through Mural Supply Co., they are committed to making the arts accessible and impactful for everyone in Austin and across Texas.
Erik Ross
Treasurer
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Erik Ross is a recognized visual artist and creative leader who has carved a unique path in the Austin, Texas art scene. With a strong foundation in arts and human relations, Erik blends creativity with strategic thinking to empower emerging artists and organizations.
​Since relocating to Austin, Erik has navigated the vibrant and competitive art scene with a driven attitude and a problem-solving mindset. His background in sales, project management, and leadership has honed his ability to bridge the gap between artistic vision and business execution. By fostering collaboration and driving innovative solutions, Erik has built a reputation for delivering results and elevating creative ideas from concept to reality.
Natalie Earhart
Natalie Earhart is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and curator based in Austin, Texas. Originally from California, she earned her BA in Studio Art from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013. In 2015, she co-founded Almost Real Things, an arts organization and venue for artists and art enthusiasts to find community, develop professional skills and contribute to the art ecosystem.
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Natalie has worked with community partners including The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Fusebox Festival and the Austin Cultural Arts Division to curate and produce events. She is actively working on the Touch the Art program to expand the experience and advocate for more accessible and inclusive art exhibitions.
Antonio F. Delgado
Past President
Why be one thing you grow up … when can be them all? Antonio F Delgado works as the Minister of Fun and Education with Science In A Suitcase. Sometimes he gets the opportunity to be a Robotics Master Mentor with National Instruments and teach the next generation of Robotics Teachers. Over the past three years Antonio would trek to East Austin to assist a Title 1 Robotics team at Govalle Elementary School. In 2014, Antonio and his friends Nicole and Lillan started an organization called Science In A Suitcase. Together they hope to teach kids all over the world about the greatness of robotics and creativity. By 2015, Science In A Suitcase and their friends at the Paramount Theatre created a partnership titled, “roboARTS”. Today, Antonio travels the globe teaching kids about creativity through robotics and songwriting by leveraging everyone’s most powerful tool - imagination. During his downtime, Antonio loves to play music with his band Oh Antonio and His Imaginary Friends, create children’s stories, and producing musicians at Ice Cream Factory Studios. In 2021, Antonio hopes to release 52 songs. Even when Antonio is writing about himself in the third person, he strives to ignite creativity, imagination and joy in the people around him. He believes that a STEAM education is essential to creating well rounded and fruitful students and art is essential to life. He is excited to join Austin’s Emerging Arts Leader and further support arts in central Texas.
Julia Vunderink
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Julia is a native Austinite and local arts enthusiast. After earning a BA in Arts History and Latin American Studies, Julia led community arts initiatives and taught English and Arts classes in Spain and Central America. Eventually making her way back to Austin, Julia briefly worked as the Education Intern at Mexic-Arte Museum, and has been working for local arts education non-profit MINDPOP for three years, where she lends her insights regarding organizational logistics and event planning, and shares the passion for expanding arts access and creative teaching in Austin. Julia is new to the Austin Emerging Arts Leaders board as of 2021, and is excited to be a part of the EAL community!
Jesus Varela
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Currently the coordinator of signature events at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, Jesus Varela has over 10 years of experience in the development and expansion of community arts programming. Starting in 2009, he was the lead representative for Remezcla in San Francisco tasked with connecting to Latino cultural institutions and creators in the Bay Area and recruiting a team of part-time writers to create hyper-local editorial content. In 2010, he was part of the team that created Radio Valencia, a local pirate-radio station in the San Francisco Latino Cultural District focusing on highlighting local creators.
After moving to freelance tour management in 2012, booking/artist relations for multi-venue festivals like SF Carnaval, Varela was recruited to lead cultural program management and development for Accion Latina in 2015. He went on to work with the creation of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District and lead the process in launching a multi-venue free/family friendly/bilingual art walk focused on generating paid opportunities for local artists while increasing revenue for local shops & restaurants.
Most recently, he worked with a small team to create La Pulguita, a safe space for local street vendors to sell with a focus on job & work skill development.One of the main goals throughout Varela's career has been to work across private and public sectors to preserve, defend, cultivate, and advocate for the vitality of underserved communities.
Christopher Kiley
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Christopher Kiley specializes in the dynamic intersection between the creative sector and public resources. Chris has a unique background, navigating the field and communicating the needs of the creative sector to a myriad of decision makers at the local, state and federal levels. Chris supports the non-profit arts sector alongside individual artists and concerned citizens that desire a robust public arts funding model. Chris joined the staff of Texans for the Arts, the State's arts advocacy organization, in 2016. As Executive Director Chris manages the fiscal health and growth of the organization. Chris oversees implementing numerous communication and membership strategies aimed at arming the non-profit creative sector with the tools it needs to succeed in securing vital public resources. Chris is keenly interested in how public investment in the creative sector provides measurable and valuable assets to our communities and building a statewide coalition of creatives to help make that case.
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Chris moved to Texas in 2014 to attend graduate school at Texas Tech University from New York, New York and moved to the Austin area to pursue working with TFA in 2016 after completing his MFA in Arts Administration. He considers Texas one of the best places on Earth and loves working on behalf of the arts community here. Chris has been involved in Texas politics since arriving in the State and spent time while at Texas Tech interning for former Congressman Gene Green from Houston in Washington D.C., immersing himself in arts policy and funding issues. ​
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As an artist, Chris also has a background in Acting and Directing for the stage. Chris has performed professionally all over the country and served as Executive Director of the Derryfield Repertory Theater Program, a summer initiative dedicated to introducing young people to theater and producing professional musical theater productions at the Derryfield School in NH from 2014- 2018.
Chris recently accepted an adjunct professorship at Texas Tech University, teaching a graduate level arts advocacy course that explored the structure, implementation and evaluation of advocacy campaigns designed to solve problems in the field.
"I believe a healthy arts landscape is vital to providing us with happy, healthy communities. The arts give us a voice, but it is up to us to use it!"
Matrex Kilgore
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Matrex Kilgore is an award-winning international performer, director, and facilitator based in Austin, Texas. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Theatre and Dance, and has trained and collaborated nationally and internationally with award-winning directors, playwrights, and actors. Currently, Matrex serves as a Program Administrator for Texas Commission on the Arts, focusing on arts education, theatre, and dance organizations across the state of Texas. Matrex served as the Director of Culture and Community for Out of School Time Programs at Creative Action. He was honored with a Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders Award from the National Afterschool Association for his commitment to program design and professional development. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Afterschool Association and works to influence the national field of afterschool programming. He also serves on the Univerity of Texas at Austin UTeach Fine Arts Education Advisory Council. Matrex believes in the power of the arts to create opportunities for people to acknowledge their power and explore ways to make a difference in the world.
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Carmen Rangel
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Carmen Rangel is a visual artist and organizer born and raised in Austin, with experience in public art and community-driven projects. After earning a BA in Communication and studying Art at St. Edward's University she recognized the profound impact of visual communication in transcending language and socio-economic barriers. She has collaborated and created work with many nonprofits to aid in their mission. Her body of work is known for the dynamic use of color in mosaics and murals, her work often explores themes of environmentalism, diversity, and exploration of Mexican-American and Indigenous culture.
Carmen is also the co-founder of The Mosaic Workshop, an artist-run creative hub dedicated to teaching mosaic art and producing large-scale public art installations. As a recipient of the Environmental Justice Grant, she had the opportunity to train with The Mural Arts Institute, part of Mural Arts Philadelphia, the nation's largest public art program. During her training, she gained invaluable insights into how art can drive social change and the importance of community-focused artistic practices. Her innovative approach to sustainable art earned her a nomination as a Net Zero Hero by the City of Austin’s Office of Climate Action and Resilience, for creating a mosaic mural using recycled materials and diverted waste. Whether working in any medium or capacity, Carmen is deeply committed to making art accessible and ensuring its lasting impact on the future of the city's cultural landscape, and happy to be part of the EAL board.