Jester Artspace Board

Alan Baseden, President

Alan is an artist and interactive designer. He was born in Wilmington, and raised with his five siblings on Grubb Road. Alan graduated from Concord High School in 1982, and attended University of Delaware. He went on to study art full-time and graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York, which launched him on to 23 years as a News Artist and Interactive Editor for news organizations. Today Alan lives in Paoli PA with his wife, artist Debra Baseden. They have two adult kids. Alan is an active artist specializing in urban sketching and printmaking.


Suzanne Wight Murphy

Suzanne W. Murphy is a neighbor to the Artspace who wanted to give back to her community. She works for Wohlsen Construction and was the chair of the construction committee. We received our certificate of occupancy for the Artspace in April 2024 and due to demand for classes we are already dreaming of larger instructional space!

 


John Scott Howell, Treasurer

John is a microbiologist who lives in Claymont. For most of his professional life he owned and operated an environmental testing laboratory. Today he works in the private scientific sector. He has always enjoyed drawing, painting and sculpting as do his children. He uses his background in business and bookkeeping for Jester Artspace. He looks forward to giving his time, energy and skills to build a successful arts venue for the community.

 


Susan Benarcik

Susan is a sculptor and urban garden designer based in Arden. Her work has been exhibited across the country in galleries, museums, sculpture parks, arboreta, and botanic gardens such as the New York Design Center, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Delaware Art Museum. Her Master’s degree in printmaking is from Cranbrook Academy of Art, and Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Rosemont College. She is excited to bring her knowledge to a new generation.


Jamie Liberatore, Secretary

Jamie is a Brandywine Valley native. She is known for being vocal about local conservation efforts and is bringing her voice to support the Jester Artspace. Her background includes a Bachelor’s in Digital Communications. In her spare time, she is a casual fiber artist working in crochet, knit, embroidery, string art and macramé.

 


Nicole Morrissey

Nicole is a newer Delawarean who now calls Wilmington home. Nicole is a corporate giving professional who enjoys building nonprofit, public, and corporate partnerships. She is passionate about spaces and programs that enrich local communities, and historical preservation and creative reuse. She is excited to build relationships with other arts organizations and visibility for the Artspace. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. Nicole lives in the North Wilmington area and occasionally attempts crafting projects with her children.


Nicole Pasukonis

Nicole is a New Jersey native, now working towards establishing roots in North Wilmington. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from Monmouth University and has spent her career working in various digital marketing technology roles, most recently specializing in marketing automation and customer engagement platforms. She has previously led organizational group volunteer initiatives and community outreach as a part of her corporate responsibilities. Nicole is also a small business owner, independently providing web and graphic design to clients for over 15 years. She enjoys acrylic painting and landscape photography and has also shared her love of painting as a part-time art instructor. Nicole is currently a member of the Jester Artspace Fundraising Committee, focusing on grant writing to support the organization’s mission.