The people who make Collage work have an impressive range of talent and variety of experiences. Here’s a bit about who we are and what we do:
George Woytovich is the Creative Director at Collage. He is a graduate of CSU Northridge with a BA in Fine Arts, and additional emphasis in Photography, and Cinematography. The former owner of a graphic design business and advertising agency also has a music background and played piano in groups during high school and college. George has a keen interest in photography, and a talent for interior design, and curates art events at Collage: A Place for Art and Culture.
Patti Kraakevik is involved in the strategic planning at Collage, and uses her broad experience in business to guide the project as it moves forward.
Richard Foss is the Executive Director of Collage. He has been an author, theater director, culinary historian, museum consultant, science fiction author, and graphic designer, among other things. Before starting Collage along with George Woytovich and Patti Kraakevik, he had produced concerts and cultural events for groups such as the Culinary Historians of Southern California, Autry Museum of the American West, and other organizations.
Sara Kocher is the Communications Manager at Collage, with responsibilities that range from PR to grant writing to web site content. She has a history degree from Mills College and decades of performance experience in living history and situational improv. Her editorial background includes a stint as an assistant editor at Marvel Comics and she maintains a love of sequential art and storytelling.
Silvia Askenazi is the Project Coordinator at Collage, performing a variety of tasks that go from website design and maintenance, photography, social media, design, and talent search. A San Pedro resident and artist herself, she also runs Tango San Pedro, dance school and focal point for LA’s dance community.
Katie Blanchard has been a live sound engineer for over forty years, beginning at the famed Crazy Horse in Santa Ana. Since then she has run shows in intimate spaces as well as major auditoriums, featuring everyone from Merle Haggard to the Dalai Lama. (The latter referred to her as his favorite sound person.) Katie is also a musician, and performs in a duo called Popoki House with Taeri Schiffman.
Taeri Schiffman is an independent documentary film maker, computer geek, videographer, editor, and scholar with a Masters degree from USC. She brings her expertise in all of these as well as over 30 years crew experience to Collage. Taeri performs regularly with fellow crewmember Katie Blanchard as the Hawaiian/Americana act ‘Popoki House’
George Van Wagner brings over five decades of experience in recording and live sound engineering and as a working guitarist/songwriter to Collage's tech team. He has been consulted on tone and technology for artists from touring musicians to Grammy winning artists and producers.