Team

Heather Adams, Executive Director

In Phoenix, she honed her artistic talents at South Mountain Center for the Performing Arts High School, Phoenix School of Ballet and Ballet Arizona before venturing to Philadelphia, PA, where she earned her BFA in Dance from the prestigious University of the Arts.

Embracing the vibrant energy of New York City, Heather embarked on a journey of professional growth, training at Alvin Ailey and Paul Taylor. However, the allure of Missoula’s artistic spirit and close-knit community beckoned her in 1999. Since then, she has been an unwavering advocate for arts education, performance, and cultural enrichment within the Missoula community.

Immersing herself in the local arts scene, Heather found herself directing and choreographing musical theater productions both locally and regionally. Her dedication to giving back to the community has led her to volunteer and produce non-profit fundraisers, demonstrating her commitment to supporting the arts at all levels.

Heather’s love for dance transcends the stage, sharing her expertise in various styles at local studios and the University of Montana as well as across the region and as far as South Africa and Malawi. Recognizing the transformative power of dance, she founded the Downtown Dance Collective and served as its Executive Director for 13 years, nurturing budding artists and fostering a thriving dance community, producing an Artist in Residence series, and creating an inviting space for people to engage in and support the arts.

Her extensive involvement in the arts has led her to become an essential figure in Missoula’s artistic landscape. As a testament to her impact, she currently serves on the University of Montana College of Arts and Media Advisory Council, contributing insights to shape the future of arts education and collaboration at the collegiate level.

Heather’s passion for the arts extends beyond local borders, as she takes on the role of State Captain for Montana in the esteemed Americans For The Arts organization based in Washington, DC. In this capacity, she actively champions the importance of the arts on a national level, advocating for the preservation and advancement of creative expression in communities across the country.

Heather Adams’ dedication to the arts and her love for Missoula continue to intertwine, as she thrives in her role as a vital member of the Arts Missoula team. Her unwavering commitment to the community and the transformative power of the arts have left an indelible mark on the city’s cultural fabric. As she looks ahead, Heather remains steadfast in her mission to enrich lives through artistic expression, making Missoula an even more vibrant and inspiring place for generations to come.

Nathan Poukish, Marketing/Communications and Public Art Coordinator

Nathan Poukish is the Marketing/Communications Manager for Arts Missoula and serves as the Public Art Coordinator for the City of Missoula’s Public Art Committee. Nathan comes from an education background where he has taught kindergarten, first grade, and elementary music. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Montana State University and has a passion for the arts specifically in music. Nathan has been involved with local choirs, opera companies, and musical theater. He has witnessed first hand the importance of arts in the community and works towards sharing that same experience with as many people as he can.

Mickey Haldi, Special Projects

Mickey Haldi is a multimedia artist creating work in Missoula, MT. They earned their Bachelor of Arts in painting with a minor in Art History at the University of Montana in 2021. Haldi has shown their work at the Missoula Art Museum, the Zootown Arts Community Center, and have had work collected by the Museum of Modern Arts and Culture. As a contributor to the arts scene in Missoula since 2015, they have taught music, film, and art camps through the ZACC and the Roxy Theater, participated in local arts festivals, and figure model through UMT, Life Drawing Missoula, Pattee Canyon Ladies Salon, and privately for local artists. Haldi also hosts Life Drawing Missoula in rotating venues. Most recently, they are working large, painting murals both residentially and commercially. Haldi aspires to live a life in paint.

Zola Kell, Development & Engagement Coordinator

Originally from Victoria, British Columbia, where she completed a BA and MA in Germanic Studies, Zola has worked for the past decade in supporting roles for arts organizations and in the field of Indigenous language revitalization.She completed a Post-Baccalaureate in Art at the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, Ireland, in 2018. Zola has also been a visual artist, primarily working with textiles and installation art.

She has known Missoula was where she wanted to be since attending the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in 2007. She was finally able to make the international move in January of 2023, and has been devoted to the creative communities here ever since. Her dream is to open an artists’ residency to allow artists time and space to realize their creative work. She is most excited to be able to bring her expertise in grant writing and her passion and enthusiasm for supporting the arts to her role at Arts Missoula.