Gallery Director

Shelly is a descendant of the Nisenan people who have made their homes in and around Nevada County since time immemorial. She is the elected Spokesperson for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe and sits on the Tribal Council. She is also the Executive Director of CHIRP, the Tribally guided 501c3 that supports the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe, through its mission to Preserve, Protect and Perpetuate Nisenan Culture. Shelly was born and raised in Grass Valley and remains there today.

Photo by Kial James

Curator, Gallery Management, and Visibility Through Art (VTA) Coordinator

Mira was born and raised in Nevada County, she is a local artist and received her BA from CIIS in San Fransisco. Her degree which focused in social justice led her to explore arts activism in 2017, when she started volunteering for CHIRP. Shelly and she conceived of the VTA project, which has been an annual project since 2017.

Gallery Docent and CHIRP Staff

Iona was a 2021 CHIRP student intern and now is the gallery docent and assistant at ‘Uba Seo. Iona is a local musical artist and passionate about social change and community activism. She helps with numerous CHIRP tasks and project research.

CHIRP Staff, Gallery Docent, and Gallery Assistant

Saxon Thomas was elected to the Nevada City Rancheria Tribal Council when he was 18 to represent the Youth voice of the Tribe. Saxon’s warm demeanor and wide scope of interests continues to enhance his skills in Tribal leadership. His curiosity has culminated in his knowledge today around family history, genealogy, and the social interactions of many different people during the gold rush. Saxon’s mother, Sarah Thomas is of Nisenan descent and his father, Scott Thomas, is of Cornish descent. The Thomas family were founders of Nevada City as well as the Champion Mine, giving Saxon a unique perspective on the clash and interactions of cultures during the gold rush. Saxon is a full-time CHIRP employee and continues to gain depth in leadership for his Tribal people.

Curatorial Consultant and Artistic Council

A multimedia artist whose work speaks to the value of people to their community—working with themes of belonging, visibility, and what it means to be a human. Ruth is a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute whose artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages community bridge-building. Ruth has been working with CHIRP through different projects and in different capacities since 2018.

CHIRP Board Member and ‘Uba Seo Artistic Council

Born on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, Nikila is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, designer, and performer inspired by an earth-based wisdom of Roots and Culture. Mother and community organizer, her work as an advocate for youth, indigenous, and environmental rights has played an influential role within shaping her foundation as a "Cultural Community Artist". Born into Pacific Islander, First Nations, and European lineages, to the raw street smarts of the Bay Area’s inner cities, it has been the cultural richness, as well as the systemic issues of her background, that have led Nikila to explore the arts as a foundation for educational reform and decolonization.

Ember began her work with CHIRP as a volunteer in 2017. She assists with community outreach, event production and various administrative tasks. She enjoys living in an intentional community with close ties to others and the land. As Executive Assistant for CHIRP, she is an invaluable asset to everything CHIRP related.