As the Artistic Director for the Portobello Cultural Life & Arts Center, I enjoy the task of keeping our readers updated on our project as we prepare to break ground in Spring, 2020. Part of that communication includes interviewing and introducing our key players on the Portobello as well as those serving you at Stray Cat Studio.
And, thus, I now find myself in the interesting position of interviewing myself.
So, here it goes. (For fun, I'll go ahead and pen this in the third person. You can now sit back and enjoy imagining Joline interviewing Joline!)
Joline relocated to Beaver County 10 years ago from Chicago when her husband, then a Pastor, took an Associate Pastor position with a local church. An admitted lover of big cities, small-town life took some getting used to, but the "pros" of living in an area where her children could wander upstreet, stroll to the library, run errands to the grocery store/post office, etc. were a perk the city wasn't affording her family.
"That fitness gal"
As she settled into life in Beaver County an opportunity arose in the fitness and nutrition industry, and Joline fully immersed herself in educating herself as a fitness instructor, being trained and nurtured at B-Well Nation where she has now taught exclusively for 5 years.
National certifications in fitness and nutrition (ACE, NAFC) also served to help her build an online coaching business and establish herself as a wellness professional in the county. As the health and wellness columnist for the Beaver County Times for 4 years, where she also hosted 100 episodes of the online web series, "For the Health of It", Joline became know as a "sensible" voice in Beaver County for those looking to improve their health by incorporating movement and smart, sustainable nutritional practices. She continues to teach classes and coach clients virtually. As a writer she has penned “Confessions of a Pastor’s Wife” based on the 16 years her husband served in full-time ministry (having recently changed careers to that of a clinical therapist) and “Thanks, We’ll Call You”, chronicling her life as a performer, from childhood to . . . last week.
Which brings us to Beaver Falls
Joline comes to Mycelia with a unique background as a communicator, connector and coach along with credits in theater/on-camera performance, directing/choreography and private acting/audition coaching for young performers. After graduating with a video production degree from Ohio Unversity, Joline went on to pursue an acting career in Chicago, along with becoming a well sought-out private coach and instructor for young actors.
She brought that experience to the Pittsburgh area where she continued to perform, as her schedule would allow, even garnering the Outstanding Lead Actress award for her performance in the Pittsburgh New Works Festival (2011).
With a love for theater, performance, and community connection, Artistic Director for the Portobello is the perfect next role for Joline.
"Since moving to Beaver County 10 years ago, I've had a vision for a "space" to showcase performers: writers, actors, musicians, etc. and upon pitching this to Renee, I knew the idea had merit!"
And thus, the vision of adding a black-box theater space to the Portobello was born.
But Joline's interests go deeper than just showcasing performers,
"Being an entrepreneur myself, I have developed this belief that people need a place to help their ideas flourish - to give their interests room to grow. It may sound geeky, but I can't wait to help people find a room (literally) in the Portobello building and booking spaces to give their ideas a go!"
To prepare for that role, Joline is cutting her teeth as one of the founders of Underground Beaver, an event planning company in Beaver with a focus on offering consistent local events for the community to enjoy with a dual purpose of bringing traffic to local businesses.
"My love for small towns has branched out into helping communities create new experiences for their residents."
Big city ideas; small-town availability
Joline is bringing big city ideas to the Portobello building in Beaver Falls where the community will have access to not only a black box theater for housing performing arts and events but also a rehearsal studio, community room, and visual arts gallery.
"We are creating useable spaces for the community. And I can't wait to see the Portobello fill up with people!"
Need space for YOUR idea? Go ahead and email Joline at straycatartsevents@gmail.com where she is already keeping track of community-driven programming and how the Portobello can be the answer for making those ideas come true!
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