Hello!

My name is Samantha Oleschuk (she/her). I’m a nonprofit arts leader,  writer, and creative aging specialist based in western North Carolina with a passion for art and community. My work centers on accessible, inclusive, and transformational art programming for lifelong learning.

I currently serve in a co-leadership role as Co-Director / Director of Community Engagement at Florence Thomas Art School in West Jefferson, NC, where I lead the SPARK Creative Aging Program, and I’m the Editor in Chief at the Cultural Voice of North Carolina (CVNC). I also write on a freelance basis, primarily for CVNC and Burnaway.

I hold a B.A. in Art and Visual Culture with a concentration in Art Management and minors in Nonprofit Organizations and French and Francophone Studies from Appalachian State University, where I graduated with university and departmental honors. My honors thesis focused on creative aging programs for older adults in museums and cultural organizations. This research led to the development of a storytelling resource designed to advocate for creative aging and build cross-sector support for its future.