MARGOT HERSTER (Media Artist, Educator, Administrator of Ideas) Margot is founder of BUREAU OF CHANGE. Her work engages archiving practices, interdisciplinary collaboration and media theory to express contemporary cultural and political phenomena and institutional reform. Her work is widely reviewed and featured in press, such as National Public Radio, The International Herald Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Artnet, and Brooklyn Rail, as well as academic publications such as A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb, published by Duke University Press as one of the first surveys of post-9/11 art. Prior to launching her career in socially and politically engaged art education, Margot was an analyst at Stax Inc. where her work focused on data-driven market-side research and strategy for emerging internet ventures. She holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY.

SCOTT SULLIVAN (International Law, Foreign Relations Scholar)   Scott teaches and writes in international law, national security law and U.S. foreign relations law at the Louisiana State University Law Center. Prior to joining the LSU, he was a co-founder of the National Security & Human Rights Program and Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law and he remains a fellow of UT-Austin’s Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law. He holds a JD from the University of Chicago Law School and an LLM from The European University Institute.

COLIN ROBERSON (Artist and Photographer)  Colin is photographer who works in and around New Orleans. He holds a BFA in Photography from Louisiana State University.

AMANDA BOURGEOIS (Creative Experimentalist, Humanitarian)  Amanda works in and around the service industry, with art, and around film productions. She holds a BFA in Digital Art from Louisiana State University.

JUSTIN M. STROEMPLE (Thinker, Artist, Photographer, Design)  Justin is an artist and visual problem solver based out of the New Orleans area. He holds a BFA in Digital Art from Louisiana State University.

DAN AREILY & THE CENTER FOR ADVANCED HINDSIGHT, DUKE UNIVERSITY Dan is a behavioral economist, popular TED talker, NYT best-selling author and founder of the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University. The central goal of the Center for Advanced Hindsight is to develop great insights (in hindsight) about an extensive and diverse set of research projects. As a non-discriminating institution, its work examines published as well as unpublished work, and the work of researchers of all ranks. Of course, this involvement is restricted to work conducted by unaffiliated researchers, as this kind of intimate scientific inquiry by its members would be too dangerous. Needless to say, all aforementioned work is done retrospectively. One might even go as far as saying “in hindsight.” The sole responsibility of members is to critique the work of others and comment on the obvious intuitiveness and predictability of the results. In fact, there is no “ground-breaking” research that comes as a surprise to the brilliant minds of the Center. The initiation process to become an official member of the center requires an oath of commitment to apathy and absurdity.

ANNABELLE GRIMES (Artist, Gallery Associate, Community Art Organizer) Annabelle is an artist and Gallery Manager at Martine Chaisson Gallery in New Orleans. She has degrees in Art History, Studio Art and Business Administration from Louisiana State University.

STEVEN PEDEAUX (Digital Cultures Writer, Researcher, Producer) Steven is a digital artist, web designer and entrepreneur. He works as a Technical Consultant via his company Dark Magnolia X-Lab and manages a personal and mobile computing services company of which he is part owner. Steven holds a BFA in Digital Art and an Art History minor from Louisiana State University.

KAREEM HENRY (Activist, Songwriter, Software Developer, Project Management Student)

KENNETH GREEN (Rap Musician, Drafting and Design Student)

URBAN SIDEWALK INSTALLATION SPACE (US|IS) US/IS is a hub to explore the purposeful and industrious undertakings of the New Orleans creative community engaged in art as a social practice. US|IS, positioned at an intersection of the art, tourism, business and government sectors, establishes an exchange to incite dialog and provoke action on issues of public interest in the city, as well as our world. Conceived as a transdisciplinary center for growing ideas, US|IS presents a collective space for the narration of principle and inspiration. A project of BUREAU of CHANGE, Medallion Building Condominium Owners Association, and the VESTIGES Project.

RACHEL RABHAN (Artist, Photographer, Educator) Rachel works as a high school teacher at her alma matter, a Modern Orthodox yeshivah day school in New York City where she is head of the Art Department. She has exhibited Divine Gesture, a series of photographic works she created in collaboration with her students, at Visual Arts Gallery (New York), Flexspace (Austin), and Deutsche Guggenheim (Berlin). Rachel received her BS with a double major in Art History and Fine Arts from New York University and holds an MFA in Photography, Video & Related Media from the School of Visual Arts.

INFRAREDD (Tech Guru, Musical Collaborator, Aspiring Empire Owner, Computer Networking Student)

PAIGE ALLYN (Public Relations, Singer, Poet, Student) Paige is a freelance public relations agent with nearly 10 years of experience. She’s worked with AARP, Dillard University, and various artists and musicians in the New Orleans area. When she’s not creating ways to help artists get better media coverage, you can find her at BUREAU where she does PR and assists with creative media projects, or you can catch her singing and reciting poetry at the New Orleans Jazz Market. Paige’s PR business, Paige PR, is off to an exciting new start and she is accepting clients. Website details coming soon. #PPR

NIKOMIA HENRY (Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Paintress, Wordsmith, Photographer, Student) Nikomia is currently a Fine Arts and Graphics Design major at Delgado. She has been interested in the arts since she was a child. Nikomia was naturally gifted in drawing from a young age and considers herself to be a self-taught artist. After high school she was sure that she wanted to make a career of her talents, and now creates as a freelance artist and hobbyist photographer, participates in local art shows, and accepts commissions in her free time. Nikomia plans to use her talents and passion to empower others. She wants to be an inspiration for others to follow their passions and always express themselves in a positive, creative way.

JARED HORNSBY (Digital Media Artist, Video Director) Jared is a media artist, video director, and post-production professional at Post Matters, Baton Rouge, LA. Previously, he served as media director for Livada Orphan Care in Targu Mures, Romania, founded and directed the Media Works initiative at Blue Renaissance Creative Group in Colorado Springs, CO, and worked as an architectural designer. Jared holds a BFA in Digital Art from Louisiana State University.

SARAH HERSTER (Educator, Composer, Classical Pianist and Organist) Sarah is a former public school teacher who believes that the integration of the arts across an interdisciplinary curriculum promotes student engagement and the development of upper level thinking skills. She writes curriculum and develops theme-based educational programs for schools and museums that draw on trained volunteers to enrich classroom instruction through hands-on, interactive learning activities. Sarah values the transformative power of positive self-esteem, an independent spirit and respect for self and others. She supports children and families in crisis and victims of domestic violence through fundraising and volunteerism in her community.

JEAN-PAUL BERNARD (Photographer, Filmmaker, Artist)  Jean-Paul is based in New Orleans where he splits his time between the realms of editorial photography, contemporary fine art photography, and film production and cinematography. He holds a BFA in Digital Art and minor in Photography from Louisiana State University.

DOUGLAS COX (Librarian and Educator)  Doug is an Associate Professor and the International Law Librarian. His research focuses on the intersection of information policy and national security, including issues related to the legal status of documents captured in armed conflict, international legal protections for cultural property, the laws governing the preservation of government records and archives, and FOIA. He previously practiced law at Allen & Overy in London and New York focusing on cross-border legal issues and litigation. He holds a JD from the University of Texas, an MLS from Queens College, and a BA in Classical Greek and Latin from the University of Arizona. His work has included assisting inmates in the law libraries at Rikers Island, providing legal reference assistance at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, representing individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and previously served in the U.S. Army. Doug is the author of the Document Exploitation (DocEx) blog.

MICHAEL ALFORD (Conceptual Artist)  Michael Alford is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist. His work ranges from documentary photography, large scale public sculpture to Land Art. “My work often explores and challenges the conventional ideas of Art and what can be used to create it.” Michael spent the first half of his life as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces Special Operations. He earned his BFA from Baylor University while on active duty and recently an MFA from Louisiana State University. The artwork of artist Michael Alford has been exhibited and found in several corporate, private, national and international collections.

MACKENZIE FRANCO (Artist, Designer, Student)

THE CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS (CCR)  The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.

EMILY MORRISON (Artist, Teacher, Permaculturist) Emily Morrison has worked as a curator, teaching artist and development director at ArtPace (San Antonio), Trouser House (New Orleans) and Mexi-carte Museum (Austin). She is currently Chief Advancement Officer for Austin Achieve Public Schools in Austin, TX.

SOUTHERN REP Southern Rep Theatre is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed regional theatre company that produces bold world premieres, the best of Broadway and off-Broadway, and classic plays.

ULAY DEUX (Artist, Manual Laborist) Ulay is an alter ego found and re-programmed by the BUREAU to assist in executing its work. He was selected for the task, in part, because he came pre-programmed by Barack Obama at the University of Chicago with stored data on systems of race and the law. At some point in 2013, Ulay began going rogue. He now autonomously generates and produces his own ideas, loses work, breaks things and causes security vulnerabilities for the BUREAU.

JACK HAZARD (Artist, Designer, Educator)  Jack is an artist and designer born and raised in New York City. He began his career creating interactive work for the Isabella Gardener Museum in Boston before moving back to New York where he established the video performance group SquareSquare. As a freelance designer, he created webpages for Forbes Magazine and Puccie; as an animator, he created animations for Sybase and HBO; as a stylist he created environments for Donna Karan International, Armani, Target and Saks Fifth Avenue. He has exhibited his artwork in galleries, as well as public and large corporate events, including audio design for the Museum of Modern Art and, most recently, video projections on the New Orleans Museum of Art. He currently chairs the Drafting and Design School at ITT Technical institute in St. Rose, Louisiana. Jack holds a BA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Computer Art from School of Visual Arts.

CAROLINE SINDERS (Game Designer, Photographer, Digital Anthropologist)  Caroline is an Interaction Designer and User Researcher at IBM Watson, photographer, digital anthropologist and game designer from New Orleans. She is co-creator and main organizer of FACETS, an interdisciplinary creative coding, interactive art, and videogames un-conference.

LOGAN BLAKE (Filmmaker, Film and Video Production Student) Logan is working on being more hands on in the film industry during her year at BUREAU. Her plan is to “get in where she fits in.” Her dream is to become a film writer, producer and director.

NORTH (Writer, Poet, Student)

DEAD EDWARD (Activist, Iraq Historian, Guitar Player, Student)