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102 W. Washington Street
Mail: PO Box 426
Middleburg, VA 20118
A 501c3 nonprofit
540-687-6600
Wednesday - Sunday
12:00 - 5:00
Our Mission
To champion creativity in the arts
for people of all ages and abilities
in our community, especially the youth,
through educational programs and exhibitions.
Meet the People Behind AiM
At Artists in Middleburg, we believe that our greatest strength is our people. Every exhibition, class, outreach program, and community partnership is made possible by individuals who generously share their time, talents, and passion for the arts.
We invite you to meet the staff, Board of Directors, and Advisory Team whose leadership, experience, and dedication help guide our mission and ensure that creativity continues to thrive in our community. Whether behind the scenes or working directly with artists and students, each person plays an important role in making Artists in Middleburg a welcoming place where art can inspire, educate, and connect.
Our Staff
Sandy Danielson
Executive Director
Sandy is the Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of AiM. She has worked in the nonprofit world since 1987 commencing at the Textile Museum, Washington, DC. She studied arts and humanities at the University of Minnesota and photography and the Corcoran School of Art. She passionately supports local artists and students and is committed to the arts and cultural education/opportunities for all.
Laura Fulton
Assistant Director
Laura serves as our Assistant Director managing the day to day responsibilities at the gallery and our social media. She has a B.A. in English and is certified in Digital Marketing and Management. Her skills have been used in elementary education and supporting companies in the health and wellness industry. A life long supporter of the arts, Laura has a background in dance, yoga, ceramics and chocolatiering.
Our Board of Directors
Sandy Danielson
President
Sandy is the Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of AiM. In 2015, she founded AiM, a 501c3 non-profit organization.
AiM provides ongoing educational programming for the community that includes: art classes and workshops, monthly juried exhibitions, outreach/support to local schools, speaker presentations and more. She is responsible for planning, developing, executing and managing all operations and programs, which includes membership/fundraising and administration.
She has worked in the nonprofit world since 1987 that commenced at The Textile Museum, Washington, DC. She received her Bachelors of Elected Studies at the University of Minnesota where she studied the arts and humanities. Afterwards, she studied black and white photography at the Corcoran School of Art, and color/studio lighting at NOVA.
She passionately supports art education for all! Art is vital and it does matter!
Julie Fisher
Vice President
Julie is a Virginia based fine art photographer and teacher leader. For the past eighteen years, she has been at the high school level helping teenagers find their path in art while watching her own artistic journey unfold right alongside theirs.
Julie received her Master of Fine Arts in Photography degree from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2017. Since then, she has remained the Fine Arts Department Chair at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, VA and now serves as the Director of STEAM Education. She crafts place-based curriculum bridging Fine Art and STEM with community outreach.
Her personal art practice is also both interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature. She builds on the compounded research of historians, artists, and writers all working at different times to secure family histories. Julie uses a large format film camera to document the aging Virginia landscapes along her ancestral line. She believes the past is not a closed book, but an open invitation to interact with the remnants of time and contribute her own meanings.
Nancy Milburn
Treasurer
Beth O'Quinn
Secretary
Beth grew up in Wrightsville Beach, NC. She is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After graduation from RISD she moved to NYC with her husband Dan where she worked for several large interior design and architectural firms. After seven years in NYC Beth moved to the Middleburg area in search of new professional opportunities, good riding, and other outdoor activities.
Beth has been an active member of the Middleburg community since 1986 when she opened O’Quinn Design, providing creative interior design services to many residents and businesses. In 2014 she began working at Foxcroft School as the Experiential and Service Learning Coordinator.
After retiring from Foxcroft in 2023 Beth turned her focus to artistic pursuits, community service and gardening. She has enjoyed serving as a volunteer on numerous local committees and projects and currently serves as a board member for The Artists in Middleburg and The Goose Creek Association.
Goksin Carey Akman
Director
Goksin is an associate member of the National Sculptor Society NSS, a member of Virginia Equine Artists, and is certified through the American Academy of Equine Art. Her art displays at the National Sculptor Society, Fairfax Art League - Village Gallery, and Saatchi online's websites. Her commissioned bronze 6’ fox sculpture Is located In the Middleburg Community Center Plaza.
Ms. Carey teaches equine sculpting workshops at the Artists in Middleburg, Middleburg, VA since 2014. Since the Spring of 2020, she has been teaching her sculpting classes on Zoom. Twice a year July and November she returns to NSLM National Sports Library and Museum, Middleburg, VA to instruct a week-long full-day intense Sculpting workshop.
Ms. Carey has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. She was chosen for the "TURKISH COMMUNITY STAR AWARDS, BEST ARTIST OF 2015".
A recent interview in Turkish-American TV with Ms. Cerey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewC0PbNXfWw&feature=youtu.be
Her website is sculptinghorses.com
Natalie Lacaze
Director
Matthew Pavone
Director
Matthew is a federal employee with over 15 years of experience in political economy, local food systems, and stakeholder engagement. Matthew is also an artist practitioner and devoted community volunteer. He divides time in volunteerism between his roles on the Board of Directors at the Artists in Middleburg and his advisory role as Secretary to the Middleburg Arts Council. In each capacity, Matthew helps promote and install art exhibits, and develop public-facing cultural activities that enhance audience experience. He additionally donates artwork to various non-profits in support of impactful fundraising efforts for cancer research, mental health, issues facing veterans, and early childhood development.
Among his various creative pursuits and areas of focus exists his flag series, which between 2019 and 2023, Matthew expanded to include a specialized workshop titled, “Art of the Flag.” This workshop has been featured in Leesburg City Lifestyle Magazine, and he has been an invited speaker by the organizations such as Potomac, Maryland Chapter of Rotary International, the Artists in Middleburg Art gallery, and Loudoun Cares. His original flags appear in various federal buildings and private collections across the United States.
Susan Pollard
Director
Cheri Shervin
Director
Cheri began her career in the hearing and speech sciences, earning a master's degree in audiology from the University of Maryland. While practicing audiology in Washington, DC, and raising a family, she sought creative outlets through the arts, particularly photography. She spent many rewarding hours in her darkroom, developing and printing photographs by hand.
Her artistic interests later expanded to drawing and painting through studies with a fine art painter in Georgetown. She went on to exhibit her work in art shows, where she sold both paintings and photographs.
Today, Cheri and her husband spend much time on their farm in the Virginia countryside where they raise Hereford cattle. Here she enjoys creative adventures through travel to art galleries, painting in her barn studio, and participating with the Artists in Middleburg.
Our Advisory Team
Gwynneth Anderson
Gwynneth is a project management consultant with Resources Global Professionals (RGP) and most recently supported the organization-wide implementation of the Coupa Business Spend software at the Gates Foundation. Prior to this, she spent eight years in the digital payments sector at PayPal, including key roles within the PayPal Giving Platform that supports donations to charities, non-profits, and donor-advised funds. Her foundational expertise spans banking regulatory compliance, commercial loan underwriting, and corporate finance.
Cindy Bridgman
David Gring
Susan Gring
Pamela Gwaltney
Ed Higgins
Ed is an executive coach, educator, photographer, and retired Senior Intelligence Service executive who spent more than three decades building partnerships and leading collaborative efforts across complex organizations. An International Coaching Federation Master Certified Coach (MCC), he specializes in leadership development, communication, conflict management, and organizational change.
Through both coaching and photography, Ed now helps people see what might otherwise be overlooked. His practice of purposeful wandering invites deeper observation, curiosity, and reflection, revealing the stories, connections, and possibilities hidden in everyday moments.
Ed brings to Artists in Middleburg a unique blend of leadership, creativity, strategic visioning, and community building, grounded in the belief that meaningful impact begins with paying attention.
Stephen Jameson
Sarita Moffat
Sarita is an award-winning painter whose work is held in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, and England. Although she spent 34 years with the National Geographic Society—retiring as Vice President of Strategic and Financial Planning—her lifelong passion for art led her to pursue painting full-time after retirement.
Largely self-directed through study with professional artists, books, and workshops, Sarita developed a distinctive style and has earned numerous honors, including multiple Best in Show awards. Her work has been featured on Comcast’s Artscape, on the cover of Elan Magazine, and selected for the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies program.
Sarita has also served as Exhibition Chair of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters and as Membership Chair and Vice President of the Loudoun Sketch Club. She brings a unique combination of artistic excellence, leadership, and strategic experience to the Artists in Middleburg Advisory Team.
Allison Wiese