About

OUR TEAM

Kristin Beal

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Kristin Beal is an arts leader and culture producer dedicated to building creative communities. She co-founded Harvester Arts in 2014 and serves as Executive Director, advancing arts experimentation, public art, residencies, and professional development for artists in Wichita.

Beal developed and leads Harvester’s Gallery Place Collective, a flexible, artist-driven initiative that activates underused spaces through pop-up exhibitions, performances, murals, projections, and community-centered creative experiences. The Collective partners with neighborhoods, businesses, and cultural institutions to embed artists in everyday spaces and position them as vital contributors to civic life.

Kristin holds a BFA from Wichita State University and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and has studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. Her grant writing and project leadership have secured support from the Knight Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kansas Arts Commission, the Beach Family Foundation, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Mina Estrada

Managing Director

Mina Estrada dedicates much of her time to teaching, creating, and facilitating dance experiences for herself and those who care to join. She holds an MFA in Dance from Temple University, and her choreography and workshops—rooted in contemporary movement concepts and improvisation—have been commissioned by presenters across the country.

Mina has served on faculty for the dance programs at Wichita State University, Temple University, Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, and Drexel University. While in Philadelphia, she performed in the Live Arts Festival and Collage Festival, received the New Edge Residency at the CEC, and worked with notable artists including Jumatatu Poe, Silvana Cardell, Shavon Norris, and the Leah Stein Dance Company.

After relocating to the South, she served as Director of Artist Resources for the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and taught at Louisiana State University. Now based in Wichita, Mina is the Managing Director of Harvester Arts, where she also founded Smack Dab Dance Lab, Harvester’s resident dance company dedicated to collaborative, experimental performance. She teaches at Wichita State University, and is the co-creator of Benevolent Instruction, a creative modality and podcast project.

When she’s not immersed in dance-making, Mina is in hot pursuit of great storytellers, generous muses, equilibrium, and more time to pet her cats, smile at her husband, and spend time with Mother Nature.

Emily Cass

Gallery Manager

Emily Cass is an arts professional based in Wichita, Kansas, with a background in arts education and nonprofit leadership. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education and a Master’s in Arts Leadership and Management. A former art educator in the local school district, Emily serves as Gallery Director at Harvester Arts, where she manages the organization’s exhibitions and events, helps artists develop their programs and special events, and created our quarterly Art Making & Poetry program. The event brings together local poets and community members for an evening of readings, open mic, and hands-on artmaking, creating a welcoming space for people to share creative work and connect through both visual art and spoken word.

In addition to her work at Harvester, she contributes to museum education at the Wichita Art Museum, blending her creative practice with a deep commitment to community engagement and access to the arts.