The State Fair poetry team
LESLIE BALL is a singer, producer and writer based in the Twin Cities. Ball has performed on theater stages and in music clubs around the region and the country, including serving as the Poet Laureate for the St. Paul Chautauqua Festival; opening for Ellen Degeneres at the Guthrie Theater; and singing backup for Gene Pitney at Carnegie Hall.
In August 1991, Ball launched BALLS Cabaret, a weekly experimental stage for artists of any discipline, at any level of experience. BALLS is now in its 15th year. Ball earned her MFA at New York University's Tisch Graduate School of the Arts in Writing for Music Theater. She is currently pursuing her second master's degree at United Theological Seminary.
OCHEN KAYLAN is the Web producer for American RadioWorks. He has extensive digital and graphic design experience, including serving as the Manager of Digital Design at the Walker Art Center and Senior Designer at Larsen Design. He has also taught at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and worked as a Conflict Mediator for the Minnesota State Fair.
Kaylan has received numerous design and advertising awards including: a Gold Pencil from The One Club; AIGA Minnesota Design Show selection; The Standard of Excellence Award from the Webawards; and a Merit from HOW Interactive. His digital and audio artwork has been shown at the San Francisco Art Institute, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery, Austin Museum of Art, Walker Art Center, Transom.org, and Gallery 9.
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