Carl Chew, Mare Blocker, Ron Hilbert Coy, and J.T. Stewart

Carl Chew (American, born 1948); Mare Blocker (American, born 1959); Ron Hilbert Coy (American | Tulalip, born 1943, died 2006); J.T. Stewart (American)

Carl Chew, Mare Blocker, Ron Hilbert Coy, and J.T. Stewart are collaborating artists. They worked together to create 'Raven Brings Light to This House of Stories,' an installation at the University of Washington's Allen Library, in Seattle.

Carl Chew creates artworks that tell stories in a variety of materials, including art "postage" stamps, wool rugs, prints, and more. Seattle-based Chew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology (1969) and a Master of Fine Arts degree (1975) in printmaking and video from the University of Washington in Seattle. From 1985-2000, he ran a rug factory in Nepal that made rugs for artists. He has also taught middle school science for Seattle Public Schools.

Mare Blocker is an artist and professor who creates artists books and prints. Her works celebrate the book form as both a material object and a democratic tool. Born in Seattle, she studied at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Western Washington, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Idaho. She has taught at Whitman College, Pacific Lutheran University, and other institutions in Washington, Oregon, and Montana.

Ron Hilbert Coy (1943-2006) was a Tulalip master carver and a culture-bearer of his Coast Salish heritage. He studied at the University of Washington, Seattle Central College, The Brunley School, and Cornish School, all in Seattle. He also studied at Pembroke State University in North Carolina. He described his personal goals as enhancing "individual minds with my Peoples' way of life and culture. Having the ability to create on cedar and canvas will bring this to each individuals' own thoughts of what had happened in the past and is still being practiced today."

J.T. Stewart is a Seattle-based writer, poet, teacher, and editor. Proud of her African American heritage, Stewart works to connect arts education, theater, and the humanities. She has taught at Seattle Central College and served on advisory boards for local public broadcasting. She studied at Fisk University in Tennessee, Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and Fordham University in New York City.