2025 ALWCA Team Member LeaDERSHIP GROUP
Serving the women of
Alabama is a team effort!
- President: Savannah “Savvy” Burk
- Co-Vice President: Taryn Chase Jackson
- Co-Vice President: Dariana Dervis
- Treasurer: Susana Vizcarra
- Birmingham Pod Chair & Exhibitions Chair: Sam Roberts
- Secretary & Communications Chair: Dori Wimberly
- Membership Chair: Misty Granade
- Events Chair: Brandi Sparks
- Social Media: Alissa Hutchinson
- Webmaster: Carrie Alderfer
President: Savannah “Savvy” Burk
Savvy Pendragon (Burks), a Birmingham-based artist, weaves fiber into captivating narratives that transform negative energy into positive imagery. Her lifelong passion for art, writing, music, and sewing found new purpose in 2015 when she began integrating these elements into her work. As a dedicated storyteller, Savannah has created an ongoing series that explores themes of overcoming depression, anxiety, isolation, and social stigmas. Her art draws inspiration from the natural world, using its elements as powerful symbols, while also incorporating influences from music, dance, literature, mythology, and friendship. With a deep connection to the cosmos, Savannah often gazes at the night sky for reflection and meditation, finding strength in femininity and frequently exploring feminist themes through the depiction of the female form. In addition to her artistic pursuits, Savannah is a devoted mother, art teacher, and entrepreneur. She is passionate about encouraging individualism and helping others cultivate their talents. Believing in the power of human connections and manifestation, Savannah aims to infuse a touch of magic into the community through her work.
Co-Vice President: Taryn Chase Jackson
Taryn Chase Jackson is an artist working in analog collage, mixed media, and assemblage. Taryn’s high school work won a Tri-County Arts Council’s Scholastic Gold Key Award for Art and was published in the newspaper, and her undergraduate degree included a visual art concentration. She earned an MFA in creative nonfiction writing and works as a grant writing consultant for nonprofits. Born and raised in Western New York, she lived in Virginia and North Carolina before moving to Alabama. She and her husband live in a 100-year-old house with their two dogs. She is a member of the Alabama Women’s Caucus for Art and Collage Artists of America.
Co-Vice President: Dariana Dervis
Deeply inspired by nature, Dariana Dervis delights in mining beauty from the ordinary to create the extraordinary. Papers, found objects, ephemera and thread are given new life and meaning as they are incorporated into mixed media collages. A visual dialog and juxtaposition of past and present elements creates a piece greater than the sum of its individual parts.
Dariana believes art has the power to heal both the maker and the viewer. Her artwork explores the ways we are connected to the landscapes in which we live and also to one another.
With a BFA from the University of Montevallo, Dariana currently works as both fine artist and graphic designer in Birmingham, Alabama. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibits across the Southeast including the Wiregrass Museum and the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Dariana believes art has the power to heal both the maker and the viewer. Her artwork explores the ways we are connected to the landscapes in which we live and also to one another.
With a BFA from the University of Montevallo, Dariana currently works as both fine artist and graphic designer in Birmingham, Alabama. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibits across the Southeast including the Wiregrass Museum and the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Treasurer: Susana Vizcarra
Susana Vizcarra is an Uruguayan-American artist based in Madison, Alabama, whose versatile practice spans various mediums, including paper, paper mâché, and textile art. With a keen interest in exploring the depths of human emotion and the natural world, her work delves into themes of soul, grief, relationships, and the intersection between literature and visual art. She is particularly drawn to the tactile nature of textile art and has honed their skills in quilting, sewing, embroidery, organic fabric dying, and fabric manipulation techniques. Her recent focus has primarily been on textile art, where she blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary expression. With fluency in both English and Spanish, proficiency in digital art tools, and a knack for building meaningful connections within the artistic community, she is poised to make a lasting impact in the world of contemporary art.
Birmingham Pod Chair & Exhibitions Chair: Sam Roberts
Sam Roberts is a Birmingham born interdisciplinary artist, educator, and curator. They graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with their Bachelor of Fines Arts in 2024 and currently work as the Youth Program Coordinator at Studio by the Tracks, the assistant gallerist at Canary Gallery, and as an teaching artist with UAB Artplay and through independent partnerships.
Their creative process blends organized chaos with research, helping them explore themes of healing trauma, identity, neurodiversity, processing, and connection. Through a balance of conceptual planning and intuitive practices, Sam delves into layered approaches to art, using their work to process emotions, thoughts, and understand the world around them.
Their creative process blends organized chaos with research, helping them explore themes of healing trauma, identity, neurodiversity, processing, and connection. Through a balance of conceptual planning and intuitive practices, Sam delves into layered approaches to art, using their work to process emotions, thoughts, and understand the world around them.
Secretary & Communications Chair: Dori Wimberly
Dori Wimberly was born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1983. She graduated with a BA in graphic design from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2006 where she also played basketball. Wimberly is an emerging multidisciplinary artist who paints spiritually and builds mixed media pieces from found objects and old collected materials. She also is a photographer. Most of her work is autobiographical and expresses emotion and connection through reoccurring elements. By the end 2025, she hopes to form a nonprofit to serve as a local artist cooperative while also supporting the area's homeless ministries and recovery programs. Wimberly currently resides in her hometown, Hazel Green, Alabama and works from her home studio with artist, Jason C. Lee.
Membership Chair: Misty Granade
Misty Granade is an abstract mixed-media artist from Alabama. Her interests include contemporary mixed media art, art journaling, bookbinding, eco-dying, and crochet. Misty writes about art and process on her blog. Her work has been a part of numerous solo and group shows.
Events Chair: Brandi Sparks
Brandi Sparks is a feminist figurative artist expressing themes and issues facing women in the south (and everywhere else). Born in Alabama, she completed a BFA at Washington University in St. Louis. Working primarily with acrylic paint, she invites conversations about the often painful reality of what it is to be a woman in our society.