ZACC Staff & Board

About Sarah:
Zootown Arts Community Center is thrilled to welcome Sarah Justice as its new Executive Director. Sarah comes from her role as Executive Director of Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in Great Falls, Montana, where she led numerous community and education initiatives, including art classes for all ages, contemporary art exhibitions, free public programs, events and fundraisers, and historic building renovations for the past 7 years. Her leadership at The Square was marked by a dedication to inclusive arts programming, aligning with the ZACC’s mission to cultivate community through the arts through accessible art experiences for all. 

In addition to her non-profit leadership experience, Justice is an accomplished artist and educator, whose work has earned her numerous awards. She has deep roots in Missoula and holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Montana.

sarah@zootownarts.org

A second generation born and raised Missoulian, Heather Shibahn Stockton spent most of her youth being encouraged to explore, learn, and create art in the mountains that surround her parents’ home. With continued support from her family and friends, Heather earned a BA in Fine Arts, an MFA in Media Arts with an emphasis in Integrated Digital Media, and a K-12 State of Montana Teaching License through The University of Montana.

heather@zootownarts.org

About Joe:
Joe grew up in Billings, where he started playing music as a teenager. After moving to Seattle, he earned a BA in English/Creative Writing from Seattle University and worked as a backline technician for bands around the pacific northwest. He returned to Montana in 2017 to complete his MFA in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) at the University of Montana. Joe values exploring the texture of our world in any facet, but he can most often be found spurring others to create music, trying to write a sentence down in a different way, or driving excessive distances for an afternoon of good fishing.

Joe's pronouns are:
he/him

Joe's Email:
joe@zootownarts.org

Originally from Brooklyn New York, Daina spent years traveling the US & abroad in celebration of life as art. The rich variety of those experiences informs her approach to participating in & experiencing creative expression. Since 2018, Missoula has set the stage for a new type of adventure; living in one place. Now, the ZACC Show Room is the perfect venue for her to continue exploring & growing with Missoula’s diverse community of artists. She loves playing her part in bringing exciting touring acts to Missoula & supporting the local scene with a platform to express and be heard.

daina@zootownarts.org

Matt's Bio:

Matt Simms is an educator & ceramicist living in Missoula, Montana. He focuses his atmospheric firings on combining the marks of the artist and the passage of fire over the clay to preserve that time and relationship. Matt has taught high school extensively but has been involved in education at all levels. He earned a B.A. In Fine Arts from Lewis and Clark College after growing up in Colorado and Southern California, and he moved to Missoula over 25 years ago as a fishing guide.

Matt's email:

matt@zootownarts.org

About Nikki:
Nikki Rossignol McCoy is an artist, poet, and teacher at the ZACC. She is the in-house illustrator for Hydra House Books and her art has appeared on covers and inside several works of Speculative Fiction. Nikki, her husband Tod, and their daughter Elke reside between stacks of books in Lolo surrounded by a menagerie of furry familiars.

Nikki's pronouns are:
She/Her

About Noah:
Noah Glover is an audio engineer who studied at The Blackbird Academy, graduating in 2020. Since being In Missoula he has involved himself in the music scene as a musician, mix engineer, live sound engineer and whatever ways he can be apart of the noise. As well as running sound at the ZACC he works with Daisy Chain, Missoula’s very own, on-the-ground DIY production group. He enjoys anything that is performed with an authenticity and awareness about itself. Past music he’s an avid lover of visual art history and collaging.

Noah's pronouns are:
He/Him

Jules Lucero was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. Lucero graduated from the University of Montana in 2020 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Painting and Drawing and a Minor in Art History and Criticism. Lucero started at the ZACC as a Printshop Intern in 2020 and began teaching printmaking classes at the ZACC shortly after. She currently works part-time as an Art Associate at the ZACC. Lucero’s deep connection to Montana and her commitment to both her art and her community drive her to encourage artistic expression in others. Lucero is passionate about teaching and enjoys connecting with others through the process of printmaking.

LILY KIP

Lily Kip was raised primarily in Massachusetts and spent seven years in Maine before moving west to Montana (her third M state). Lily comes to the ZACC from a winding career in childcare, food service, hospitality, and varied roles as a pet portraitist, college radio manager, camp counselor, oil painter, and teacher. Lily earned her B.A. in English and Studio Art from Bates College in 2019 and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Montana in 2025. While in graduate school she was a co-founder of the former Lovechild Gallery and a recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant. A lifelong lover of art and people, Lily is thrilled to join Missoula’s downtown arts community at Front Desk and Gallery Manager at the ZACC.

Lily's Pronouns: She/Her

Liv Carmichael graduated from the University of Montana in 2025 with a B.A in Theatre and a Minor in Theatre Education. Approaching over 16 years of theatrical experience, Liv has had the opportunity to act, direct, stage manage, choreograph, and design for productions. Her position as an Art Associate for the ZACC has given her the opportunity to expand on her educational background and highlight art as a way of representing and honoring the community. When she's not at the ZACC, Liv is probably dancing or listening to music with friends. 

Liv's Pronouns:
She/Her

About Sadie:
Born and raised in Montana, Sadie has spent most of her time in Missoula. She is currently a student at the University of Montana where she is a member of the Davidson Honors College, the Frankie Global Leadership Initiative, Artist Collective, and is pursuing a degree in Arts Education. Sadie has been a part of the ZACC throughout high school as a volunteer and a member of the Teen Leadership Program. She joined the team officially through UM work-study in 2022. Outside of academics she enjoys watercolor painting just about anything that can be described as a creature, country swing dancing, and visiting National Parks.

Sadie's pronouns are:
She/Her