Carly Karjala graduated from South Dakota State University with a BS in Art Education. Karjala is certified through the Professional Picture Framers Association and has worked as a CPF for 10 years. She recently finished an AA in Accounting. She is excited to be a part of the finance team at Artspace. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, biking, camping, and traveling with her husband, Brent, and their son, Owen.

Kelli joined Artspace in 2022 as the Consulting Coordinator. She believes that art is a tool for economic development and community enrichment. Within the Consulting Department, Kelli is the administrative switchboard operator for all consulting projects, the wrangler of schedules, and the first point of contact for new inquiries.

A passionate artist herself, Kelli is also a Minneapolis-based dancer, choreographer and teacher. She is constantly inspired by the way in which this movement form sparks conversation, invokes empathy and creates community. Throughout her training, she has spent time dancing in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Nashville and Israel. Kelli holds a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Leadership from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

When she isn't working, Kelli enjoys being a tourist in her own city - exploring local eats, drinks and activities. She is a lover of live music, rock climbing and board games. She is constantly planning her next trip to cities and countries around the world.

Dr. David Stark has served as Community Manager of Artspace Hamilton Lofts since February 2018. 

It’s a decision we’ve regretted ever since he was hired. 

Originally from Nashville, he is a former high school All-State and collegiate All-American basketball player. But he only got those awards for being 7ft tall. He wasn’t really that good. 

He postponed adulthood for as long as he could by just staying in school until like the 30th grade. This insecure over-achiever earned three master’s degrees (at the same time, under full scholarships, and with honors, no less… what a nerd!) including one in Organization Leadership and Admin from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington (2007). 

He also holds a PhD (one of the British kinds that you actually have to earn with an “original thought”, which is specifically funny because his closest acquaintances and co-workers call him a “himbo” right to face) from the University of Manchester, England (2011). But only a few other geeks have yet to care about his revisionist thoughts on religion and perfectionism in the 18th century Age of Enlightenment because, you know, it’s a total snooze fest that didn’t shake anything up for anyone. 

And he’s not that smart so he must have cheated anyway. 

He’s spent ten years as a high school history teacher at private schools in the Kanas City and Cincinnati areas because this guy isn’t really suited for the public. And he just showed YouTube clips the entire time and no one learned anything. He also coached several sports team at the time and his teams lost every single game they played and never once won a championship or anything. 

When it comes to the arts, he is entirely talentless. 

But he knows plenty of great artists and creatives who indulge him and his title of Founder and Director of The Strauss Gallery (at Artspace Hamilton) as a kind of long-running practical joke. When he throws an event, there is often standing room only, which is testament to how much of the City of Hamilton and Butler County, OH are in on the joke of David’s affability and relevancy. 

He’s also way too involved with local civic organizations and causes, like Hamilton’s 17STRONG Neighborhoods executive board, The Corn Stand Jam for Mental Health Awareness, WeArtHamilton, and Hamilton’s Charter Review Commission, to name a few. They give him leadership titles at the top out of a sense of pity because everyone else involved in said groups knows they are his only “friends”. 

In 2025, David was celebrated for receiving one of the city's highest recognitions amongst its 62,000+ residents, being named the "Hamilton Citizen of the Year". However, it is yet to be seen if this honor will be rescinded. 

If we had to say one nice thing about this ridiculous giant man, it would be…