If it takes a village to raise a child, it holds true that it takes inspiring, hard-working artists to foster a community of creativity. In this inaugural Whatcom Magazine look at Whatcom County artists who are making a difference, we profile five dedicated spirits who not only work diligently at their crafts, but who also inspire others to soar to excellence.

Teacher, director and actor Teri Grimes is a joy to watch onstage, and she can be proud that some of her students have gone on to work in New York, Chicago and elsewhere around the country.

Visual artist Brian Major has been part of community art shows for years and is not afraid to try his hand at several genres.

Mark Kelly, a reliable mainstay of several Bellingham bands, takes pride sharing his skills with hundreds of young musicians.

Wilson Large has been a stalwart of filmmaking in Whatcom County in a variety of capacities, including as director of the Northwest Projections Festival at Pickford Film Center.

Pam Kuntz is devoted to involving an intergenerational community, both dancers and non-dancers, in her projects, which frequently deliver a visceral interpretation of complex social issues.

Teri Grimes: teacher, actor, director

Where do you live, and what brought you to Whatcom County?

I live in Bellingham, and originally arrived here in 1966 when my dad got a job here. I moved here from Boise, Idaho, where I grew up. I left Bellingham and lived in Denver, Seattle and Helena, Mont. I returned to finish my teaching degree at Western Washington University, then moved to Puyallup, where I taught for four years, and returned - forever - to Bellingham to teach at Sehome High School for 14 years and then at Bellingham High School; 12 years there so far, with two more to go before I retire.

What do you do, artistically speaking?

I teach theater arts at Bellingham High and I direct plays, both as a hobby and as a profession. I also act, although less often than I used to.

What has been your artistic journey?

When I moved to Denver in the 1970s I auditioned for an acting class with Tom McNally at Denver University. Tom is one of the best-known teachers in the country, and was an inspiration and mentor.

I did some acting in Denver, then my husband's job took us to Helena. I was very lucky to find a small, semi-professional theater there that did some amazing work. I left Helena and returned to WWU, obtained an English degree and moved to Tacoma. I worked there as a teacher and acted in shows at Lakewood Playhouse, Tacoma Little Theatre and Carco Theatre.

It was as a teacher that I found my true vocation. I started teaching drama and directed school plays at Kalles Junior High (Puyallup). I found an incredible wealth of talent in kids, and discovered the joy of teaching theater and directing.

I returned to Bellingham to teach drama and direct at Sehome High, and received my master's degree in acting/directing from Western. I became involved at Bellingham Theatre Guild as an actor, director and a member of their board of directors. That is where I met my husband, Alton Grimes, who was the same kind of theater nut as me. He and I collaborated on productions until his passing in 2002.

In 2000 I transferred to Bellingham High, where I've been directing shows and teaching drama ever since.

What are your future projects?

I plan to audition for a show or two this coming season, as I still enjoy acting and like to stay active. I will direct a fall musical at Bellingham High, as well as the rest of the school year's lineup; a comedy, two festivals and a talent show.

Mark Kelly: musical artist

Where do you live, and what brought you to Whatcom County?

I came to Whatcom County to attend Western Washington University as a transfer student from Seattle. Except for a summer back home and a year living in the county, I've been in Bellingham since 1978.

What do you do, artistically speaking?

I do artwork and music. In the former, I do cartooning and illustration, mostly pen and ink, but have also dabbled in airbrush, ceramics and sculpture. In the latter, I teach and perform.

Teaching-wise, I put in 12 years in public schools (Sedro-Woolley, Nooksack, Ferndale) before starting the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band in 1997, and have taught privately (saxophone, flute, clarinet, art) since 1982. I also put in five years coaching and conducting the North Sound Youth Symphony.

Performing-wise, I am currently playing with the Atlantics, Saxquatch, Makedonians, The Holmes-Shea Band and the Saltwater Octet. In past years I have performed with other local groups; Whatcom Wind Ensemble, Whatcom Symphony, Bumblebees, Roadkill, Wind Machine, Stirred Not Shaken, Sonya Lee, SOS, etc.

What has been your artistic journey?

I've learned a lot from my conducting instructor at WWU, Wayne Gorder, on the basics of conducting and all that goes into it. Mel Hansen was a big help in the nuts and bolts of running a kids' group (I worked with him and Bob Storms for 10 years in Ferndale), and I've worked under local band leaders like Ken Colvin, Mark Schlichting and Paul Klein, all of whom had something to offer in the band-leader role.

I have also taken various workshops from musician and art teachers that have influenced me along the way.

What are your future projects?

I will be appearing with the Atlantics on Sept. 7 at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro and on Sept. 8 at The Edison; with the Saltwater Octet on Sept. 1 at the Oak Harbor Jazz Festival and Sept. 9 at the Heart of Anacortes; and with The Holmes-Shea Band on Sept. 15 at Blue Horse Gallery.

I'll also be starting up the 16th annual Bellingham Youth Jazz Band on Sept. 12. The website for the youth jazz band is jazzproject.org.

Wilson Large: indie filmmaker

Where do you live, and what brought you to Whatcom County?

I live in Bellingham and came to Whatcom County in 1983 from Port Townsend. My stepdad started attending Western Washington University, which is why we moved.

What do you do, artistically speaking?

I am known as a filmmaker. Being a filmmaker, especially a local independent filmmaker, is a particularly hard medium to put the talents and skills into a nutshell.

An indie filmmaker wears many different hats all the time. I have been most commonly asked to collaborate with other filmmakers in the camera, electrical or production departments. I consider my greatest strengths to be producing, writing and editing, although I am learning to be a much better director on my current project, "Ronald's Summoning."

For more information about my roles in various films, check out imdb.com/name/nm1914422.

What has been your artistic journey?

My artistic journey started out all over the map, from stuntman to special makeup FX and pyrotechnics to actor. Granted, my journey started when I was about 9. My focus became clearer when I started college. I had a mentor named Bill Lewis for a work-study program at KVOS. He was great and helped to train me to think on my feet and understand the finer points of light and lenses.

I learned the most in my artistic career while owning and operating Current Media Productions, formerly known as Camcord @ Large, from 1999 to 2011. During my three years of directing the NW Projections Film Festival for Pickford Film Center I really learned a tremendous amount about what judges and panelist look at when selecting films. This really helped solidify the idea in my own films to focus everything on story first and everything else second.

What are your future projects?

I am working on a new web series called "Dark Darkness," based off of a serial play written by Ben Eisner. I have been working on adapting the stage play to a screenplay for the last four years and am now working on the first four episodes, which introduce the four main protagonists.

My goal is to have all four introductory episodes finished by October 2012 and secure funding for the first two full seasons by then as well.

Check out darkdarkness.com or facebook.com/DDofDD. I can be reached at wilson@darkdarkness.com or 360-739-1360.

Brian Major: Painter, sculptor

Where do you live, and what brought you to Whatcom County?

I live in Blaine, and have for 25 years with my wife, Diane. We moved here from the East Coast to enjoy a simpler life with less snow-filled winters.

What do you do, artistically speaking?

I'm known for being a progressive artist, and challenging myself in many different directions. Over the years as an artist, my styles and creations have changed greatly.

At one time people recognized my classical recreations. Fast forward ahead a while, my chalk murals earned quite a following. These days I enjoy creating abstract works of art in both painting and sculpture forms. Lately I'm heavily persuaded by composition and shape relationships.

What has been your artistic journey?

I was enrolled in a private art school at the age of 12; that is when I fell in love with creating. When I received my first substantial commission in 1995, it was the start of a rewarding art career.

I have had many commissions, but would like to pay tribute to one in particular: The Bellevue Art Museum has been great for me. During the past 11 years I have been performing chalk murals at its art fair, which has lead to many opportunities in the art world, including several corporate and private commission projects. Private commissions always excite me, as they, at times, really allow me to let my hair down, so to speak.

What are your future projects?

I'm working as a commission artist and have been for many years. My most recent project will be completed in July, titled "The Power of the Drive," an installation that will be displayed in the Great Blue Heron Grill at Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club.

So if a new commission doesn't pop up right away, this will give me time to create my own work, another aspect of my life I love. For more on my art, go to my website, majorarts.com.

Pam Kuntz: Dancer, teacher

Where do you live, and what brought you to Whatcom County?

I moved to Bellingham in 1999 to join the faculty at Western Washington University in the dance program, where I still teach.

What do you do, artistically speaking?

I am a choreographer, dancer and teacher ... not necessarily in that order. As a choreographer I tell the stories of our community by inviting community members to perform with professional artists. This work is collaborative in nature and is quite fulfilling. Topics I have pursued with fellow artists (dancers, composers, visual artists) and community members include motherhood, women and body, aging, the prison system, and death.

As a dancer I am lucky to still be performing with Bellingham Repertory Dance, a company of which I am a founding member. We perform works created by choreographers from all over the country. The dancers I work with in this company are outstanding artists and human beings.

I teach at Western in the dance program and have taught everything from ballet and modern to anatomy and alignment. I am currently teaching in the community in a few locations. One class that is going into year three is a class for people with neurological disorders. Now happening twice a week, this class is held at the YWCA and most of the participants have either Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis.

What has been your artistic journey?

My journey as an artist began with baton lessons in Billings, Mont., at the age of 10. Since that first baton lesson, I tried many dance styles and eventually landed on modern. I studied and performed in Montana, Salt Lake City, New York City, and Boston before moving to Bellingham.

I had many mentors along the way, but Julie Ince Thompson, my first Alexander technique teacher, is the one who comes to mind most often. Along with being a pretty great teacher she was the most awake person I have ever known, and was a beautiful dancer and dynamic performer.

Since living in Bellingham, my teachers have been my students as well as the artists and community members who create work with me. I'd say the most significant career shift happened in 2005 when I was pregnant with my second son. I created "The Mom Project" as a way to learn about how to be a mom.

Having never created a piece with and in the community before, I really didn't know what I was doing. Since then, I've made 12 community pieces and formed a nonprofit dance/theatre company with the mission of doing dance/theatre work with and in the community.

What are your future projects?

I am currently working on two projects that will be performed fall 2012. The first is a piece about Asperger's syndrome and the second a piece about family. Several past Kuntz and Company collaborators are on these journeys with me, including Angela Kiser, Ian Bivins and Vanessa Daines. If you would like to be notified of these or any other Kuntz and Company events, please email me at kuntzpam@gmail.com or visit kuntzandco.org.

Reach MARGARET BIKMAN at margaret.bikman@bellinghamherald.com or 715-2273.