Founders
Briar Turner
Briar Turner is a clothing and jewelry designer with experience spanning across streetwear brands, and high-end designers. She is currently designing for an assortment of brands, including Chaps by Ralph Lauren, as well as private label brands sold in major department stores across the United States. She previously designed jewelry for Vera Wang, and has a background in clothing design.
Originally from New Zealand, Briar grew up with a mother who was a painting teacher, and has been surrounded by art since she was born. In her down time, she is often painting or working on other creative projects, such as styling, some of which has been featured in Architectural Digest’s Clever Magazine, and on rapper Ted Park.
She is currently organizing and curating an art event alongside her friend Grace, exploring the relationship between art and faith. This came about through winning the Cultural Renewal Project grant through the Gotham fellowship, of which she was a 2021 graduate.
Her favorite things include being an aunty, sister, daughter, and wife. Drinking a good organic orange wine, hunting for that perfect vintage piece of clothing, and travelling Europe.
Grace Bydalek
Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Grace is a member of the Musical Theatre class of 2018 at the University of Michigan and a proud Wolverine. As a professional actor, she’s been featured in television shows including HBO’s High Maintenance.
Her writing has been featured in the New York Daily News, the Washington Examiner, political campaigns for Nebraska state legislature and the UNL Board of Regents, Inspired Living Magazine, the Omaha World Herald, the Shapiro Undergraduate Anthology, etc.
She is a 2021 graduate of the Gotham Fellowship, a yearlong theological fellowship examining faith, culture and work. Grace and Briar are the winners of the 2021 Cultural Renewal Project grant.
She is a proud Young Voices Contributor, in the class of 2022.
My favorite roles have been sister to Jack and daughter to Mike and Jill, and partner to Aaron.
Board of Advisors
Shannon Fitzsimons Moen
Shannon Fitzsimons Moen is the Associate Director of a2ru (Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities), a organization that advocates for arts-based and arts-integrative research and learning in higher education. Prior to joining a2ru, Shannon served as the inaugural University Programs Manager at UMS (University Musical Society), the performing arts presenter at the University of Michigan, where she designed and managed UMS’s industry-leading portfolio of university-based arts-academic integration programs. Shannon has also worked as a dramaturg, audience educator and theatre writer for companies across the U.S. Educated at Hamilton College and Northwestern University, Shannon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University. She lives in Ann Arbor, MI with her husband Zak, their son Jasper, and their golden-doodle John Denver.
Christina Maxwell
Christina Maxwell currently works for Related Companies as the Executive Director of High Line Nine Galleries, New York City’s leading experiential gallery, and as a leader on Art & Culture Special Projects throughout the Related portfolio. Experienced in many facets of the arts sector, Maxwell is a published writer, singer, actress and public speaker. Most recently, Maxwell performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians on EDGE for the 4th of July. Maxwell also previously served as a Pediatric Oncology Arts Therapist for the New York City nonprofit, RipRap, providing one-on-one music and art sessions to children battling cancer. During her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, Maxwell was awarded the prestigious UMS 21st Century Artist internship and Actors Equity Association Award, and founded Music at Mott, an outreach program bringing hope to patients at Mott Children’s Hospital.
Melissa Mudry
Melissa Mudry considers it an honor to serve alongside such magnificent talent among this advisory board and the founders of It is Good.
Her humble beginnings in Texas planning and creating exhibitions for non-profit art exhibition spaces Houston Center for Photography and McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, eventually brought her to New York, partnering in the opening of Sunday Gallery, LES in the early aughts. Now over a decade as Circulation and Administrative Director at the world’s leading contemporary art magazine, Artforum International, and through the true privilege of knowing numerous hard-working New York artists, she has been granted an intimate understanding of and unique experience in the art world.
Claire Munn
Claire Munn has a Master’s degree in Fine and Decorative Arts from Christie’s (London) and a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of York. She is passionate about connecting people with art and has given art history talks and academic lectures in various places, including The National Gallery (London) and the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford). Originally from New Orleans, Claire is currently based in New York, where she works in the luxury travel industry. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.