Staff

Jordyn Elsner
Managing Director
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She graduated from Lake Michigan College with a degree in Graphic Design in May of 2021 and started at the gallery the following Monday as a shipping and packing associate. In October of that same year, Jordyn stepped into the Operations Coordinator position. She works on processing orders, sending and receiving funds, maintaining the books, and co-managing Schaller Gallery’s social media platforms. As of January 2024, she has stepped into the Managing Director position.

She grew up in Southwest Michigan, and still goes to the beach as often as possible in the summertime. Outside of the gallery, she operates her own small craft business and frequently participates in regional artisan markets. She loves spending time outside, playing video games, reading, and snuggling with her cat, Moose.

Emma Tavolacci
Social Media Coordinator
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She grew up in Southwest Michigan surrounded by farming and family, but always yearned for outlets to be a more creative individual in life. She enjoys taking photos of her friends and the nature that surrounds us. Fun fact about Emma; she recently worked on the feature film “Bad Haircut (2023)” filmed on the very street that our gallery is located on. Talk about a full circle moment!

Emma achieved her Bachelors in Arts at Western Michigan University, with a focus in film video and media studies and nonprofit leadership. Go Broncos!

Emma’s favorite things to do are go to the movies, spend time with family, meet new people and attend concerts & conventions.

Lauren Kemp
Visual Coordinator
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Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, Lauren developed a lifelong appreciation for animals and the natural world. Her background in working with horses continues to inform her artistic perspective and attention to detail.

Alongside her work in the gallery, Lauren owns and operates her own photography business, specializing in animals and portraiture. Her work has increasingly focused on equine and animal photography, where she combines a thoughtful, artistic approach with a deep understanding of her subjects.

She now travels nationwide for photoshoots, creating images that highlight the connection, movement, and individuality of both animals and people.

Kristen Witzel
Non-Profit Director
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A Southwest Michigan native, Kristen spent her early adulthood pursuing degrees in anthropology, art, sustainable international development, and sociology at schools across California, England, Massachusetts, and Michigan. Her professional work initially focused on international development, including time with a legal-aid NGO in the Philippines studying the effects of ecotourism on the livelihoods and property rights of sugarcane farmers. She also spent several years working on development, literacy, and educational initiatives for at-risk Honduran youth.

Kristen began working in higher education in 2010, teaching courses in international development, anthropology, research methods, criminology, and sociology at Andrews University and Western Michigan University, as well as several summers teaching Middle East studies and ethnography at an archaeological field school in Jordan. 

Kristen has been a longtime friend of Schaller Gallery and began collaborating with Anthony in 2025 on plans to expand the scope of its educational and community programming through its non-profit entity, Craft Effect. She is looking forward to the completion of their new building in Bridgman, Michigan, which will include space for exhibitions, events, classes, and visiting artists.

Kristen spends much of her free time with her husband, Owen, in servitude to their two magnificent Maine Coons and two exceptionally hairy dogs. When she is not collecting stray fur, she enjoys gardening, foraging, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks.

Anthony Schaller
Director
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Anthony has worked as a studio artist, professor, curator and gallery director. As of the beginning of 2024, he has taken a step back from being involved in everything at the gallery to work in the studio and spend a little time living life.

He's also working on the plans for our new gallery building and studio. Our new location will be about two miles to the west on Red Arrow Highway, just north of Bridgman, Michigan. Red Arrow Highway is the main North-South corridor along Lake Michigan and is dotted with charming towns, great sandy beaches, independent breweries, and interesting restaurants.