USk Board Members
Ronaldo Kurita (BRA)
President
Ronaldo Kurita is a landscape architect based in São Paulo, Brazil. He is also a member of USk Brasil and USk São Paulo, of which he has been one of the administrators for the past 8 years. Kurita has also been volunteering with the USK Organization as a membership team member since the 2014 Symposium in Paraty and on the social media team since 2022.
Mike Daikubara (USA)
Vice President
Mike is an artist, author, designer and educator based in Charlotte, NC. Sketching daily since 2000, he’s passionate about sharing his love for sketching. He has authored 10 Urban Sketching books, including Sketch NOW Think Later, and taught hundreds of students locally and internationally.
Johanna Van Antwerpen (ZAF, USA)
Treasurer
Originally from South Africa, Johanna now calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. She balances her background as a finance professional with a passion for creative outlets. Since discovering Urban Sketchers in 2017, she fully embraced the community, attending local sketch meetups and annual symposiums. This allows her to combine her love for travel, creativity, and community.
Pei Luk Low (NZL)
Events Director
Pei Luk Low is excited to join Urban Sketchers as Events Director. Based in Auckland, she’s been sketching with USk since 2014 and currently helps run USk Auckland. Pei Luk loves meeting fellow sketchers, learning from each other, and bringing people together through well-organised, welcoming events around the world.
Annette Morris (FRA)
Education Director
Annette is a British artist living in southern France. She is the founder of USk Languedoc – a multinational multilingual chapter within the USk family. In addition to exhibiting her work, Annette also runs online sketch classes plus workshops and sketching holidays in France. She is passionate about bringing people together who share a common interest, and believes that in becoming an active member of USk herself she finally ‘found her tribe’.
Maria Regina Tuazon (DEU)
Communications Director
Maria started urban sketching in Singapore where she experienced her first Symposium, which inspired her to volunteer with the Symposium Team thereafter. She draws by hand to slow down, remember more and balance her digital work life. With a demonstrated history with the global creative media industry, she enjoys collaborating with various communities from diverse cultures and walks of life. Her love for the arts, education and meaningful causes keeps her in perfect tune.
Mary Jo Ernst (USA)
Fundraising Director
MJ (Mary Jo) is an artist who lives in Michigan. She has been volunteering for Urban Sketchers since 2016. She served as a USk Chicago administrator, co-founded USk West Michigan, and mentored for two years on the global Membership Team. MJ has conducted sketching workshops in North America and has a significant history of collaborating with sponsors. Her top priority is community building.
Shilpi Gupta (CAN)
Secretary
Shilpi is a cancer immunologist, science communicator, author, and artist passionate about experimenting with diverse mediums. She is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and contributing to Urban Sketchers’ global growth. For Shilpi, sketching is a meaningful way to connect people and nurture joyful, empathetic communities. She is based in Toronto, Canada.