Kena was introduced to quilting more than 20 years ago in Harlem, NYC. At the time, she was a Broadway actress. Today, she lives in Palmdale, CA where she teaches film and TV production to high school students; she also teaches cinema and multi-camera television studio production as an adjunct professor at a local college. 

Early on in her quilting journey, Kena was influenced by many of the Harlem Renaissance artists. Like them, you can see reflections of the African American experience in her work. Her artistic style has become a blend of contemporary, modern improv, and traditional quiltmaking, and portrait art quilts are her favorite. She loves working with Indonesian Batiks, Aftrican Batiks, and African wax print fabrics.

Kena moved from domestic machine quilting to longarm with the Q’nique 19, and she loves it. She teaches in-person and live virtual quilting classes and workshops.

Art Quilting Studio Magazine and Today’s Quilter Magazine have published Kena’s art quilts and African fabric quilts in multiple issues, and her work has also been featured in festivals.

Julie Slesser is an Account Executive at Grace Company. She has over 15 years of client/retail management experience and is committed to keeping her dealers informed. She is willing to do whatever is asked of her and will go the extra mile to make sure your needs are met. She understands that without you, Grace Company would not have been able to grow into what we are today. Julie is always smiling and cracking jokes. She has one of the best personalities. Her dedication towards helping Grace Company grow is evident in everything she does. We are very excited to have her, and she is excited to provide you with all the information needed so that you can have great success. In her time off, Julie spends most of her time with her three adult sons and her husband of 30 years. She enjoys reading while cuddled up with her German Shorthaired Pointer (Captain), crafting, cooking, traveling to exotic places, and camping….er glamping in Utah’s amazing National Parks.