Maria Schaedler-Luera & Will Luera
Co-Founders and Owners of Atomica Arts
As co-founders of Atomica Arts, Maria and Will lead with a shared mission to bridge the gap between knowledge and lived experience—empowering individuals through arts integration, mindfulness, and cross-cultural exploration. Atomica serves as their core creative platform, offering innovative workshops, bilingual programming, and arts-and-health initiatives that inspire self-awareness, transformation, and community connection.
Read their full bios below.
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Maria is a Brazilian-born educator, artist, consultant, and speaker whose work spans theater, music, arts and literacy, mindfulness, and cross-cultural engagement. As the co-founder of Atomica Arts, Maria collaborates with leading arts organizations, including the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, Focus 5 Inc., and the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, where she serves as Programs Officer and Patriot Plaza Coordinator.
Through Atomica Arts, Maria designs and implements arts integration programs, culturally responsive teaching models, bilingual initiatives, and wellness workshops for schools, nonprofits, and community organizations. She consults with Focus 5 Inc., a national leader in arts integration, and serves as a Drama and Mindfulness Teaching Artist at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation. Maria is also part of the Engagement Team for The Patterson Foundation, supporting initiatives that promote literacy and community resilience.
Maria’s work is deeply influenced by her studies with theater director Augusto Boal. She has taught Theatre of the Oppressed techniques for the American Repertory Theater, Harvard Extension School, Lesley University, and numerous nonprofits across Boston, MA, and Sarasota, FL.
Her past roles include working at the Harvard Art Museums, where she developed and taught gallery-based classes for immigrant communities in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, and leading community programs and public art initiatives at the Community Art Center in Cambridge, MA. Maria also served as Manager for Arts Integration for Any Given Child Sarasota at Sarasota County Schools, advocating for equitable access to arts education.
A passionate advocate for holistic learning and wellness, Maria is a certified Pre-Texts facilitator, trained through Harvard University’s Cultural Agents Initiative. She is also a Chopra Center Certified Primordial Sound Meditation teacher, Reiki Master, and Ayurvedic Health Counselor, integrating arts, mindfulness, and well-being into her practice.
Maria is a frequent speaker at conferences and summits, with recent engagements including the Global Applied Improvisation Network Conference (keynote), the National Arts Integration Conference in Denver, the Arts and Cultural Alliance Arts Summit at the Sarasota Opera House, the 10×10 Series, the Mental Health Summit presented by Sunshine from Darkness, and The Wonder Symposium at The Ringling Museum.
Her leadership extends into civic life as well: in 2025 she was nominated to serve in the Artist Seat on the City of Sarasota Public Art Committee. She is also a graduate of the 2023 Leadership Sarasota program and the 2025 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute, further deepening her role as a cultural leader and community connector.
Maria’s contributions to arts integration and education have been recognized with several awards, including the 2019 Arts Leadership Award in Arts Education from the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County as part of the Any Given Child Team, and the 2022 Appleton Arts Integration Award from the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation for her outstanding work in serving the needs of the community in arts and mental well-being.
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Will is a globally recognized improviser, educator, and community leader with over two decades of experience in theater, arts education, and nonprofit leadership. He is the co-founder of Atomica Arts, a creative arts organization dedicated to unlocking human potential through arts integration, mindfulness, and cross-cultural exploration.
Will is the former Director of Improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre and currently serves as the Director of Big Bang Improv and Artistic Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston.
He is the co-creator of Healing Moments for Alzheimer’s, a nonprofit organization providing education, advocacy, and ministry for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. His dedication to community well-being extends to his work as a conflict mediator, specializing in EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) issues in the workplace, where he facilitates workshops and leads transformative dialogues across various industries.
Will also served as the Simulation Coordinator for Real Academy, specializing in immersive simulation training for human helpers, integrating improvisation techniques into impactful professional development programs.
In addition to his professional roles, Will actively contributes to the Sarasota community. He sat on the boards of CreArte Latino, a Latino-centric cultural and arts community center, and Miss Sarasota Softball, which empowers young women through educational-athletic initiatives. Will’s leadership extends to regional and national programs—he was part of the 2022 cohorts of Leadership Sarasota and Art Equity and a participant in the 2023 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute.
An internationally touring improv comedy actor, instructor, and director, Will performs and teaches across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, working with theaters, festivals, and educational institutions to promote the transformative power of improvisation.
Will’s work reflects his deep commitment to fostering creative expression, leadership, and community connection through the arts. His collaborative approach bridges the worlds of theater, education, and social impact, ensuring that his work resonates both on stage and beyond.
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