Alivia Biko
Alivia Bright-Maple Biko was born in McHenry, Illinois. She grew up on a beef farm and spent countless hours hiking the fields and playing in the streams around her home. She began writing songs and poems at a young age, and was given a guitar at about age 8. She was self-taught at guitar until her undergraduate studies at Marylhurst University in Lake Oswego, Oregon. She also studied voice, piano, and visual art at Marylhurst. Her B.A. is in Interdisciplinary Studies (Art, Music, Religion). Alivia is a certified Spiritual Director and is accepting directees both locally and via Internet. Alivia is a Friend (Quaker) by convincement. She is a member of, and current presiding clerk of Freedom Friends Church in Salem, Oregon.
Alivia is a visual artist, mostly doing watercolor, acrylic painting and various methods of sculpture. She was a potter in her teens and twenties and is hoping to get back to it some day soon. She won various art awards at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake, Illinois and won an Artistic Merit Award at the Women’s Works show in 1991. Her portfolio is available for viewing for those considering consignments.
Alivia is a singer/songwriter/musician with 2 CD’s out (available here). She has worked with Producers Kevin Behr and Peggy Parsons. She has done performances with Virgil Voth of Silverton, Oregon who plays cello and guitar. She has co-authored some songs and performed with Debbie Dingman of Newberg, Oregon. Alivia is very involved in church music, as well as music for important life events—weddings, funerals, and also singing for individuals who are in hospice care. As a Quaker she doesn’t get many requests for liturgical music, but liturgy is still a love of hers (former Lutheran).
Alivia is a certified spiritual director. She began her training at Marylhurst University and completed it at Mt. Angel’s Shalom Center. She has a passion for using art and music in spiritual direction. She is sensitive to the movement of the Spirit through the arts, music and deep and lively silence.
Alivia is also a teacher and writer. She has written a book of poetry—“Work Fruit”. She has taught various classes in art and poetry for McHenry County College, McHenry County Family Services, various art organizations and churches. She especially enjoys leading workshops and retreats in the creative process and breaking creative blocks. She loves to teach adults who want to re-connect with the wild creator inside them that has been ignored or squashed for many years. She also loves to teach children and encourage the artist in them before it is trained out of them. Individual and group art lessons are also available.