Meet The Hosts
Adventure Artists International was created by artists who believe creativity can be a catalyst for connection, conservation, and meaningful change.
Co-founders Susan Richey and April Howland curate the creative vision behind each journey, help travelers prepare for the experience, and travel alongside the group as artist hosts. They foster connection, share creative perspectives, and help participants engage thoughtfully with the people, places, and stories they encounter.
AAI hosts are not destination tour guides. On-the-ground guiding, transportation, activities, safety briefings, and destination logistics are provided by independent local operators and guides identified for each journey.
Susan Richey
Co-Founder | Photographer | Visual Storyteller | Experiential Travel Advisor
Susan Richey is a photographer, travel advisor, educator, and creative entrepreneur whose work centers on storytelling that builds empathy and awareness for the natural world, wildlife, and the communities connected to it.
With a career spanning decades, Susan has photographed across diverse landscapes and cultures, always with a focus on authenticity, respect, and narrative depth. Her photography experience helps shape the creative focus of each journey — from understanding light and location, to approaching people and environments with care, patience, and intention.
Susan is the founder of Good Focused, a creative studio dedicated to intentional visual storytelling through photography, art, and education. Her background includes extensive work supporting conservation, animal welfare, and community-focused initiatives through donated imagery, fundraising collaborations, and ethical storytelling practices.
Susan is also an Experiential Travel Advisor with LuxRally Travel. When specified for a particular journey, she may assist with accommodations and other travel arrangements through her LuxRally Travel affiliation. These travel-advisor services are separate from the destination services provided by each journey’s local operator.
As an AAI host, Susan brings a calm, grounded presence to each journey. She shares photography insights, encourages artists to slow down and see more deeply, and helps participants think about how their work can be used responsibly after returning home. She travels alongside the group as a fellow artist, creative mentor, and community connector, while local professionals provide destination guiding and operate the scheduled travel experiences.
Susan believes that powerful images don’t come from chasing moments — they come from being present for them.
April Howland
Co-Founder | Fine Artist | Community Builder | Travel Advisor
April Howland is an established travel advisor and fine artist whose career is built on the belief that art can bring people together and create meaningful, lasting impact.
Through her studio practice at Howland Studios, April has created large-scale installations, community-based art projects, and fundraising initiatives that use creativity as a bridge — connecting people, amplifying stories, and supporting causes rooted in compassion and social good. Her work has been widely exhibited and recognized for its ability to blend artistic excellence with community engagement.
April’s passion for impact extends beyond the studio. She has led successful fundraising efforts supporting education and infrastructure projects in underserved communities, including initiatives that helped build kitchens for rural schools in Africa — enabling students to receive daily meals and communities to strengthen their educational foundations.
In addition to her artistic practice, April is a travel advisor with Kensington Tours. Her professional travel experience brings valuable perspective to the preparation and curation of AAI journeys, while her role during each journey is that of artist host, community builder, and fellow traveler. Destination operations and local guiding are provided by the independent local partners identified for each experience.
As a host, April is deeply attuned to the human side of travel. She encourages artists to listen, learn, and engage with humility, while helping them see how their creative voices can contribute positively to the places they visit. Her approach is inclusive, collaborative, and grounded in long-term relationship-building.
April believes that art is most powerful when it is created with people, not just about them.
What It Means to Travel With Us
Susan and April curate the creative purpose of each Adventure Artists International journey. They collaborate with trusted destination partners to identify experiences that reflect AAI’s values, host pre-departure conversations, travel alongside the group, offer creative encouragement, and help build a thoughtful community among participants.
They are your artist hosts—not your destination guides.
The local operator named for each journey is responsible for on-the-ground operations, including local guides, transportation, scheduled activities, destination logistics, and operational safety. Hotels, transportation, activities, and other travel services are supplied by independent travel providers under the booking and cancellation terms disclosed for that journey.
Together, Susan and April bring complementary strengths—photography and fine art, mentorship and community-building, curiosity and connection. Their role is to help you experience the journey more intentionally and return home with meaningful stories, creative inspiration, and a deeper relationship with the places you visited.
About our hosted journeys:
Adventure Artists International provides creative curation, community-building, and artist-hosting services. AAI does not provide destination guide, transportation, lodging, or activity services. Those services are provided by independent travel suppliers and local operators identified in the applicable journey materials. Specific booking, payment, cancellation, responsibility, and supplier information is provided separately for each journey.
Ready to Travel With Us?
Whether you’re a photographer, painter, or creative storyteller, Adventure Artists International offers opportunities to learn, create, and connect in ways that honor both art and place.