Artists For Humanity Co-Founders
Susan Rodgerson, Executive/Artistic Director – Susan is responsible for artistic direction; program development; administration; and fundraising. Blending her experience as an artist, educator, entrepreneur, and administrator, she has led Artists For Humanity since its founding 18 years ago. She studied fine art and art history at Art Institute of Boston and Radcliffe College. In 2008, Ms. Rodgerson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service by Tufts University for her exemplary work as an artist, activist, entrepreneur, environmentalist, teacher, and mentor.
Damon Butler, Assistant Artistic Director – Damon rejoined AFH as Assistant Artistic Director in 2008 after a three-year absence, during which he co-founded and directed the youth program NYC LAB through Sweat Equity Enterprises. Throughout his tenure at AFH, Butler helped develop and refine Artists For Humanity’s arts and enterprise model. As a member of the US/UK Exploratory Partnership, he contributed to building a field for youth development and has been a featured speaker at several national conferences. Butler studied painting, illustration and graphic design at the Art Institute of Boston.
Rob Gibbs, Studio Director – Rob applies his experiences as an academic scholarship winner, Americorps Fellow and Prudential Youth Leadership Fellow to overseeing the fine art/exhibitions studios, leading the painting instruction, and serving as community liaison for large scale outdoor public art. He has been an active participant in building a field for youth development, and conducts youth/adult relationship training at conferences such as Girls, Inc. and YouthBuild USA and Young Peoples Conference, Odyssey Belfast.
Jason Talbot, Special Projects Director – Jason leads the video instruction, serves as a liaison between studios and manages special projects. In this capacity, he brings technical skills honed at the Art Institute of Boston with broad work experience gleaned as a sales representative for MCIWorldcom and a graphic designer for Turner Broadcasting and Going Interactive. Jason has just been selected for the prestigious Emerging Leaders Program’s 2009 Cohort run by University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Artists For Humanity EpiCenter Events
Alexis Naylor, Events Manager – Alexis manages the rental of the EpiCenter for individual clients and coordinates AFH’s special events, including the annual fundraiser The Greatest Party on Earth. She attended New York University where she received a degree in Communication with a concentration in Graphic Design. In 2011 she joined AFH with a background in Merchandising and Marketing.
Kristina Grinovich, Events and Communications Associate - After volunteering at AFH, Ms. Grinovich was hired in June 2011 to assist in coordinating events and managing special writing projects and social media outreach programs. After graduating from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Writing for Performance, Publication, and Media, Kristina worked for SPIN Magazine before moving back to Boston to pursue a career in the arts. Her writing has been published in the Inman Review and she is the co-founder of Debutant, an arts and literary magazine based out of Somerville.
Marketing, Outreach and Public Relations
Debbie First, Marketing and Communications Consultant – First has spent over 30 years in strategic marketing and communications. Before starting her own firm, she was with Fleishman Hillard/Boston, and before that held executive positions at Kortenhaus Communications, the Mass Cultural Council and The Mass Office of Travel and Tourism. First serves on non profit Boards of arts, health and educational organizations. She has a BA in English from Wheaton College and a Masters in Education from Boston College.
Rich Frank, Marketing Director – Rich has recently joined forces with AFH to help extend its mission and creative output to an international stage. In this endeavor, Frank combines his years of experience in sales and product development with his passion for social enterprise as a vehicle for youth development and collaboration.
George Mallett, Community Network Director – George brings extensive business experience as a general manager and operations manager for smaller manufacturing companies, focusing on industry growth, to his role as Community Network Director. He received his Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Santa Cruz. George joined AFH in 2007.
Educational and Artistic Mentors
Lesley Horrall, Education Director- Ms. Horrall began at AFH in February 2011 and is responsible for the educational programs at AFH, ensuring that participants reach their full potential at school and in post-secondary opportunities. She is also on the development team, researching government and education-related funding sources. After studying theater at New York University, Lesley received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University, with a focus on youth arts education. In 2010, she completed her Masters in Education from Harvard. Lesley has worked extensively in youth arts programming in after school settings as a program developer and coordinator, teacher, and grant writer.
Sneha Shrestha, Painting Mentor and Education Coordinator – Ms. Shrestha recently graduated from Gettysburg College with a double Bachelor of Art in Studio Art and Globalization Studies. Throughout her education, Ms. Shrestha received numerous awards for her work as an author, photographer, painter and illustrator. In 2009, she received a $10,000 grant from the Kathryn Davis Foundation Projects for Peace to establish a children’s library in Kathmandu, Nepal, and write, illustrate and photograph two bilingual children’s books. She has additionally been awarded a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to conduct research on Poverty, Gender and International Conservation Organization in Nepal. At AFH, Ms. Shrestha will contribute her skills to daily mentorship and program development in the painting studio, as well as the ongoing development of educational initiatives for our teen apprentices.
Maggi Brown, Painting Mentor – Maggi, who has led one of the Painting Studios since 2004, is a celebrated local artist. She has exhibited widely throughout the eastern seaboard and her many awards include the 1986 and 1993 Pollock-Krasner Fellowships; and a Fellowship from Radcliffe College’s Bunting Institute. Maggi holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tufts University and a Graduate Certificate from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She also studied under artists Lajos Matolsey and Vivian Milner Akers.
Laura Keane, Painting Mentor - Born under a military dictatorship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ms. Keane spent much of her early life traveling around South America, studying the art of the indigenous communities, and painting murals to earn a living. Since relocating in Boston, she has dedicated her time to sharing her art through mural projects with Boston youth, setting up projects in local high schools and at the Children’s Hospital. She continues to honor the indigenous communities she created with over the years by aligning her creative efforts with the fundraising and educational initiatives of the Rainforest Defense Fund and Land is Life, a coalition of indigenous peoples from around the world.
Ryan Conley, Web Content Manager/ Web Design Mentor – An AFH alumnus, Mr. Conley has been a mentor in the Painting Studio for ten years. He recently began leading a studio on interactive media and web design, in conjunction with Photography , that features instruction on the most current software applications available. Conley graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art.
Claudia De Piante Vicin, Graphics/Projects Director – Claudia co-leads the Graphic Design Studio and contributes to organizational design projects. A graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with extensive graphic design experience, she speaks four languages, including Spanish, French and Italian. Claudia joined AFH in 2001.
Tom Donovan, Screenprinting/Special Projects Coordinator – A long-time collaborator during his previous position as a screenprinting and marketing professional at the Needham-based ChillyBear, Tom joined AFH in September 2006 to help innovate our Screenprinting Studio and marketing systems. He graduated from Emerson College in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising/Public Relations and has 20 years experience in the screen printing industry.
Michael Guadarrama, Graphic Design Assistant – Mike is an AFH alumnus who worked in New York City for a couple of years at a commercial design firm before returning to AFH to share his experience as a graphic and motion graphic artist. Motion graphics are an integral part of video and graphic design today and allow designers to draw a movie, add animation to live footage, or design images and set them into motion. By enlisting advanced graphic design apprentices in this process, he will teach teens critical skills in innovation, driven by a market that is consistently seeking a new aesthetic.
Haidan Hodgson, Photography/Projects Coordinator – A graduate of Boston’s University’s photojournalism program, Haidan coordinates AFH’s photography studio, including our ongoing collaboration with the Boston Globe’s Teens in Print publication. Hodgson joined AFH in 2002.
Joe Ramirez, Graphics/Special Projects Coordinator – Joe co-leads the Graphic Design Studio and contributes to organizational design projects. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art, and a long-time collaborator with AFH’s Screenprinter Artist Tom Donavon. Ramirez joined AFH in 2007.
Nick Farnham, Sculpture/Projects Coordinator – Mr. Farnham is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art with a degree in sculpture. He joined AFH in 2010, after spending a summer working with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, supervising young adults in building sustainable trail structures at 14,000 ft in Bunea Vista, CO. He additionally brings skills as a metal fabricator and wood worker, which he shares with his group of young apprentices in the sculpture and industrial design studio.
Genaro Ortega, Graphics Mentor- An experienced youth worker and graphic artist, Mr. Ortega recently joined AFH as a Graphic Design Mentor. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art.
Szu-Chieh Yun, Painting Mentor/Saturday Blast! Mentor- An AFH Alumnus and recent graduate of Massachusetts College of Art, Ms. Yun has developed outstanding mentoring and artistic skills through her advancement at AFH. After serving as Assistant Mentor in Saturday Blast! and the Summer Arts Micro-enterprise for several years, Yun was promoted to Lead Mentor for AFH’s Saturday Blast! program. In this capacity, she oversees our arts exploration program for middle school youth and supervises between two and four assistant mentors. In September, Yun will lead a new in-school partnership with the Oliver H. Perry K-8 School in South Boston.
Stephen Hamilton, Painting Mentor- Mr. Hamilton is a recent graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a degree in Illustration. In addition to being a talented illustrator, Mr. Hamilton is very interested in design, concept art and traditional fine arts.
Assistant Mentors
Andy Vicente Barbosa, Painting Assistant Mentor
Mary Nguyen, Photography Assistant Mentor
Development and Administration
Kathrene Tiffany, Director of Major Gifts and Donor Engagement – Kathrene is responsible for individual giving and donor stewardship. She joined AFH after several years of volunteering on AFH’s Greatest Party on Earth Host Committee. She is a community activist and has worked with organizations including Tenacity, The Community Boating Center of New Bedford and is a founding member of Take it to the Max, an annual benefit supporting the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum. Kathrene studied arts and economics at Bates College.
Andrew Motta, Operations Director – Manager of the organization’s day-to-day and fiscal operations, Drew has his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Education from UMass Amherst. Drew also oversees “Spiritus Solaris,” including conducting tours, and overseeing program outreach and marketing. Andrew has been with AFH since 1995.
Danielle Thompson, Associate Development Director – Danielle works closely with the Development Director on all resource development activities. An accomplished print-maker, she received a Bachelor of Science in Studio Arts from Skidmore College and a Master of Art in Fine Arts from Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Italy. She has also exhibited her work internationally. Thompson joined AFH in 2007.
Courtney Wheeler, Development Associate – Ms. Wheeler joined AFH in 2010 after graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Studio Arts. She volunteered as a general assistant for four months before joining the permanent staff, and now works closely within Development and Individual Giving at AFH. Ms. Wheeler continues her own creative pursuits outside of AFH, as an active painter.
Kafilat Lawal, Staff Accountant- Ms. Lawal joined AFH in April 2011. She balances AFH’s accounts receivable and payable, and assists the Operations Director with payroll and other fiscal functions of the organization. She graduated from Boston University in 2009 with a degree in Economics, and a minor concentration in Business Administration. Ms. Lawal volunteers in her community as mentor for high school girls in Providence, RI through the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. She is also a member of Rhode Island Young Professionals, which is a local chapter of the National Urban League.
Shisha King, Office Assistant/Youth Liason - Ms. King joined AFH as a youth apprentice at age 15, working in our painting and photography studios. She joined AFH’s office staff in 2009 after graduating from Charlestown High School. King has taken on progressively more responsibility and is now responsible for leading student tours, helping prospective participants through the application process, managing youth employee files and general office management. Shisha is a student of Arabic and travelled to Egypt on scholarship to study for one month this January. She is currently saving money to enter a certificate program to become an English teacher abroad.
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