Michal Alpern
Michal Alpern is a New York based artist with an MFA from Columbia University and a BFA from Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem. Alpern’s practice shifts between making serieses of objects to room sized sculptures, reconciling spatial thoughts like gesture and materiality with abstractions like gender and domesticity. Her works were featured in museums and institutions in NY and Israel, including solo shows at M23 Gallery, NY, The Museum of Israeli Art, Israel and group shows at False Flag, NY and the LeRoy Neiman Center, NY.
Alon Andorn
Alon Andorn is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses drawing, collage, sculpture & video installation. He holds a Master's degree in Fine Arts and a Bachelor's in Visual Communication, both from the Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design, Israel. Prior to immigrating to the U.S. Andorn has taught art & design in various higher education establishments for over a decade, and in the past years has also worked with kids and teens, teaching Hebrew as well as art.
Marcelo Arroyave
Marcelo Arroyave is a sociologist and urban anthropologist who has conducted quantitative and qualitative research in Colombia and the US. Since moving to NYC in 2014, he has worked in various urban settings as an after-school teacher, consecutive translator, marketing researcher, and community outreach specialist. Marcelo is also a creator, editor, and producer of fanzines and magazines. He was the founder and publisher of the MusaEnferma fanzine in Cali, Colombia (five editions). He also created Sursystem Magazine, which has eight editions so far. He published the magazine in Cali (3 editions), Bogotá (2 editions), Barcelona (2 editions in Catalan and Spanish), and NYC (1 edition in English and Spanish). The latest edition is The Sound Map of Salsa Music in NYC. Marcelo enjoys dancing to Salsa music and giving lectures whenever possible.
Hugh Ash
Hugh Ash has taken his trumpet around the globe, performing everything from new music to standard classical repertoire, jazz, rock, and commercial music. Based in Brooklyn, Hugh is an active free-lancer and educator as well as a Teaching Assistant at Rutgers University and a faculty member at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. In addition to solo performances he currently plays with Ensemble Mise-En, The Curiosity Cabinet, and spent the majority of 2019 subbing on the Off-Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. A lover of contemporary classical music, Hugh actively champions work by living composers. He has performed premieres by Philippe Manoury, Larry Sitsky, David Maslanka, Viet Cuong, Angelica Negron, Whitney George, Nicolas Nelson, Amir Shpilman, Jay Vilnai, and Harry Stafylakis. He has performed at the New Music Gathering, the Hartford Women’s Composers Festival, MoMA’s PopRally series, and as part of the Art in Odd Places Festival.
*Hugh Ash will be playing trumpet morning and midday on September 17th.
Alain Barriere Kamga Noubissi
Alain Kamga Noubissi is a mechanical engineer with more than 10 years of experience maintaining industrial machines and overseeing manufacturing facilities. He has hands-on experience in metal fabrication and designs projects for industrial use. He is a seasoned design instructor and teaches fluency in the language of technical drawing.
Nadia Bongo
Nadia Bongo is a poet and French language and literature teacher. With a Ph.D. in French Language and Literature from Aix Marseille Université, she taught French Language, Literature, and Research for the French Academy for six years. In 2021, Nadia was a Brooklyn Poets fellow and Poet of the Week. Her work has appeared in the NYPL zine, Newtown Literary, Litro magazine online, African Voices, TAOS journal of poetry, Apex Magazine, and elsewhere.
Chia-Lun Chang
Chia-Lun Chang is the author of Prescribee (2022), winner of the Nightboat Poetry Prize, named among the “Best Poetry of the Last Year” by Ms. Magazine, and honored as a Poets & Writers debut poet and two chapbooks; An Alien Well-Tamed and One Day We Become Whites. Recent work appears in Academy of American Poets, Granta, Bomb, Columbia Journal and Brooklyn Rail. She has received support from the Jerome Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, which awarded her the 2022 Sarah Verdone Writing Award. Born and raised in New Taipei City, Taiwan, she lives in Brooklyn. Learn more at Chialunchang.com.
Dara Hankins
Dara Hankins is a bold, innovative artist with a social conscience. She believes in promoting equity through music and is an advocate for social justice. She has performed nationally and internationally with renowned artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Bell, Kirk Whalum, Big Chief Donald Harrison, Lalah Hathaway and many others. Dara is active as an orchestral musician, soloist, chamber musician, and teaching artist. She welcomes collaboration with artists from diverse disciplines.
Ms. Hankins earned her Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. She went on to earn her Master of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City.
Liuba Kostanda
Liuba Kostanda is a guide in Subconscious Empowerment, an Emotional Intelligence mentor, a Meditation and Breathwork Trainer, a Memory Regression Therapist, and an Energy Healer. With a strong commitment to understanding and balancing the subconscious mind and the subtle energy systems that shape our bodies, minds, and surroundings, Liuba's expertise fosters personal growth and overall well-being.
Liuba began her journey in this field over three years ago, during which she has not only advanced professionally but also undergone a transformative personal journey, absorbing wisdom from highly respected mentors across the globe. Her mastery spans various cultures, enriched by a decade of living in countries such as Ukraine, China, Mexico, Bangladesh, and the USA.
Liuba's diverse scientific educational background includes 2 Master's degrees in Applied Physics and Chinese language & culture, which bring a multifaceted perspective to her holistic approach. Using her unique combination of innate gifts, knowledge, and life experiences allows her to serve individuals who truly desire meaningful transformation.
Jiaoyang Li
Jiaoyang Li is a poet and interdisciplinary artist based in New York City. Jiaoyang co-founded the Accent Sisters Speakeasy Bookstore Gallery (Instagram: @accentsisters) and Accent Society, an online creative writing education platform that promotes writing across languages and mediums. Her work has been showcased/performed at New York Live Arts Center, Here Art Center, New Ohio Theatre, Chashama Gallery, Mana Contemporary, the Immigration Artist Biennial, Performa Biennial, Whitman’s Birthplace Museum, Life Magazine, Gulf Coast, LA Review of Books, and elsewhere. Jiaoyang has received grants and support from PEN America, New York Foundation for the Arts, British Council, Foundation for the Contemporary Arts, among others. Jiaoyang is interested in intersecting poetry with fashion, audiovisual installations, and performance art.
Matteo Liberatore
Matteo Liberatore is an artist and composer working in experimental music and video art. Now based in Brooklyn, Liberatore spent much of his life in the medieval region of Abruzzo, Italy, amidst dramatic landscapes that are reflected through a performance and composition style of “unsettling beauty” and “striking physicality” (The New York City Jazz Record).
Matteo is currently focused on a solo audio/visual project called Molto Ohm, which is a sonic exploration of the interplay between digital life and social decay on an emotional level; ongoing collaborations include a duo with Amirtha Kidambi (vocals) creating “interdimensional” (The Quietus) improvised aural landscapes that are at once spacious and unrestrained, as heard on their debut album Neutral Love (Astral Spirits); a duo with Brian Chase, playing in the art-rock band Gold Dime, and a trio with Donald McKenzkie and Mark Kelley. He is also an active member of New York’s improv scene, having released albums with Ava Mendoza, Joanna Mattrey, gabby fluke-mogul, Elliott Sharp, Weasel Walter and Catherine Sikora.
During his formative years, Liberatore studied classical guitar under Maestro Marco Salcito at Conservatorio di Foggia, philosophy at the University of L’Aquila, and obtained his M.M. in Jazz Performance at NYU.
Alisa Minyukova
Alisa Minyukova is a Russian born artist, researcher and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. She is co-creator of the Dream Mapping Project which works to bridge dream science with the creative process resulting in an ongoing series of collaborative art, film and performance works. Her drawings, film and mixed media installations explore Slavic and Jewish mythology, symbols of the collective unconscious and that which is caste out of awareness. Her research covers the topics of memories, dreams, emigration, heritage and the loss thereof and the exploration of the human condition by way of ancestral memory. Her current creative focus is on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the collective memory of war.
Dr. Chok Tenzin Monlam
Dr. Chok Tenzin Monlam has dedicated his career to the continuance of Tibetan Buddhist culture and language in modern society. Ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he studied and practiced as a Tibetan monk for ten years. Having advanced his studies through institutions for two decades, Dr. Chok has obtained multiple degrees in Buddhist and Tibetan studies, including his PhD from the University of Delhi. He has studied and trained for decades in Buddhist studies, Tibetan yoga, healing, and meditation under the direction of many renowned Tibetan teachers of the major and minor Tibetan Buddhist traditions. An author, translator, and language instructor, Dr. Chok served as the Head of the Research and Translation Department at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala for thirteen years before relocating to the United States in 2019. Dr. Chok has taught prolifically in India, the United States, and over a dozen other countries, offering diverse and inclusive teaching series on meditation, Tibetan yoga, healing, Buddhist philosophy, and Tibetan language.
Elizabeth Moylan
Elizabeth Moylan is an artist and writer based in Brooklyn. She recently relocated from Chicago, where she was an instructor of painting, print media, and fiber and material studies. She is currently working on a body of writing inspired by the vivid nightlife of her new home. She has years of experience studying and translating classical Latin and Greek poetry. She considers that early immersion in poetic study as foundational to her artistic practice today. She holds a BA in Gender Studies from the University of Chicago, where she also studied Russian Language and Literature, and an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Haoyan of America
Haoyan of America seeks to honor the mind of self through invisible landscapes of meaning. With over 175,000 hours of film, digital media & visual arts experience, Haoyan's multidisciplinary art practice has been encoded in print, documentaries, music videos and on web servers across the world. More info at: https://haoyanofamerica.com
Eugene Opoku-Mensah
Eugene is an Assistant Professor at Middlesex’s College Department of Computer Science. To his credit, he has taught diverse of students in Ghana Information Technology. He then continued in China, where he worked for 6 years before moving to the United States. Dr. Opoku-Mensah uses an interactive approach with practical illustrations that attracts students’ interest to grasp the concepts being taught. His interest is Data Science and Information Security.
Adrian is Hungry
Adrian Patino aka. Adrian is Hungry has been collecting and sharing vintage afro-rooted music for the past 6 years in New York City. He specializes in ropical sounds from Colombia, New York, the Antilles, Venezuela, Peru, Africa, and more with an emphasis on danceable tunes that hit a nostalgia chord that bring you back to dancing at a family party.
A traveler and cultural anthropologist at heart, he’s been exploring and rediscovering his cultural identity through music research and curation, creating spaces in his community to bring these sounds into the NYC nightlife.
Dr. Dawa Ridak
Dr. Dawa, a traditional Tibetan Doctor, was born in Lhoka, Tibet. He learned basic medicine from his late uncle Professor Samten (a renowned professor at Lhasa Tibetan Medicine College) and Dr. Lobsang Wangyal (former Physician of H.H. Dalai Lama). After being exiled from Tibet, he studied in the Tibetan Medical and Astrological College, Men-Tsee-Khang College, Dharamshala, India and received Menrampa (Doctor of Tibetan Medicine).
Dr. Dawa has served as an intern at Men-Tsee-Khang Branch Clinic in Ladhak, as a Pharmacist within the Pharmacy Department under the guidance of Dr. Tenzin Choedak (former Physician of H.H. Dalai Lama), and as the director of the Herbal Product Research Department. He received further training and assisted research, focusing on the quality analysis of Tibetan Medicine, with Dr. Dakpa from Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratory and Life Science Research Institute in Japan. He was invited to the United States and exchanged information regarding herbal product development during his time as a consultant with Horst M. Rechelbacher, a founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients.
Over the course of his medical career, Dr. Dawa has consulted with diverse patients with a variety of ailments and health issues. He integrates a compassionate and thorough approach, helping patients find their best path to a better quality of life and health. Consultations are an interactive experience, during which patients can ask questions regarding their well-being. Dr.Dawa uses the traditional diagnostic methods of examination and analysis, then provides therapies such as massage and medicinal bath. He also developed a line of products to be used proactively for preventative health care, integrating traditional Tibetan Medical wisdom.
Mia Shah-Dand
Mia Shah-Dand is the founder of Lighthouse3, a California-based consultancy that focuses on responsible AI and governance. She is known for her work in promoting diversity and responsible AI practices. Mia excels at leading large cross-functional programs, managing multi-disciplinary stakeholder teams, and advising global organizations on responsible development and deployment of AI systems. She is actively involved in addressing issues such as bias, fairness, transparency, and accountability in AI. Mia is also the founder of Women in AI ethics and frequently speaks at conferences on the issues of diversity and ethics in AI. She has hosted 100+ workshops and events to make AI and emerging technology education accessible to everyone. Mia is on the Selection Committee for Anita Borg ABIE Social Impact award committee and Advisory Board for Carnegie Council’s Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Politico, and Venture Beat. Her pronouns are she/her.
Dream Unfinished
The Dream Unfinished is an activist orchestra. Its mission is to use classical music as a platform to engage audiences in dialogues surrounding social and racial justice. Since 2015, The Dream Unfinished has staged performances throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, and partnered with organizations such as the Center for Constitutional Rights, Black Women's Blueprint, African American Policy Forum, New Sanctuary Coalition, and others. Past seasons have centered on police brutality, the #SayHerName movement, the school to prison pipeline, the current immigration crisis, and environmental justice, and the 2020 season will be centered on voting rights. The Dream Unfinished has people of color in the orchestra, in the music, behind the scenes, and in the audiences. We are an orchestra that looks and sounds like New York City, and through music, explores pressing issues which are affecting our communities.
Denise Wiley
Denise Wiley is a journalist, public relations practitioner, and ESL instructor. Prior to moving to the US, Ms. Wiley lived in Japan where she taught business English, business communication and cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Media and Communication and is currently reading for the MA in International Migration Studies at The Graduate Center, CUNY.
Julia Adams
Julia Adams is a Life Coach at the NGO, Academy of Public Health and an educator at a private museum. She is also an expert in tea cultures, skilled in the subject of Chinese Tea Ceremony and Traditional Chinese Culture, especially Tang Dynasty's culture etc. Prior to relocating to New York from Shanghai, Julia was a news anchor and hosted citywide events; she then became an HR director and often hosted nationwide conferences on HR-related topics. Julia is also a zither player, certified by Shanghai Conservatory of Music.