PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director & Senior Curator, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, 01/2017–Present
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, Staten Island, NY
Lead the strategic vision, operations, and institutional identity of Staten Island’s flagship contemporary art space—recognized for innovative programming, artist support, and community engagement. Oversee a robust portfolio of exhibitions, residencies, and public initiatives that serve artists at all career stages while amplifying cultural participation across NYC’s diverse communities:

Leadership & Strategic Planning

• Drive all aspects of artistic planning, personnel management, facilities oversight, and institutional positioning to grow the Newhouse Center’s role as a vital cultural incubator

• Partner with executive leadership on major fundraising initiatives, grant proposals, and strategic campaigns to ensure financial sustainability and expand programmatic reach

• Collaborate with development team to raise, manage, and report on contributed and earned income through a combination of individual donors, government grants, and foundation support

• Supervise a multidisciplinary team including curatorial staff, marketing personnel, production crew, and seasonal interns/volunteers, fostering a collaborative and mission-aligned culture

• Present quarterly reports to the Board of Directors with detailed updates on impact metrics, program milestones, and long-term goals

Curatorial & Program Management

• Lead the development and execution of seasonal programming, including exhibitions, residencies, artist commissions, and interdisciplinary events such as screenings, performances, and workshops

• Design and implement all residency program components—from outreach and selection panels to artist support and final presentations—providing financial, professional, and creative resources

• Manage high-profile open calls and juried exhibitions that spotlight emerging and underrepresented voices while maintaining curatorial excellence

• Develop tools for program evaluation and feedback to measure impact and inform strategic planning

Marketing, Communications, Audience Engagement & Brand Growth

• Catalyze bold and fresh branding and messaging for Newhouse Center’s institutional identity

• Spearhead integrated communications across platforms, including social media, press outreach, and e-newsletters, to grow public visibility and strengthen institutional storytelling

• During tenure, have increased annual gallery attendance by over 40% through expanded programming, targeted outreach, and enhanced digital marketing strategies

• Serve as the public face of the Newhouse Center, regularly representing the institution in media interviews, conferences, and artist talks

• Write and edit press releases, pitches, briefings, and kits for institutional and programmatic initiatives

• Build and maintain relationships with press, reporters, and PR firms to successfully secure coverage in local, regional, national and international media outlets

• Track and analyze metrics and data to measure success and reach of digital campaigns, press coverage, and traditional promotional methods

• Oversee graphic design and photographic documentation, including hiring and managing graphic designers, photographers, and videographers, for institutional record-keeping, producing programmatic materials such as publications, and for archival purposes

Partnerships

• Cultivate and sustain strategic partnerships with national and regional organizations including the Smithsonian Institution, New York Foundation for the Arts, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Jazzmobile, CUNY Dance Initiative, St. Ann’s Warehouse with Handspring Puppet Company, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and DanceNYC

• Led a major collaborative programming initiative with local cultural institutions, resulting in cross-institutional events that expanded audiences and amplified public engagement

• Create inclusive spaces for dialogue and co-creation by organizing artist focus groups, public conversations, and community-centered programs that reflect the voices of Staten Island and beyond

Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, Staten Island, NY, 03/2015–12/2016
Strategized and facilitated institutional and programmatic marketing for Snug Harbor's 83-acre campus with emphasis on interdepartmental, cross-organizational collaboration alongside a strong visual brand identity:

• Developed and executed integrated marketing campaigns in collaboration with development and programming teams, boosting event attendance and public visibility

• Led strategic communications for fundraising initiatives, including the annual Neptune Ball gala and year-end appeals, producing donor-focused collateral and campaign messaging

• Managed and grew the organization’s social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—significantly increasing engagement and audience reach through platform-specific strategies and original content

• Oversaw website updates and digital UX enhancements, including a dynamic events calendar, homepage features, and improved mobile functionality to better serve diverse users

• Refined brand identity across digital and print materials, designing visually consistent promotional assets and collaborating with graphic designers, photographers, and videographers to uphold quality and cohesion
  

Organizing Director & Curator
Second Saturday Staten Island Art Walk, Staten Island, NY, 01/2013–07/2015
Led the revitalization and strategic growth of a monthly community art walk designed to activate cultural spaces, support local artists, and foster partnerships between galleries, small businesses, and the public:

• Reimagined program structure and rebuilt organizational capacity following Hurricane Sandy, positioning the initiative as a key driver of cultural recovery and community engagement

• Directed all communications, including social media, press outreach, and promotional campaigns, significantly expanding the event’s visibility and reach

• Developed and executed fundraising strategies through crowdfunding, events, membership drives, and grant writing, ensuring program sustainability

• Curated monthly public programming to showcase the cultural vibrancy of Staten Island’s North Shore, strengthening relationships across the arts, nonprofit, and business sectors

• Created succession plan to transition the project to new leadership at Hub 17 in 2015

Quality Assurance Technician, 11/2014–03/2015
Affiliate Training Coordinator, 06/2013–11/2014
Customer Service Manager, 04/2012–05/2013
Customer Service Representative, 12/2011–03/2012
Press+/Journalism Online (a subsidiary of RR Donnelley and Piano Media), New York, NY, 12/2011–03/2015
Progressive responsibilities at innovative tech start-up included:

• Tracked and update bugs and product changes in JIRA. Performed regression testing and product change verification for regular release cycles; performed exploratory testing and usability assessment of products through various stages of their life-cycle

• Developed and administered CRM software training webinars to clients representing over 200 news and media publications worldwide

• Created new materials including manuals, guides and presentations. Streamlined communications between departments to support and optimize client relations

• Managed a department of 8 full-time employees and 2 freelancers while serving as customer service manager

House Manager and Administrative Assistant
Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY, 08/2009–11/2011
Managed front of house operations for student and rental events within the college’s proscenium and black-box theater spaces, trained incoming house managers, and performed administrative work

ADDITIONAL ARTS ADMINISTRATION AND
PRODUCTION CREDITS

• Shaolin Art Party, website and radio show, 2024–Present

• Snug Harbor Dance Festival, Founder & Curator, 2022–Present

• Newhouse After Dark, live music and sound series, 2018–2025

• Sounds of Snug Harbor, MakerPark Radio, Staten Island, NY, 2019–2020

• Transmissions: A Decade of Dance Making, self-produced concert, 2019

• St. George Day, Staten Island, NY, 2013–2017

• Second Saturdays Staten Island, Staten Island, NY, 2013–2015

• Curiosity Project: MOVEMENT, curator, Staten Island Arts, Staten Island, NY, 2013

• Grant writer, Greenbelt Conservancy, 2012

• Movement Research Intern, 2010–2011

• The Yard, summer season intern, Chilmark, MA, 2010

• Bridge the Gap, SiCoLab, Staten Island, NY, 2009 & 2010

• River To River Festival, Premiere of ACE One, GOH Productions, New York, NY, 2010

• Hunter College Dance Company, Alumni Concert, 2010

• Grants & Services Intern, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, 2009–2010

• Public Acts of Decency, curator and co-producer, New York, NY, 2008–2010

• mwestdances, Staten Island and New York, NY, 2009–Present

• Martha Graham II, Marymount Manhattan College, New York, NY, 2008

• LaMama Moves! Dances Festival, Assistant Stage Manager, The Club, New York, NY, 2008

• Hunter College Dance Company, Co-company Manager and President of the Modern Dance Club, 2008–2009

TEACHING

Adjunct Faculty, Dance Department
Wagner College, Staten Island, NY, 08/2022–10/2024

Developed syllabus for a new course, Dance History 2: A Cultural, Historical, and Social Approach, designed to introduce students to key frameworks in the study and analysis of dance cultures from across the world:

• Create dynamic lessons that build on core concepts from the fields of anthropology, dance studies, art history, and the social sciences

• Structure the classroom to be a collaborative space for exploration through experiential writing, breakout assignments, and discussions

• Guide students toward final projects comprised of oral presentations and accompanying research papers

• Choreographed a new dance for the Dance Company between 01/2024–10/2024 for their annual main stage concert

PUBLICATIONS

• Shaolin Art Party, co-founder, digital publication and art blog, est. 2024

• DADA IN THE HOUSE: 20 Years of Performance Art on Staten Island, producer, copy editor and contributor, 2023

• Staten Island Mode: Identity, Memory, Fashion, producer, copy editor, and contributor, 2023

• Kathy Westwater: PARK Ephemera, designer, editor and contributor, exhibition publication, 2022

• Queer Van Kult: Revelation, editor and contributor, exhibition publication, 2022

• Roots/Anchors, editor/design advisor and contributor, exhibition publication with introduction by Lucy Lippard, 2021

• The Hyphen, chief editor of Newhouse Center’s art blog, 2020–2023

• “Between Worlds: Melding Past and Present in Reda Abdelrahman’s I Am Everybody,” I Am Everybody, editor and contributor, exhibition publication, 2020

• “Your Participation is Needed,” Heal the Man, exhibition catalog, 2019

• Transmissions: writing on dance, writer and designer, collection of essays, self-published, 2019

• “Columns & Caryatids: Immortal Shape-Shifters,” Columns & Caryatids, exhibition catalog, 2018

• “Counterpoint,” Native Soil: Staten Island Homescapes, Sarah Yuster Retrospective, contributor, exhibition publication, edited by Marguerite Rivas, 2018

GRANTS, AWARDS, & FELLOWSHIPS

• SIEDC’s 20 Under 40 Leadership Award, 2025

• Performing Arts Residency Cohort, Staten Island Arts, 2024–25

• Mertz Gilmore Dance Research Grant, Staten Island Arts, 2023 & 2024

• Fellowship for Utopian Practice, Culture Push, Shaolin Art Party with Jahtiek Long, 2023

• Emerging Leaders Program, New York Foundation for the Arts, 2019–20

• Art Fund Grantee, Staten Island Arts (DCLA regrant), Transmissions, 2019

• Community Art Partner Grant, Staten Island Arts (NYSCA regrant), Staten Island Dance Project, 2017

• New York Community Trust Leadership Fellows Program, 2016–17

• Performance Studies Award, NYU, 2014

RESIDENCIES

• CUNY Dance Initiative Artist Residency at the College of Staten Island, 2016

• Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, 2014

• The Greenbelt Conservancy, 2014

• The Curiosity Project at Staten Island Arts, 2013

SPEAKING AND SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS

• Introductory remarks, Into the Charmed Churned Circle, National Arts Club, 2025

• NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, Partner Presentation, 2025

• Choreographer, Wagner College Dance Department, 2024

• Advisory Committee, CITY OF WOM_N, Catherine Galasso Dance Projects, 2023

• Guest instructor, class session for Choreography I, Wagner College Dance Department, 2023

• Guest instructor, class session for Contemporary Dance Workshop, Wagner College Dance Department, 2023

• Guest instructor, class session for Pedagogy II, Wagner College Dance Department, 2023

• Guest lecture, wanderingaffect: connecting dance, place, and community, class session for Dance Appreciation, Wagner College Dance Department, 2023

• Civic Engagement Commission of New York City, The People’s Money Participatory Budgeting Committee for Staten Island, 2023

• Guest speaker, Arts & Entertainment Virtual Career Panel, Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) at United Activities Unlimited, Inc., 2022

• Guest speaker, Curtis High School Dance Department, Career Week, 2021

• Guest speaker, Hunter College Dance Department Alumni Event, 2020

• Panel moderator and organizer, Art & Action Chat: Embodying Shaolin—a conversation on resistance and resilience, Human Impacts Institute/Creative Climate Awards, 2020

• Guest co-curator, Human Impacts Institute/Creative Climate Awards, 2020

• Panelist, Career Paths in the Arts, St. George Theatre, 2019 and 2020

• Presenter, Wagner College's Port Richmond Partnership Summit, 2016

• Panelist, Geographic Equity panel, Dance/NYC Symposium, 2015

RECENT PRESS

• Best Dance Performances of 2025, Moriah Evan’s Harboring (Snug Harbor Dance Festival) listed in Honorable Mention section, Gia Kourlas, Brian Seibert, and Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times, 2025

• Colombian artist’s coca plant exhibition debuts at Staten Island cultural center, Sydney Maldonado, 2025

• Wagner College Theatre Dance presents WCT DANCE, a celebration of movement and meaning, Gracelyn Santos, Staten Island Advance, 2024

• Hyperallergic Fall Guide, If walls could talk, the might look something like Abuela’s Kitchen, Hyperallergic, 2024

• Snug Harbor Dance Festival, Hallie Chametzky, Brooklyn Rail, 2023

• IMPRESSIONS: Kinesis Project dance theatre in “Capacity, or: The Work of Crackling” (Excerpt) at Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Deirdre Towers, Dance Enthusiast, 2023

• Catherine Galasso centers Staten Island, women from the borough in Snug Harbor dance work, Trina Mannino, ALL Arts, 2023

• ArtSeen: Roots/Anchors, Lily Wei, Brooklyn Rail, 2021

• Love, Art, and Politics Intertwined, Charlotte Kent, Hyperallergic, 2021

• Staten Island artists recognized for work in diversity, justice as part of 2020 Creative Climate Awards, Victoria Priola, Staten Island Advance, 2020

• Spiritual Praxis: Tattfoo Tan Interviewed by Louis Bury, BOMB Magazine, 2019

EXHIBITION CREDITS

• LUMEN8, ArtSpace, Staten Island Arts, group exhibition, Staten Island, NY, 2017

• Melissa West & Erik Danielsen: My Body is a Landscape/The Landscape is a Body, Lenape Gallery, Conference House, Staten Island, NY, 2016

• Native Ensemble: Artists Chronicle Staten Island's Natural Spaces, Lenape Gallery, Conference House, group exhibition, Staten Island, NY, 2016

• #wanderingaffect: my body is a landscape, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, SHARP artist residency and solo exhibition, Staten Island, NY, 2014

CURATORIAL/PRODUCER HIGHLIGHTS

EXHIBITIONS

• Tatiana Arocha: Entre la Coca y El Oro, curator/producer, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2025

• Abuela’s Kitchen, producer (guest curated by Kelly Vilar), Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2024

• Staten Island Mode: Memory, Identity, Fashion, producer (guest curated by Jenna Rossi-Camus and Alexis Romano), Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2023

• Kathy Westwater: PARK Ephemera, curator/producer (in collaboration with the artist), Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2022

• Queer Van Kult: Revelation, producer, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2022

• Roots/Anchors, co-curated with William Corwin, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2021

• DB Lampman: In Visible, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2020

• Reda Abdelrahman: I Am Everybody, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2020

• Breaking Ground: Twenty Years of the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden, lead curator, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2019

• Tattfoo Tan: Heal the Man in Order to Heal the Land, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2019

• SHAOLIN: Into the 36 Chambers, producer (guest curated by Jahtiek Long), Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2018

• Kristi Pfister: Columns and Caryatids, curator and producer, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2018

• Native Soil: Incidence & Homescapes, curator and producer, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor, 2018

DANCE AND PERFORMANCE

• Snug Harbor Dance Festival, founder, 2022, 2023, 2025

• Delirious Dances, WASTELANDIA, Snug Harbor, 2025

• MBDance, These are the bodies that have not borne., Snug Harbor, 2025

• Moriah Evans, Harboring, Snug Harbor, 2025

• Ameliah Heintzelman, Scratcher, Snug Harbor, 2023, 2025

• Grace Li-Yi Tong, Snug Harbor, 2025

• Orlando Hernández, Snug Harbor, 2025

• Kyle Marshall Company, Snug Harbor, 2024

• Catherine Galasso, CITY OF WOM_N, 2021–2023

• Stephen Petronio Company, Snug Harbor, 2022

• J. Bouey & George Del Barrio, Snug Harbor, 2022, 2023

• Kath Westwater, Snug Harbor, 2021-2022

• Ivy Baldwin, Snug Harbor, 2021

• rebeca medina, Snug Harbor, 2021

• Kiera Bono, Snug Harbor, 2021

• devynn emory, Snug Harbor, 2020-21

• Lily Gold, Snug Harbor, 2019

• Julie Mayo, Snug Harbor, 2019

• Kinesis Project dance theatre, Snug Harbor, 2019

• Adrienne Westwood, Snug Harbor, 2019

• Anjoli Chadha, Snug Harbor, 2019, 2025

• Jerron Herman, Snug Harbor, 2018

• Tess Dworman, Snug Harbor, 2018

• Simone Johnson, Snug Harbor, 2018

• Anabella Lenzu, Snug Harbor, 2018

• Tatyana Tenenbaum, Snug Harbor, 2016

• Yoshiko Chuma, Snug Harbor, 2015

• Vicky Shick, Snug Harbor, 2015

MUSIC & SOUND

• Jazz Is Staten Island, producer and co-presenter, 2025-2026 (forthcoming)

• Orchestra of St. Luke’s, presenting partner and venue host, 2017-Present

• Into the Charmed Churned Circle, Indeterminacy Festival, co-commission, 2025

• Newhouse After Dark, live music and sound series, founder/curator and producer, 2018-2025

• Jazzmobile Summer Series, presenting partner and venue host, 2017-Present

• Five Borough Music Festival, partnership/co-presenter, 2019-2023

• ChamberQueer, Five Borough Music Festival (5BMF), presenting partner and venue host, 2023

EDUCATION

2014. M.A. Performance Studies, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University
Thesis: Reveries of the Girl Wanderer: Into the Embodied Landscapes of Staten Island

2009. B.A. Dance and English, Hunter College, The City University of New York