We Counsel

It is beneficial to intuit when a teacher presents itself to us along the road, whatever form this might take: whether a river, a tree, a non-human animal, an unexpected event, or even a difficult situation. Interestingly enough, in the case of “humans," the role of the teacher is a fluid one, as in any balanced learning context all of those involved are learning from one another. 

Since receiving my MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia, I have been fully committed to developing work and teaching both within a familiar environment, that is, my home in New York City, and in contexts far away from this, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Catalonia. In both of these countries I have generated experiences with seniors, teenagers, preschoolers and graduate students. However rooted in specific fields of knowledge I might be, I see myself as a generalist, and so my mentoring and consulting come from this perspective, one where endeavors like art making, befriending the Earth, teaching, cooking, curating, planting, writing and dancing do not have the least conflict conversing with one another.  

I trace my development as an artist and teacher to the historic City and Country School, the “Play School,” founded in 1914 in New York City by radical, socialist and visionary Caroline Pratt. My work at this organization eventually led me to Transart Institute, a nomadic, international, and highly experimental MFA and doctoral program based in Europe and the U.S. At Transart Institute I worked as a instructor for five years and continue to serve as a studio and research advisor. Many of the students I interact with are mid-career, while I also closely guide students in a younger phase of their creative paths. In addition to my MFA, I hold an MA in Religion and Society from Union Theological Seminary, an important center for groundbreaking scholarship, religious or otherwise, in feminism, mujerismo, womanism, LGTBQI, Black and Latina/o/x studies, as well as decolonial theory. As a result of my thorough academic, but also hands on training at Union, I have come to conceive of my classes as a platform, or platforms, for students to actively question, among other subjects: the relationship between art and the status quo, and the implications of racism, classism and sexism in art and in society at large. I also conceive of my classes as the locus from where they/we, namely students and teacher, can envision and develop ways for contributing to the good of our society with emerging forms of knowledge and scholarship. 

With We Counsel, I offer short-term or year-long mentoring to graduate students in the arts and related fields. This can include support with MA or MFA research or praxis-based elements. I am also available for guidance to creatives with a specific undertaking. In addition, I can act as a short or long-term independent consultant for educational, social and artistic organizations.  

Some of the graduate art students I had the pleasure to mentor are:

Francheska Alacántara / Yasi Alipour / Damon Ayers / Sonia Barrett / Paula Billups/ Steven Evans / Anna Binta Diallo / Beatrice Glow / Cheryl Hirshman /  Rosina Ivanova Ivanova / Syowia Kyambi / Asher Mains / Alvin McIntyre / Hani Moustafa / Jaye Moscariello / Mikkel Niemann / Rocío Olivares / Dan Patterson / Dominique Rey / Angelika Rinnhofer  / Honi Ryan / Omar Shoukri / Josephine Turalba / Quint Welters/ Matt Wyatt / Ladan Yalzadeh / Dana Zurzolo

A selection of some of the organizations that I have partnered with as an independent consultant, supporting teachers in the classroom, shadowing students, developing trainings for staff-families-students, teaching workshops, and organizing events are:

Transart Institute, New York City and Berlin / Columbia University School of the Arts, New York, NY / Bronx Council on The Arts, Bronx, Ny / Illinois State University, Normal; Ill / Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, New York, NY / City and Country School, New York, NY / Community Development Institute (CDI), Brooklyn, NY / Studio in a School, New York, NY / Banana Kelly High School, Bronx, NY / The Bronx River Restoration Project, Bronx, NY / Casita María for Arts and Education, Bronx, NY / La Peninsula Head Start Program, Bronx, NY; Casa de Felicidad, Bronx, NY / Neighborhood Shopp Casa Boricua, Bronx, NY / Thomas Guess Neighborhood Senior Center, Bronx, NY / The HEART Adult Day Care Center, Bronx, NY /The New New Yorkers Program at Queens Museum, Queens, NY; Cultural Immigrant Initiative with Bronx River Art Center (BRAC), Bronx, NY / Laundromat Project, Bronx, NY / and Franklin Furnace, Brooklyn, NY