Since July 2009, Grimaldi has focused on developing and strengthening partnerships to increase programming for youth in North Philadelphia, and to facilitate opportunities for artists, educators and organizations seeking to work with the tight-knit Fair Hill/Hartranft community. The Village has formed rich collaborations to bring two computer labs, a creative writing center for children, three job-training programs in construction, greening and art fabrication, parenting programs, a farmer’s market, and a new artist residency program.

Grimaldi serves on the board of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers and on the steering committee of the APM/LISC Sustainable Communities Initiative for Eastern North Philadelphia.

El Sawyer is a filmmaker, videographer, editor, and community media and youth media activist. Sawyer initiated and developed the digital media arts program at The Village, where he currently teaches Reel Voices, an annual teen video production course in collaboration with the United States District Attorney’s Office.

In 2007, Sawyer was commissioned by WYBE TV to create The Beirut Boys. Drawing from his close-knit connections to the Fairhill community, Sawyer documented the lives of three African American young men in a way rarely ever seen or recorded by the mainstream media. The result is a powerful and intimate portrayal that has been selected for inclusion in the Masculinity Project, presented and organized by the National Black Programmers Consortium of PBS. Sawyer’s work on The Anderson Monarchs with Eugene Martin was presented at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

Programs Director Aviva Kapust is a graphic designer, educator and youth rights activist. Since joining The Village in 2010, Aviva has helped boost The Village’s local and national visibility through revitalizing its web and social media presence, planning annual events and exhibits, and refreshing its visual identity in print and online media, including spearheading The Village’s new arts and culture publication, CRED Magazine.

Before working at The Village, Aviva worked as an Art Director and Creative Director at advertising agencies in NY and San Francisco. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Communications School at Temple University. She continues to freelance as a designer and art director, currently lives in West Philadelphia, makes books, grows vegetables and just survived her first half-marathon.

Brenda Wilson-Toler is the Administrative Manager of Arts and Education at The Village. She has been a member of The Village staff for 14 years and is considered by many to be The Village’s resident mother. She is the proud mother of four sons, the grandmother of 15 and the great grandmother of one. Brenda is currently working towards becoming a licensed Youth Minister.

Jordan received his BA in urban studies and fine art from the University of Minnesota. Before joining The Village of Arts and Humanities he spent two years working on affordable housing issues with AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity. Among other things, Jordan is interested in housing and social issues within our urban centers and the ways in which planning, design, and other external and internal forces shape the urban landscape.

Ivelys Fuentes, Office Manager
Leon Sanford, Media Lab Coordinator
Heather Jones, Communications Intern
Asil Lawrence, Facilities Crew
Derrick Toler, Environmental Crew
Frank Poland, Environmental Crew
Shawn Stinson, Environmental Crew
Leroy “Smurf” Whitney, Environmental Crew
Bonnie Johnson, CPA

K-Fai Steele serves as the Computer Assistant for the Free Library Hot Spot at the Village of Arts and Humanities. The Hot Spot is a seven-seat computer lab that offers free and open classes for all ages, covering topics from Introduction to Computers to resume writing, applying for jobs online and blogging.

Visit K-Fai at the Hot Spot, Mondays through Fridays, between 1 and 5.

Serena Saunders is a Philadelphia native that began her artistic journey at the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Tyler School of the Fine Arts on an academic scholarship. A painter, spoken word artist, and fashion designer, Serena has over 10 years of teaching experience, working with teens in communities across Philadelphia. She is the designer and owner of PassionArt Designs. Her work can be seen at www.serenasart.com.

Mahatma studied Graphic and Fashion Design at The Art Institute of Philadelphia and remains on the cutting edge of fashion and jewelry design with her one-of-a-kind leather and costume jewelry creations. Mahatma encourages her students to be inspired by everything they love, to problem solve, enhance their jewelry design skills, and to make pieces that express their inner and outer style. She currently resides in South Philadelphia and is thrilled to be launching her apparel line. Mahatma’s jewelry is available on www.ragartfashions.etsy.com

Jewelry Design class is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6pm. You can see the work at: http://villagearts-programs.com/category/jewelry-design/

Jared G’s aim is to broaden the understanding of aspiring shooters by giving them the tools necessary to become well rounded photographers. J.G. has a degree in photojournalism from Temple University and has worked around the world taking pictures of people, sports, landscapes, and everything that crosses his camera.

Jared’s Digital Photography class is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6pm – you can see the work at their blog: http://www.thevillagedigitalphotos.blogspot.com/

For more information, visit www.jaredgruenwald.com.