Contributors
BRIAN SCHRINER
Brian Schriner is an educator, administrator, fundraiser, strategic thinker, and change-maker with a 34-year track record of collaboration and success in higher education. He was appointed Dean of the FIU College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) in 2009 and serves as the university’s Cultural Arts Liaison for the Office of the Provost, which includes collaborating with the University’s three accredited museums: The Wolfsonian-FIU, FIU Phillip and Patricia Frost Art Museum, and the FIU Jewish Museum of Florida.
Unique in the composition of its academic disciplines, CARTA is united by its mission “Creative Forces At Work” and its commitment to prepare diverse leaders with global perspectives through applied learning, research, and creative activities. Composed of 4 schools, 8 academic departments, and 5 centers/institutes, Schriner has grown the CARTA’s diverse student body by 230% to more than 4,000 students from 91 countries (70% Hispanic; 11% African American; and 72% Female) and its world class faculty by 100% (140 full-time and 150 part-time faculty).
Schriner founded and established CARTA’s collaborative interdisciplinary space, CARTA | Mana Wynwood, in the heart of Miami’s Wynwood Art District, and the School of Architecture’s Miami Beach Urban Studios (MBUS) and the college’s Department of Art + Art History’s Miami Beach Visual Arts Gallery, both in the heart of South Beach. Schriner also established the South Florida Media Network’s news bureaus in Miami, New York City, and Washington, DC, and he secured and/or expanded several student-centric, public-private partnerships, such as those with NBCUniversal Academy, TelevisaUnivision (STEP: Student Training and Employment Program), McClatchy, Hearst, Scripps-Howard, the Knight Foundation, the Ratcliffe Foundation, Caplin Family Foundation, the Berkowitz Family Foundation, Island TV, Mana Contemporary, and Miami Dade College’s MAGIC Studio.
Dean Schriner is the publisher of ArtSpeak.
RAYMOND ELMAN
SUSAN JACOBSON
Dr. Susan Jacobson is the interim chairperson of FIU’s School of Communication + Journalism. Dr. Jacobson has worked in new media her entire professional and academic career. She received an MPS from New York University’s top-ranked Interactive Telecommunications Program and later earned a Ph.D. from New York University. Her research is concerned with how social media shapes the relationship between journalists and news audiences, the impact of new media on journalism and the expressive qualities of multimedia. Professor Jacobson is a Senior Adviser to ArtSpeak.
MARILYS NEPOMECHIE
Marilys Nepomechie, FAIA, is Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives in the FIU College of Communication Architecture + the Arts, an Architect and Professor of Architecture, and 2015-16 President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. Her professional and academic projects — focused on urban resilience and on the design of sustainable, affordable housing and infrastructure — are included in the archives of the National Building Museum. Nepomechie is most recently the author of Building Paradise: An Architectural Guide to the Magic City. She holds the Master of Architecture from MIT and has been inducted to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Professor Nepomechie is a Senior Adviser to ArtSpeak.
ANNIK ADEY-BABINSKI
Annik Adey-Babinski grew up in Ottawa, Canada. Her first book of poetry, OKAY COOL NO SMOKING LOVE PONY, is forthcoming from The Word Works, Washington, D.C., in Winter 2017. She has received fellowships from the Banff Center and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Her poetry has appeared in Forklift, Ohio, Prelude, and the Best New Poets series. Her poems were also published in the Jai-Alai Books anthology Eight Miami Poets.
JAIMIE EUBANKS
Jaimie Eubanks lives, works and writes in Miami and Minneapolis. Her work can be found in places such as Buried Letter Press, Literary Orphans, Thought Catalog, and Word Riot. To read more of Jaimie’s writing visit www.jaimieeubanks.com.
MICHAEL MARTIN
Michael Angel Martín was born and raised in Miami, FL. His interests include stringed musical instruments, Benedictine contemplation, and mall food. His poems can be found in or are forthcoming in Dappled Things, Anglican Theological Review, The Offbeat, Green Mountains Review, Saint Katherine Review, The Mondegreen, and Jai-Alai magazine.
ALASTAIR GORDON
Alastair Gordon is Contributing Editor for Architecture and Design at WSJ, the Wall Street Journal magazine. In 2009, he launched and wrote the Wall-to-Wall blog for the Wall Street Journal’s web site and since August 2001 has published it independently as: Alastair Gordon: Wall to Wall, surfing a line between the analytical and personal, between love and architecture. Gordon was formerly a Contributing Editor at House & Garden (2001-2004); New York Editor of Dwell (2002-2005); Contributing Editor at Atelier Magazine, Tokyo (1993-1995;) and General Editor of the Princeton Papers on Architecture (1992-1995.) He is an award-winning author, critic, curator and filmmaker who has written about environmental design issues for many other publications including The New York Times, T Magazine, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Interior Design, ID Magazine, Town & Country, Le Monde, The New York Observer, The Architect’s Newspaper, Newsday Magazine, and The East Hampton Star.
ELISA TURNER
An award-winning art critic and arts journalist, Elisa Turner is a member of the International Association of Art Critics, U.S. Section, and ArtTable, a national organization for women in visual arts professions. She teaches writing at Miami Dade College and has guest-lectured at University of Miami and New World School of the Arts in Miami. She holds an M.A. in Comparative Literature from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And she earned a BA in English from DePauw University. Her career at the Miami Herald began in 1986. From 1995 to 2007, she was the Herald’s primary art critic, with international assignments to Cuba, Haiti, Italy, and Switzerland. As Miami correspondent for ARTnews magazine, she has written numerous reviews, feature stories, and profiles regarding Miami’s art community. Since 2014 she has covered the visual arts in South Florida for Hamptons Art Hub at www.hamptonsarthub.com Other publications she has written for include Arte Al Dia, a bilingual publication based in Miami and Buenos Aires, and Miami Rail. She serves on the Curatorial Advisory Board of Miami Dade College Museum of Art + Design.
ROBERT ZUCKERMAN
As a photographer in the motion picture industry, Robert Zuckerman’s images have become the advertising and publicity campaigns for such films as “The Crow,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Any Given Sunday,” “Training Day,” “Terminator 3,” “Bad Boys 2”, “National Treasure,” “Transformers,” “Pursuit of Happyness” and “The Great Debaters,” among others, as well as television series including “The Shield,” “Rescue Me” and “Nip/Tuck.” He has made recent album cover and movie poster photography for Will Smith and was invited to be the personal photographer for the family of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. His book “Kindsight” (is a collection of photographs and accompanying texts by Zuckerman illuminating the richness of everyday life encounters and experiences.
HANSEL DE HARO
Hansel de Haro graduated from Florida International University with a Master of Architecture degree. With a previous background in Web Design and Development and Graphic Design, he is the Webmaster and Coordinator of Computer Applications for FIU’s College of Communication Architecture + the Arts. He is also the Director and Co-Founder of Loud 3D ( www.loud3d.com ), a design and visualization services company. Mr. de Haro is the Chief Developer for the ArtSpeak website.
ERICA ANDO
Erica Ando is an art writer, historian, and editor. She recently earned her PhD from Florida Atlantic University. Her dissertation research traced the founding of the Pérez Art Museum Miami — in its first iteration as the Center for the Fine Arts — from the post-World War II years to the early 1980s. She has a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MFA from Tyler School of Art. Her writing has appeared in Art Papers, Artpress (Paris), Sculpture, Aesthetica (UK), Naked Punch (UK), Miami Rail, among others.
ADRIENNE SYLVER
Adrienne Sylver has been a newspaper reporter and magazine writer, and has spent three decades in public relations writing, specializing in medical news. She has a bachelor’s degree in English/journalism from Ashland University, Ohio, and a master’s in magazine journalism from Ohio University. Her non-fiction book, Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog (Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC), has been recognized by critics, librarians, and readers as a top pick for children. Her appreciation for the arts was nurtured by her mother, a classical harpist who was on the faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where Adrienne played bassoon in the youth orchestra. She is an Assistant Editor of ArtSpeak.
ANGELIKA RINNHOFER
Angelika Rinnhofer is an artist and an art educator. In her art practice, she works primarily in photography, video, dance and performance, but sometimes incorporates non-traditional art media such as baking, gaming, and trace making. In her work she reflects on the feeling of belonging and the effect of memory on her sense of affinity. In 2010 Rinnhofer received her Master’s degree in Fine Arts in New Media from Transart Institute in Berlin. Currently she is an adjunct professor in the Arts and Philosophy Department at Miami Dade College and an instructor at the New York Film Academy in South Beach. (www.angelikarinnhofer.com)
ANNE BERNAYS
SUSAN RAND BROWN
Susan Rand Brown, of Provincetown, MA and Hartford, CT, has long been inspired by Jay Critchley’s far-sighted arts activism. Brown holds degrees in literature and in law, and is a frequent contributor to Art New England, Provincetown Arts, and the Provincetown Banner.
CLAUDIA BUSCH
Claudia Busch is a principal of BBA based in Miami. A well-known designer and educator with a broad experience in hospitality, residential, interior design and master planning. Ms. Busch has designed for significant and major architects, such as Zaha Hadid in London, Richard Meier and Bernard Tschumi in New York.For her projects, Claudia Busch has received numerous awards such as an honorable mention from the American Institute of Architects, a first prize in a furniture design competition and a BDA Prize in Germany. Her architecture and master-planning projects have been exhibited in Italy, Spain, Austria, Chile and Germany.In addition to her practice, she teaches at Florida International University where she holds the position of Pre-Graduate Program Coordinator at the College of Architecture and the Arts. She was raised in Germany and received her professional Architecture Degree from the F.H. Hamburg and a Masters Degree from Columbia University, New York.
CATHRYN CASTLE
Cathryn Castle is a passionate scuba diver, photographer and explorer. She is currently working from a private yacht, capturing images and stories of the South Pacific Islands for a documentary film series. She serves as the Executive Editor of Dive Training magazine and Managing Editor of California Diving News, and owns a book publishing company specializing in nonfiction.
CARMEN CICERO
Carmen Cicero (b. 1926) is both a highly accomplished visual artist and musician. He has had 51 solo exhibitions, appeared in 6 Whitney Biennials, and is in the collections of 26 museums. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation; as well as awards from the Ford Foundation, and the American Academy of Arts & Letter. He also taught painting at Sarah Lawrence College and at Montclair State University for many years. In addition, Cicero is a highly regarded jazz saxophone player and has performed with many jazz legends. Music from Cicero’s CD, Play Me a Sad Song, has been incorporated into some of the introductory video clips in select video interviews.
ETHAN COHEN
Ethan Cohen is the founder of Ethan Cohen Fine Arts (founded 1987 — www.ecfa.com), which currently has locations in New York City (Chelsea) and Beacon, NY. Cohen is best known for his deep knowledge of Asian art and for introducing the works of now-celebrated artists, such as Ai Weiwei, Xu Bing, Gu Wenda, Wang Keping, and Qiu Zhijie in the US. In addition, Ethan was a co-founder of the Art Asia Fair in Miami. Of late, his interests have expanded to include art created in conflict zones. Cohen holds a BA from Harvard University.
M. STEPHANIE CHANCY
M. Stephanie Chancy is a Lecturer in Art History in the Department of Art and Art History at Florida International University. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts from the University of Miami, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in History at FIU. Her research focuses on eighteenth and nineteenth-century European Atlantic material culture, specifically portraiture. Prior to teaching she was an administrator for two non-profit performing arts organizations.
CAROL DAMIAN
Dr. Carol Damian is Professor of Art History in the Department of Art and Art History at FIU and the former Director and Chief Curator of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU (2008-2014). She is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, MA and received her MA in Pre-Columbian Art and her PhD in Latin American History from the University of Miami. She is the author of The Virgin of the Andes: Art and Ritual in Colonial Cuzco (Grassfield Press, 1995). Her most recent work has been with Latin American women and Cuban exile artists, for whom she has written numerous catalogs and articles.
DAVID W. DUNLAP
David W. Dunlap is a metro reporter for the New York Times, where he has worked for 41 years. His most recent book, Building Provincetown: A Guide to Its Social and Cultural History, Told Through Its Architecture, was published in 2015.
NYAMEKYE DANIEL
Nyamekye Daniel has an associate’s degree in mass communication and journalism from Miami Dade College and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Florida International University, graduating as a World’s Ahead graduate. She is currently a radio personality, the content writer and social media manager for WZPP 96.1 FM, and a freelance journalist. Daniel served as the managing editor of South Florida News Service from September 2016 to April 2017.
ALFREDO GARCIA
Alfredo Garcia is a PhD candidate in the department of sociology at Princeton University. His work focuses on how global currents of art and culture shape cities and neighborhoods. His dissertation, a long-term ethnography of the Wynwood neighborhood, will be finished in April 2017. Prior to arriving at Princeton, Alfredo obtained his BS from Duke University and an MTS from Harvard University. While at Harvard, Alfredo worked as a journalist for the Religion News Service wire. In addition to researching in Miami and freelancing for various publications, Alfredo is an adjunct faculty at FIU and University of Miami.
ELIOT HESS
Eliot Hess is a collected lifestyle and travel photographer, currently exhibiting at Williams McCall Gallery in Miami Beach. Hess is also the co-owner of HWH PR, a leading high tech public relations agency, and is one of the largest mystery book collectors in the United States. He lives in New York and Miami and travels frequently to photograph.
JUDITH ANN ISAACS
Judith Ann Isaacs has written a travel guide, a cookbook, a mystery novel and a walking tour booklet, all featuring the locale where she lives in northern New Mexico. Other published writing includes essays, short stories and travel articles. Judith retired in 2008 as director of the Jemez Springs (NM) Public Library. Since then, she volunteers for local organizations, most recently collecting and writing content for an online history archive of the surrounding area: jemezvalleyhistory.org.
PHILLIP JOHNSTON
Phillip Johnston is a composer and jazz musician, best known for the Microscopic Septet, which he has co-led with pianist Joel Forrester since 1981. He has composed numerous scores for film, silent film, theatre, dance, television and radio, and is musical collaborator with Art Spiegelman on Wordless! He is also an academic with a special interest in jazz and film music, and holds a PhD from the Newcastle Conservatorium. Originally from New York, he currently lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife, playwright Hilary Bell, and their two children.
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FABIENNE JOSAPHAT
Fabienne Josaphat is the author of Dancing in the Baron’s Shadow. Her essay, Summer is an Empty House, recently made the Notable Essays mentions in Best American Essays 2016. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been featured in The Master’s Review, Grist Journal, Damselfly, Hinchas de Poesia, Off the Coast Journal and The Caribbean Writer, as well as in Eight Miami Poets, a Jai-Alai Books poetry anthology. She lives in Miami.
APRIL KINGSLEY
Dr. April Kingsley, is a retired curator from the Kresge Art Museum in Lansing, Michigan and the American Craft Museum in New York City. She has over a 40 year career as an art critic, art historian, independent curator and writer. She wrote the catalog essay for over 30 artist publications. In 1992, she published The Turning Point: Abstract Expressionists and the Transformation of American Art with Simon & Schuster. Currently there is work being done to publish her dissertation on Franz Kline: A Critical Study of the Mature Work: 1950-1962.
JULIAN H. KREEGER
During his undergraduate days at Columbia University, Julian Kreeger was the classical music director of the college’s radio station. He then became a classical music critic, radio host, and program annotator and involved himself in a number of state and national boards of trustees in orchestras and concert series, including but not limited to the National Symphony, Miami Music Project, Friends of Chamber Music and the Florida Philharmonic. Among his many accomplishments within the music industry, Kreeger is also a concert presenter and record producer.
CHAUNCEY MABE
Chauncey Mabe is a freelance writer. For more than two decades he wrote book reviews and author profiles and reported on publishing, other entertainment and cultural topics for the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A member of the National Book Critics Circle, Mabe is well-known in South Florida and throughout the publishing industry for his sharp, sometimes idiosyncratic opinions and his lively writing style.
JENNIFER MARITZA MCCAULEY
Jennifer Maritza McCauley is a writer of African-American and Puerto Rican descent. She teaches at the University of Missouri, where she is working on her PhD in creative writing and literature. She is also Contest Editor at The Missouri Review and poetry editor at Origins Literary Journal. She has received an Academy of American Poets University Award, and fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, CantoMundo, Kimbilio, and Sundress Academy of the Arts. Her creative writing has appeared in Columbia Journal, Passages North, The Los Angeles Review, Jabberwock Review, Puerto del Sol, The Feminist Wire, and Latinas: Protests and Struggles in the 21st Century USA (Red Sugarcane Press)among other outlets. Her hybrid poetry collection SCAR ON/SCAR OFF is now available from Stalking Horse Press.
JAYNE MERKEL
Jayne Merkel is the author of the monograph, Eero Saarinen (New York and London: Phaidon Press, 2005), a dozen other books and museum catalogues, and numerous magazine articles. Her script for the 2006 documentary film, “The Gateway Arch, A Reflection of America” received an Emmy in 2007. Her writing has appeared in Architecture, Art in America, Artforum, Connoisseur, Design Book Review, Harvard Design Magazine, Progressive Architecture, and the Wilson Quarterly. She taught art history at the Rhode Island School of Design, Miami University of Ohio, and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She worked as a curator at the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, Taft Museum and University of Michigan Museum of Art and organized numerous exhibitions. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Architect’s Newspaper in New York.
EDWARD MORAN
Edward Moran is a journalist, historian, and poet. Moran will be an international visiting scholar in England during summer 2016, participating in a project with the government of Norwich, UK, to champion soldier poetry. Moran was also literary advisor for Oscar-nominated filmmaker Christine Choy’s documentary, Hyam Plutzik: American Poet (2006).
GERALD POSNER
Gerald Posner is a journalist and author of twelve books, including three New York Times bestsellers and one finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. Posner, a former Wall Street attorney, is best known for his investigative histories of American political assassinations, Nazi war criminals, the Saudi royals, and the Vatican. He has written dozens of articles in national magazines and is a frequent guest commentator on CNN and the History Channel. He works on all his projects with his wife, author Trisha Posner.
GRAY READ
Gray Read holds a PhD from University of Pennsylvania. Her book, Modern Architecture in Theater: The Experiments of Art et Action (Palgrave, 2013), focuses on how the art of theater informed architectural design for urban life. Her current project in collaboration with FIU students proposes design ideas to enhance urban life in Miami. Read is an Associate Professor at The College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts at FIU.
NECEE REGIS
Necee Regis is a frequent contributor to the travel, food and magazine sections of The Boston Globe and has also been published in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, American Way Magazine, The Robb Report, ShowBoats International and the literary magazine, Tin House. In fiction, excerpts from her unpublished novel, GLITTERBOX, appeared in Gulf Stream: New Voices From Miami, and Hacks: 10 Years On Grub Street. Her second novel, DERVISH LESSONS, awaits an agent. For additional writing, photos and more, visit www.necee.com
JUDITH RICHLAND
Judith Richland teaches new media courses in the Communications Department at Simmons College, Boston, MA. For the past four years she has won the Simmons President’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council Grant (PDIAC) for her program Diversity in Film Genres: Empowering Young Women of Color and Looking at Attitude Changes in the Simmons Community. In 2003 she completed her Master of Fine Arts specializing in New Media from the Dynamic Media Institute at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She also earned a Master of Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Printmaking, a Master of Arts in Art History from Boston University and an undergraduate BS degree in Human Development from Cornell University. Judith also led one of the few women-owned design firms in Boston for twenty years, designing websites and promotional marketing literature for MIT, Apple, Lotus Development, Massachusetts General Hospital, IBM, Fidelity and many other Fortune 500 companies.
DAVID RIFKIND
David Rifkind is Chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design at Florida International University, where he teaches courses in architectural history, theory and design. David’s current research deals with urbanism and architecture in Ethiopia from the late nineteenth century to the present, and is the first component in a long-term study of modern architecture and urban planning throughout Africa. He is the author of the award-winning book, The Battle for Modernism: Quadrante and the Politicization of Architectural Discourse in Fascist Italy, which was published in 2012 by the CISA Palladio and Marsilio Editori. He has published articles on architecture and urbanism in Italy and Ethiopia, and curated the 2012 exhibition, Metropole/Colony: Africa and Italy, at the Frost Art Museum. In 2014, Ashgate published A Critical History of Contemporary Architecture, which David co-edited with Elie G. Haddad.
JENS ROBINSON
Jens Robinson of New York City and Los Angeles is President of CartoonArts International, co-founded in the 1980s with his father, Jerry Robinson, the late cartoonist/historian/artist rights activist. CartoonArts has collaborated with the New York Times Syndicate for twelve years to bring the work of leading editorial artists from around the world ( www.nytsyn.com/cartoons ) to diverse clients and new audiences. Jens also exhibits and publishes cartoons and graphic art and curates original comic art from his collection. He received a JD from Northwestern University, MSc (International Relations) from the London School of Economics and AB (Government) from Dartmouth College.
HOWARD SHERMAN
Howard Sherman has written extensively on architecture, filmmaking, and the pro audio, video, recording, and broadcast industries for over thirty years. His bylined feature articles, cover stories, interviews, and innumerable news stories have appeared in publications ranging from Metropolis Magazine, Millimeter, Broadcast Engineering, Radio Magazine, Lighting & Sound America, Sound & Communications, Architect’s Journal (UK), and Audio Video Interiors, to College Planning & Management, Airstream (trailer), and Russia’s InAVate magazine.
KENNETH E. SILVER
Kenneth E. Silver is Professor of Modern Art in the Department of Art History, New York University, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree. Silver received his MA and PhD at Yale University, and has taught there, as well as at the Institute of Fine Arts, Vassar College, and Columbia University. For his book, Esprit de Corps: The Art of the Parisian Avant-Garde and the First World War, 1914-1925 (Princeton University Press and Thames & Hudson, 1989), Silver won the Charles Rufus Morey Award of the College Art Association and the “Prix du Livre,” from Beaux-Arts magazine, Paris, for its French translation (Editions Flammarion). Silver has been the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, and an American Council of Learned Societies Grant; he has also been a Getty Research Institute Visiting Scholar and a Mellon-Getty Fellow at the Phillips Collection (Washington, DC). Silver is a Contributing Editor of Art in America magazine, and is Adjunct Curator of Art at the Bruce Museum (Greenwich, Connecticut).
MARIE-LOUISE SILVA STEGALL
Marie-Louise Silva Stegall is the Associate Director for the David Geffen Hall Campaign at Lincoln Center. Her long career in fundraising for the arts includes senior management positions with Fractured Atlas, Ballet Hispanico, The Joyce Theater Foundation, and Symphony Space. Ms. Stegall currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for HB Studio – a venerable theater institution down the street from Westbeth, the artists’ housing complex where Ms. Stegall grew up.
LEE SKYE
CHLOE FIRETTO-TOOMEY
Chloe Firetto-Toomey is an English-American poet and essayist. She lives in Miami Beach with a dashing man and two handsome cats. Little Cauliflower, her chapbook of poems, will be available this fall from Dancing Girl Press.
WENDY TOWNSEND
Wendy Townsend has shared her home with iguanas since she was eight years old and writes about the human-reptile relationship. Her first young adult novel, Lizard Love, received a Booklist Starred Review. The Sundown Rule is among the Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2011, and her third novel, Blue Iguana, was short-listed for the Green Earth Book Award. She is currently working on a memoir.
ALEC WILKINSON
Alec Wilkinson is a writer who has been on the staff of The New Yorker magazine since 1980. Before that he played guitar in rock and roll bands. For The New Yorker, he frequently writes music criticism in the form of Profiles and stories for “Talk of the Town.” Wilkinson has written ten books: Midnights (1982), Moonshine (1985), Big Sugar (1989), The Riverkeeper (1981), A Violent Act (1993), My Mentor (2002), Mr. Apology (2003), The Happiest Man in the World (2007, about Poppa Neutrino, the only man to cross the Atlantic in a raft made of found materials), and The Protest Singer: An Intimate Portrait of Pete Seeger (2009). His most recent book, The Ice Balloon (2012), is an account of the Swedish visionary aeronaut S.A. Andree’s attempt, in 1897, to reach the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon.
LEO ZUCKERMAN
STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS
BEVERLY MUZII
PARIS BENDER
IZZY CANIZARES
GABRIELA FUENTES
SOPHIA BOLIVAR
SABRINA RUBINSTEIN
Sabrina Rubinstein is a junior at Florida International University, pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism and plans on obtaining a minor in social media and e-marketing analytics. She hopes to one day work at a radio station or with video editing.
DIEGO RUBERTE
Diego Ruberte is a dual Major in Creative Writing and TV Broadcasting at FIU. He is working on writing and publishing a collection of short stories and poems. In the future, he would like to publish his own book series as well. He hopes to pursue a position as a screenwriter for anything under the animation umbrella — television, movies, video games.
SIDNEY PERALTA
Sidney Peralta was born and raised in Lima, Peru. She is a journalism major at Florida International University and would like to become a music and entertainment reporter.
KATHERINE MIRANDA
Katherine Miranda is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism with a music business certificate and dance minor. After graduation she hopes to land a job at a radio station as an art and entertainment journalist.
ELIJAH PESTANA
A Brazilian-American and Miami native, Elijah Pestana is pursuing his undergraduate degree in broadcast media and digital communication at FIU. He uses his experience within the performing arts, television, and higher education sectors to pursue his deep passion for storytelling and entertaining others. He aspires to become a late-night talk show host, combining his gift of comedy and love for journalism to promote media literacy for future generations.
JOCELYNE MENENDEZ
Jocelyne Menendez is a Florida International University student majoring in Broadcast Journalism. Menendez strives to pursue a career in the radio and entertainment industry.
ADRIANNA ROJAS
Adrianna Rojas is a student at Florida International University who is majoring in journalism with a specialty in the arts. With a constant love of all things relating to film, she hopes to one day become a film critic and settle down on the sunny beaches of California.
KEVIN DIEUJUSTE
Kevin Dieujuste is a senior at Florida International University, pursuing a degree in broadcast media. He plans on obtaining a minor in sports management. His career goal is to one day become a sportscaster for a major sports network such as ESPN or Fox Sports.
NICOLE GARAY
Nicole Garay, a native Miami resident, has worked her way through the college system and is currently pursuing a bachelors in Broadcast Media. With over six years of experience in marketing and event coordinating, she currently works at Miami Dade College in the animation and gaming department. Her interests include reading, media consumption, traveling to trendy spots, and finding new hobbies that won’t negatively affect her financially.
JULIO MENDEZ
Julio Mendez was born in Havana, Cuba in 1999. He is a Broadcast Media major and a Criminal Justice minor. Julio interned at Ink Link Marketing for a year and a half.
KALI-RAY SKINNER
Kali-Ray Skinner is an accomplished world traveler from Sarasota, FL studying Broadcast Journalism at FIU. She holds a passion for all of the arts: singing, dancing, painting, writing, and acting. She has been published in Edible Magazine, Florida’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology, the Sarasota Herald Tribune, PantherNOW, and The Catalyst. She was a finalist in the Melbourne Writers Festival in Australia for her poetry, which she began writing at the age of 12. Her latest writing venture is her third blog, Spice Girl Miami, www.spicegirlmiami.wordpress.com, where she writes about her early-20’s adventures in Miami.
ANGEL ALVAREZ
Angel Alvarez is a senior majoring in Communications/Journalism at Florida International University. He earned an Associate in Arts degree in early childhood education from Miami Dade College. He has been employed as a computer/robotics teacher for three years. He hopes be a journalist for ESPN.
MAYELIN JIMENEZ
Mayelin Jimenez is a senior at Florida International University. She is majoring in TV Production with a pre-law certificate. She is employed at Florida International University where she records and edits classes, events, and graduations. Upon graduation, she hopes to work for Telemundo and continue her education by attending law school.
ANTONIO DELGADO
Antonio Delgado is an international student from Venezuela studying at Florida International University. His major is broadcast media, with a minor in marketing and social media. He works as a marketing assistant in the Wellness Recreation Center at FIU. And he is a multimedia producer for artists such as Marielena Davila and Chiquinquira Delgado.
MATTHEW GARCIA
Matthew Garcia is a journalism student at Florida International University. He is focused on politics sports, and entertainment. Garcia has contributed to the South Florida Media Network and the Miami Herald.
BREA JONES
Brea Jones is a junior at FlU and currently works as Promotion and Recruitment Director for FIU Student Media. She has experience with writing, photography, interviewing, using Adobe Software and more. During her time as Editor-in-Chief of the Seminole Newspaper, her photos were featured in the Orlando Times. To see her portfolio go to her website https://breajones5.wixsite.com/journalismportfolio.
GABRIELLA PINOS
Gabriella Pinos is a senior at Florida International University majoring in Broadcast Media with a minor in Business Communication. She is the opinion director for PantherNOW, FIU’s student-led newspaper, and has previously interned at South Florida PBS, FIU Honors College and the FIU Healthy Living Program. Her interests include writing, videography, video editing and digital media.
ROSY AYALA
Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, Rosy Ayala is a self-proclaimed ‘foodie,’ a peer-reviewed author of A Seat at the Table Set by Women: An Outlook on Female Matters, and a comedic content creator by day. With a Bachelor’s degree from Florida International University in Broadcast Media, Rosy applies her skills to start-ups and nonprofit companies.
LIBAN BALMACEDA
Liban Balmaceda is a writer and Broadcast Media major with a concentration in Spanish at FIU. In Cuba, his home country, Liban was a radio announcer, reporter, and producer in Radio Cubitas, a radio station that educates young generations of students who are interested in Media and Journalism. His passion for languages and communication led him to pursue a four year education in English as a Foreign Language at Universidad de Oriente, Cuba. He plans to obtain a Masters in Spanish language journalism at FIU.
NATALIE CASABONE
Natalie Casabone is currently an undergrad student pursuing a dual degree in English and Journalism. Additionally she is a writing tutor and receptionist at FIU’s Center for Excellence in Writing. She hopes to establish a career in publishing after she graduates.
BRAUDY CASTILLO
Braudy Castillo is a Broadcast Journalism major with a concentration in political science. He has written news articles about events happening in South Florida. Braudy is doing an internship at Univision, where he is approaching his goal of becoming a journalist.
ZAIDA DUVERS
Zaida Duvers is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism at FIU. She wants to gain as much experience as possible with print, radio, and TV journalism. Her dream is to be a broadcast news anchor on her own show.
EMELY FUMERO-MENDEZ
Emely Fumero-Mendez is a senior Broadcast Media major at FIU’s School of Communication + Journalism. Her interests include film, music, theater, and animation.
MARIALEXIA HERNANDEZ
Marialexia Hernandez is an actress and active volunteer in the South Florida theatre community. She currently teaches theatre to homeschooled children and musical theatre presentation at the Maria Verdeja School of the Arts. Through her work she hopes to inspire and share unique stories that showcase our growth as a society. She is a senior at Florida International University pursuing a double major in Theater and Broadcast Media Production.
FABIEN LAFONTANT
Fabien Lafontant is a junior at FIU. His major is Broadcast Media and he is very interested in sports. He has played sports for most of his life and hopes to get into the sports media business.
JUSTIN MENDIOLA
Justin Mendiola is a Communications major, with a specialization in Journalism at FIU’s School of Communication + Journalism. He was an ambassador for the Miami Marlins for 4 years and has a love for the visual arts.
SERGIO MESO
Sergio Meso is a media professional with extensive experience as an on-camera talent, digital journalism, media production and storytelling. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, focused on Broadcast Media, at Florida International University’s School of Communication + Journalism.
FABIAN OSORIO
Fabian Osorio is a Florida International University (FIU) student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a major in Broadcast Media. He has experience in coordinating social media platforms, writing articles as well as shooting and editing photographs and videos. He is a staff writer for the FIU newspaper PantherNow. He has lived in four different countries, which has helped him better understand different cultures and modi operandi.
RUDY PIERRE
Rudolph Pierre grew up in Miami, Florida. He is currently attending Florida International University as a Broadcast Media major, focusing on TV Production. He is passionate about video editing. He also enjoys playing the piano and taking photographs.
MELANIE PRIETO
Melanie Prieto is a senior at Florida International University. She is majoring in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Political Science and a certificate in Digital Media. She has more than three years of experience in social media interning at Telemundo, Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation, ALSAC/ St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and made her way into becoming an Account Manager for a marketing agency called Whitewall Media.
DIANNE MAY ROSON
Dianne May Roson is a full Filipino who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Media along with a minor in Asian Studies. She finds passion in photography and videography. She aspires to use her skill to show that Asian females are qualified to work in the media industry.
URSULA MUÑOZ SCHAEFER
Ursula Muñoz Schaefer is a TV Production major at Florida International University. She is most interested in pop culture analysis, with an emphasis on film. She also writes for PantherNOW and forms part of the university newspaper’s editorial board.
CORINA ADRIANZA
Corina Adrianza is a Senior at Florida International University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in broadcast media production, with a minor in general studies in hospitality. Her hobbies include singing, composing songs, and performing. She will be graduating in Spring 2020, and hopes to be working for Telemundo.
JENNIFER CHANG
Jennifer Chang is a real estate agent and a student at Florida International University, majoring in broadcast journalism and marketing. She is also a professionally trained dancer and actress. Chang is currently a Captain for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders and reported Miami Dolphins news in a series called “Dolphins Internacional.” She developed a social media audience for her dancing and unique video techniques which went “viral,” and various news organizations wrote exclusive features for her.
RACHEL CHANG
Rachel Chang is a Cuban-American writer, singer, dancer and model. She was named the Outstanding Student in Journalism in the 2018 Miami Dade College Academic Awards and her articles have been published in the South Florida Media Network. At 18 years old, she became the youngest of 28 cheerleaders of the Miami Dolphins where she performed for two seasons and reported Dolphins’ news in the web series “Dolphins Internacional.” Her work has been recognized by multiple news media including Univision Deportes, CiberCuba, and USA Today. She is a student at Florida International University in broadcast journalism and political science.
LETICIA COBAS
Leticia Cobas is studying communications broadcast media at Florida International University. She has spent the last 9 years focusing on her career interest. In middle school, she was one of three students selected for the advanced broadcast class. In high school, she spent her 4 years in the elite TV production class working on packages for the daily newscast and competing in communication events such as Journalism Day at FIU, and FSPA in Orlando. This year she spent a semester abroad in Spain, studying at EUSA in Seville, Spain, where she worked with and created multimedia content for the non-profit PROEM-AID.
ALEXANDRA FAZEKAS
Alexandra Fazekas is a student in the FIU School of Communication + Journalism, and a business woman. Fazekas moved to the United States on her own from sunny Spain to continue her education in Miami. As she continues to grow her business, she looks forward to graduating and moving to the next adventure that lies in New York for her Masters, and lifelong goal of opening her own online newspaper agency.
MICHAEL GARCIA
Michael Garcia is currently a journalism major at Florida International University (FIU) in his senior year. He is the Vice President and co-founder of the Modern Sports Media Group LLC. In addition to behind the scenes and everyday management of Modern Sports Media Group, he is the co-host of the Nothin’ But Net show and The Get in The Box podcast, both of which are Modern Sports Media productions. Sports are his biggest focus and a large reason for selecting his FIU major and career path.
LAYRA GONZALEZ
Layra Gonzalez is a senior at Florida International University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Communication, focused in Journalism and Photography. She works as an account manager at WhiteWall Media Agency and aspires to be a photojournalist.
CHRISTINA HESTER
ANDREA IGLIOZZI
ZULEMA PERALTA
KIMBERLY URIAS
MIGUEL ANYELO
Miguel Anyelo is a senior at Florida International University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Communication focused in Broadcast Media Production with a minor in Social Media and E-Marketing Analytics. He hopes to graduate in Summer 2019, and find a career in TV or film. His hobbies include photography/videography, video editing, and has had work featured on the South Florida News Service.
JESSICA BARRIOS
Jessica Barrios is a senior at Florida International University, working on her BA in Broadcast Journalism. She is a currently a publicity associate at The Dana Agency and has previously worked for the South Florida News Service as a culture and arts reporter.
DANIEL COLMENARES
Daniel Colmenares is a writer and journalism major in the Department of Journalism + Media at FIU with aspirations to cover sports, entertainment, and technology in the near future.
NIKITA GRANT
Nikita Grant is a senior at Florida International University majoring in broadcast media with a concentration in English. She has a passion for writing and video production and has worked on numerous projects in both her personal and professional life. After her graduation from Florida International University, she hopes to begin a career that combines her passions for writing and video production.
KAREN MORALES
Karen Morales is a senior at Florida International University majoring in Broadcast Media Production with a minor in Fine Arts. She was a photographer for FIU’s PantherNow in 2017 through 2018. She is also a videographer and has had work featured on the South Florida News Service. She will be graduating and earning her Bachelor of Science in Communication in Summer 2019.
CELESTE C. REYNOLDS
Celeste Reynolds is a junior at Florida International University, in pursuit of a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication with a focus on Broadcasting. In 2017, she earned her Associate of Arts degree from Lone Star College, in Texas. Celeste was a co-host and contributor for an Internet radio program that aired through Houston Media Source between 2016 and 2017.
WESLEY VERDIER
Wesley Verdier was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He is of Haitian and African-American descent. He is a senior at FIU, majoring in Communications, and aspires to become a sports analyst. Verdier produces a YouTube channel (Dreamcatcher 305) where he provides analysis and insight regarding the game of football. After receiving his BA in the fall of 2019, Verdier plans to pursue a master’s degree in Sports Management.
KADESHA FLOYD
Kadesha Floyd was born and raised in North Miami Beach Florida, who attended Mississippi Valley State University for three years on a full basketball scholarship, the transferred to FIU. Floyd enjoys producing and editing her own music and music videos. In three years, she expects to be a professional video editor or in the broadcasting field.
JOHN PEREZ
MICHELLE MARCHANTE
Michelle Marchante is a student at Florida International University majoring in broadcast journalism with a minor in English and a certificate in film studies. She is the Editor-in-Chief for FIU Student Media’s PantherNOW, former radio host of the “Claw & Growl,” a news and opinion talk show on FIU’s student-run radio station, and author of YA novel Protector, which she published during high school. Her publishing credits include The Miami Herald, PantherNOW and the South Florida News Service. She was a Video Production intern for ArtSpeak in 2018.
MARIA HINESTROZA CARTER
Maria Hinestroza Carter was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is a student at Florida International University majoring in broadcast media and plans on having a career as a video editor after she graduates. She was a videography intern for ArtSpeak in 2018.
JADE CHEEK
Jade Cheek was born and raised in Orlando, FL. She currently lives in North Miami and works as a videographer for ArtSpeak. Cheek is majoring in Broadcast Media FIU and plans to have a career as a news anchor/reporter in the future. She has played division 1 basketball at FIU as well. Cheek was a videography intern for ArtSpeak in 2017-18.
MARIA GIOIA ARAGOZZINI
Gioia Aragozzini was born and raised in Rome, Italy. She currently lives in Miami Beach, FL. Aragozzini graduated from Florida International University in May, 2018, with a major in Broadcast Media and a minor in General Marketing. Her goal is to be successful in the media and marketing industry, bringing her Italian culture to the US. Aragozzini was a videography intern for ArtSpeak in 2017-2018.
FELIPE RIVAS
Felipe Rivas is a Broadcast Journalism student at Florida International University’s School of Communication + Journalism. His reporting has been featured in the Miami Herald. He is a photographer and videographer and enjoys running and playing basketball. Rivas was a videography intern for ArtSpeak in 2017.
CHENJERAI “JEDHI” WEIR
Chenjerai “Jedhi” Weir has been an artist all his life and started film editing and production at Design and Architecture Senior High School (DASH) in Miami. In 2015, he received an associate’s degree in science in film production and technology at Miami Dade College. He’s been editing in and out of school for Stilo magazine, a high fashion magazine based in Florida. Currently Weir attends Florida International University (FIU) pursuing a bachelor’s degree of fine arts in Theatre Design with a focus on costume design. Weir served as the video editor for ArtSpeak interview with Jane Alexander/author_info]
SASHA ELAINE BONILLA
Sasha Elaine Bonilla is a student at Florida International University, majoring in Fine Arts – Digital Media. She will graduate with her bachelor’s degree in Fall of 2018. Bonilla served as the video editor for the Installation of Frank Stella: Experiment and Change.
/author_info]
CHARITY JOHNSON
Charity H. Johnson is a student at Florida International University, majoring in Mass Communication – Digital Media. She will be graduating and receiving her Bachelor’s degree in the spring of 2017. In 2016, she founded Created-N-Love Studios which is a video and photography company providing services for weddings, parties, celebrations and events. She was an intern videographer for ArtSpeak in 2017.
MANUEL PEREZ-TRUJILLO
Manuel Perez-Trujillo graduated from FIU with a degree in architecture in 2015. He also has a passion for design, photography, and videography. Perez-Trujillo worked with Raymond Elman on most of the video interviews included in ArtSpeak from 2014 to June, 2016.
NICOLE ZUMMAR
Nicole Zummar is a student at Florida International University, enrolled as a double major in Finance and Communication, with a specialization in TV Production. She was an intern videographer for ArtSpeak in 2016-2017.
FELIPE CARVAJAL
Felipe Carvajal is a guitarist, composer and music producer. Felipe has performed in many important guitar Festivals around Latin America and Europe. He has composed music in a wide range of styles and worked for film, media and theater. He lives in Miami, and is a student of Music Composition, at Florida International University. Felipe composed, performed and produced the music for Firelei Baez introduction video.
LUCIANO CUNEO
Luciano Cuneo is a Digital Media Studies major in the Department of Journalism + Media at FIU.
DANIELLE DAMAS
Danielle Damas is an MFA candidate in Visual Arts: Curatorial Practice Track and a Spring 2015 Faena Arts Scholar in Curatorial Practice at Florida International University. She received her dual degree with a BA in Studio Art and a BS in Psychology from Florida State University in 2013. She recently organized, in collaboration with Dr. Alpesh Kantilal Patel, the solo exhibition of Tom Scicluna: Concrete Feet located at FIU Miami Beach Urban Studios.
MELINDA FEDAS
Melinda Fedas is currently a senior at Florida International University, working on her BA in Art history. Having almost completed her degree, she frequently volunteers at the NSU Art Museum of Ft Lauderdale, where she has met artists such as Julian Schnabel, and participated in the opening of the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit currently on view. When she’s not helping at the museum she can be found with a camera in hand.
CAMILA MIORELLI
Camila Miorelli is an Art History student at Florida International University. She aspires to work at a museum or other art organization after graduation. She has participated in various art communities at FIU including the Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum and WRGP FIU student radio. Miorelli hopes to challenge the traditions of conventional academic art writing, and is especially fond of using humor to bring attention to important messages.
LARISSA PATEL
Larissa Patel received a MFA degree in Photography from Pratt Institute and is currently an adjunct photography faculty member at Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In addition, she is also a Master of Interior Architecture candidate at FIU. Larissa has exhibited her work in numerous galleries from New York City to Charleston SC and South Florida.
KEENA ROYE
Keena Roye is a Liberal Studies graduate student at Florida International University. She received her BA in Anthropology with a minor in Studio Art at the University of Central Florida. She plans on working as a curator after graduation. In the meanwhile, she is a published pinup model who has appeared in magazines and more recently, Chocolate Cheesecake, a book that highlights modern day pinup models of color.
ASAMI TAKEYAMA
Asami Takeyama is a classically trained pianist/composer/recording and mixing engineer. She currently studies music technology at Florida International University.
JOSE TOLEDO
José Toledo is a graduate student at Florida International University, enrolled as a Museum Sciences major. He focuses on Native and Latin American art. He has also written a novel, a short story, and several book and art reviews, some of which have been published in online journals. He works as a translator, and travels extensively.
BRITTNI WINKLER
As a curator, artist and MFA student working out of Miami, Brittni seeks to find the connections between the creation of space in an exhibition and the creation of space in an artwork. Her recent performance artwork and upcoming exhibition deal with the Western visual representation of the Eastern practice of yoga and their common connections to therapy/wellness. Brittni has curated several exhibitions at Miami Beach Urban Studios/Frost Art Museum through the FIU MFA Curatorial Practice track and has performed her Creating Space: Creating Art with Yoga live during Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 week, at Unestablished.
VIVIANA ZULUAGA