Meet the Team
Board of Directors
Ria G. Hawks
Cofounder & Board PresidentPrior to full-time devotion to Intertwine Arts, Ria was a pediatric nurse practitioner at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NY Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). Her focus was providing palliative and curative care for children with cancer and life-threatening hematological diseases. Throughout her career, she has been an advocate for integrative therapies, including interventions that promote healing.
Ria recognized that weaving could decrease stress and anxiety as well as enhance self-expression and coping skills. She established a weaving program, which was adaptable to different developmental, physical, and emotional needs, in the pediatric hematology/oncology clinic at CUMC. As an adjunct professor at Bank Street Graduate School of Education, Ria shares her expertise with child life students. She also volunteers in the Arts in Medicine Studio, in the Pediatric Neurology Clinic at CUMC.
SecretaryMarcia Kublanow
Board MemberRachel Moldauer
Board MemberSuzanne Person
Maurine Packard, M.D.
TreasurerMaurine is a retired pediatric neurologist whose private practice was affiliated with New York- Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell Medical School. Reflecting her previous careers as a general pediatrician then child development specialist, Maurine’s focus was on assisting families with children who had severe developmental disabilities and brain injuries access therapies that enabled each child to reach his or her full potential.
She discovered the uniqueness of weaving and was immediately drawn to this joyful, contemplative art form. She was impressed with the ease with which young children learned to weave on the SAORI loom, how involved and focused they became in the weaving process, and how proud they were of their creations. She recognized how accessible this technique would be for individuals with a variety of disabilities. In particular, the SAORI loom can be modified to accommodate those with motor challenges, her primary interest.
Marcia retired after a long career in both for-profit and nonprofit marketing communications. Her avocation has always been fiber arts. She worked as a manager in advertising/public relations agencies and as a vice president and manager of communications in Citicorp’s Corporate Finance Division. In the nonprofit sector, Marcia worked at Beth Israel Medical Center as a public relations manager and at the UJA-Federation of New York as a senior project manager in its Management Assistance Program, a department that recruits and matches skills-based volunteer consultants with UJA-Federation’s network of 100 agencies to solve their most pressing business, management, marketing, and technical issues.
A weaver herself, Marcia is pleased to be working with Intertwine Arts to bring this unique art form to nonprofit organizations that support accessibility.
Board MemberVictoria Manganiello
Victoria Manganiello is an artist and designer. She is also an educator, consultant, mentor for emerging artists, and much more. Her New York University MA is in Art Education and Community Practice and her BA Degree is from Skidmore College in Art History and Studio Art. She is the recipient of numerous prestigious grants and awards, most recently from the American Australia Association Arts Fund. Her work has been included in a number of solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally including Romania, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Austria, and Italy She is also a part-time assistant professor of textiles at Parson’s and New York University.
Victoria’s multi-disciplinary and installation work, abstract paintings, and kinetic sculptures are made meticulously with hand-woven textiles using hand-spun yarn and hand-mixed natural and synthetic color dyes alongside mechanical alternatives and modern technologies.
Victoria recently completed a residency program with the Textile and Design Alliance (TaDA) in Switzerland. Their purpose is to promote the encounter between contemporary art practice and traditional and innovative textile production.
Rachel is currently a manager at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in the office of Government and Community Affairs. In her role at the hospital, she supports community health engagement, and philanthropy and capacity building for nonprofit organizations across New York City and Westchester County.
Prior to her role at NewYork-Presbyterian, Rachel worked at Brooklyn Roasting Company, where she supported substantial growth across all areas of operations and strategy. During her time at the Company, Brooklyn Roasting was awarded the ADA Sapolin Employment Award by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for its ongoing partnership with Job Path, promoting inclusive employment opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Rachel is an avid weaver, cross-stitcher, and fiber arts enthusiast, carrying on the tradition of her grandmother, Anne Childs.
She is also an advocate for accessibility and disability justice, and has spoken on her personal experience with chronic illness and disability on panels during Disability Pride month. Rachel has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a Master in Public Administration in Health Policy from NYU. She is currently pursuing an Advanced Certificate in Disability Studies at the CUNY School of Professional Studies and is thrilled to be a Board Member with Intertwine Arts.
@abc_and_rac
Staff
Anna-Maie Southern
Anna-Maie is a trained textile practitioner with a specialism in woven fabrics and over 10 years of experience working within the textile field. She has experience working as a studio manager, teaching artist, and practicing maker. Her practice is rooted in a love of making and a belief in the value of shared creative spaces. She is committed to Intertwine’s mission of advocating for artists with disabilities and fostering more inclusive, accessible opportunities within the arts.
Creative Director
Claire Mysko
Claire is a nonprofit leader with a deep passion for health advocacy and creative expression. She draws on over two decades of experience in management, strategic planning, communications, and fundraising. Claire has a proven track record of building transformative partnerships, securing millions in funding, and using the power of narrative to elevate inclusive programs that promote healing and resilience.
CEO
Program DirectorDanaleah schoenfuss
Danah brings seven years of nonprofit experience, and an even longer background of artistic practice. Prior experience includes education positions at the New York Transit Museum, American Museum of Natural History, and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. She also has her own multi-medium arts practice, that explores her experience as a many-pronouned autistic person.
Teaching Artists
Volunteers
Advisors
Jane Bloom
Retired Museum Educator and Exhibit Developer
Teaching Artist
Amy Gazley, MPH
Founder and Principal, ARG Fundraising Consultants, LLC
Brandy Godsil
Cofounder, Intertwine Arts
Fiber Artist & Fashion Designer
Teaching Artist
Hannah Yael Katz
Grants and Education Manager at Dieu Donné
Juliet Martin
Juliet is a fiber artist who is a member of 440 Gallery in Brooklyn
Yukako Satone
Cofounder, Intertwine Arts
Owner, Loop of the Loom
Jill Schoenfuss
Grant writing/management and fundraising. Jill is also a multicrafter and a published knitwear designer for the hobby knitting industry.