Manager

New York University

Master of Arts | Arts Politics: Tisch School of the Arts
Department of Art & Public Policy

Eastern Michigan University

Bachelor of Science | Apparel, Textiles, & Merchandising, Fine Art

Programs Manager | Center for Book Arts | New York, NY (2018- Present)

In the three departments that I manage, I oversee three part-time staff, an instructor base of 20+ teaching artists, artist contractors, interns, and volunteers. I implemented a project management system using the platform, Wrike, to improve the efficiency of coordinating and documenting our programming. I also collaborate across other departments, leading joint programs and task delegation.

After notably shifting the audience demographic during my tenure, I initiated the Anti-racism, Equity and Accessibility efforts with the Center, to implement policies and procedures in the workplace, in the studios, and among our programming, citing restorative justice models and methodology. As a result, I currently sit on a task force that includes the Executive Director and members of our Board.

Education

• In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, built a robust revenue-generating online education program with lectures and workshops for bookbinding and printing.
• Implement pay-as-you-wish model for online classes, providing access to students and generous financial support for the instructor. Tuition sales grossing above the monthly average of in-person classes pre-Pandemic.
• Launched and co-organize self sustaining donation-based programs such as Book Talks and panel discussions, featuring academics and artists such as Julie Park, Delphine Fawundu and Tammy Nguyen, partnering with local arts and literary institutions such as Ugly Duckling Presse.
• Developed, fundraised, and implemented Book Arts Toward Liberation Series, four-part conversation series featuring Black Book Artists, curated by Black Lunch Table’s Heather Hart and Jina Valentine. Conversations include established and canonical artists and organizers such as Emory Douglas, Aimee Cox, and The Black School.
• Coordinate bi-annual seminars in Fine Press Publishing, juried and led by Master Printer Barbara Henry. Transitioned the program online as Creative Publishing Seminar for Emerging Writers, instructing the history, theory and practice of independent publishing. After an outpour of application responses, the program launched in August 2020, with writers tuning in from across the U.S. and across the world. Included guest speakers such as Nicole Delgado, April Sheridan, Brian Teare, and Krista Franklin. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response by participants, this will be a part of the Center’s regular programming.
• Launched first ever scholarship for certificate program: a two year intensive curriculum that grants tuition waivers to students with financial need.
• Revamped curriculum in Bookbinding and Letterpress, citing references from the Center’s publication: Bookforms, a comprehensive text on bookbinding practices, authored by our community of instructors.
• Lead yearly seminars dedicated to under-discussed topics in the Book Arts field. Arabic Type: Between Heritage and Modernity was curated by the leading scholar in Arabic Typography, Dr. Nadine Chahine in Winter of 2020––included a lineup of other scholars and practitioners from 5 different countries under a $10,000 budget. Was also live-streamed and viewed by hundreds across the world. The seminar in 2019 was Women in Publishing, led by Sarah Kirk Hanley with expert scholars from across NYC and the East Coast.
• Manage tour program & group workshops, bringing in public school and college-level students for regular tours and workshops of the Center.

Studio

• Manage the biannual Broadside Reading Series: facilitate collaborations between letterpress printers and poets to produce a series of poetry broadsides, which are revealed at poetry readings. I initiated documentation of artists’ creative, collaborative and labor processes of the broadsides production.
• Manage the yearly Chapbook Contest: Oversee the year-long, multi-phase program: manage a two-phase application review process that includes 3 preliminary-screeners: emerging and established poets in the field; and the final judge, who is usually a notable poet. Judges include Raquel Salas Rivera, Edwin Torres, and Simone White. Facilitate the production of limited edition chapbooks from the winning manuscript and a select unpublished manuscript by final judge. A Fall reading is held to commemorate the work of the judge, winner, runners up, and artists that produced the chapbook.
• Manage two yearly Artist-in-Residence programs– coordinate review panels of industry professionals, notable artists, staff, and community members to select the incoming residents. Coordinate orientations, resource allocations, quarterly check-in meetings, and critique groups. Facilitating residency alumni retention efforts.
• Oversee operations in Print Shop and Book Bindery: including the hourly, weekly and monthly studio rentals, stewarding and maintenance, and facilities rentals.
• Manage the communication and coordination of 20+ volunteer and intern base.

Exhibitions

• Manage and oversee 4 exhibition spaces that rotate exhibitions on a quarterly basis. Improved quality and appearance of exhibitions by implementing new installation methods and coordinating the fabrication and acquisition of new gallery furniture.
• Improved and streamlined exhibition paperwork: reconfigured artist and curator contracts, lender forms, consignment agreements, and other administrative correspondence and agreement forms.
• Coordinate and execute solo shows for established artists such as Jon Key, Wael Morcos, Clarissa Sligh, Warren Lehrer, Ben Denzer, and Faride Mereb.
• Coordinate and execute main gallery shows and commissioned writings from established curators and researchers such as Maymanah Farhat, Lila Nazemian, Deirdre Lawrence, Oscar Selguero, and Alison Karasyk.
• Transitioned catalog production to artist-led production process, in-house production methods to create an edition of limited edition, artist’s book-inspired books that document the exhibition.
• Expanded public programming and audience reach by initiating community partnerships, promotional methods, establishing press outreach protocols with the Marketing Manager.

Curator | The GAMA Collective—Gathering All Muslim Artists | New York, NY | 2017- Present

• Cultivate creative mission and strategic planning. Coordinate social media.
• Curate exhibitions and programs of American Muslim art. Liaise on behalf of artists and community partners. Successfully applied for fiscal sponsorship from the New York Foundation for the Arts. 

Teaching Artist, Writer, Community Organizer | Independent | Detroit, MI & New York, NY (2014- Present)

• Regularly organize and facilitate community workshops and discussions on identity, artistic expression, and professional development.
• Volunteer copy editor for Ugly Duckling Presse: reviewed works such as Emergency Index (performance art) and The End by Aditi Machado.
• New York University Islamic Center: develop programming with NYC Muslim community, developing and leading a curriculum on art workshops with themes of identity empowerment. Planned and executed 7-week online creative writing workshop at the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Michigan Opera Theater: costume instructor for Create and Perform theater program with Dearborn Public Schools.

Educator, Store Curator | Arab American National Museum | Dearborn, MI (2015- 2017)

• Trained docent. Facilitated forums, dialogues, workshops on Arab American art, culture, and poetics.
• Supported grant funded program with the American Alliance of Museums. Executed a curriculum on feminist theory and the technicalities of filmmaking with young women in Detroit and East Jerusalem.
• Improved store sales by implementing ethical values in the merchandising process and creating store protocol for revenue success. Created an exhaustive vendor list composed of artisans in the Arab world and diaspora.

• collaboration
• team building
• workflows
• copyediting
• program management

Curriculum Writing, event coordination, Exhibitions, program management, project management, residency, studio

Arabic, English