Hope Chávez
Executive Director
(she/her/ella)
Hope is a creative producer, facilitator, and non-profit arts leader. Hope is called to center joy and justice to shift systems of power to radically support the underserved culture makers in her community. Her highlight reel includes adventures at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Associate Producer) and Long Wharf Theatre (Director of Artistic Planning). Hope serves as Co-President of The New Haven Pride Center's Board and as an advisory council member with Accountability for Abundance ( Theatre Communications Group).
Winter Marshall
Operations Director
she/her/hers
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Rebekah Moore
Program Director
she/her
Rebekah, a New Haven native, is known for her vibrant spirit, welcoming aura, and devotion to youth and community. She graduated from Southern CT State University with a Bachelors in Psychology & is the co-owner of #ThaTeam Podcast and is their Program Manager. She is passionate about uplifting artists by pushing them to their fullest potential. As Program Director, her goal is to fill the need for artistic creativity and engage the community in all artforms.
Lucy Gellman
Consulting Editor, Arts Paper
she/her/hers
Lucy is a lapsed art historian who loves wordplay almost as much as community building. Prior to her time at The Arts Paper she was a reporter at the New Haven Independent and station manager at WNHH Community Radio, where she still produces and hosts Kitchen Sync, a show about food and New Haven.
Max Hunt
Administrative Aide
He/Him/His
Max serves as the Administrative Aide at the Arts Council. His past work is primarily in nonprofit theatre directly supporting artists both local and international. He loves dogs and the beach.
Abiba Biao
YAJI Program Director
she/her
Abiba is a freelance, New Haven-based photojournalist. An alum of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative, she is passionate about journalism education, newsroom diversity, and community reporting. She graduated from Southern CT State University with a Bachelors in Public Health and is interested in science communication and health journalism. Her writing has appeared in the Arts Paper, the Yale Daily News, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven Independent, and Snopes among other outlets.
Francisco Mendoza
Contributing Editor, Arts Paper
he/him
Francisco Mendoza is an Argentinian-born, Brazilian-raised writer. His writing has been published in outlets such as The Brooklyn Rail, American Theater Magazine, and The Dramatist Quarterly. He's the founder of The Downtown Beat, a publication covering the art world. He's a co-founder of the Immigrant Theatermakers Advocates initiative, which seeks to create a more immigrant-welcoming theater industry. notrealmendoza.com / itainitiative.org
Zoe Jensen
Contributing Editor, Arts Paper
she/her
Zoe Jensen is the founder and co-editor of Connectic*nt, organizer of the New Haven Zine Fair, and musician. Since 2021, she has reported on Connecticut arts and related topics through her zine, from Matthew Feiner's Slow Down signs to housing issues. Alongside her reporting, she served in press and communications related roles around the state, from Communications Director for Caroline Tanbee Smith to Audience Strategist at Love146. A University of Connecticut graduate, she lives in New Haven with her perfect cats, Birdie and Barry.
