Administrative Team
Martha Bowers
Executive Director
Maria Soriano
Education Director
Leslie Trotter
Marketing Director
Jordan Campbell
Media Programs Director
Justin Brown
Office Manager
Justin A. Brown is a NYC based writer and filmmaker. Justin studied Film/Video at the High School of Art & Design and holds a bachelor’s in Media, Society and the Arts with a minor in Screenwriting from SUNY Purchase.
Storytelling remains Justin’s preferred art form which he has demonstrated range in with short stories such as, Coco Cherry Mango Rembo and Liminal, Lucid and Lovely; and with such poems as Sunspot and Useless. While contributing to Hook Arts Media’s initiatives to encourage expression and skill building in the arts, he also develops his own skills and passions with his magazine, ‘The Signature Reader’.
Jasmine Szympruch
Workforce Development Consultant
Jasmine is a queer artist-activist and communal storyteller based on unceded Lenape land in Brooklyn, NY, devoted to unearthing varied perspectives of what it is to be human. Jasmine strives to center joy, liberation, healing, and a reclamation of our relationship to the land in their collaborations.
Current Teaching Artists
Cornelio Joseph
Drumming Teaching Artist
Selena Tornez
Dance Teaching Artist
Born in Queens, NY. Raised in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Based in Brooklyn, NY. Selena Tornez is a professional latin dance performer and choreographer specializing in Salsa, Bachata & Latin Hustle.
Her love for dance is limitless and she’s also trained in various forms of dance such as Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Afro Cuban, Hip-Hop, & Mexican Folklore.
Selena has performed and choreographed internationally in countries such as France, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Panama & more.
She was a dancer in the movie “In The Heights” by Lin Manuel Miranda- Dir. John Chu. Production by “Warner Bros”.
Albert Areizaga
Visual Arts Teaching Artist
Born in 1956 at Lincoln Hospital, Bronx, NY to traditional Puerto Rican parents, Albert grew up watching his father draw. He started drawing at a very early age. When he was in the first grade his teacher asked the students to draw a picture for their respective areas in the cloak room. Albert drew an Indian Chief that impressed his teacher so much so that they contacted his parents. He has through his entire life continued to create art in one form or another.
While still in High School, Albert joined the military and departed home a week after graduation as a means to help pay for his continuing education. He initially served
in as a reservist in the Army National Guard and in 1981 went on active duty until his
retirement in 2001 as a Master Sergeant E-8.
He attended college classes at night during his military service and graduated
from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY with a degree in Art and Science. While attending college, Albert also took a photography course and would become a professional photographer and graphic designer.
Throughout Albert’s life, there has been an insatiable desire to create art, a desire that has never really subsided. When he retired from the military in 2001, he began a new career as a professional photographer and graphic designer. After a 12 year hiatus from painting to concentrate on photography and graphic design, he suddenly got the urge to
paint again about six years ago. He’s been painting regularly since. Albert is also a poet who has been published by CENTRO (The Hunter College Center for Puerto Rican Studies.)
He is currently teaching art at the South Brooklyn Community High School.
Gil Rios
Film Teaching Artist
Gil Rios is a highly acclaimed filmmaker, director, and video editor known for his exceptional ability to bring captivating stories to life through his videos. Gil Rios is an Award winning Filmmaker adding recognition to his name, including the coveted Best Web Series award at the Hip-Hop Film Festival, Gil is widely regarded as one of the most talented and innovative creators in the industry today.
Throughout his career, Gil has collaborated with a wide range of clients and partners, including major publications such as The Rolling Stone, The Source Magazine, Hot 97, and Fox 5 News, among others. His work has been featured on a variety of platforms, He has also taught film for one of the most popular non for profit organizations in the world which is Lincoln Center, and he has gained a large and enthusiastic following for his unique approach to storytelling and his unwavering commitment to quality and excellence.
Looking ahead, Gil is committed to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of film and video, and to making an enduring impact on the industry as a whole. Whether working on large-scale productions or small-scale passion projects, he brings his trademark energy, passion, and creativity to every project he undertakes, and he is regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative voices in the world of film today.
Felicia Cade
Spoken Word Teaching Artist
Justus Snyder
Film Teaching Artist
Justus Snyder was born into the world of film when shortly after being brought into the world, was brought into the starring role of his mothers graduate film thesis at NYU “The Baby That Ate My Day.”
Since then he has always pursued a role in film and the performing arts, from studying at one of NYC’s performing arts high schools to then going on to get his BFA at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Film & Television with a minor in Creative Writing.
He has worked on professional and personal projects but finds that working with the next generation of filmmakers to be the biggest reward. Having worked as teaching artist with Film At Lincoln Center, Spoke The Hub, The Center School, and currently at Hook Arts Media helping facilitate programs that teaches short filmmaking as visual literacy in and outside of different public schools around the city making sure the filmmakers of tomorrow find their voice today.
Teaching Artists
Henry Arroyo
Khalidiah Asanté
Jabari Asanté
Jordan Campbell
Daniel Carlton
Trace dePass
Andre Esannason
Tamara Fingal
Will Focus
Excel Garner
Lyndon Harewood
Cornelio Joseph
Rajonna Lewis
Roee Messinger
Michael Mohamed
Jive Poetic
Austin Trapp
Erin Vassilopoulos
Board of Directors
Board President: Sam Sills
Secretary: Audrey Anastasi
Treasurer: Elise Bernhardt
Nyeema Bailey
Martha Bowers
Christopher Brown
Corinthia Carter
Kamau Ware Louric Rankin
Consultants
Bryony Romer (Development)
Interns
None Currently
safety Policies
Please find Hook Arts Media’s Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy and Combat Harassment Complaint Form below:
- Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy [downloadable pdf link]
- Combat Harassment Complaint Form [downloadable pdf link]
Please find Hook Arts Media’s Airborne Infectious Disease Prevention Policy: