Team at Hook Arts Media| Admin Staff, Teaching Artists, Consultants

Administrative Team

Martha Bowers

Executive Director

Martha is an award-winning arts educator (Brooklyn Arts Exchange BAXten Award 2002, NYC Education Chancellor Rudolph Crew’s Community Caring Award 1999). After studying under Bessie Schonberg at Sarah Lawrence College, she formed her company, Martha Bowers Dance/Theatre/Etcetera. In New York, her work has been presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, DTW’s Bessie Schonberg Theater( now New York Live Arts), PS 122, St. Mark’s Church, Central Park Summerstage, amongst many other venues. She is a recipient of choreographic fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (`84, `88, `96), the New Jersey State Council for the Arts (`84), and the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Art, and has received commissions for new works from the Jerome Foundation (through DTW’s “First Light” program), the Maine Festival, Mayfair, Dancing in the Streets, the Gowanus Arts Exchange and the Wagon Train Project, among others. Since 1994, Ms. Bowers has focused her work on the creation of large-scale site-specific events, and is noted for her 20 years of work as an artist and educator in Red Hook, Brooklyn. From the mussel boats of Wexford, Ireland to the train yards of Nebraska, her performance events have brought a prismatic view to locations and ways of life that challenge audiences to uncover latent meaning in familiar surroundings. Her site-specific performance work Angels and Accordions designed for Brooklyn’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery was selected by the Municipal Arts Society NYC 2010 Annual Awards Committee to receive a Certificate of Merit that recognizes “people, places, organizations and momentous events that have, in our view, made an exceptional contribution to the life of New York City.” Ms. Bowers has worked extensively in the field of arts education and community arts since 1981. From 1982-2002, she made annual visits to Ireland to work as a community dance artist, creating choreography for a variety of groups in both the north and south. From 2003-2005, she was an Education Consultant for The Kitchen. Currently, she teaches courses on Site-Specific Art/Performance as an adjunct professor at NYU’s Gallatin School for Individualized Study and at the Tisch School of the Arts. As a Teaching Artist and Arts Education consultant, Martha has designed, implemented and taught in arts education programs throughout the New York City public school system for Dancing in the Streets, the Brooklyn Arts Exchange, the Lincoln Center Institute and Dance Theatre Etcetera. From 2006-2007, she also structured the Third Millennium Foundation’s Dance for Tolerance project launch, which brought together marginalized youth from Colombia, Brazil and Brooklyn to showcase innovative global programs that use dance as a means of tolerance education here in New York City. A frequent guest artist, Martha has taught choreography and community arts at many colleges and universities including Rutgers, Cornell, Trinity College, Queens College, Antioch, and Colorado College among others. Ms. Bowers has been honored with a 2002 BAXten Award in Arts Education, Chancellor Rudolph Crew’s 1999 Community Caring Award and six New York Foundation for the Arts Artist in the School Community grants. She continues to work in collaboration with Dance Theatre Etcetera’s many non-profit partners on programs and cultural events that serve the community of Red Hook.[/su_expand

Leslie Trotter

Marketing Director

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Leslie Trotter is an artist and entrepreneur, who produces global content, products and immersive experiences, rooted in transformation design. Her work seeks to dismantle colonial perceptions of communities of color using art as the catalyst for change.

She is a Pratt Institute Fellow and holds an MFA in Communication Design from Pratt Institute. Leslie is a Pharrell Williams Black Ambition Award Winner for her social impact startup which connects highly skilled, untapped artists to the global market through strategic product development partnerships.

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Jordan Campbell

Media Programs Director

Jordan Campbell is an NYC-based Filmmaker, Photographer, and Educator. He is the founder of the film criticism site bougiereviews.com and production house Bougie Productions. He graduated from Rutgers in 2015 with a degree in Visual Arts and a specialization in Media and Digital Filmmaking. In 2015 Campbell studied independently under media artist and Guggenheim fellow Natalie Bookchin, where he began to work not solely on single-channel film projections, but to put media in a space with multi-channel film installations.

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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.

Documentaries they’ve helped produce have been distributed by Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, Disney+, and PBS and premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, DocNYC, and Tribeca. Jasmine has guest lectured at Pratt Institute, contributed to numerous panels organizing around social and environmental justice work, and is also a founding member of the independent media group, The Irregulars, as well as a founding member of the grassroots Nature-based solutions organization, Friends of Fort Defiance. When they’re not working on films Jasmine can be found writing and performing poetry, rock climbing, bike-dancing through the streets, on their rooftop gardening or out in the world laughing with trees.

Current Teaching Artists

Cornelio Joseph

Drumming Teaching Artist

Cornelio Joseph is also known as OmgCornelio because he never cease to impress. He’s 27 years old, from Brooklyn New York and raised in Panama. A phenomenal drummer, tap dancer, and host, Cornelio’s starred in Stomp NYC and DJ’d and drummed for artists we listen to daily. After meeting Barack Obama, his love for music transitioned into being a great teacher. You can now find him at East Brooklyn Community High School and in the Toronto Raptors “6ixsticks” drumline.

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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

Felicia Cade is an professional performance poet making her mark in New York. Known for her evocative work, she gained prominence as LA’s “Voice of the People” and has since earned international acclaim.

Felicia has performed at prestigious events like London’s “Million Woman’s March,” South London’s “Flo Vortex,” and Ghana’s National Nkombon Festival. In New York, she has won seven slam poetry titles and serves as a host at the renowned Nuyorican Poets Cafe.

A passionate advocate for Women’s Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Social Justice, and Mental Health, Felicia uses her platform to amplify marginalized voices.

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.