ABOUT

We are a non-governmental
organization

Project Attica brings communities together using artivist activities that combine art and activism in an effort to strengthen the cultural bonds that unite them. We activate spaces in neighborhoods with art-based opportunities that allow people to express the social justice issues that they are passionate about. We believe in using art as a tool for sparking conversations, activating spaces, and inspiring people around us to contribute unique experiences to their fellow community members who participate in our workshops.

Project Attica welcomes all communities to join our artivism activities. Since 2011, we have primarily engaged with Black, Latino, and immigrant communities in New York City, Colombia, Mexico, and Canada as well.

Opportunities for making art are so limited in Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) communities that we aim to artify that condition and give it an artivist spirit.  We create with youth and families inviting them to dig into their roots and celebrate their resilience. Project Attica allows us to take the tools of art and social justice to bring people together. To bring a sense of social justice activism coupled with the therapeutic benefits of art-making to communities that are constantly under attack is to allow for collective healing and increased understanding. This is what we seek to accomplish as an organization.

 

Mission

The idea of activism and art transformed into a formal arts-based organization devoted to working with underserved youth in order to teach them how they could use art to take a stand against the issues they felt passionate about. This is how the artivist workshop combined with social justice education took root.  Since then, Project Attica has grown into a collective of advocates, activists, community members and artists dedicated to spreading the message of using art to uplift peace, unity, strength and love.

Vision

Our heART believes that every human deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, compassion, honesty, kindness, peace, and Love.  We believe in a world where we take care of each other, where we are there for each other, where we understand that our lives are interconnected, that we are all one big family on planet earth. 

With the spark of art we celebrate our humanity, our culture, our beliefs, our bliss, our divine being.  communities where the opportunities for making art are so limited which further marginalizes the youth and families who live there.

We also envision a world without prisons and cages that tear apart our communities.  We strive for the abolition of prisons and all systems of oppression so that every human can co-exist in peace.

Our Story

Project Attica has led workshops on mass incarceration at Hunter School for Social work, presented at the Beyond the Bars Conference, worked with numerous not-for profit organizations across NYC, Colombia, Mexico, and Canada.

We have also presented numerous times at community centers and high schools on social justice issues using art as an educational tool.

We planted community-led murals that energized communities in Harlem, Corona, Jackson Heights, South Jamaica, Staten Island, and Medellin, Colombia.

BOARD MEMBERS

It is an honor and a privilege to build out our organizational goals with the lovely people below. Our board reflects the communities we serve.  We are BIPOC-African-American, Cherokee, Colombian, Mexican, Honduran, and Philippines. The lovely people on our board are committed agents of change in all of their communities.  Together we represent Harlem, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Anthony Posada

Founder and Art Director

Travis Montez

Creative Consultant - Juvenile Rights Expert

Nikki Gandhi

Social Media Manager

Matthew Brodwick

Arts Agitator

Marquis Black

Arts Agitator

Raul Segundo

Treasurer

Angela Torregoza

Creative Consultant

Takeasha Newton​

Arts Organizing Director

Kimberly Varela

Volunteer Coordinator

Jay Finkelman-Mahoney

Videographer and filmaker

Luz Areli Moreno

Web developer

Artivist Map

See More
Facebook Instagram Flickr

Anthony Posada

Founder and Art Directorrt

Anthony Posada (Founder and Art Programming Director) was born in Miami and raised in Medellin, Colombia and Queens, New York City.  He is a graduate of CUNY School of Law and is currently a supervising attorney at The Legal Aid Society where he works in the Community Justice unit working with community organizations and their participants throughout the five boroughs in legal representation and educational training in a variety of areas in the law. 

Anthony started Project Attica in 2010. After being targeted in his Jackson Heights neighborhood under the stop and frisk regime of the Bloomberg administration, Anthony decided to make art in order to spread awareness, create solidarity, and to empower underserved youth. 

Additionally, Anthony wanted to take a proactive stance against the crisis of mass incarceration by making social justice themed t-shirts which intentionally challenged viewers into questioning the state of mass incarceration, racism, oppression, and police-based violence in our society.

Anthony is a deep believer that art is a non-violent means of transforming our environments and this is the message he shares with workshop participants. 

Travis Montez

Creative Consultant - Juvenile Rights Expert

Travis Montez Johnson is a writer, poet, professor and juvenile rights attorney, representing children in the Family Court system of New York City. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Travis came to New York City in the late 90s to attend New York University where he pursued degrees in Journalism and Africana Studies. He graduated to NYU Law School in 2003 and is currently an attorney supervisor with the Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice.

Nikki Gandhi

Social Media Manager

Nikki Gandhi was born in Houston, Texas and graduated from University of Houston with a degree in Political Science. She moved to New York in 2021 and began working for the Legal Aid Society’s Community Justice Unit.

From a young age she showed interest in not just art and creation but a deep desire to change injustice in the world. In teaming up with Project Attica, she hopes to combine those two passions into one, using art as a vehicle for change and transformative emotion.

In her free time she dances, writes, and enjoys movies. She continues to work on improving her design skills to make new content for Project Attica

Matthew Brodwick

Arts Agitator

Matthew is a dedicated community advocate with a strong background in building relationships and bridging connections between organizations and the community. Matthew is skilled in communication, advocacy, and partnership development. He is committed to understanding the needs and concerns of community members and working collaboratively to address them. Experienced in coordinating events, programs, and initiatives that promote community engagement and well-being. Matthew is passionate about fostering positive relationships, promoting inclusivity, and advocating for the diverse and underserved voices within the community. Before joining Legal Aid, Matthew’s previous position was a credible messenger, where he engaged with the community to prevent recidivism and violence. He used personal experiences and relationships to intervene and de­escalate conflicts between youth and adults within at-risk communities. Matthew is skilled at building trust and rapport with individuals involved in high-risk behaviors and providing mentorship and support to guide them towards positive choices. In this role he was dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence and helping individuals realize their potential for growth and success.

Marquis Black

Arts Agitator

My name is Marquis Black but people callme blacco. I’m a formerly incarcerated,
ex-gang member who decided to changefor the better of myself and the
community – I got involved with Cure violence roughly 9 years ago, and been
changing the community norms ever since

Angela Torregoza

Creative Consultant

Angela Antonia Torregoza (Web and Social Media Development) was born and raised in the Philippines. She is a graduate of CUNY School of Law and is the founder of LegalEase.us, a boutique law firm providing services in immigration and small business support.

Prior to joining Project Attica, Angela served as the Executive Director of the theater and performing ensemble, Kinding Sindaw, resident artists at LaMaMa ETC, where her advocacy work focused on educating the public about the culture, traditions and the plight of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines and its interplay with the Philippine diaspora. 

Contributing as @venusinorbit, Angela writes about the intersection of law, art and social justice on 12ozProphet, an online magazine featuring articles, pictures, and interviews related to graffiti and street art. In her free time she writes and posts about art and social justice on her personal blog, on Instagram and on Buzzfeed.

Kimberly Varela

Volunteer Coordinator

Kimberly is a painter, writer, and singer currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She is from Bronx, NY and has exercised her love for art since a very young age mostly through the use of paintings and drawings. Kimberly has also worked with servicing communities in need of support as a Tow Fellow during her time at the Community Justice Unit of the Legal Aid Society. She now strives to use her knowledge of art and activism to inspire those in underserved communities to express themselves and their ideas as authentically as possible.

Jay Finkelman-Mahoney

Videographer and filmaker

I’m Jay Finkelman-Mahoney and I work as a documentary filmmaker, video editor and content creator. In the past I’ve helped produce video content and documentaries for the Legal Aid Society, The National Urban League and many other non-profits. In the long term I would like to see my work as a filmmaker have a meaningful impact on how our society deals with issues such as mental illness, class conflict and gender relations.

By putting a human face to social justice issues through the medium of documentary filmmaking.

Project Attica is important because it provides much needed support for people who are struggling with poverty, racism and other forms of systemic oppression.

Luz Areli Moreno

Web Developer

I am a web developer with key web designing skills, empathetic with a strong ability to be a team member, I adapt easily to the work environment.
I am passionate about Japanese culture and in love with nature, I feel that it is the greatest manifestation of God’s love.