Bhawin Suchak
YouthFX Director
(518) 221-8343
bhawin@grandarts.org

Bhawin Suchak is an educator, filmmaker and multimedia producer who works with emerging digital technologies as tools to further expression, communication and connection. Bhawin has been a teacher at the Albany Free School for 10 years and is the founder and project director of Youth FX, a summer filmmaking programs for teens based out of Grand Street Community Arts, a neighborhood based non-profit arts center in the South End of Albany, NY. He has worked with adults and youth in digital film production and multimedia at several locations including: The Albany Free School, 1skate Media Arts in Albany, the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy and the Museum Club after-school program at the New York State Museum. Bhawin has produced several short films and is the co-director of Free to Learn, a feature length documentary about the Albany Free School.

Gaetano Vaccaro
YouthFX Co-Director
(518) 331-1989
gaetano@grandarts.org

Gaetano is the YouthFX Co-Director. In the past he has worked with GSCA through the Albany United Methodist (AUMS) AmeriCorps National Program. After this ended, YouthFX received a NYSCA grant and other generous donations, making it possible for him to stay on with his position. Besides work at GSCA, Gaetano is an accomplished musician who tours with Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde.

Rana Morris
Youth Organics Director
(518) 495-5055
rana@grandarts.org

Rana Jennifer Morris was born on a farm and grew up in Valatie, NY. She studied water ecology, climbed giant trees, and did lots of protesting while at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. She has been working with Youth Organics since 2007 and thinks that growing your own food and eating healthy are great ways to subvert the system and sharing the knowledge of how to do so is an important step towards remedying the inequalities in our society. Rana is also a knitting, fire-spinning, accordion-playing mother of one.

Dylan Boyce
Vacant Lot Project Coordinator
dylan@grandarts.org

Dylan Boyce has been an active member in the Capital District for sometime now. He is deeply connected with the community and is active in Radix Ecological Sustainability Center and their workshops, the Furnace (a collective community space on Grand Street dedicated to action-oriented, local, sustainable, empowering events and projects), and the Ironweed Collective. When he’s not running around the Vacant Lots, you can find him walking dogs with Hounds on the Hudson.

Karece Powers
YouthARTS
Grand Street Kids Club C0-Director
karece@grandarts.org

Liz Carivan
YouthARTS
Grand Street Kids Club Co-Director
lizcarivan@grandarts.org

Elizabeth has many years experience working with youth. For 12 years, she worked at a residential YMCA camp, instilling her deep love of working with children in a strong and supportive community. Currently, she is the Director of the Harriet Tubman Democratic High School located in the South End of Albany. Elizabeth loves reading, film, theater, contemplating humanity, laughing, and spending time with her family and friends.

Ira McKinley
Resident Filmmaker
iramckinley@yahoo.com

Ira is well known in Northampton, MA for his work as an Arts Promoter/ Producer; an Advocate for Homeless in Northampton; and also is also winner of a 2009 Northampton Arts Council’s grant for an “Emerging Film Maker”, he used grant funds for a summer concert series, every Friday afternoon in Pulaski Park featuring local artists and musicians. In Albany, McKinley continues his activist work with his collaborative Social Change in Mind, a network of organizations and individuals seeking social justice within the Capital Region.