Artfully Unforgotten was founded in October 2007
as a non-profit organization registered under the laws of the State of New York
OUR TEAM
Heather Metcalfe (Founder) served as the Executive Director of Artfully Unforgotten from October 2007 - November 2010, during which she led the Artfully Unforgotten team in raising funds and advocating for Rwandan orphans and Afghan women.Based upon her in-country research she directed and produced GISIMBA, a film about a Rwandan orphanage and VOICES OF AFGHANISTAN, a film about the struggles and accomplishments of Afghan women, as well as a book by the same title. GISIMBA & VOICES OF AFGHANISTAN served as the basis for six multimedia exhibits Heather developed in partnership with institutions including, Parsons The New School for Design, Best Buy and New York Law School, together with hundreds of NYC artists.Heather also produced a promotional video for the International Assistance Mission’s Orthopedic Workshop Physiotherapy Center in Maimana, Afghanistan and coordinated and raised funds for a wheelchair basketball clinic at the center. Currently, Heather serves as a Development Officer at Franciscans International (FI), an NGO with General Consultative Status at the United Nations. She travels throughout the United States, developing strategic partnerships, giving presentations on women’s empowerment and the Universal Periodic Review, as well as raising funds. She developed the “Hear It From the Expert” online lecture series, bringing awareness to FI’s work at the United Nations and is producing a video advocacy campaign about Member States efforts to combat the trafficking of persons. She also serves on the Advocacy Task Force of UNICEF's Working Group on Girls, where she lobbies Permanent Missions to the United Nations.Heather holds Bachelor of Science from Loyola Marymount University and a Juris Doctor from New York Law School, as well as studied abroad in Kenya with the National Outdoor Leadership School.
Heather's articles on the "Voices of Afghanistan" project:
Kirsten Larvick (Executive Director) is a freelance film editor by trade. She balances her social issue documentary work with independent filmmakers and non-profit video awareness projects, with her position at Artfully Unforgotten. She continues to build a portfolio of non-fiction storytelling focused primarily on women’s and children’s subject matters. Kirsten has worked with a number of award-winning filmmakers, with who she has explored narratives around gender and social roles, education, sex trafficking and gender inequality. At Artfully Unforgotten, Kirsten draws on this experience in her role as Executive Director, where she joins forces with a strong and diverse team of artists, activists and entrepreneurs who bring relevant and powerful stories of women and children to new audiences.
Julia Blaukopf is a photographer, artist and designer. She creates social art and focuses on visual storytelling through photographs, mixed media works, jewelry and large-scale fabric installations.Her focus is on emblems that compose the everyday; she chronicles the lives of workers, farmers, and families, blurring the line between what it means to document real life and create fine art. She has photographed for a women’s empowerment organization in Ghana, a reforestation project in Kenya, and collaborated with artists and organizations alike in Lithuania, Denmark and the United States.Her photographs have been exhibited internationally, in Munich and Copenhagen, as well as nationally, in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Portland, Oregon. In 2010, Julia launched Julia Pearl Designs LLC, an arts-products venture that pushes the boundaries to re-envision the possibilities for social art and photo-based products.
Aubrie Fennecken is a theater professional exploring new ways to present theater and its role as a force for positive change in the world. While studying Music Theatre at American University she performed in the Volkov International Theater Festival in Yaroslavl, Russia and in numerous productions in Washington, DC. Recently she performed with The Shadowbox Theater in Manhattan and also served as Assistant to the Production Manager. She currently works for the Early Stages Program, Inc., working to bring the magic of live performances to New York City Public School students. Aubrie holds two Bachelor of the Arts degrees from American University in Performing Arts: Music Theatre and Psychology.
Clara Jablonski currently works in a Human Resources role for an international law firm, but also maintains a deep-rooted passion for the nexus of where the arts and communications meet the international development sphere. While Clara’s prior work has included freelance writing in the UK, Trinidad and NY, her belief in the power of intercultural experience have also brought her to teach English in Chile and volunteer in the public health sector in Argentina. In addition, Clara enjoys travel photography, although her ‘list of places visited’ is far from complete.
Clara holds a MS in Global Affairs with a concentration in Human Rights from NYU and a BA in Rhetoric from SUNY Binghamton. Her Masters thesis explored the impact that the delicate use of journalism training, community radio and participatory video can have in fostering dialogue and rebuilding fractured societies.
Danielle Savin is currently a yoga instructor in New York City. She is also an artist, working in both photography and mixed media. She has a film degree from Hunter College, with experience in both the TV/Film and Theater industries.
Danielle has been involved in the restaurant industry for over 10 years. With extensive managerial and organizational skills, she enjoys putting projects together that support the arts. Her passion is to continue to travel and grow through creative cultural exchanges.
BOARD of DIRECTORS
Heather Metcalfe (Founder)
Kirsten Larvick (Executive Director)
James Olivo (Treasurer) is currently Director of the Strategic Advisory Group for Alan Gray, Inc., providing structured finance, capital markets and business development consulting to a variety of clients in the insurance markets. Prior to this, Jim was President of the Structured Products and Programs Division of Quanta US Holdings. He has held similar positions managing insurance and derivatives businesses for Chubb Financial Solutions, Swiss Re, Fuji Bank, and others.
Jim has BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Danielle Savin
ADVISORY BOARD
Kirsten Berkman is currently the New Works Director of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. Formally of The Araca Group, Broadway production company, Kirsten was Head of Development and the Marketing Manager. Shows she worked on with Araca included The Wedding Singer, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Shout! The Mod Musical, The Good Body, and night' Mother. Before that Kirsten worked at The Lark Play Development Center as Director of Arts Learning and Community Relations in charge of all educational programming, marketing and community development. She has also worked on many new shows as an independent producer.
Kirsten holds a BA from Northwestern University and her Masters degree in Educational Theatre from NYU. She is Vice President of the board of Vital Theatre Company and serves on the board of Immediate Vision.
Lesley Mazzotta is a producer and writer with over fifteen years experience conceiving and implementing special events, education programs, themed experiences and fundraising benefits in the entertainment industry. From six years, she served as Producing Director of Camp Broadway , an award winning theater arts education company. She has been an associate producer on and off Broadway and in London . In 2007, Lesley helped create After The Storm, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that provides financial aid, managerial support and event programming to community centers in New Orleans that are working with children and the arts. Most recently, Lesley created the education curriculum for Character Project, USA Network’s ongoing artistic initiative, celebrating American Diversity. Lesley is a member of The Broadway League, where she serves on the education committee.
Anne Toomey has worked closely with the issues of community empowerment, international development and environmental sustainability for the past decade, which has sent her back and forth between Latin American and the East Coast countless times. After college, she moved to Mexico City where she worked as the coordinator of International Development and Commerce with Bioplaneta, a Mexican non-profit that links socially-responsible buyers with environmentally-friendly producers for fair trade within Mexico and abroad. Her experiences in Latin America have also included extensive volunteer work with human rights advocacy through Amnesty International and sustainable living through a six-month stay at Tierra del Sol, a permaculture farm in the valley of Oaxaca.
In 2006, she received a fellowship through the Environmental Protection Agency as part of her graduate studies with American University to carry out sustainable development research in the rural community of El Arenal, Nicaragua.
Anne holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island and a M.A. from the University for Peace in Costa Rica. She is currently working as a writer in Brooklyn, NY.
