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/Executive Director) has been telling stories for 18 years in theatre and in the last 9 years, she has been telling the stories of poor and disadvantaged women and children. She received her Juris Doctor from New York Law School and has represented battered women and children in court. Heather created “Mommy’s Little Girls” a multi-media exhibit of opposing views and stereotypes of women, which debuted at the University of South Carolina to raise funds for women’s shelters. She developed and instructed an eight-week course titled “Molding Minerva,” sponsored by Fleet Bank, for at-risk teenage girls who explored female role models, through the dramatic arts. Finally, Heather was the Program Director of the theatre/dance department of Paul Newman’s Rowdy Ridge Gang Camp, which served women and children living in shelters.
In October 2007, Heather founded Artfully Unforgotten. Her work with Artfully Unforgotten has consisted of: the production of five multi media events, three short films and a book which serve to raise awareness and funds for Rwandan orphans, Afghan women and children and the Orthopedic Workshop Physiotherapy Center in Maimana, Afghanistan.
Heather is the current Development Officer for Franciscans International, which has General Consultative Status at the UN and brings the voices of the disadvantaged to the highest level. She is also proud to serve on the Advocacy Task Force of UNICEF's Working Group on Girls.
Danielle Savin (Artist Liason) 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.
Aubrie Fennecken (Marketing Assistant) 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.
Julia Blaukopf (Creative Consultant) has worked as a photographer and creative partner with organizations and businesses in Copenhagen, Kenya, Ghana, Lithuania and throughout the US. In 2005 Blaukopf worked with a community-run tree reforestation project in Kenya. A year later she traveled to Ghana to photograph for Women in Progress, a women’s empowerment organization. Her images of intimate moments between families, strangers in the city and local workers are aimed at creating an alternative documentary.
The photographs have exhibited in Copenhagen, as well as nationally, in New York, Philadelphia, Balitmore, and Portland, Oregon. Blaukopf has been honored with the New Courtland Fellowship, the First Person Arts Fellowship, the Center for Emerging Artists Fellowship, The Camera Club of New York Resident Artist Award, the Oregon College of Art & Craft Resident Photographer’s Award, Marymount College Resident Photography Award, and a Transcultural Arts Award. She has spoken about her international photographic work at The Print Center, School of Visual Arts, The Art Institute, University of the Arts, and Oregon College of Art and Craft. Publications include PDN Magazine, The Metro Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Weekly, and Philadelphia Magazine. http://www.juliablaukopf.com/
Kirsten Larvick (Co-Producer) is a film editor by trade. She brings her experience with not-for-profit NGOs and social issue documentary filmmakers to create emotionally charged media. Kirsten enjoys exploring ways in which media can develop into effective activism and collaboration, for the purpose of advocating for communities in need. She is thrilled to be a part of Artfully Unforgotten’s creative team.
BOARD of DIRECTORS
Heather Metcalfe (Founder/Executive Director)
Havona Madama (Chairman) advises clients in the entertainment and technology industries on a variety of matters, including intellectual property and licensing. She focuses on software, film, music and theatre clients, and regularly negotiates and advises on recording, publishing, production, employment, work-for-hire, and licensing agreements. Additionally, Havona advises on trademark and copyright matters and, in conjunction with co-counsel, oversees patent issues.
Havona is known for her pragmatic and inspiring advice, a product of her passion for the creative aspects of the entertainment industry, her keen business sense and her litigation experience. She is particularly passionate about helping clients balance creative sensibilities with business realities.
Havona’s clients include production companies, filmmakers, musicians, artists, directors, actors, technologists, and small business owners.
When she is not counseling clients, Havona is actively involved in efforts to increase participation of underrepresented groups in media and filmmaking, including development of the proposed Luke Scully Digital Film School, dedicated to the hands-on technical training of tomorrow’s filmmakers.
A native of San Francisco, Havona received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of New Mexico, and her J.D. (cum laude) from District of Columbia Law School.
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 was responsible for structured insurance and reinsurance solutions for corporate and financial institution clients, and for the management of Quanta’s Casualty, Program, Trade Credit and Political Risk businesses, all on a global basis. Jim has held similar positions managing insurance and derivatives businesses for Chubb Financial Solutions, Swiss Re, Fuji Bank, and others.
Jim has a keen interest in helping communities grow sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint. He is the co-chair of the Town of North Castle’s Global Warming Task Force.
Jim has BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Jennifer Bienstock Cohen has served as a litigation attorney for over 20 years, and is currently with Bartlett, McDonough, Bastone & Monaghan, LLP. Jennifer represents and advises doctors, hospitals, healthcare professionals and insurance companies in medical malpractice actions throughout New York State and in the Federal Courts. She has also defended doctors before the Office of Professional Medical Conduct. Jennifer is experienced in defending global pharmaceutical companies in drug product liability actions and mass tort litigation, automobile companies in general negligence cases and real estate landlords in lead paint litigation. Jennifer has a particular interest in helping children with special needs and their families to ensure that the children obtain the educational assistance they need from the public school system. In order to assist these children, Jennifer completed intensive training to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children in Foster Care or at risk of coming into the Foster Care system. In her spare time, she now works with the Family Court Judges to assess these children and make recommendations to the Family Court Judges as to future placement of, and services for, these children.
Jennifer was born and raised in New York and has a law degree from Brooklyn Law School . She is an avid tennis player and is the captain of her USTA tennis team.
Alanna Iacono
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.
Brooke Botwinick is currently the Manager of Special Events at The New York Historical Society. Previously, she worked for Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum managing all fundraising and campaign events. She has also studied acting and directing at both the British American Drama Academy and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Brooke has directed and produced numerous children’s theater productions at local community theatres, and was instrumental in spearheading a special needs theatre program at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center on Long Island.
Brooke continues to do freelance directing in Manhattan and Long Island. Her true passion lies in combining fundraising and events in support of the arts.
Brooke received her B.A. from Boston University in theater, and then went on to receive her M.A. from NYU in Educational Theatre.
John Coonrod is Vice President, Strategy and Impact of The Hunger Project. He was one of the first volunteers in The Hunger Project in early 1977, assisting in the research during the organizations formulation, and was then a volunteer leader in its enrollment, educational and financial family campaigns through 1984. In 1985, he joined staff to assist in opening the Global Office in New York and facilitate our work with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). John has been instrumental in the formulation and management of the Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger since 1986, and in the development of all Hunger Project programs. The board elected him Vice President in October 1997.
John grew up in the Midwest, and was trained as a physicist at Stanford (BSc) and the University of California-Berkeley (MS, PhD), during which time he was active in the civil rights and anti-war movement. He worked as a research physicist at Princeton University from 1978 through 1984. As a physicist, he was involved in the design and construction of the High-Energy Astronomical Observatory satellite, the first whole-body CAT scanner, and the first tokamak to achieve a break-even fusion reaction.
At a Hunger Project event, he met his colleague and future wife Carol. They were married in 1988 and are living happily ever after.
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.
Lauren Fine is a non-profit professional who specializes in community-based education, youth development, and cause-marketing. She has spent the past six years working with non-profits to help them effectively advocate for their cause by refining their programming and message.
She is the Education Director for the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation in Brooklyn, NY, where she is responsible for curriculum design, staff training, and budget management for the agency’s K-8 after-school program. She supervises site directors and teaching artists at five public school-based programs that serve over 850 children. Prior to her current position, Lauren was a Program Manager at the CityKids Foundation, where she oversaw the agency’s in-school youth leadership program, active in ten NYC public high schools. Previously, she served as the community outreach and education coordinator at HomeFront, where she created and marketed a philanthropic education program. This program continues to bring together corporations, schools, and thousands of volunteers to raise awareness and substantial funds to fight homelessness in New Jersey.
She holds a B.S. in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University.
