Donating Artists

2008
Art with a Purpose #1 at Casa Frela Art Gallery, April 5, 2008

DJ Godjothai
Since the age of 10, he had the musical instinct to make people dance during big family meetings. Preferring music to university, he drew attention to himself during Leonardo de Vinci’s School parties, where he succeeded to Martin Solveig’s residency by introducing a RnB session for the first time. He carried on parties on the biggest Parisian night clubs (Queen, Wagram, Duplex, Garden, Six Seven…). 2002 : Dj Godjothai becomes a resident Dj in the Freedom, an Irish pub with a strong Rock background. As one goes along, he introduces House and Hip-Hop sets there, making him able to become more eclectic because he can mix up funk, disco and RnB music during the same night. That’s where he got to know Dj Spicy which will introduce him to World Music. Two years later, as a resident Dj of the Asian Club, Dj Godjothai adds up RnB and House sessions to the usual lounge music played there. He is also in charge of musical programming during Asian Club private parties, with partners such as Casting Mag, NRJ Asian Star or Radio FG. Being a big fan of 96/97 RnB music, he makes a mixtape named “Yen Na”, with a collaboration of Big Ali (Rock this Party). All the hits of that period can be found there (SWV, Yvette Michelle, Alfonso Hunter…). In addition, his Dj Crew (Dj Nosta, Dj Assad, Dj Milouz) participated on the mixtape. 2005 : Destination Los Angeles to make the warm up of the Viper Room (Johnny Depp’s local), and the Mood, a night club located on Hollywood Boulevard. During the Feria Milano, Dj Godjothai is invited to Italy for a musical event in relation with the Asian Club. 2006 : New York !!! Big Apple opens its doors with a residency in the Lotus, a place know for having international stars as regular customers. Dj Godjothai multiplies his appareances with Massaï’s Prod events in Martinique. He also starts working on musical production (House and RnB) while continuing his residency at the Asian Club. Dj Godjothai works as sound’s producer for the most popular radio show in France (RTL) with Laurent Boyer. 2007 : Dj Godjothai is resident Dj on the prestigious “Bal de l’Eté” in Monaco, in the presence of Prince Albert. On the other hand, he launches mix sessions named “Mashup” in Lotus Club (NYC), and he also mixes live from Brooklyn for Skyrock Radio in Dj Spank’s (NTM, B.O.S.S.) show. In Paris, Dj Godjothai enlives the biggest asian parties in the city, specially Asia Folie’s ones. This fame allowed him to perform in Saigon’s VIP Club, in his country of origin.

Rachel Gogel, graphic designer
Born and raised in Paris, France, recent graduate of University
of Pennsylvania with substantial graphic, web and publishing experience.
Worked on a range of projects from layout design to branding campaigns.
Submitted numerous t-shirt designs to competitions she won on UPenn campus as well as conceptualize several projects for the Fine Arts Department in the School of
Design. Worked at two publishing houses two summers in a row, developed a strong interest in pursuing a career in magazine layout. Aspires to work with artists and individuals who want to make their ideas come to life through the power of design.

Zehava Goldberg, Adjunct Instructor, History of Art
BA, Hofstra University; MA, Hunter College, City University of New York; MPhil, The Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York

Edward Hamel

Abraham Heisler, filmmaker, videographer, educator
Abraham Heisler studied film at Syracuse University and New York Film Academy and received acclaim around the world for his work. His short, Danny and the Ocean, was highly praised at the LA International Children’s Film Festival. Social activism, spiritual yearning, and finding answers within are central themes in all of Mr. Heisler’s work.

Kenneth Mitchell, painter
Born and raised in the northern Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem, Kenneth Mitchell took private art lessons as a child. While attending New York City’s prestigious High School of Music and Art, Mitchell also studied under well-known African American artists Norman Lewis and Betty Blayton, in the government-sponsored Harlem Youth (Har-You) Act/Arts and Culture Program; at the Arts students League; the Brooklyn Museum School; and won a Residency Award at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Mitchell was awarded a full scholarship to the School of Visual Arts, NY and continued his studies at the Parsons School of Design, N.Y. His work has been shown at the Salon de Expace, Brooklyn N.Y.(group show, 2006); Calabar Imports, Brooklyn, N.Y. (solo show, 2006); Robert Miller Gallery, N.Y. (group show, 2005); MoCADA Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y. (group show, 2005); “Post Cards from the Edge,” Brent Sikkema Gallery, N.Y. (group show, 2004); “Post Cards from the Edge,” Canson-Taleus/Gallerie Le Long, N.Y. (group show, 2003); “A Day Without Art,” Folk Art Museum, N.Y., (group show: artist’s talk and slide presentation, 2003), Mitchell’s work is in the permanent collection of GlaxoSmithKline; his mural is featured prominently at Brooklyn Hospital, Family Program, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Matthew Neff, mixed media artist
Matthew Neff is a mixed media artist living and working in Philadelphia. He currently teaches printmaking, manages the print shop and the Common Press at the University of Pennsylvania. Matthew received his M.F.A. in 2005 from the University of Pennsylvania, a B.F.A. from Indiana University in 2002, and a B.A. in Art History from Indiana University in 2002. Matthew’s recent exhibition history includes, 28 Degrees, Icebox Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Naked Paper, Tower Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Small Wonders, CFEVA Group Show, Philadelphia, PA Faculty Work for Summer Art Studios, Addams Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Flicker, Tower Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Mixed Media, Mixed Company: Conjunctions at the Common Press, Rare Books Library, UPenn Design Philadelphia, F.E.U.L. Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Folio 2007, University of Pennsylvania Print shop Project Space, Philadelphia, PA En Masse, Bebe Benoial Gallery, Philadelphia, PA CEVA New Work, The Galleries at Moore College, Philadelphia, PA and Sugar Buzz, Curated by Susan Hoeltzel, Lehman College, Bronx, NY Philadelphia Vernacular Spectacular Extravaganza, Curated by Gabriel Martinez, Philadelphia, PA and the Philagraphika Exhibition at the William Penn Foundation, Philadelphia, PA. Matthew’s work with the Common Press will be featured in Print Magazine’s Regional Design Annual in November of 2007. His awards and fellowships include the Center For Emerging Visual Artists Career Development Fellowship, the Larry Shprintz Award for Excellence in an Artistic Medium, the Glaubinger Fellowship from the Indiana University Art Museum/Department of Art History, and a summer internship from the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

padre who rocked for us at our Art with a Purpose 2 event, May 29, 2009

Thenji Nkosi, documentarist
Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi is a New York and Johannesburg based artist.

Issa Nyaphaga, painter
Issa uses diverse forms of artistic expression such as photography, painting, documentary and filmmaking to make portraits of artists who have faced persecution in their home country and have sought asylum in a new country. Before leaving Cameroon, Issa was imprisoned and tortured for his political cartoons in a local newspaper; he is a founding member of African Journalists in Exile and a resident artist at freeDimensional.

Carissa Pelleteri, photographer
Brooklyn, New York native, Carissa Pelleteri’s photography reflects a fond nostalgia, wherein, the past nurtures the present. During the mid-eighties Carissa, first began to explore the ephemeral nature of memory and ways in which to document her surroundings. In the beginning, her subjects were limited to dear friends, classmates, and family, given this started as a childhood compulsion at age 10. For over a decade she has been expanding her oeuvre to include a nuanced style of location and studio work.

Carissa’s work has appeared in BlackBook, Bust, Giant, Trace, Time Out NY and Lodown.

Clients include Simon and Schuster, Random House and Kill Rock Stars. Her work has been shown in galleries such as Deitch Projects, D’Amelio Terras, The Artists Space and Agnes B Gallery, Paris.

Jeff Priester

Yusef Ramirez