Meet The Team

Our Staff

Carolyn Halpin-Healy, Executive Director

MA History of Art, Museum Educator, Adult Learning Specialist

With over 25 years’ experience as a museum educator, Carolyn Halpin-Healy founded Arts & Minds in 2010,…

Hollie Ecker, Senior Educator

BA in Art History from Wesleyan University, MA and MEd from Columbia University Teachers College

Hollie Ecker is a teaching artist and museum educator for visitors of all ages and abilities at…

Nellie Escalante, Senior Educator

BA in Art History and Latin American Studies, MA in Anthropology from Hunter College

Nellie Escalante helped establish Arts & Minds en Español to reach the Latinx community of people living…

Yasmin Mohamed, Programs and Operations Coordinator

BA in Art History, Arizona State University, MA in Museum Studies, Johns Hopkins University

Yasmin Mohamed has worked in museum education since 2010, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the…

Tony Gonzalez, Teaching Artist Community Engagement Specialist

Tony Gonzalez is a seasoned educator and a practicing visual artist. He has also managed education departments…

Manuela Gonzalez

An artist examining textiles in contemporary abstraction with a BFA from RISD and an MFA from Yale, has led Arts & Minds programs in Spanish and English since 2015.

Maya Jeffereis

Artist, educator, and museum consultant with 15 years of experience; work presented at the Hirshhorn Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and Noguchi Museum.

Steve Rivera

Museum educator and arts advocate focused on Latinx artists; holds a BFA and MFA from Hunter College and serves as a care companion.

Pilar Jefferson

Museum educator and scholar of Black and Indigenous art; a PhD student at UC Berkeley in the department of Ethnic Studies.

Laura Betancur

Expressive art therapist and transformative educator using arts for healing and social activism for over 15 years globally.

Portrait of a woman with glasses and curly hair against a plain background.

Sarah Mostow

Founding educator with Arts & Minds and co-author of "How Might You: Seeking Inquiry in the Museum Studio".

Idaliz Román Pérez, Ph.D.

Scholar and museum educator specializing in Caribbean literature and Latinx art; teaching artist for Arts & Minds since 2019.

Angela Garcia

Art historian, curator, and bilingual educator with over 20 years of experience; former Director of Curatorial Programs at Centro León.

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Rachel Crumpler

Joined the team in 2021 with an MA in art history from Stony Brook University; has taught with the Guggenheim, Whitney, and The Noguchi Museum.

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Joyce P. Visceglia, MSW

As the Consulting Social Worker at Arts & Minds, Joyce provides clinical expertise and coaches Arts & Minds staff and teaching artists on positive interaction in programs for people with dementia and their caregivers.

A woman in a black outfit looks thoughtfully to the side in a softly lit room.

Luned Palmer

Luned Palmer (she/her) joined Arts & Minds in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Swarthmore College and a Master of Science in Museum Education from Bank Street College. She currently facilitates all types of programs for all people at The Jewish Museum, The Noguchi Museum and with Arts & Minds. She has worked as a high school and elementary school teacher, graphic designer and curriculum designer.

Woman in white dress stands before a red circular artwork.

Daniela Gomez Paz

Daniela Gomez Paz is a Caleña-US mixed-media artist combining textile elements with painting and sculpture. She holds multiple degrees including an MFA from the Yale School of Art, where she received several awards and fellowships. Gomez Paz has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across NYC, Beijing, Milan, and CDMX.

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Babs Peisch

Babs Peisch teaches museum education programs for adults and youth across New York City. She is an educator with Arts & Minds, the Jewish Museum, and The Museum of Modern Art. Peisch has also worked with family and school audiences at the Brooklyn Museum. Babs holds a degree in Art History from Pomona College.

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Naemeh Shirazi

Naemeh Shirazi is a reflective museum professional, NYS-certified teacher, and art educator with over 15 years of experience collaboratively planning and facilitating art and design programs on 3 continents for individuals of varying intellectual, developmental, and linguistic abilities across the life span.