BOARD OF DIRECTOR-2014-2015

 Waleska Santiago, President

Waleska Santiago  was a consultant for the Explorations in Puerto Rican Culture Program, run by the Massachussetts Cultural Council and the Springfield School Department. Over the last 14 year, she has pursued her interest in Latin American Art by visiting museums and galleries internationally  including Spain, England, Argentina, Mexico, Peru , and France. She has a BA in Art History from Mount Holyoke College and persue her Master Degree in Harvard University.

Waleska Santiago had been selected as a Latino Museum Studies Student at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonia Institute, Washington DC. as a Fellow.

Her trajectory of research project has been: Women Artist in the Spanish-Speaking Caribbean, and included listings of women artist from Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, born before 1900,  Nuestras Abuelas,  and  Madama: Women, Madonnas, and Mothers among others.

Heshima Moja, Vice-President

Vocalist/Musician/Songwriter/Composer/Producer

arts consultant/motivational speaker/teaching artist/cultural arts presenter

Heshima moves audiences around the world with his soulful voice, fiery bass work, and heartfelt songs and compositions. Heshima, is a dynamic Vocalist, Multi Instrumentalist, songwriter/composer, arranger, and producer who is pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. By drawing on influences ranging from Luther Vandross, and Donnie Hathaway, Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, Diego Torres, and Bobby Valentine, to John Coltrane, and Miles Davis, Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente, this amazing artist displays originality, depth and passion with his unmistakable blend of Soul/Jazz/and Latin Music.

Heshima has composed and recorded music for film and television both in the US and abroad including the award winning films, El Barrio, El Despertar(The Awakening), for the show Hollywood Heights(Nickelodeon) and for PBS. His debut album as a leader The Awakening in 2005 was received with rave reviews, for combining classic jazz sensibilities and Latin influences, with youthful fire, and originality, and boasting some of Jazz's finest voices including Avery Sharpe, and Marc Puricelli, and Tenor giant Charles Langford, featured on many of Heshima's breathtaking compositions, as well as vibrant arrangements of jazz classics. This year, Souljourn Music Group in conjunction with LC3 Media has released the highly anticipated follow up entitled Round and Round. Heshima along with one of the countries hottest producers Nick Caudle,(Track Wizards)have produced an album that is currently enjoying heavy rotation in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

More  information about  Heshima Moja

  Gina M. Camacho, Secretary

Gina Camacho is Olga Silva's assistant in all matters concerning Fiesta de Pueblo, organizing the Children's Parade, registration for said parade, and its costumes. She is now a member of the Blackstone Valley Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, and now holds the position of secretary for the Puerto Rican Institute for Arts and Advocacy.

Olga Silva
 Treasurer

Olga Silva has been a community and political activist for years in Central Falls. She founded, organized, and promoted the Fiesta de Pueblo in Central Falls, since its creation in 1996, to its final year in 2005, with PRIAA backing her up every step. She is the Director of the Blackstone Valley Puerto Rican Cultural Committee and holds the position of treasurer

 Dorothy Rivera

Dorothy is an International Business graduate of Bryant University who concentrated in Marketing. She is currently an associate at Build-a-Bear Workshop. She is a member of Yoruba 2 and is usually in the chorus, dancing, or playing instruments. She also is a member of PRIAA and holds the position of Director of Marketing

   

Gaddier Rosario

Born 1969 in San Juan Puerto Rico. At early age he received several prizes and mentions for art works. (Luquitex young artist contest, American Express art contest and other) Make studies in Liga de arte de San Juan courses of experimental painting photography and drawing.  Communication; in Sagrado Corazón University and industrial design in Escuela de Artes Plástica Puerto Rico. Learning about traditional crafter graphic art and painting amongst some of the brightest and most influential artists of the Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. In 1996, Gaddier  establish the firsts artist studio in San Juan Puerto Rico, He perhaps this positioned it like one of the first sketcher of professional virtual reality in the Caribbean preparing illustrations and benefits for architects and designers as much at local level as international, standing out like photographer, illustrator and graphic designer.

The colorful and diverse artworks include oil paintings, pastel, Net art and mixed media pieces that showcase a variety of contemporary artistic trends.

The artist resided in Puerto Rico until he relocated to the New England in 2004. He has established the Gaddier Fine art and design studio in Open Square at heart of Holyoke’s Historic Canal District. Making several fine art exhibitions in New England and Puerto Rico, The artist also evolved in his own studio as editorial illustrator, graphic artist, photographer and art director

more information about Gaddier Rosario

Francisco L. Gonzalez


A volunteer-run tuition-free street academy providing pre-college immersions to youth and adults; a novel Humanities-based, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics scaffolding curriculum is the school's pedagogical foundation.
Franscisco L. Gonzalez have an extensive experience as Educational Paraprofessional.

STAFF

 

 Lydia Pérez, Founder and CEO of PRIAA

Lydia Perez, is member of Yoruba2 an award-winning and nationally renowned entertainment group. Lydia is a highly accomplished and dynamic performer. She presents traditional Folklore  and productions from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Lydia has a vast experience working as an arts educator. She is a singer, drummer, dancer, artisan and,
with her experience, help promote other artists.

She received a total of twenty five awards as an individual Artist, in which seven of them are as a Traditional Artist, including 2010 and 1998 Running Up Fellowship from RISCA, the 2000 Fellowship in Traditional Arts from RISCA and the 2000 Rhode Island Foundation Fellowship. As a National Level, Lydia represented New England in Southern Arts Federation, she received the American Tradition 1999 and 2000 fellowship awards, sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts with the Traditional Artists Program.

Lydia performs and teaches music and dance that is in her "blood and spirit". 
She travels nationwide to express through her music that her culture is alive.

Lydia established the Puerto Rican Institute for the Arts and Advocacy, Inc. (PRIAA), State of Rhode Island in 1994.  She was the President in 1995-2000, and was elected again in  2004- 2012.  Under her creative direction and dynamic enthusiasm, she created the Caribbean Arts program in which engages children, youths, parents and the community in Caribbean culture; bringing rhythms, dance, masks, artists, artisan, workshops, and exhibitions to the people. The Caribbean Arts program works an intense touring schedule with PTA school programs, arts community centers and through the Art in Education Program of Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, New England for the Arts and Hartford Performs.

Lydia is a member of the Cambridge Who's Who in Boston, "Coalición de Artistas de Puerto Rico", Artistic associate with Teatro Vida in Springfield, MA, an active artistic fellow of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and New England for the Arts.
Website: here

 

Luis R. Arias, Musical Director
VOLUNTEER


A latin music percussionist, producer, arranger, singer and leader of Alebreke group in New England. He has been a professional musician more that thirty years, touring all over the world.  Studied Jazz harmony, jazz improvisation, combo and big band arranging.  He is working as a Studio recording technician, and private Teaching-artist for more than 20 years. He is a professional performing artist and a GEM as a Latin, Afro-Puerto Rican and African rhythms.  He is active member of Yoruba 2 and in the past a teaching artists of Rhode Island Philharmonic of Rhode Island.  
 See the link about Robertico and his professional group Alebreke. Click here

Yidell Rivera,  Personal Assistant
VOLUNTEER

Yidell has work with the Puerto Rican Institute of the Arts since 2000 as a volunteer Personal Assistant to the Board of Directors. Through her work as part of her internship of PRIAA, she has demonstrated leadership skills in computer media, including web site maintenance, video and audio recording, and photography.  She  reviews all proposals and she is in charge of filling out the Rhode Island Cultural Data Project's, (CDP).She will help develop promotional media for PRIAA, including video, blog and web design.