Members List
All members names are listed alphabetically. To learn more about each member click on their name below. Please scroll down.
Bami Adedoyin, Brooklyn, NY
Mohd Fuad Arif, Malaysia
Megan Bisbee, Alfred, NY
Missy Carr, Washington, DC
Kristin Carroll, Boston, MA
Tony Conrad, Buffalo, NY
Kristin Carroll, Boston, MA
Tony Conrad, Buffalo, NY
Lara Davis, Providence, RI
Cindy DeFelice, Brockport, NY
Ghen Dennis, Buffalo, NY
Leigh Ann Francis, New Brunswick, NJ
Chifumi Fujisawa, Mosumoto, Japan
Amy Goldberg, Rochester, NY
Bethany Goldpaugh Brown, Kingston, NY
Virva Hepolampi, Helsinki, Finland
James Holland, Southbury, CT and Rochester, NY
Kelly Jacobson, Kansas City, MO
Akil Kirlew, Brooklyn, NY
Caroline Koebel, Buffalo, NY
Jennifer Little, Rochester, NY
Edna Madera, Rochester, NY
Darin Martin, Oakland, CA
Tammy McGovern, Buffalo, NY
Colleen Vera Melisz, Buffalo/Rochester, NY
Toni Mosley, Auckland, New Zealand
Tomoya Murazumi, Kanazawa City, Japan
Akane Nakamori, Kanazawa City, Japan
Stephanie Nolasco, New York, NY
Natasha Pachano, Costa Rica
Warren Peace, Jersey City, NJ
Anjanel Dawn Pinet, Rochester, NY
Mima Simic, Croatia
Joan E. Stoltman, Buffalo, NY
Diane Teramana, Kingston, NY
Angela Tessier Kanazawa City, Japan
Andy Tetzlaff, Kanazawa City, Japan
Matthew Underwood, Boston, MA
Adam Weekley, Buffalo, NY
wolfgrrrl sometimes billijo, Rochester, NY
Walter Wright, Lowell, MA
Ami Yamasaki, Kanazawa City, Japan
Ojima Yukari, Kanazawa City, Japan
Karen Y. Zhang, Beijing, China |
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Members List
Keisha Hill
Writer, Video Artist and Activist
Creating My Own Global Village
As a child I was always described as "inquisitive". Like most children I was curious to learn about the world around me and I used my senses to do so. Having older siblings who went to college out of state and having an extended family across America planted the seeds for my desire to travel within my own country. As a book lover and magazine fiend, I was drawn to anything written on travel and adventure. This helped to broaden my worldview and to erase the boundaries of my occasional narrow-mindedness. I began to dream about traveling throughout the world. I have vivid memories of hiding in the magazine aisle at the supermarket when I was supposed to be helping my mother with the groceries. There I was with one hand flipping through "Sassy" or "Elle" while the other hand balanced a loaf of wheat bread and some salad dressing. After feeding my fashion high, I would get lost in "National Geographic" or any travel magazine. To me there was nothing more exciting than seeing pictures of the world’s various places, people, and cultures. It was during these moments at the supermarket and in social studies class when I would dream about visiting Bali, Greece, India, and Iceland.
My mother quickly got hip to what really inspired me and also got tired of having to do all the grocery shopping alone while I selfishly read about Tokyo’s famous Ginza district. Things changed when Mom decided to take me to Spain as a high school graduation gift. This was a gift I appreciated much more than the designer clothes, jewelry, or money desired by most of my peers. I wasn’t spoiled. I just had a mother who knew that a stroll down Las Ramblas in Barcelona was priceless. Seeing historic cathedrals, museums, vibrant flamenco dance, and breathtaking architecture gave me a joy I had never experienced before. What’s more is that I knew traveling would be a major part of my livelihood. My desire to explore the world reached unfathomable heights and this was indeed a turning point for me.
Now as I traverse the challenges of being a twenty-something coming close to thirty, I buffer my bluest days with the precious memories of my travels to such places as Ghana, West Africa, Peru, and Japan. In each of these places I have made friends for life. I get my kicks from having friends who were born and spent their childhood in corners of the globe where a Jersey diner may be a hard find. I continue to learn about their lives in their native countries and our interactions have taught me about myself. Self-discovery is only one of the jewels one finds during traveling and through various cultural exchanges. I can’t forget the days when I was so insecure about myself that I wasn’t open to new experiences at alls at all. These days I am finding new talents, building new bridges, and adding colorful pieces to the new mosaic called "self". I am proud of my international network of friends, mentors, and fellow artists, which is constantly evolving. In looking at life and its various textures I am overwhelmed by just how full and luscious it seems to me
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