DOPE SWAN is a community arts organization focused on providing outlets that support and engage emerging creative talents within the visual and performing arts. Through collaborations with underrepresented artists and partnerships with educators, activists and community leaders, DOPE SWAN works to strengthen the connections between art, livelihood and community.

Staff

Sallomé Hralima, Community Liaison
Sallomé Hralima is an idea mogul and dream executor. With a liberal arts degree from Wesleyan University, studies in West Africa, Master’s coursework, and training and certification in the country’s foremost educational centers, she uses her knowledge to forward arts & social justice-based education, youth leadership, and social consumerism. Entities that have benefited from Sallomé’s expertise include: Marc Ecko Enterprises, Landmark Education, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and WBAI – Pacifica Radio.

When she isn’t guiding youth towards pursing their life’s dreams you can find her scalp greasing, myspace headline flipping, collaged-thank you card writing, mixtape making, shower singing, “one day we gon’ make this movie” talking, performance art event hosting, just add water hot cocoa stirring, Saturday night make-up applying, rhyme writing, seven day Kwanzaa gift wrapping, summertime sarong wrapping, love poems to Self writing, birthday party planning, and artists statement creating.

Read more about Sallomé

Raquel Wilson, Curatorial Director
Raquel Wilson’s love for all things cultural, matched with her activist spirit and multimedia prowess, make her a secret weapon in a time of rapid changing technology, exporting of cultural ideas and products, and a growing surge of international social consciousness. She is passionate about giving the underrepresented opportunities for success and has used her professional experience in art direction, journalism, web development, marketing and publicity to aid small and big businesses including The Dance Theatre of Harlem, UNICEF, Erykah Badu, Akintola Hanif & Jamel Shabazz, advertising powerhouse - J. Walter Thompson and copyright and licensing agency - CMG Worldwide.

Raquel is constantly searching for the pot of gold at the end of the global rainbow and hopes to one day live above the earth.

Contributors

Sarah Kolker, Programs Administrator, community art projects
Sarah Kolker, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, was born and raised in Philadelphia and has studied in Jamaica, Pennsylvania and New York. Sarah has worked with well-known mosaic tile artist Isaiah Zagar, the Philadelphia Mural Arts program, Groundswell Community Mural Projects and has completed a Create Change Artist in Residency with The Laundromat Project. Her work has been displayed at The Protest Space in New York’s Chelsea art district and at the Infusion Gallery in Philadelphia.

Sarah is always moving, finding where she is necessary. Cooking yummy healthy food, sharing wisdom, groundation and admiring the smaller things are where its at. Catch her stretching, talking, smiling, or bobbing hardcore to some hip hop or dub.

Read more about Sarah

Lichiban aka Licsi Szatmari, Curator, visual & music events
Visual artist with an interest in art, music, and design related event management, writing, and in humanitarian work (esp. children, youth, and trauma victims). In the past, she has been involved in producing the First Afghan Human Rights Film & Art Festival (Boston 2006), Legends of Style: SURREAL CITY (Boston 2007, Urban Art Show), Cut & Paste Digital Design Tournament (Boston 2007), and Foundation Factory (Boston 2007, bboy/bgirl competition & group art show), among others.

Licsi’s favorite activities include spending quality time with soulful people, supporting fellow artists and musicians, battling social injustice and bigotry, spending solitary nights with painting, and staying up late to hear the birds at dawn.