Biographies

Featured Artists

Adeeb A.J.: American of Iraqi origin, Security supervisor, also part time college professor.

Alcantera, Norman: SVA 1977-1980, FIT 1975-76, ASL 1974-75. Illustrated for The New Yorker, GQ, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, and Playboy. Designed T-shirts, greeting cards, and children's books. Exhibited works in Bowery Bank, Seamans Bank, NYU smallworks, GDB advertising, Metropolitan Museum of Art Employee Art Show, Oregon University. Au Natural exhibits. Currently writing and Illustrating a book.

Alvarez, Guido: A native New Yorker, born during the Truman administration, who has spent over thirty years working in photo lab darkrooms. After a year with the TSA, I came to the museum in 2005 to work as a guard. I graduated from NYU Stern with a BS in business in 1989. I am currently an associate dispatcher.
Website: On Flickr

Andresen, Charles: Born in Phoenix Arizona in 1964, Charles became the youngest professional art critic in the nation when at age eighteen he began writing reviews for the New Times Weekly. In order to more realistically render the American Indian ceremonies which had fascinated him from childhood, he moved to Philadelphia to attend The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the oldest art school and museum in the United States. However, towards the end of his program he developed his method of abstract "throw painting" which he utilizes to this day. After graduation he moved to New York City and was hired by the Met`s Stock Services department before transferring to Security in 1994. Now he uses much of his vaction time to revisit native events and places in the Southwest.
Website: www.charlesandresen.com

Andrew, Benjamin: Received his BFA from Brooklyn's Pratt Institute in 2010. Originally from Ithaca, NY, he lives in the city as one might a tiger pen: carefully watching the beast. Emerging from a painting background, he is currently working in less well-defined media while writing and producing music intermittently.
Website: www.benjaminandrew.net

Berenbaum, Fabian: Born in Buenos Aires Argentina in 1974. He moved to the United States at the age of eight. He started working as a security guard in 1999. While working there he received his MFA at Queens College in 2002.
Website: www.fabianberenbaum.com

Boynton, Christopher: Born in Willingboro, NJ in 1966. Raised in central Pennsylvania. Artistic inclinations were recognized at an early age. Self-taught painter, graphic designer, web designer and web developer. My art is mostly portraits of friends and former friends I've known over the years. I find it a challenge to capture the individuals' character and personality.
Website: www.boyntonmedia.com

Catbagan, Maureen: A multi-media artist whose work explores themes regarding mythology, intimacy, perception, and identity. She received her Masters of Fine Art at SUNY - City College. Museum and galleries who have exhibited her work include The Contemporary Museum in Hawaii, Rotativo Gallery in Chile, Jack Tilton Gallery, and Rockland Center of the Arts. She currently lives and works in New York.

Clepper, Philip: Lives in Jersey City, NJ.

Delgado, Carlos V.: Born in Jackson Heights, New York. After graduating high school in Ecuador in 1997, he returned permanently to New York and obtained an Associate's degree in aeronautical design at the Vaughn College of Aeronautics in Queens. He then transferred to Stony Brook University in Long Island NY and graduated in 2003 with a BA in Studio Art with a concentration in printmaking. Through his artistic expressions he strives to conserve a level of aesthetic and craftsmanship, that may allow him to identify himself as a skillful artist.
Website: www.carlosdelgadoart.com

Dojcilovic, Cane: Graduated at Belgrade University of Arts (Academy of Fine Arts, Painting Department). Diploma (B. A and M. A.) awarded by the University of Arts, following a six-year program in Fine Arts, with a major in Art History and Painting. Participated in over hundred juried group exhibitions in Europe and United States and several independent exhibitions.

Doscher, Michael : Born 1985 in Long Island, New York. Received a BA in Studio Art from Coastal Carolina University with a minor in Art History in 2007. Michael currently works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a Rigger, installing large scale artwork and is studying Product Design at New York University. A member of the Brooklyn Artists Waterfront Coalition, Michael works and resides in New York City.

Downs, Kevin: A New York based photographer. I've loved photography ever since I was a young boy growing up in the South. I had many books on photography. Two that influenced my vision the most were of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. When I moved to NY from San Francisco and Baltimore, I was introduced to Louis Stettner, Robert Frank, Roy De Carava, and Saul Leiter and many other great photographers . These photographers broadened my vision of the world around me. Currently, I'm work on many documentary projects that deal with the downturn in the U.S. economy.I photograph my surroundings unaltered, and capture people in their everyday endeavors of life, with respect and dignity.
Website: www.kevincdownsphoto.com

Elliott, Jeff: Born 1974. I served as a guard from January 29th, 2007 to June 29th, 2007. Technician for Nineteenth Century Modern and Contemporary.

Eskenazi, Jason: Born in Queens, N.Y. 1960. Photographer, Author of Wonderland: A Fairy Tale of the Soviet Monolith. Winner of the Best Photo Book 2008 POYi. He is also a Guggenheim Fellow 1999 and Fulbright Scholar 2004. Director of Kids with Cameras/Jerusalem. He is currently working on his next book The Black Garden in Istanbul. Served 20 months at the Museum.
Website: www.jasoneskenazi.com

Fernando, Lambert: Originally hailing from Manila in the Philippines, Lambert Fernando has lived and worked in NYC since 1994. He studied painting at the School of Visual Arts before beginning his career at the Metropolitan Museum. Fernando's work has been widely exhibited, most recently at 'Fair Folks and a Goat' in Manhattan. Drawing upon his disparate experiences between Manila and New York, Fernando's canvases and installations incorporate a wide variety of materials to describe these universal memories. Currently Fernando is creating large-scale installations with sculptural elements and elegant drawings of family and friends, examining the fragmentary nature of contemporary relationships and how they pertain to social media websites.
Blog: www.lambertart.blogspot.com

Fiore, Eugene: I paint what I know, so I connect the viewer and myself to the larger world around us. The "Bi Lateral Series" are notebook pages enlarged up to about seven feet tall. They combine self-portraits and my personal interpretation of the inner and outer landscape around me. The "Bi Lateral Series" is loaded with images top-to-bottom, dividing the painting into two segments that work with and against each other.

Fleisher, Fred: Born in Pennsylvania and, at seventeen, enlisted in the Army after high school. After his enlistment he attended Penn State University where he received a BFA in Painting and a BS in Art Education. After moving to New York he received his MFA in Studio Art from Queens College, City University of New York. Working with galleries and independent curators he has exhibited his work in various venues within the United States and globally. Currently, his work is represented by Galerie Open (Berlin, Germany) where his most recent solo exhibition was held during the Spring 2010. His work often involves the use of found objects that are removed from their usual context allowing for elements of narrative and character to be filtered and manipulated via a range of media. He lives and works in Brooklyn, is an adjunct professor and has been employed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for over ten years.
Website: www.galerie-open.net

Franke, Kevin: Born and raised in Minnesota; BFA in painting and photography from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 1974; Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, New York, 1975-76; moved to lower Manhattan, 1980. Still there. After intense engagement with photography in the 1970's, spent the '80's and much of the '90's making paintings; had five one person shows at O.K. Harris Gallery, New York, beginning in 1982, and one at the Butler Institute of American Art, in 1991, and had various other one person and group shows in New York, and elsewhere. Returned my attention to making photographs about ten years ago, though I have not exhibited them much up to this point, except on my website. Still at it.
Website: www.kevinfranke.net

Gilbert, James: Born, 1969, in New York City. He earned his BA in Bard College majoring in Philosophy – in which he focused on the philosophy of Hegel. He took a year of German translation. Studied in the Philosophy of Art Master's Program in Stony Brook in which he focused on writers such as Merleau-Ponty and Adorno. He Currently lives with Henna in Brooklyn.

Gould, David: b. 1959. Grew up in Southern (then Northern) California. Acquired a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. Despite a ravingly artistic immediate family (painters, graphic designers, jewelry makers, writers, actresses, jazz musicians, PBS filmmakers, presidents of Shakepearean theaters) has remained stuck with own, hopefully not, meagre ideas. Primarily a musician (percussion) since age fifteen. Has been occupied with collage sine 1982. Has worked in the museum twenty years, inspired by much. Immediate influences would be Rauschenberg, Romare Bearden, Kurt Schwitters, British Pop Art, filmmakers brothers Quay, at the same time recognizing more to visual world than collage. Nevertheless…

Habarta, Ken: Currently works in advertising and lives in New York City with his wife and two sons. He has published a book on bank robbery titled Bank Notes (2009) (www.banknotes365.com) and is currently working on a follow-up piece about Adverlism: the act of vandalizing ads.

Hamilton, Nora: Born in the US, has lived in England and Germany - and is bilingual for English and German. She has published a number of non-genre stories.

Haynes, Erik: Graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1989. He has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1991. Erik lives in NJ with his wife and son.

Hoffmeister, Peter J.: Born 1985, Long Island, New York. BFA Fashion Institute of Technology, 2007. MET Guard 2008 - present.
Website: www.peterjhoffmeister.com

Huang, Ronald: Came to drawing late in life, already in his 50's, when he started working the night shift as a guard at the museum. Completely self-taught, his favorite subjects are animals and people—especially portraits.

Iszlai, Meredith: Graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in painting. She also studied printmaking in college and, in 2008, completed an internship at the Lower East Side Printshop in Manhattan. Currently living in Queens, NY. Meredith works as a security guard, and paints in Brooklyn as a member of Camel Art Space. Her interests as an artist lie mostly in the human figure and portraiture, but she is currently working on a series of drawings based on Georgia O'Keeffe's "Cow Skull: Red, White, and Blue."

Jabbar, Nedal: Studied illustration at Pratt Institute for a short time and then moved on to The Fashion Institute of Technology . His passion is graphic novels and hopes to one day publish his own.

Khazan, Jeff: Born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine. After graduating from school he served in the army as a sergeant. Jeff immigrated to USA in 1989 with his family. His prose and poetry was published 77 times in numerous media: newspaper "Odessa on Gudzone", "Ruskiy Bazar" (New York), "Odesskiy Listok" (Colorado), magazines "Interesno", "Ya" (New York), and collections 8th and 9th International Poetry Contest in Düsseldorf (Germany). He received BS degree in human services. Jeff received numerous awards including 3rd place diploma from "Interesno" in 2006, diploma for 1st place from magazine "Ya". He lives in Brooklyn, New York. He works security since June 25th 2001. He is married with kids and has one granddaughter.

Konefal, Boneza: Born in Poland. Moved to New York 10 years ago studying computer graphics and photography at BCC, ESC and FIT. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a great workplace—where I have been inspired. Being surrounded by art from different periods of time and styles take me to another level of reality where my imagination expands.

Laughner, Jack: Was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. He now lives in Queens with his wife, Megan.
Website: www.jacklaughner.wordpress.com

Law, William: Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Received B.F.A., M.A., and M.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Have lived and worked in N.Y.C. since 1995.
Website: http://williamlawfinearts.weebly.com/

Lemakis, Emilie: Born in 1965, in Saint Louis Missouri. She graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1993. She lives and works in New York City.
Website: www.emilielemakis.com

Leonard, Edward: Born Boston, MA; BFA Massachusetts College of Art. Lives and paints in Brooklyn, NY.

Luckey, Thomas: Born and raised in the Bronx. By the age of twenty, after only two years, I had left college to pursue the real world. In 1986, at the dawn of the crack cocaine epidemic, I produced with Rick Bonnstein the documentary "Cracking Up: The Crack Experience". Jobs in the industry were hard to come by and soon I was seeking mindless non-creative work. After living a working class life for years my mind began to dull. We in the Bronx call this "Boogie Down Syndrome". To remedy this I went to college to finish my Bachelor's degree (Summa Cum Laude). Since then I have written a screenplay, "The Flock", and a stage play, "Point Guard".

Madill, Doug: Born in 1972 in Winfield (near Chicago, Illinois). Madill lived most of his formative years in Bainbridge, Ohio, a small suburb outside of Cleveland, Ohio. He is a 1994 Fine Arts graduate Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Madill focused primarily on painting. During this time he developed a penchant for plein air studies, which he carried into larger, imaginary landscapes later on. His imaginary paintings are noted for their complex palette of grays and subdued high-key colors, evocative of places of sanctuary, meditation, or tranquility. The strange titles of his landscape paintings hint at the notion that these are open to the viewer's personal references to a place in past experiences. His work also consists of city scenes and surreal subjects. Doug Madill resides in Jersey City, NJ.
Website: www.madillstudio.com

McCampbell, F. Mott: Born in the United States, McCampbell received his BFA from East Carolina University in 1986, and then moved to West Berlin in 1987. He painted and exhibited there for five years. McCampbell moved to New York City in 1993, and set up his studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

McKanna, John: Has been a guard at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY and at the MFA Boston. Currently he is an art handler at the Met. He studied painting at Bennington College and through osmosis.
Website: www.johnmckanna.org

Mirabile, Rich: Born in Brooklyn 1964, attended Edward R. Murrow Communications High School, studied and partied at Kingsboro Community College, School of Visual Arts, ASL and Salmagundi Club. Did freelance work, story boards for Allyn Gargano Advertising agency, also a lot of commission work.

Molusso, Christopher: Forged in an ancient foundry of forgotten prophecy, rusting, presently, with whistle in hand, beside the Chola Durga, Chris, upon visitor's request, reluctantly slices open his forearm with glamorous cyborg cool to reveal the menacingly advanced and sporty alloy endoskeleton that makes him somewhat off-putting but very much appealing; ankle-deep in blood and A&D ointment, Chris braves dizzying inter-dimensional emissaries wearing their tiny, colored admission pins like emblems of imperious might, offering them kindness as he's buffeted through time and space, re-materializing in the locker room, where postcard-Celestial Dancing, her furtive glance, her laughter, inscrutable if not misdirected, squelches memories of this museum day and his long lost career as a contract psychologist and a technical writer.

Nolan, Robert: New York native. Started my artistic career at the School of Visual Arts majoring in illustration. I've worked in several mediums such as painting in acrylics and oils, sculpting in clay, and plaster, as well as etching. Most of my work now consists of chalk pastels which I find suit my skills. The subjects showcased here consist of portraits. Currently I'm working on a series of still lifes.

Padwe, Phil: A self-taught artist, Phil came to the Met at age 35 after a white-collar career in marketing and design. Seeking to improve his draftsmanship and become a "real" artist, he has spent the past 3 years working the night shift (when the galleries are empty), and has filled over 25 sketchbooks with over a thousand drawings. Phil was the first "Poetry" graduate of the creative writing program at SUNY Purchase, and is author/illustrator of Mommy Has A Tattoo and the forthcoming Daddy Has A Tattoo.
Website: www.philpadwe.com

Parker, Meredith: Was an Early Watch Security Officer at the oppressively awe-inspiring Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2004-2009. Her years of late-night stewardship continue to inform her artwork and identity in ways she still only begins to guess at.

Peck, Ann: Born in Virginia in 1950 and moved to New York in 1981, writes a little bit and does a little photography.

Perry, Samuel:

Is a poet. He has been employed as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for almost four years. He has worked previously as a gardener, as a music publicist and as a minister. He has published two books of poetry: Muttered Tales and Noah, An Ark both available in full at his website: www.SamuelPerry.net.

Powell, Mike "Gozpel": Born in Boston, MA and moved here when I was 5 years of age to live with my grandparents. I grew up in church so God and the wisdom I've gathered from life along with the Bible play a role in alot of my verses. I've been writing since I was in junior high and was freestyling since then as well. I didn't start writing lyrics until high school. When I first started writing rhymes I was as shallow as most of the music you hear now, only concerned with rhyming about money, violence, and things I never had participated in. It was in my junior year of high school that a mentor of mine, A +, enlightened me about life and the truth of what Hip- Hop was and is. From there I became more conscious of my music and the message I had to share with the world. Having this skill is a blessing and should be used to help move the world, the people, forward. So hopefully my music makes more soldiers.

Preniszni, David: Born and bred in N.YC., My last twenty or so years have been spent inadvertently following the advice of my oil painting teacher from the Music and Art High School; "Confronting the history of art", at the MET. I look forward to early retirement and following little more advice.

Pryor, Brian: Several years of spectacular failures on the amateur motorcycle road racing circuit has left Brian with an unexpected source of inspiration. Various forms of technology that have pushed human boundaries have infiltrated Pryor's recent work.

Pugh, David: Born in 1985 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his BA from Clark University in Worcester where he studied literature, psychology, art history and post structuralist theory. After graduating he moved to Brooklyn, New York and has worked as a Security Officer for the last two and half years.

Reed, Jahmon: Born in Alabama and then raised in North Carolina. Jahmon Reed attended the North Carolina School of Arts. He received a BFA in Electronic Design from the City College of New York City in 2006. As a digital media artist with imaginative flair, Jahmon Reed creates collage work and short films that combine imagery and sound drawn from culturally referenced movies, memories and personal life experiences, magnifying anachronism and irony. Jahmon's work abandons traditional narrative in order to explore the possibilities that arise from the juxtaposition of images and sounds. Jahmon has worked as a guard at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2007.
Website: www.alphaomegadigital.com/JahmonReed

Rhakhamimov, Boris: Born in Baku, Azerbaidzhan, in 1950. He graduated from Art Institute of St. Petersburg (former Leningrad, Russia) in 1974. He immigrated to America in 1980. Since that time he has been working and exhibiting in New York, throughout the United States and Overseas. The Artist works in a wide variety of media's, from monumental oil paintings, acrylics, both abstract and figurative, portraits, still lifes and his very original abstract watercolors.

Robinson, Rachel: A native New Yorker. Her love of drawing led her to study fine arts at Columbia College in Chicago. After receiving a BFA in 1996, Rachel returned to New York, where her work has been exhibited for several years. Currently, she lives and works in Brooklyn.
Website: www.RachelDraws.com

Schur, Michael: Born in Brooklyn, New York. Graduate of the School of Visual Arts. Writer, painter, and tattooist.

Sevits, Joshua

Shaver, Brooks: Born in Ruston, LA where he received a BFA in Studio Art from Louisiana Tech University. He worked as a Met guard from 1998-2006. He currently works as a Departmental Technician for the Department of Nineteenth Century, Modern and Contemporary Art. He and his family reside on Staten Island.

Steely, Barry: A Pennsylvania "Dutchie" at heart, I grew up as an only child. To wile away the lonely hours and to combat my parents late-night pinochle parties, I turned to ART for solace, my drug of choice. I have been using ever since. Kutztown State College was my den of iniquity. Enabled and encouraged by other great art addicts, my habit has been supported through these many years. I can't and won't stop. Never! Don't even try!
Website: juddls.home.sprynet.com/barryhome/

Torres, Justin: Bronx native Justin Torres is a self taught artist who has brought paper to life since the tender age of three. He has a BA in Criminology, incorporating certain methods he has learned into many of his pieces. Art is in his blood and is the key to keeping this gentleman grounded. Without art Justin would be lost.

Varley, Mike: Born 1960, Islip, NY. BFA- Pratt Institute. Lives and works in NYC.
Website: www.mvarley.com

Villanueva, Nannette: Born in the Philippines in 1965 and received a BFA in Painting. I came to the US in 1984 and started my artistic endeavor in 1990 - 20 years of art commitment! I live in Brooklyn and have been working at the Met since 1996 as a security guard. This has given me inspiration to create. I started writing prose, poetry and haiku when I moved to the early watch, and hope to publish them one day. Interlacing poetry with my art is an awakening that I have grown to love. I also enjoy taking photos of what I call unnoticeable objects. Sometimes the most interesting subjects are the ones most ignored. The connection of the viewer and the inanimate object makes it a living thing. Beauty through the eye of the viewer. I also love creative cooking—my other passion!
Website: www.artnouvil.com

Weber, Owen William: Born on October 31, 1984. He went to the Hartford Art School and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2006 with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Art History. Oil on paper mounted on Masonite is Owen's preferred technique. His main focus in life is to become a sci-fi and fantasy book cover illustrator. Owen is now living in Queens, New York with his girlfriend, Sarah and their black cat, Mim.
Website: www.oweber.com

Whatley, Kiki: My art does not require a leveled plane of traditional and recognizable dimension. These images deal more with the conscience and sub-conscience of our human existence. My artwork is an emotional landscape of not just me, but of the world itself and the consequential result of a desired or undesired action(s) made by me, you, them and others living in this world.
Website: www.kiki-whatley.com

Willemsen, Natalie J.: Born in Guatemala, I moved to the US when I was ten. After that I moved constantly, from home to home, and even state to state. Now that I have been in NY for almost eight years, it has really become the closest I can call home, even though my family is still far away. This conflict is one that has heavily influenced my work in the past year. Particularly the idea of finding your identity in different surroundings, and more specifically, the fight to not loose touch with the culture you grew up with.

Yoda, Yoichiro: My paintings deal with time, space, and history. For subject matter, I am influenced by fading historic New York buildings including hotels and theaters. My work is figurative ad narrative, often including characters from various films, ranging from film noir to present day. In addition, I also make documentary videos, such as "Last Days of Hotel Pennsylvania".
Website: www.yoichiroyoda.com