Samantha M Connors (They/Them) - Executive Director
samantha@davinciartalliance.org

Our Executive Director, Samantha M Connors, oversees all projects and the fiscal management of DVAA to ensure our work is centered around our mission, vision and values. They moved to Philadelphia in 2010 and graduated from Tyler School of Art in 2014 with a BFA in Fiber and Material Studies and a minor in Art History. Samantha joined DVAA as a member in 2017 and served as the Co-Chair of the Exhibitions Committee for 3 years prior to accepting their position in 2021.

Within their personal and professional practice, they are seeking an outlet to process the world we’re living in and reach out to others with hope of what we can potentially build together. Samantha’s work reflect on the larger issues at hand within gentrification and displacement to provide room to connect patterns and find ways to organize spaces of care and connection alongside other people within Philadelphia. They have completed residencies at Cassis Artist Residency in France, Ora Lerman Trust Soaring Gardens in Laceyville, PA, The Sable Project Residency in Stockbridge, VT, The 319 AIR at Pink Noise Projects in Philadelphia, PA. They have an upcoming residency at Bischoff Inn in Tamaqua, PA, and are leading an upcoming curatorial project at Partners and Son. They serve on the Leadership Team of Science Events, a project of the Experimental Practice team at the MIT Museum.

Veronica Cianfrano (She/Her) - Gallery Director
Veronica@davinciartalliance.org

Veronica oversees matters pertaining to the gallery and to the community of artists and art lovers that we serve at DVAA. She is a curator, multimedia artist, teacher, the youngest of three daughters, and a first-generation American.

In 2010, she received her MFA in Painting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she discovered the need for better access to the arts. There she co-founded CHER, a collaborative pop-up gallery that brought thematically relevant contemporary art exhibitions to communities by organizing temporary events, happenings, and exhibitions in alternative spaces.

For the last ten years, she has taught studio art and art theory courses to pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate students nationally and internationally. She was most recently the Curatorial Director at Tuft the World and the Curator and Gallery Director at Melton Gallery at the University of Central Oklahoma. Her professional practice is led by the governing principle that diverse perspectives and collaboration can lead to the best opportunities for public engagement and meaningful connections to the arts.

Kara Mshinda (She/Her) - Fellowship Director
kara@davinciartalliance.org

Kara Mshinda is a visual artist and educator with roots in photography and visual anthropology. She uses accessible methods like freehand drawing, collage, and lo-fi photography to develop visual narratives that center gender performance, body aesthetics, and Black femme identity. In addition to creating artwork, Mshinda is a professor at Tyler School of Art and Architecture where she teaches on the themes of race, identity, and artist practice in American art. She received her MA in Anthropology from Temple University.

L. Elwood (any pronouns) - Marketing Coordinator
l@davinciartalliance.org

L. Elwood is an arts administrator, performer, and choreographer.

Miden Wood (She/Her) - Communications Assistant
miden@davinciartalliance.org

Miden Wood is a writer and visual artist with a background in children’s television and sketch comedy. In her professional practice, Miden is invigorated by finding and elevating the why at the heart of our shared experiences—be that a gallery exhibition, a live show or a community conversation. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with and for the purpose-driven artists at DVAA, and, through that work, to serve the larger community.

Sarah Bloom (She/Her) - Vice President
Joined the Board in 2024

Sarah Bloom is a photographer based in Philadelphia specializing in real estate and commercial property photography. Her photos have been featured in The Daily Mail, Philadelphia Magazine and The Huffington Post. Philadelphia Magazine named her Best Visual Artist in their 2015 Best of Philly Issue. She is a Women’s Caucus for the Arts member and past President of the WCA-Philadelphia Chapter. Sarah has been a member of Da Vinci Art Alliance since 2009 and has curated several exhibitions within the gallery and other spaces around Philadelphia.

Rennia Rodney (She/Her) - Secretary
Joined the Board in 2023

Rennia Rodney is the Coordinator of Talent Strategies at The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, leveraging connections between Chamber partners to build equitable pipelines for early career talent. She previously worked at Houlés, CareDox Inc., and Kforce Inc. and has volunteered as an administrative assistant and on-site volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County and the American Cancer Society. Rennia is a standing member of Alpha Kappa Psi.

Sergio Coscia (He/Him) - Director
Joined the Board in 2023

Sergio is the Founding Principal of CosciaMoos Architecture, leading projects in the mixed-use and multifamily, commercial, hospitality, and higher education sectors. Prior to founding his company in 2010, he previously worked at Hillier Architecture, DWKCB Architects, Kling Linquist Partnership, Kunz Gordon Architects, Partridge Tackett Architects, Bloomfield & Associates, and Vittetta Group. He is affiliated with American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, The Development Workshop, and The Clay Studio.

Jeremy Crawford (he/him) - Director
Joined the Board in 2024

Jeremy is an entrepreneurial enthusiast at heart. He is dedicated to advocating for, coaching and advising small to midsize organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit. Jeremy serves on several boards and has many years of experience in consulting, analytics, marketing, and supply chain management, and specializes in strategic planning. He is also the former owner of Kōzē Brands. Jeremy holds a Masters degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship and a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Temple University. Though he has lived all over, Philadelphia will always be where his heart is.

Tom Marino (He/Him) - Director
Joined the Board in 2023

Tom has over 20 years of experience working within the Global Financial Services industry, currently serving as Store Manager and VP of one of TD Bank’s flagship locations based in University City, Philadelphia. In 2022, he helped open “TD Workshop” within their branch, an innovation lab testing new concepts for the company and serving as a community center for the neighborhood.

Julia Marsh (She/Her) - Director
Joined the Board in 2024

Julia grew up in Allentown, PA, where she studied art at the Baum School of Art. She attended Parsons School of Design for two years before earning her BFA from Rutgers University in 1992. Marsh pursued her MFA at the University of Illinois at Chicago, graduating in 1997, and later earned an MA in visual and critical studies from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2007. In addition to being an artist, curator, and writer, she has taught courses at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Tyler School of Art, and Cedar Crest College.

Marsh is a practicing artist whose works explore the impacts of trauma. Her curatorial work has focused on underrepresented artists, and her writings on feminism and technology have been featured in publications such as SPACE, Art in Culture, New Art Examiner, Artblog, and Public Art Dialog.

BJ Martin (He/Him) - Director
Joined the Board in 2024

Camila Alejandra Rondon (She/Her) - Director
Joined the Board in 2024

Camila works at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the Modern and Contemporary Department. She joined the Philly community in 2021 after being in Washington, D.C. for the majority of her life. In D.C. she worked at the White House Historical Association and completed a Masters Degree, at Georgetown University and an Undergraduate Degree, at the Corcoran School, both in Art and Museum Studies.

Libby Vieira da Cunha (she/her) - Director
Joined the Board in 2024

Libby Vieira da Cunha is a Brazilian-American artist, educator, and arts administrator with over 10 years experience in arts education program development. Libby's work is driven by the belief in the power of art to change lives through inclusive educational platforms. Her work is focused on the creation of transformative and immersive experiences in the arts and in building community through the creative process. She is currently the Director for Pre-College Programs at UArts. . Libby has overseen education programs at Philadelphia Contemporary, Grounds For Sculpture (NJ), Park Avenue Armory (NYC) and at The Music Box Village and the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. In addition to her leadership roles she has served as an advisor for multiple Joan Mitchell Foundation education initiatives. 

Sydney Welch (she/her) - Director
Joined the Board in 2024

Author and Creator Sydney Welch, a Pennsylvania native, embarked on her creative journey at Arcadia University. She began her creative journey during her apprenticeship with The Arcadia Public Art Project under Philly mural artist, David Guinn. Her immersion in the arts, coupled with her Art History degree, ignited her passion for project management within the creative realm. This inspired her to pen her debut book, "The Art of Collaboration: An In-Depth Exploration of Collaborative Practices for Creative Minds." Following a stint as a special education case manager, Sydney founded her company Retolde, a consultancy for artists and creators, drawing from her own experiences and insights shared in her book. Building on the ethos of collaboration, Sydney co-founded The Makers Table, a vibrant dinner party platform, fostering connections and collaborations among artists and creatives. Enthralled by the tight-knit community and spirit of Philadelphia, Sydney finds solace in its vibrant creative ecosystem, which warmly embraced her. Eager to contribute further, she is poised to lend her expertise to DVAA's development initiatives, bringing her innovative collaborative practices to the boardroom.