Our Staff

Erin Muirhead McCarty (she/her/hers) is a seasoned development professional whose work has focused primarily on directing annual fund campaigns, individual and corporate giving, institutional fundraising, and strategic partnerships.

She holds a degree in studio arts, and art history from Virginia Commonwealth University’s nationally ranked School of The Arts, and studied visual arts and restoration in Florence, Italy.

Erin has a love of pop-culture, politics, travel and adventure, and enjoys binge-watching documentaries, she relies on her two teenage daughters to keep her current on all of the latest Tik Tok challenges, Instagram trends, and viral memes.

Michael Matfess (he/him/his) comes to the Community Art Center after a long, storied career in finance and operations with companies ranging from 3 employees to ones with over 100 employees. In his most recent role before joining Community Art Center, Michael was the CFO and STEM Day Camp Director for a non-profit that offers informal education through the use of live action role playing. ​

In the office you will often find Michael sitting at his desk staring at spreadsheets or wandering aimlessly around the halls and the classrooms.  When he isn’t working, Michael is often binge-watching shows on streaming services while contemplating the struggles of growing up with only black & white TV and 6 stations to choose from.  While Michael likes to cook, he continues his quest for the perfect breakfast/brunch location.

Kosar Mohamed (she/her/hers) embodies a journey marked by resilience and a commitment to service. Hailing originally from Somalia, she arrived in the U.S. in 2003, accompanied by her son and family, after spending 12 formative years in Kenya refugee camps. Kosar's educational path includes earning an associate degree in Arts in Upstate New York and later double majoring in psychology and political science at Umass Boston. These dual majors underscore her diverse interests, delving into the intricacies of human behavior and political dynamics. In addition, she undertook a double minor in Women & Gender Studies and Human Rights, showcasing her profound commitment to exploring issues related to equality, social justice, and human dignity.  

Over the past 11 years, she has taken on roles such as a case manager, parent educator, and family advocate in Minneapolis and Boston. Kosar's exploration of the real estate realm demonstrates her adaptability. Beyond her professional pursuits, she quietly contributes to various community organizations. In her leisure time, Kosar enjoys simple creative pursuits like crafts. Her love for cooking and cherished moments spent with her nieces and nephews at the playground reflect her commitment to family. In her journey, Kosar embraces values of resilience, ongoing learning, and a genuine commitment to supporting others in different aspects of her life.

Sarah Winter (she/her/hers) was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She formerly worked in education and interactive media at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, where she worked on digital story-telling interactives and the early iterations of the Museums As Sites for Social Action (MASS Action) project, a national, collaborative project to create more equitable and inclusive practices in museums. In 2018, her adventurous spirit brought her to the West Coast; while in Eugene, Oregon, she coordinated community engagement and educational programs at an arts non-profit focused on arts accessibility, environmental sustainability, and recycled art. Sarah received her master’s degree in Art, Education and Community Practice from New York University, and holds a B.A. in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her spare time, Sarah loves spending time with family and friends, enjoying the outdoors, listening to podcasts and music (and singing along!), taking pictures with her old Polaroid, and trying out new baking recipes.

A lifelong Cantabridgian, Jada Alleyne (she/her/hers) comes to the Community Art Center with a wealth of early childhood and youth work experience. She has worked with Cambridge Youth Programs, Amigos Community School and Campamento Cultural de Amigos, and Children’s Village. The daughter of an educator, Jada holds a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is also a licensed cosmetologist, a creative spirit, and beauty product junkie. These days, when she’s not working on curriculum plans and keeping up with attendance records, she can be found selling her boutique bath & body products through her Soap Her Girl website. Jada enjoys creating art and baking with her young daughter, or spending time twin-bonding with her twin sister.

Lionel was born in Haiti. Ever since he was a child he had an interest in art-making. After immigrating to the U.S. He joined groups and attended schools that had a strong focus on art. As a result, Lionel worked for a variety of art-based nonprofit organizations. This garnered him a passion for teaching and mentoring youths. He then joined the Community Art Center and is now the Teen Media Manager. In this role, he can manage, mentor, and teach youth with the same passion that he has for art-making. His work usually involves comic book art, however, throughout the years He's expanded his skill sets into painting and filmmaking.

Pheebz Warner (they/she) was born and raised in what they call “The Trifecta”- Providence, Worcester, and Boston. Drawn to art at a very early age, Pheebz spent most of their early years drawing on anything they could get their hands on. In December 2015, they earned a BFA at Montserrat College of Art with a concentration in Interdisciplinary and Community Engaged Arts.Pheebz believes in cultivating culture through visual storytelling. Over the past 10+ years they have upheld this belief in their work as a muralist, collaborator, curator, studio artist, activist, and educator all over the Greater Boston area. Their primary focus is in empowering the youth by celebrating and hearing their voices, nurturing their creative growth, and encouraging them to keep the spark going well into adulthood.

In their free time, Pheebz can be found singing in a band, hiking long distances, drawing people at breakdancing jams, painting in Graffiti Alley, and cooking delicious food for their many found families.

As a child, Cyndi Wish (she/her/hers) aspired to be a surgeon, mob wife, and roller derby athlete, which naturally led to a career in the arts. She holds a Master of Visual Arts Degree from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor's from the Corcoran College of Art. She has worked as an arts administrator in different parts of the country including North Dakota, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Cape Cod. With a strong belief that the arts are fundamental to all aspects of humanity, Cyndi is dedicated to connecting the arts to a wide array of fields and initiatives. Outside of work, Cyndi is a visual and performing artist, mother, swimmer, and has a deep passion for MadLibs.

Shayla Young (She/Her) was born and raised in Massachusetts and has always had a love for the arts. Shayla graduated from Bridgewater State University (BSU), where she majored in English and minored in African American Studies and Theatre Arts.

During her time at BSU, Shayla worked as an intern for the Martin Richard Institute for Social justice and the AFAM department, hosting a series of events and advocating for the students of color on campus. One of her main projects at BSU was creating a Black History BINGO game that helped people learn more about African American figures as well as having fun!

Shayla is a passionate advocate for equity and social justice. During her time at BSU, Shayla ran an Arts of Activism project called "The Bigger Picture" where she interviewed peers on their perceptions  of campus safety. Shayla then took those views and incorporated them into a larger art mural of the school mascot, displaying all the student voices and their concerns of campus. "The Bigger Picture" was displayed at the 2022 BSU Kente Cloth ceremony and currently resides at the Martin Richard Institute of Social Justice office in Bridgewater.

In her free time Shayla is an artist, she loves to paint and sketch cartoons from sight. Shayla also loves Theatre Arts. Being part of an ensemble feels very familiar to Shayla, so she is excited to now be a part of this arts community!

Greggy Bazile is an artist from Cambridge Massachusetts. His work blends architectural thinking with product design, translating color, and material research into narrative motion. His work lives at the intersection of color, culture, and storytelling. A community artist at heart, Greggy grew up in the Teen Media Program at the center, where he assisted in creating and completing several murals, posters, banners, and designs for the art center. He began in the photography class and later joined the public art program, collaborating with several muralists before creating murals of his own. Greggy participated in events such as Mural Masters and The Port Arts Festival, and eventually returned to the center as a graphic designer with DIYDS in 2019.

Antaliyah Maxwell (she/her/hers) comes from a Cantabridgian family with deep roots in Cambridge. In fact, her mother actually attended Community Art Center as a youth, and participated in some of the earliest filmmaking projects! Antaliyah has worked as a Teacher’s Assistant at TechBoston Academy, where she assisted students ages 5-13 in behavior and honor roll classes; tutoring students in math, social studies, science and humanities. She has also worked as a home health aid for Cerebral Palsy of Massachusetts, where she took great care of some of the most vulnerable clients. Antaliyah is finishing up a bachelor's degree at the University of Massachusetts - Boston, majoring in sociology with a minor in early education. Coming from a large family, Antaliyah has tons of real-life, hands-on experience working with young children. She appreciates that working with children teaches patience, and enjoys viewing life through the observations of young children. In her spare time, Antaliyah loves delving into poetry - you may even catch her at an open mic in the area!

Ckylah Lee was born & raised here in New England. Devoting her life to being a multidisciplinary artist, activist, and historian. She believes in tying those things together to create both traditional and digital artwork. Ckylah has decided to pursue her passions both personally & independently. If she is not working or painting in her studio- you can find her flipping through her vinyl collection, watching documentaries, lacing up her rollerskates, or going to a thrift store.

Pharoah Jackson has been a local to the Cambridge community since he was 7 years old, he is enthusiastic about art and all types of media, with a background in design and a passion for building things. 

Pharoah graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a degree in Digital Media, here he also founded the university’s makerspace studio and helped run their first film festival. He has a deep passion for animation and architecture and loves to build new skills.

From video editing to sculpture and 3D printing, Pharoah has a history with teaching and working with different artistic mediums, he considers himself a jack of all trades artist. He is excited to bring fun and creative projects and skills for the kids at CAC to engage with. In his free time you can find him rewatching his favorite shows while working on a new passion project or looking for free time to read a book. 

Khora Lane is a Framingham State graduate with a bachelors in Psychology. She has lived in the Boston area her entire life and love the atmosphere and people. Being a part of CAC is like being a part of a close community full of support. 

Ashanti was born And raised in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic and came to America at the age of seven and graduated from Boston community leadership academy . She is attending BSU and pursuing her social working major. She loves to spend time with friends and family and most importantly with the Community Art Center Youth. 

Hi everyone, my name is Giovanni, but I go by Gio. I’m from Cambridge and I attended the Community Art Center as a kid, so being able to return as an assistant teacher feels like coming full circle. Being from the same community helps me relate to the kids—I can really put myself in their shoes. I’m excited to give back and be a mentor to the next generation of young artists.

Peyton Applegate (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Art Education. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, Peyton spent most of her childhood in Massachusetts where her passion for art bloomed early on. Inspired by her two favorite artists - her grandmother and her aunt, Peyton started painting in elementary school and has continued to do so ever since. Alongside painting, Peyton also dabbles in sculpture using found materials, linocut printmaking, and jewelry making. Currently, Peyton divides her time between being at the Community Art Center, hanging out with her cat and many roommates, and sometimes painting at night if she hasn’t fallen asleep yet.

José Yax (he/him/his) is the Community Art Center custodian and resident ‘fix-it-all’ super-hero. It runs in the family for José; for years before him, his brother, Erick held the position until retirement. José’s easy going demeanor and kind ways bring a smile to everyone in his path.