Our Team
We may work across disciplines and perspectives, but we are aligned in purpose: to confront, question, and expand conversations around race, culture, gender, and belonging. Through art, performance, and public programming, we create work that archives lived experience and sparks real engagement across communities.
Ricardo Osmondo Francis | Founder & Artistic Director | Chief Curator
A multidisciplinary visual artist whose work explores identity, culture, memory, and the political dimensions of representation. Working across drawing, installation, and multimedia forms, his practice often examines the construction of myth, iconography, and Black cultural memory. He founded Apanamae Productions in 2000 as an independent platform for exhibitions, publishing, and interdisciplinary artistic projects. His work has been presented in exhibitions including MYTHIC POETIC, RE:VIEW, TO BE CONTINUED, The Black Iconic, and The GOLDEN State. He earned his BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and currently works in the New York metropolitan area.
Ann Marie Vanezia | Director of Community Partnerships & Engagement
A lifelong New Jerseyan, Anne Marie Venezia (They/She) is a passionate activist, community cultivator, and advocate with well over a decade of experience in nonprofit organizing. Their expertise spans sexual and reproductive healthcare, LGBTQ+ advocacy and education, event coordination, and DEI best practices. Using a holistic approach to social justice, their mission is grounded in fostering Beloved Community to create transformational, systemic change in our society–and the arts are an integral part of that human revolution. They received a BA in both English and Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies from Montclair State University.
Janel Frazier | Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer
Janel Frazier is a media entrepreneur, business strategist, and Principal & Co-Founder of West Ward Capital and West Ward Beans. Her background includes healthcare operations at the director level, overseeing multi-site teams of 150+ employees, with experience in fundraising, financial governance, and organizational operations.
Christopher Jefferson | Marketing Director
Christopher Jefferson is an award winning Filmmaker, entrepreneur, Fire Fighter/EMT, and mentor who aims to inspire through creativity where ever he goes. As the owner of A State of Loud Productions, he specializes in narrated content telling the stories of amazing people all over the world for partners such as Smithsonian Channel, BET, VH1, and PBS.
Matt Mydlarz | Creative Director
With early professional experience in immigration and constitutional law in New York City, he later built a 20+ year career in Delaware as an interior designer and space planner specializing in high-end residential construction. His work is rooted in a refined sense of composition, spatial storytelling, and visual balance. He is also a published writer of poetry, essays, and book reviews, and an avid sailor and boat owner.
Nora Khelifi | President | Director of Development
A designer and cultural strategist whose work bridges visual communication, digital design, and nonprofit program development. Her practice centers on building accessible platforms that connect artists, communities, and cultural institutions through thoughtful design and strategic initiatives. She contributes to organizational strategy, grant development, and structural planning, supporting the growth of Apanamae Productions’ programs and emerging foundation initiatives. She has a deep interest in folklore, mythology, and the cultural narratives that shape collective identity, and enjoys studying languages as a way of engaging with different histories and traditions.
Terriann Harris | Managing Director
With a background in arts administration and business management, she brings strong experience in communications, project coordination, and organizational operations. Her work focuses on strengthening internal systems, fostering collaboration, and supporting partnerships that advance creative and community-centered initiatives. She holds an MBA in Business Management from Saint Joseph’s College and a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing from St. Francis College in New York City. Her professional approach emphasizes transparency, relationship-building, and the thoughtful coordination of people and ideas.
Zarius Durant | Director of Public Relations & Strategy
Zarius Durant is Principal Consultant of Ethos Eleven, a private, protocol engagement agency specializing in social development. With a career spanning 25+ across multiple industries, he helps people and entities to identify and lead with effective communication. In his spare time, Zarius is a proud patron and supporter of the Jazz arts and philanthropies, being involved with aesthetic related projects, reading, and observing the world.
Our Board of Directors
Ricardo Osmondo Francis
Ann Marie Vanezia
Christopher Jefferson
Janel Frazier
Kristy Keiser
Matt Mydlarz
Nora Khelifi
Terrian Harris
Tyrone Fernandes
Zarius Durant
Tyrone Fernandes | Director of Marketing
Tyrone Fernandes is an exemplary Public Health leader with a background in Infectious Disease education, community health, and health marketing. His work focuses on providing marginalized communities with health education and linkage to resources to improve their socio-economic standing. Mr. Fernandes utilizes digital marketing to disseminate information across communities, whilst bridging the knowledge gap. Currently, he holds an MPH in Health Policy & Management from the University of Delaware, and a Bachelors Degree in Biology from Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.