Sandra A. Garcia-Betancourt
Executive Director & CEO, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA)
"I am an artist. I write poetry, I sing. It is that intuition, that creative side that gives me insight into the creative mind, the ability to work with individuals who think differently.”
I've had a long relationship with Washington Heights/Inwood dating to 1986 when I moved to New York to work with MADRE, an international women's rights organization, I was drawn to the political activity in Washington Heights and connected to the Dominican and other Latino that lived here. I visited often, hanging out with friends at restaurants with live performances; singers and guitar players inter- preting songs from la Nueva Trova.
In 1998, I made the move to Washington Heights. I loved the landscape, the parks, the close proximity to the Hudson and East Rivers. There's a strong cultural presence here. I stay connected to my roots and speak Spanish almost everywhere in the neighbor- hood; the feeling here the food, the colors, the music from the cars-all create an environment that makes you feel you're home.
My world is centered in Washington Heights... I live here, find recreation here and work here. As Executive Director of NOMAA, I'm proud of our efforts to serve this commu- nity's artists and strengthen its arts organizations. Partnering with local businesses, and constantly on the fundraising trail, I'm proud to say we have provided over $300,000 in direct grants. Surveying the cultural land- scape, there's vibrancy everywhere.
NOMAA provided an opportunity to do something I love. It's as if I was given clay, and told "here, create something with this." When the professional and the personal come together, I love it!
Biography
Sandra A. Garcia-Betancourt, born in the Dominican Republic and
raised in Puerto Rico, has been a resident of the Washington
Heights community since 1998. She is a poet, writer and arts
activist, author of the poetry book "Ombligo de Luna," and the pla-
quet "Memorias y Olvidos." Her work has appeared in several publications, most recently in the dual language Breaking Ground: Anthology of Puerto Rican Women Writers in New York 1980-2012. An experienced publicist, Sandra has worked for many years in the arts and media communities including the Nuyorican Poets Café and EL Diario La Prensa.
Garcia-Betancourt holds a BA from Union Institute University in Vermont, and a MFA in creative writing in Spanish from New York University. Sandra joined the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance as its first Executive Director & CEO in July 2007. NoMAA is a non-profit arts service organization whose mission is to cultivate, support and promote the works of artists and arts organizations in the neighborhoods of Washington Heights and Inwood in Northern Manhattan.