Raquel Fornasaro

Raquel Fornasaro was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. She has a BA in Advertising from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). Later she attended the Fine Arts program at the Corcoran School of Art+Design in Washington, DC. Currently living in Boston, she has shown in multiple venues as galleries, universities, and museums, including Boston MFA and MIT Media Lab.Guided by a childhood surrounded by uncontrolled urban growth and limited exposure to nature, her work targets the social understanding of humans' relationship with the environment. In a mixture of childhood memories, current events, and Brazilian folklore, Fornasaro considers the values we teach to the next generations, envisioning a future where we are still dependent on the same ecological mistakes it took us so long to acknowledge.

Edie
Pike

Edie Pike is a Freshman at Vassar College (also a recent Newton North alum!) and has been a pioneer for racial inclusivity in the arts all throughout Newton. Last year, she created and directed the first-ever Lost and Found production in TheatreInk at Newton North. This show combined monologues, songs, and dances to create a cabaret-style production centered on telling the stories of People of Color. Lost and Found is now a permanent production in the TheatreInk season! She also co-directed a production of the Monologue Project centering on Asian women and girls’ stories.
From speaking at numerous protests to being an active member of North’s Human Rights Committee, the fight for racial justice has always been a goal in Pike’s projects. She also co-founded Newton Overdue which helped organize a webinar with author Ibram X. Kendi last summer. and led a seminar for Civic Engagement Week focusing on POC.

Simone Isabelle

Simone Isabelle is a senior at Newton South High School who loves to act and play music. She participates in many South Stage plays, and is a member of Newton South's improv group, Children of the Candy Corn.

Henry
Turner

Henry Turner is the principal of Newton North High School.
Dr. Turner has provided Creative Minds with unwavering support in our fight for racial justice.

Olivia Helfrich-Tapia

Olivia Helfrich-Tapia is a current senior at Newton North High School. She directed Lost and Found and co-created Creative Minds last year. Her biggest goals come from the desire to create spaces for marginalized voices to be heard and celebrated. In terms of art, her favorite mediums are music and portrait art. In addition to artistic projects this year, she was a co-President of Hispanos y Latinos Unidos (HLU), Next Gen Voices, One Night Out, and helped create the Human Rights Council’s SAT tutoring program for students of marginalized communities.

ZZ
Sayeed

ZZ Sayeed is a current sophomore at Newton North High School. She loves music, and she celebrated her passion for music in the past two years’ productions of Lost and Found. In addition to her instrumental ability, she also wrote and performed a song and skit this year in Lost and Found. At Creative Minds this year, she represented North’s South Asian Student Association (SASA) and drew henna for attendees. ZZ is the co-president of her sophomore year class, and will have many more exciting upcoming projects in the future!

Khari
Roulhac

Khari Roulhac is dean at Newton North High School. He has a passion for the arts and participated in music when he was younger. In our panel, he spoke to the importance of student involvement in the art especially in terms of finding a community and expressing oneself.

Jamaal Eversley

Jamaal Eversley is an artist and curator based in MA. Recently, he created the Real FRIENDS exhibit at the New Art Center which was a collaboration between Eversley and multiple other artists. His art is often abstract, and in many of his pieces, he focuses on the iconic image of a nerd.
To learn more or connect with Eversley, visit his Instagram here: