CAW Adds New Program Staff
We are pleased to introduce you to three new members of the Creative Art Works family: Program Manager Donna Maganello, Program Manager Riki Sabel, and Program Associate Maddie De Leon. We’ve been having a wonderful time incorporating all three of them them into the team over the past few months, and we hope you will enjoy learning a bit about them as well.
Erika “Riki”Sabel, Program Manager
Erika, who goes by Riki, became a Program Manager in the fall of 2022 after working as a Teaching Artist during the 2021-2022 school year, and then with the Monte de Flores mural team last summer. Riki first fell in love with teaching art to young people while working at the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College. After working on a mural with Robert Gober at Glenstone Museum, she knew she wanted to continue working on large-scale projects, so CAW felt like a natural fit.
“CAW checked all my boxes: art-making, education, and collaboration. CAW’s ethos aligns with my own beliefs in art and education. I want all kids to have access to the magic of art-making, discover their creative power, and experience how art is connected to the world around them. I am particularly drawn to CAW’s commitment to develop social-emotional learning and problem-solving skills through arts exploration.”
Riki Sabel, CAW Program Manager
Riki’s personal art practice is grounded in drawing and painting, but she likes to dabble in all the mediums including installation, sculpture, and ceramics.
“For me, art-making is a labor of love, and the end result is a gift. Three years ago, I decided to start a raffle on my birthday to raise money for various causes that are important to me. All the money raised gets donated and the raffle winner gets to select an artwork of their choice. It’s my favorite new tradition!”
Donna Manganello, Program Manager
Donna has spent most of her career managing and operating arts-based youth programs throughout New York. She holds a BA in psychology from St. John’s University and a master’s degree in applied psychology with an emphasis in child and adolescent development from Adler University.
Donna Manganello, CAW Program Manager
“I like the meaningful work that we do and seeing the impact it has on the youth we serve and their communities. When I first started at CAW, it was the end of our summer Public Art Youth Employment program, and it was so special to see the mural unveilings and how proud the Youth Apprentices were of the work they did. I also like the collaborative and supportive environment that we have as a team. I am so grateful that I get to work with other like-minded, creative, and passionate people.”
Donna enjoys spending time with her eight-year-old daughter and taking ballet classes. She also sells crocheted hats, scarves, and stuffed animals at craft fairs and on her Etsy shop.
“I recently picked up crocheting again after learning how when I was a child. Scarves are the most requested item from family members, but I make everything from home decor to stuffed animals.”
Madeline De Leon, Program Associate
Maddie first worked for Creative Art Works as a summer public art Youth Apprentice in 2016. Later, she worked as a Teaching Artist Assistant on three mural teams between 2020 and 2022. Maddie joined the core staff as a Program Associate this fall. She graduated from Borough of Manhattan Community College with honors and holds an associate’s degree in animation and motion graphics. She is pursuing her BA in digital art from City College.
“I’m a Bronx girl. There were not many art classes where I grew up. It wasn’t until I started working for CAW that I realized my true calling was to be of service to young people. Every time I’m in a classroom and we have a moment of reflection with the students, it gives me such a feeling of fulfillment. We work with kids from underserved communities and lots of students of color – people like me when I was younger. I feel like working with CAW has given me the opportunity to be that person that I needed when I was a child.”
When she is not working, Maddie is a huge fan of comics, video games, 90’s grunge music and nu metal. She is a huge professional wrestling fan, and “The Undertaker” is one of her favorite wrestlers. On weekends, Maddie enjoys giving painting lessons to her cousins.
“We all sit down together at the table and start painting, and I’m the instructor. It’s a really fun experience. I love seeing their faces light up, like, “Oh, look at what I did!” Knowing that I helped them do that makes me feel good.”