About Us

Artería Collective ignites social change through the power of the arts, culture, and restorative self-expression.

Founded in 2011, we are based in Asheville, North Carolina, which sits on the stolen,unceded territory of the Tsalaguwetiyi/ Eastern Band Cherokee, S’atsoyaha/Yuchi and Miccosukee peoples.
“We are a community of individuals who are interdependent. No hierarchy. Just a deep bond around valuing each other and our gifts. We are a majority of femme bodied queer abolitionists,with distinct talents and voices who stand very strong in our power to shepherd in something very different and new.”
Holistic Health Coordinator
Ember Rose Phoenix

Who are we?

Alpha Cárdenas-Silvestre

Communication Coordinator

Chaka Gordon

Artist Residency Coordinator

Chloë Moore

Farm Manager

Ember Rose Phoenix

Holistic Health Coordinator

Kate Wheeler

Farm Manager

Lau Malintzin

WOTS/VDLJ Program Coordinator

Liz Garland

Artist Residency Coordinator

Lydia George

WOTS/VDLJ Youth Coordinator

Michael-Jamar Jean Francois

WOTS/VDLS Youth Coordinator

Sekou Coleman

Executive Director

Taz Crowley

Event and Outreach Coordinator

Téo Amill

Operations Executive Assistant

Yosi Carmona-Rodriguez

WOTS/VDLJ Youth Coordinator

Board of Directors

Marisa Blake, Chair

Sophia Rutherford, Vice-chair

Katie Latino, Treasurer

Shawn Winebrenner, Secretary

Mike Martinez, Member

How did we come here?

2011

In 2011, when we came into the world, we called ourselves Asheville Writers in the Schools. We unfolded in the terrain of public schools, knowing that the places where systems replicate for the benefit of maintaining oppressive structures is where our creativity, possibility and transformation was needed. We sought to Interrupt the inertia that can aid in the invisibilization of Black, Brown, Indigenous and non gender conforming bodies.

We co-created spaces of story, song, poetry, family, and community, with an emphasis on students in grades K-8, sometimes for multiple school years in one grade, other times with multiple years of summer programs for middle schoolers.

We curated an annual spoken word poetry show and smaller, similar events where young writer’s hearts could beat with the syllables of their truths.

And as the creativity, a force of its own, brought us to unfurl and expand in other community spaces, our name evolved to Artería Collective.

2016

In 2016, the program Word on the Street/Voz de les Jóvenes bloomed.

While working with Black and Brown teens and uplifting processes for building radical medicine and presence through art and togetherness, we began to navigate the practice of language justice, creating equitable, multilingual spaces where everyone could understand and be understood in ways that felt natural, expressive, and powerful.

We continued changing, adding, and evolving, finding and training BIPOC mentors to share their talents with music, visual art, puppetry, photography, video, radio, and writing. Our staff grew and how we did the work changed, too. We are now a group of individuals moving together without hierarchy AND with shared values, care and integrity. Individuals whose gifts, talents and opinions are honored while they maintain sovereignty and agency.

2022

In 2022, we searched to find our name again, to stay in integrity with the ways in which we are moving. We gathered with young people, artists, community, our staff and Board, almost all Black, Latine, Indigenous or People of color, honoring the transformation of this healing justice process, sharing feelings, visions, and language. Swirling in Spanish and English words until they came to settle.

TODAY, WE ARE

ARTéRIA COLLECTIVE.

ARTÉRIA

Artery. In Spanish. Artéria. Arteries (Arterias) Artéria: our creative community of artists, Culture Bearers, healers and activists. Artéria: Carrying the blood, the vitality, the energy into the rest of the body from the heart.

COLLECTIVE

Like dandelions spreading into constellations, each precisely becoming that which will awaken us, touch us, keep us awake through and through, igniting social change.

From the heart, back and forth, Artéria Collective flows in collaborative community interconnections to distribute art-based experiences that celebrate BIPOC culture, while cultivating radical imagination and healing.

WE ARE WHO WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

WE ARE ARTÉRIA COLLECTIVE.

Written by CocoEva Soleil LuzGuerrero Alcazar 

Alpha Cárdenas-Silvestre

Pronouns: She/her

Communication Coordinator

Time is just a construct for Alpha Cárdenas-Silvestre, who never seems to know what day it is.

Unless you lie to her, always expect her to be at least a little bit late. But no matter how late she is, you can always depend on her to be there. 

Alpha remains in touch with her inner child, loving toys from Care Bears to Barbies, Bratz and Squishmallows. She often visits second-hand stores, hoping to find vintage toys or anything else that’s willing to tell her a story. Describing herself as being chronically online, Alpha fell in love with social media as a child, spending hours watching toy channels on YouTube. Today, Alpha’s love of social media comes in handy in her work where she continues to expand her knowledge by learning photography. 

As a homebody, Alpha is happiest when she’s able to have some alone time with her two cats. However, as she continues to grow alongside her new found family at Artéria Collective, she finds joy in being part of and supporting her community.

Chaka Gordon

Pronouns: She/Her

Artist Residency Coordinator

Chaka Gordon manifested her dream job.

As a long-time educator and avid learner, she loves teaching and being taught by kids. Shining a light on artists who will inspire kids through their skills motivates Chaka in building these connections. 

Chaka is passionate about cultivating healthy relationships. She could talk your ear off about any tool for bettering oneself, one example being astrology. As a parent of five, she teaches that knowing even your basic astrological chart is a key resource for healthier parenting. 

Although right now Chaka says it’s her “boring era”, that’s definitely not the case. She’s picky about what to do with her time—rightfully so. Chaka loves to create new ideas and has discovered she really enjoys creating coloring books and stickers. She’s searching for a way to share her joy with others, teaching that anyone can make art.

Chloë Moore

Pronouns: He/She

Farm Manager

Chloë Moore would rather be out farming than anywhere else.

His love for nature knows no bounds, as he builds a lot of confidence in his ability to grow his own foods. Seeing farming as a liberatory practice, Chloë feels different expressions through whatever he is growing—bright red roselle to feel connected to his ancestry, delicate chamomile for a relaxing tea, or hot peppers just to add a little more spice to his life. 

Aside from gardening, Chloë’s other passion is making music. She uses her personal history to tell a story in the songs she writes. Although she’s often encouraged to perform her music outside of the city, Chloë prefers to play for the people in her life that she loves.

As Chloë happily moves towards a resilient future with his garden, he is also growing a new chapter in his life as a foster parent. He is proud to be creating a family in a historically black neighborhood in Asheville, cultivating his community as he grows his family.

Ember Phoenix

Pronouns: They/she
(Intentionally ‘they’ first)

Holistic Health Coordinator

Ember enjoys watching others find the lights within themselves.

Passionate about the healing work they do, Ember enjoys watching others find the lights within themselves. By honoring the Indigenous and African practices of their ancestors, Ember is able to weave ceremonial healing into their self care and community care rituals. They have found their purpose or path this lifetime fighting for the reality where people can exist and thrive together co-creating community care systems that reflect and embody an abolitionist and decolonized framework.

Drawn to the water, Ember is happiest when she gets to swim in the flowing waters of rivers and streams, but not so much lakes—its waters being too still for this little mermaid. When Ember does slow down,they love feeling JOMO, or the Joy of Missing Out. They find their excitement in a cozy day at home, engaging in a plethora of different activities, like spending time with their vibrant non binary magical kiddo, or being silly and laughing with their chosen family

Ember goes by many names, calling themselves a shapeshifter, unicorn, healer, mermaid—all of them being as magical as they are. They would end their bio by saying I am because we are.

Kate Wheeler

Pronouns: She/they

Farm Manager

While Kate Wheeler loves the physical work of being a farmer,

taking care of crops and nourishing them into produce, they’re true passion is finding ways to use farming for relationship building. With their own farm, Kate collaborates with local BIPOC farmers to feed the people in their community. They are proud to be able to provide a resource that is not only going to nourish, but meet the needs and wants of the community. 

Kate is teaching themselves to slow down and that it’s okay to not fill all of their time with work—even if they might really want to. 

On the days where Kate must pull away from a hard day’s work on the farm, she likes to rest by spending time with the important people in her life. Kate enjoys singing Karaoke, although that looks a bit different for her now. With her own personal karaoke machine, Kate gets to sing Nickleback and System of a Down whenever she wants.

Lau Malintzin

Pronouns: She/they

WOTS/VDLJ Program Coordinator

Lau Malintzin is a true music aficionado. With a deep love for listening to and blending sounds,

Lau’s life has been enriched with music since they can remember. Enjoying both solitary and communal music experiences, Lau is always seeking to create something new through their craft.

When Lau isn’t mixing music, she enjoys spending time alone, processing her thoughts and organizing her space. She stays finding new ways of displaying her vast collection of plants. In her most peaceful moments, she’s likely painting or reading with a cup of coffee by her side. Long drives alone, listening to the never-ending playlists she’s curated over the years is where her creativity flows. Above all, Lau is a proud parent to their son, and they find joy in watching him grow and learning from him.

As an artist who continues to uplift others through their creativity and passion for life, they hope to create safe and inclusive spaces that connect with people who are often left out of the mainstream.

Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Garland

Pronouns: She/Her

Artist Residency Coordinator

When Elizabeth Garland isn’t busy building her own multimedia empire.

She still finds ways to surround herself with media. She loves to listen and see the power of storytelling—it could be music, radio, her own radio show Slay the Mic, or Rihanna. 

Elizabeth has a need for exploration that can only be satisfied through traveling. She loves gaining new experiences—immersing herself in the culture of wherever it is she’s visiting. She enjoys not being sure where she’s going, not seeing it as getting lost, but taking a different path. 

As a firm believer in the law of attraction, she really enjoys vision boarding. Cutting out words from magazines is something she finds very therapeutic. She credits a board she made in 2012, which she keeps mounted in her home, with helping to get her to the place she is today. 

But as on the go as she is, Elizabeth’s authentic self slows down to spend quality time with the people in her community she loves so dearly.

Lydia George

Pronouns: They/them

WOTS/VDLJ Youth Coordinator

As someone who is a little shy, Lydia George uses their art as a way to convey their emotions when words fail them.

Sometimes they don’t know what their pieces are about until they’re finished. They used this method to create their first finished project, a graphic novel featuring queer characters that embody different aspects of Lydia’s own personality, helping them explore their self-identity.

The completion of their graphic novel marks the beginning of a new era for Lydia, one where they prioritize themselves. Learning to be selective with their time, Lydia focuses their energy in areas that matter the most—like their large collection of plants.They love to be outside laying in the sun or tending to the community garden with friends. Being cozy at home, cooking a nice meal, watching movies or binging an anime series are where they find comfort.

As Lydia continues to grow as an artist they hope that their art can resonate with others and bring them comfort and inspiration.

Michael-Jamar Jean Francois

Pronouns: He/him

WOTS/VDLS Youth Coordinator

Michael-Jamar Jean Francois is like a spider's web.

Expanding his need for discovery to reach to all different areas. His web holds on for as long as it can—sometimes for long periods of time. And, even after it’s turned into a cobweb, his knowledge will remain.

As a photographer for the last decade, Michael-Jamar finds ways to evolve his skill learning with larger form cameras. He is an avid listener looking for new sounds to record. Finding a lot of inspiration through the sounds around him, Michael-Jamar believes that there is still so much we haven’t heard in the world of sound. When he’s not tinkering with new sounds or working with his cameras, he can be found playing venues as DJ Lake Solace, a childhood dream he fulfills today. Now he begins a new musical journey studying to be a piano technician, enjoying the special something that each piano holds.

Aside from gardening, Chloë’s other passion is making music. She uses her personal history to tell a story in the songs she writes. Although she’s often encouraged to perform her music outside of the city, Chloë prefers to play for the people in her life that she loves.

As Chloë happily moves towards a resilient future with his garden, he is also growing a new chapter in his life as a foster parent. He is proud to be creating a family in a historically black neighborhood in Asheville, cultivating his community as he grows his family.

Sekou Coleman

Pronouns: He/him

Executive Director

Sekou Coleman is most certainly a Virgo Moon.

Virgo moons are curious and intellectual. They like to dream, looking at the overall bigger picture of any idea—Sekou Coleman is most certainly a Virgo Moon. A geek with a need for structure and the kind of person that loves to look towards the future, Sekou turns to his Virgo-ness to decide how he can best improve the lives of young people. He prefers working alongside a team, not really liking to perform front and center. He utilizes his own powers to assist others in recognizing their own power.

A huge fan of Formula 1 auto racing, he expresses that it is not the same thing as NASCAR—so definitely don’t ask. An avid binger, he finds comfort in being able to turn his brain off, absorbing himself into movies, anime and television.

Sekou really enjoys the culture of music from when he was growing up. He finds inspiration through the history of hip hop and idolizes the idea of seeing Black and Brown youth from the ’70s-’90s turned their passion for creativity and self-expression into a new mold for what is possible. He hopes to do the same.

Taz Crowley

Pronouns: Just Taz.

Event and Outreach Coordinator

Taz is a multi-talented, black multiracial, southern ass, queer artist,

who refuses to be bound by societal expectations and can’t be told what to do. Taz is getting to know themself, using their art as a vessel to release depictions of their experiences. Taz’s passion for art runs deep, they are determined to help others explore their creativity and tap into their unique artistic potential.


As a risk taker, Taz likes to experiment on the modalities of their art. Particularly drawn to pen and ink art, this style allows Taz to embrace imperfections and find beauty in unexpected places.
Taz is a caring and compassionate individual who values the relationships they have with their loved ones. They find joy in spending time with their community—even if it’s just sitting on the porch talking shit, that’s enough for Taz. When Taz isn’t spending time in community, they can be found cooking, cleaning, talking to their plants, or out in nature.


Being in connection with nature reminds them of its abundance. When they’re outside they are able to heal and replenish themselves, allowing them to center creative and communal spaces of joy.

Téo Amill

Pronouns: They/them

Operations Executive Assistant

Téo’s love for their community is a big part of who they are.

When they’re not dancing alone in their room or spending time with their favorite pup, you can find Téo Amill sitting by a fire spending time with the people they love. Téo’s love for their community is a big part of who they are. They are so happy to be working alongside their family, creating safe spaces for people who are on the margins and bringing communities together.

For Arteria Collective’s small bundle of joy, they relish in the power of visual and performance art, trying to surround themselves with as much of it as they can. Dance is their lifeline—It’s an outlet for the expression of what’s hitting them in the moment. Angry, flirty or feeling fierce, they embody these feelings with their movement. 

Dancing is a fluid movement that can be done alone or surrounded by others. It can be about just having fun, or telling a story. Through their work, Téo hopes to use the dance to teach self love and movement through choreography.

Yosi Carmona-Rodriguez

Pronouns: They/them

WOTS/LVDLJ Youth Coordinator

Yosi explores their feelings through their writing.

Yosi Carmona-Rodriguez is passionate about building connections and nourishing them into healthy meaningful relationships. They hope to grow and thrive in their creative world. 

When they’re not spending time with their friends or redecorating their rooms, in real life or on the Sims, you can find them painting, sketching or playing music. Yosi explores their feelings through their writing. Since a young age, they have enjoyed building worlds, getting lost in their fantasies and transferring it into their writing. They are currently in the process of writing their own book—their goal is to publish it before they die. 

Yosi’s art has always served as an outlet for their self expression, especially their art through makeup. Their makeup journey has allowed them an outlet to decide who they are or how they’re feeling. They are able to use it as a tool to recognize their beauty physically and spiritually. Through their healing, Yosi is enjoying the beautiful purposeful person that they are continuing to grow into.