STAFF
Josefa Vaughan, Founder and Executive Director – Josefa has been an exhibiting artist since 1976. She has lectured at the SF Art Institute, San Jose State, U.C. Davis, USF, and Stanford University and is a Djerassi Resident Artists Program alum. Awards include grants from the San Francisco Arts Commission to produce permanent public art and community arts events. Her classical and cutting-edge art projects began connecting gifted and vulnerable communities in 1989 while employed as a teaching artist by the Texas Institute for Arts in Education. She credits free private art instruction as a pre-teen for getting her career on track despite a period of teenage homelessness. Her enduring friendship with her mentor and subsequent students of her own inspired her to form ArtSeed to provide a similar benefit to the young or vulnerable. Josefa has partnered with museums, schools, and community Centers and has been a juror for the California Arts Council.
Email: josefa@artseed.org
Cell: 415-656-9849
Aim Wong, Operations Analyst – Aim holds a Bachelor’s in Statistics from Johns Hopkins University, and a Masters in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. He initially came to ArtSeed as an evaluation and assessment volunteer, before taking more responsibilities in other aspects of ArtSeed’s operations. He appreciates visual arts and is passionate about films.
Email: aim@artseed.org
Kelci R.L. Bengier, Communications and Development Manager – A Bay Area native, Kelci joined ArtSeed in early 2026 following a career pivot from investment communications to arts nonprofits. She holds a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of San Francisco, where she earned a 4.0 GPA, and a Bachelor’s in Communication and Classical History from Boston University, where she graduated summa cum laude. A first-generation graduate who began her studies at Santa Rosa Junior College, Kelci is also a vinyl enthusiast, a true bookworm, and a writer of literary fiction.
Email: kelci@artseed.org
Bridget Danner, Program Coordinator – Bridget holds a deep passion for art history, art practice, and the understanding of visual culture. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in History of Art and Visual Culture from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Masters Degree in Museum Studies from the University of San Francisco. She is an artist herself and practices block printing amongst other explorations of mediums.
Email: bridget@artseed.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Edna Arterberry, Community Liaison – Edna is a retired social worker for foster families (which she did for 20 years) at the Department of Human Services, City of San Francisco. Prior to this she has worked in Bayview Hunters Point for over 21 years as manager of The California Association for Health, Education, Employment and Dignity. She was on the advisory board of San Francisco General Hospital and the Southeast Health Center. She is actively involved in Cornerstone Baptist as a teacher for high school students and is a leader on the scholarship committee. As the mother of the internationally distinguished artist, William Scott, (who is also an ArtSeed alum) she hopes that ArtSeed can touch as many lives as possible through art and community service through commitment, love and success at creating a healthier environment.
Kevin Quan, Treasurer – Kevin is a San Francisco native and currently resides in the East Bay with this family. He is the accounting and finance manager for the San Francisco Arts Commission. Kevin holds a Masters of Accountancy from Golden Gate University. He appreciates art in all forms.
William Bicknell, President – Bill is an IT professional with over 20 years of experience applying technical solutions to enable more efficient business functions and support office infrastructure for small businesses as well as at the enterprise level. He grew up in upstate New York, but has called San Francisco home for 27 years, more than half his life. He developed a passion for the creative arts as a child and while that was not his major in college he was able to take photography courses at the College of Fine Arts at Cornell. All the visual arts, especially photography, have held a special place in his heart. Bill also currently participates at board level at two non-profit addiction recovery organizations. He would like to use his IT skills to help ArtSeed be even more effective in its mission to empower people through art.
Elizabeth Welch, Secretary – Elizabeth is a San Francisco-based product designer. She studied poetry at Williams College and loves exploring the intersection of literary and visual arts. Creativity has been an empowering force in her life, and she is passionate about sharing this with different communities through ArtSeed.
ADVISORY BOARD – Charles Boone, Matt Boris & Greg Paxton, Annette Brinton, Tony Grant, Sabine Gysens, Jeff Hastings, Marissa Kunz & Peter Mann, Bryant Lui, Arwen Vaughan, Ann Wettrich
YOUTH COUNCIL – Logan W., Linh H., Mia F.
PAST BOARD MEMBERS – Anita Stokes, Recruitment Specialist. (2019 – 2020), Anita Smith-Christopher, Education Specialist. (2019), Sabine Gysens, Ph.D., President, Outreach and Fundraising Committee. (2015 – 2019), Chair. (2017– 2019), Malcolm McAfee, ArtSeed Sociologist in Residence. (2012 – 2014), Barbra A. Richardson, Bayview Hunters Point Community Liaison. (2011 – 2017), Ben Berkeley, Attorney at Law, Legal Council Committee Chair. (2013) Acting President (2014– 2017), Matthew Boriskin, President, Secretary, IT Officer, Web Manager. (President 2008 – 2013, Secretary 2014 – 2017), Todd Standish, Teaching Artist, Marketing Committee Chair. (2013 – 2016), Robert Rathmell, Attorney at Law. (2012 – 2013), Russell Brent, Grant writing and Bookkeeping Specialist (2012 – 2013), Georg Gottschalk, President. (2007 – 2009), Justin Hoover, Artist Advisor, Development and Fundraising Officer. (2004 – 2007), James Bo Joves, Financial Planning and Marketing Officer. (2006 – 2009), Mehrzad Khajenoori, Bookkeeper. (2004 – 2006) Treasurer. (2006 – 2007), Anna-Lisa Froman, Treasurer. (2005 – 2007), Bonnie Milstein, Development. (2008 – 2010), Diane Scarritt, Community Liaison. (2005 – 2008), Marissa Kunz, Founding Artist, Secretary and Program Officer. (2001 – 2011), Cris Larson, Treasurer. (2003 – 2004), Lydia Titcomb, President. (2003 – 2006), Laura Kamian, Founding Treasurer. (2001 – 2003)
EMERITUS STAFF/VOLUNTEERS/ADVISORS – Gino, Rosalyn, Louisse & Olivia Bella, Milo M. Benningfield, Anissa “Moon” Battle, Stacey Carter, Jennifer Danskine, Renata Cauchon-Robles, Adam Frey, Sophie Greenberg, Paul Griffin, Lynn Winter Gross, John Hammond, Sarafina Hoffman, Gabriela Hofmeyer, Selina Lee, Peter Li, Revathy Sree Kanagarajan, Madalina Kelner, Raoul Martinez, Gail Matthews, “Linh” Ha Khanh Nguyen, Dave Parker, Shoshana, Teddy, Toby and Peter Priel & Daphne Blumenthal, Eliot Rattle, Shivani Shimpi, Shashank Shimpi, Edward Smalarz, Liam So, Jacob Spies, Elizabeth Stahl, Erin Stanley, Margaret Stark-Roberts, Allerton Steele & Carmel Zimmerman, Bob Stenson, Eliana Miranda Stone, Rachael Tobener, Isabelle Trujillo, Christina Trujillo, Jessica Zucker