Inter/national guest programmer, María Fernanda (she/hers) partners with small-to-large venues, public libraries, retail bookstores, national literary initiatives, and more to support their programming and cultural landscapes.

She specializes as a creative producer for the performing arts. Her experience supporting artists at the Park Avenue Armory, The Shed, The John F. Kennedy Center, and Columbia Artists equipped her expertise in artist contract management (for individuals and large groups), commissioning new work, producing live productions, and developing residencies.

Consulting clients past and present include Well-Read Black Girl, Park Avenue Armory, District of Columbia Public Library, Simon & Schuster, American Poetry Museum, The John F. Kennedy Center, Politics & Prose, Twitter (prior to ‘X’), MeetUp, THE OFFICE performing arts + film, Creative and Independent Producer Alliance (CIPA), DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and more.

María Fernanda has conceived independent projects in her neighborhood at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (NYPL), The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), Rio II Gallery, El Coronado Print Studio, and elsewhere. Linkedin.

West End, New York City

María Fernanda also programs and produces artist residency programs for young people.

High school — She co-launched a free writing, performance and civic engagement multi-year program, which led to young people learning about the process of commissioning their own youth work.

Middle school — She managed a two-week camp encompassing field trip visits, guest speaker talks, workshops, celebrations and other activities.

Primary and Secondary school — She managed a free three-year dance activism program on-site, based in New York City.

In Washington, DC, María Fernanda supported the launch of an inaugural two-week summer camp. In overseeing the day-to-day camp programming and operations, María Fernanda facilitated, chaperoned, and coordinated daily field trip visits, guest speaker talks, workshops, celebrations and other activities for 11 - 13 year-olds.

In New York City, María Fernanda engaged and collaborated with NYCHA community centers and New York City Public Schools (primary, elementary, and high schools) to offer on-site programming in multi-purpose spaces, classrooms, auditoriums, gyms, dance studios, and more. Partners have included,

Academy for Young Writers│Performing Arts and Technology School │Urban Assembly School for Collaborative Healthcare │ El Puente at Independence Towers│Benjamin Banneker Academy │Hudson Guild Community Center│Southern Queens Park Association Cornerstone│South Jamaica Development (NYCHA) │Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement – Ravenswood │August Martin High School (Beacon) │Brooklyn Frontiers High School │El Puente at Independence Towers│Fort Greene Young Minds COMPASS Program│Frederick Douglass Academy III│George Westinghouse Jr. High School of Career and Technical Education│Landmark High School│Ocean Bay Cornerstone (Beacon) Community Center│PS 007 Samuel Stern│PS30 Hernandez Hughes│Teachers Preparatory High School│SONYC Union Settlement School of the Arts, Collaboration, and Technology│The Ralph Bunche School PS 125 via Boys & Girls Club of Harlem │West Brighton Cornerstone Community Center│Ingersoll Community Center│and more

As an adult accomplice,* María Fernanda offers mentorship and guidance to youth-led collaboratives and collectives in Washington (D.C.), New York City, and Phoenix, including,

DC Youth Slam Grand Slam Finals│ Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, New York City Writing│ASU Black Artists and Designers Association│ASU Boss Up│Creative and Independent Producer Alliance’s Emerging Producer Fellowship│Politics & Prose’s Pier Reads for Young Writers│E. L. Haynes Public Charter│DC SCORES│

*In social activism, an adult accomplice is defined as someone who assists young people in creating a space of inclusion, equity, and safety for all, often at the risk of their own social and/or professional standing and physical well-being, as defined by YWCA.