Advertise on podcast: Inwood Art Works On Air

Welcome to Inwood Art Works On Air. On this Artist Spotlight episode, we chat with actor and filmmaker, Manny Pérez Born in the Dominican Republic and based uptown in Washington Heights, Manny Pérez is a Dominican American actor that has gained international recognition for his contributions to film and television. He gained significant attention for his performance in the film "Washington Heights" (2002), which he cowrote and produced. His portrayal in this independent film earned him critical acclaim, with The New York Times noting that he has "charisma to burn."   He has appeared in various television series, including "Third Watch," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "The Blacklist." His versatility as an actor has allowed him to take on both leading and supporting roles in numerous films, including "La Soga", which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, it's two sequels, and many others.   Manny is not only recognized for his film work but also for his humanitarian efforts. He has been involved in charitable activities, including donating shoes to families affected by Hurricane Noel in the Dominican Republic. 

Welcome to a special concert edition of Inwood Art Works On Air featuring Raun Ruffin’s Uptown Motown Throwdown in Vol 1 of the two-part concert podcast. Get up and dance or sit back and enjoy a live concert of Motown classic hits! The concert was recorded live on November 1, 2025 at Good Shepherd Auditorium.

Welcome to a special concert edition of Inwood Art Works On Air featuring Raun Ruffin’s Uptown Motown Throwdown in Vol 2 of the two-part concert podcast. Get up and dance or sit back and enjoy a live concert of Motown classic hits! The concert was recorded live on November 1, 2025 at Good Shepherd Auditorium.

On this special On Air episode, we are taking a moment to proudly share with you that Inwood Art Works is celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season.  IAW founder, Aaron Simms speaks about the origins of the company and the evolution of our film, stage, music and visual arts programming. Plus, he looks forward and shares what is to come next for the company with the announcement of an "anniversary gift to Inwood and Uptown NYC" in honor of our 10th year! Tune in and find out!

The Boys of Kingsbridge from Grammar School to Ground Zero is a documentary film by Thom MacNamara that recounts the childhood friendship between five boys as they grew up in Kingsbridge and how they were drawn back together by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Enjoy this exclusive live post-screening conversation from the 2024 Inwood Film Festival with Daniel McNally, Mike Hussey, Brendan Carroll and Thom MacNamara with host, Aaron Simms.

Mateo Vintimilla is an Ecuadorian born Classical Guitarist who has performed in venues across the globe giving recitals in Dominican Republic, Iceland, United States, and Ecuador. A recipient of the Augustine Foundation Scholarship, he has collaborated with the Brooklyn Composers Society, premiering new music at Brooklyn College and commissioned and premiered works from several Ecuadorian composers. Mateo obtained his bachelor’s degree in classical guitar performance at the Manhattan School of Music with the American virtuoso Mark Delpriora and his master’s degree under the tutelage of the internationally acclaimed artist Dr. Andrew Zohn at the Schwob School of Music. As an educator Mateo has been a faculty member in The Brooklyn Center for Musical Arts, the New York City Guitar School, and non-profit organizations like Lead Guitar and Internal Creations, where he currently works as artistic director.

Keena Gonzalez moved from Hollywood to NYC in 2000 to pursue her work as a photographer. In 2008 she earned her BFA from the School of Visual Arts where she was mentored by singer-songwriter Anohni and interned for world renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. Since graduating Keena has worked closely with the artist collective Openings, has had her photographs exhibited, and in 2023 she directed and produced her short film entitled "This Is Jane. See Jane..." Follow her at: www.keenagonzalez.com

As both a composer and singer, Kristin Norderval is inspired by hybridity, interactivity and the idea that everything we do is site-specific. In her operas, chamber works, sound installations, and music for dance and theater, she blends acoustic and electronic sound, de-tuned instruments, voices, machines, and the acoustic resonance of space. Having trained in both composition and classical voice, Kristin first earned her living as a soprano soloist with a focus on contemporary music, particularly American composers. She performed and recorded works by, and often alongside, composers such as Philip Glass, John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, George Crumb and many others. Returning to composition after her 40th birthday, she continued to focus on the voice as her primary sonic material. Her solo CD of work for voice and electronics - Aural Histories - was listed by The New Yorker music critic Alex Ross as one of “Ten Notable Classical Music Recordings of 2012”. Her opera The Trials of Patricia Isasa (2016) won Quebec´s OPUS prize for best contemporary music and best production. Kristin holds a PhD in Artistic Research from the Oslo National Academy of Arts, Academy of Opera in Norway. www.kristinnorderval.com

Tom Nelson is a pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He is a busy freelance musician, performing with some of the top jazz and classical musicians in New York City. He is also the house pianist at the University Club. Tom performs all styles of music ranging from classical to jazz to rock to Broadway, but is especially fond of the Great American Songbook repertoire featuring such composers as George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Richard Rogers. Born in Logan, Utah, Tom received a Bachelor’s of Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas and a Master’s of Jazz Composition from the Manhattan School of Music. He has composed works for string quartet, jazz orchestra and chamber jazz ensemble, songs for soprano, violin and piano and composed for small jazz ensemble as well. Tom is also active as a Musical Director on the New York cabaret scene and works as a rehearsal pianist and dance accompanist. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters. www.tomdnelson.com 

As an actor, Lauren Sowa has been featured on FBI (CBS), The Plot Against America (HBO), and the recent cult release Terrifier 3. Other film credits include The Rainbow Experiment (Paramount+), The Devil's Well (Amazon Prime), and Paris is in Harlem (Slamdance ’22).    She is the co-founder of Form & Pressure Films, a production company dedicated to impact and inclusion. Its first film, Marisol, won the 2019 HuffPost Impact Award and was licensed by HBO. Other films she’s produced can be seen on DUST, Tubi, Amazon Prime, Omeleto, and at film festivals all over the world. www.laurensowa.com

Carlos Lample is a Washington Heights native and first generation Dominican American. He attended Bronx Community College where he majored in Media Technology, then went on to Hunter College where he continued his film studies to embark on a career in media. He has worked for companies such as All Mobile Video, Broadway Video, HBO, My Three Sons Productions, Disney and MTV. In 2018 he created Lample Media, his own content company that produces podcasts, web series, and short form content. Carlos is also one of the lead short film programmers for the New York Latino Film Festival.www.lamplemedia.com

Barbara A. Jones serves on the board of The Harlem Swing Dance Society (THSDS), the premiere Harlem non-profit organization with the purpose of promoting, propagating, protecting and preserving the Lindy Hop dance and various forms of Swing Dance culture in its Harlem birthplace. She longs to see the Harlem area once again embrace their signature cultural dance and energize community youth to be the future innovators of this unique art form. Also to see the Living Legends of this dance be honored and preserve the memories of local seniors for future generations. Contact her at [email protected] 

Matt O'Shea was born and raised in NYC and attended local schools. A high school media class sparked his interest in film production which led to enrollment at Boston’s Emerson College. Without a compass pointing into any specific medium, he wound up working almost exclusively on the production of television commercials with occasional assistance to friends who needed help making short and long format films.   This career began in 1986 as a production assistant and has continued to this day where Matt is a Producer, Assistant Director and Unit Production Manager. He has been a member of the Director’s Guild of America for 33 years and many of the spots he has worked on would be familiar to millions of people.

Welcome to this Inwood Art Works On Air podcast artist spotlight episode featuring poet and culture maker, Porfirio Figueroa. Born and raised in New York City, Porfirio Figueroa is a former triple threat who was fortunate to have danced for the legendary Jerome Robbins, and the great Michael Bennett in shows such as “West Side Story” (having played both Chino and Bernardo) and “A Chorus Line” (having played both Mark Anthony and Paul). He has also worked in TV, film and theater in various capacities as a director, playwright, lyricist, and producer. Locally, he is an active member of Fort Washington Collegiate Church where he conceived, developed, and executed “The Salon Hang,” an art showcase for the Upper Manhattan community featuring over 44 local artists. Porfirio has advised numerous not-for-profit organizations and notable clientele on development, execution, and community outreach. Furthermore, he has advised the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, served as a Board Member of the Dance Project of Washington Heights, and AYUDA for the Arts. He is a Cum Laude Graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton, and currently serves as the Deputy Director of Community Affairs for the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, Mark Levine.

Welcome to this Inwood Art Works On Air podcast artist spotlight episode featuring actor and filmmaker, Hannah Eakin. Hannah Eakin is an Arkansas-born, New York City-based actress, singer, writer, and filmmaker. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, holds her BM in Music Theatre from Oklahoma City University, works regularly with the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, and has performed roles like Mary Poppins and Irene Molloy in Hello, Dolly! in regional houses and venues throughout New York City. As a creator, she finds inspiration in the intimate, complex, and often overlooked narratives of women throughout history. Her screenplays have garnered recognition from the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards and ScreenCraft Drama Screenplay Competition, her musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, Jane Eyre, is a recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts FY24 Support for Artists Grant, and her short film The Poet’s Daughter received a grant from the Inwood Film Festival Filmmaker Fund. A self-taught director, she delights in studying the styles and techniques of great filmmakers and innovators. Her ongoing work includes The Sara Teasdale Project, an expansive poetry and film history project culminating in 92 short films. www.hannaheakin.com