Marci

Marci has a degree in art & design and was a contemporary art gallery owner in California.
She has been an art educator for many years and now teaches art in a South Bronx middle school. Marci has been a Russel Wright collector since she was in college and has a passion for Manitoga and its mission.

Juliette

Juliette is an Interior Designer based in NYC and the Hudson Valley. She developed a passion for architecture and furniture history while in college, and has been actively pursuing this interest ever since. She has always been drawn to the intersection of nature and design. She loves photography, hiking, reading, and music. She loves studying all things mid-century design, and is excited to help share the gift that is Manitoga. 

LeeAnn

Hudson Valley native, LeeAnn is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. She enjoys art, food history, and giving tours of interesting places in the region such as Van Cortlandt Manor, Radio City Music Hall and now happily, Manitoga. 

Robert (Bob)

Bob is a federal appeals attorney, avid gardener, and longtime resident of the Hudson River Valley.
He loves the region's history, art and nature so poignantly on display at Manitoga.

Paula

Growing up in the Hudson Valley, Paula gained a great appreciation for the breathtaking natural world around her. From an early age, she loved hiking and exploring with family and friends and still gets out in nature at every opportunity.

When not outside, Paula is the Creative Director at her own design company — for 20+ years — working closely with client marketing teams on a wide range of creative projects. Paula loves photographing nature from unique perspectives, cooking plant-based meals for anyone who will eat them, going on fun new adventures with friends, and witnessing first time visitors in awe when touring Dragon Rock at Manitoga!

Judith

Judith is an international award winning storyteller, producer, Chicago Moth winner, and NSN Oracle award recipient for Leadership in the mid-west region. She introduced Tellabration! to Chicago where she produced it for 20 years as well as simultaneously running the Chicago Storytelling Guild. She loves telling The Grimmest of the Grimm tales as well as personal narratives gathered from her families’ exploits. When not crafting earrings, a hobby resurrected during Covid, Judith also leads tours at the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House in Chicago, IL, and at Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center in Garrison, NY (no relation). She teaches a memoir/storytelling class in Westchester, NY where she spends most of her time these days.

Valerie

Valerie is an artist and educator living in Lake Peekskill since 2018. With a BFA from Carnegie Mellon, she is trained as a set designer and she’s spent years as a scenic artist and muralist around NYC. Living in the woods now, Valerie is committed to using her love of art to help build community, and she teaches art lessons and hosts free monthly art meetups around the Hudson Valley. As a Teaching Artist with New Era Creative Space in Peekskill, she leads classes on digital art, comics, and stagecraft. In her own studio, she writes and illustrates comics and picture books, including the 2023 book Local Baby: Hudson Valley. Valerie loves exploring new trails with her partner and her pup, and the moss, pines, and laurels around the Manitoga quarry pond are a constant source of inspiration. 

Eve

Eve is a photographer and documentary filmmaker who received her BA in Art History from Vassar College and her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her film and photographic projects have received many grants and awards and have screened and exhibited in the US, Europe and Asia. She has also been awarded artist residencies at MacDowell and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Workspace. In 2021, Eve founded Soon is Now, a climate and eco-themed festival of art and live performance held in Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park in Beacon and co-produced with Manitoga guide Connie Hall. She lives with her daughter and rescue pup in Beacon, NY and volunteers for Climate Reality and Beacon Climate Action Now. 

Alan

Alan is beginning his sixth year as a site educator at Manitoga.  Since he retired from the world of publishing, he has been able to indulge his interest in 20th century design and architecture by working at Manitoga and sharing his knowledge with guests. Alan is also President of The Field Library (Peekskill) Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Ellen, have lived in northern Westchester for 35 years.

Rachel

A vet tech and nature-lover by day, Rachel joined the tour program of Manitoga as a site educator in 2021 and has truly enjoyed sharing the House, Studio and Woodland Garden with visitors ever since. 

When not giving tours, Rachel can be found riding horses and hiking the beautiful Hudson Valley with her two littles.

Adela

Adela is an artist inspired by nature’s many exquisite gifts—light, form, hues, and design.
She had the privilege of working in the publishing world as a creative director in NYC for many years in addition to her time as an art educator, which she considers one of her most rewarding chapters. She shared that Manitoga fills her with amazement and inspiration, and it is a delight to be part of this magical place on earth.

Allison

Allison is a mom, technology librarian, horse enthusiast, enjoyer of art, and hiker. Relatively new to the Hudson Valley, she has enjoyed getting to know all the area has to offer, including Manitoga. With an interest in art history, Allison enjoys sharing Manitoga with guests and learning about the various lenses though which visitors take in the landscape and modernist home.

Janice

Janice studied and taught philosophy for years before having her children and has spent the last two decades working as a museum guide at a number of different historic sites, including Van Cortlandt Manor. Manitoga is her favorite, and like most of her colleagues, she loves her job.

Lily

Lily is a passionate artist who focuses on drawing and painting. Her work has been proudly showcased at Ramapo College of New Jersey numerous times. She also teaches art to young children at OneRiver School of Art + Design, specifically classes that range from drawing, painting, sculpting and even spray painting. Lily is also an avid crocheter of blankets, bags and hats. Her enthusiasm for art is only surpassed by her love of her two cats - Bubbie and Mr. Kiwi.