OUR TEAM
STAFF & COMMITTEES
Gallery Director
AIMEE BURG
Aimée Burg is an artist/curator living and working in Connecticut. She co-ran the outdoor exhibition space ArtLot, Brooklyn, NY for 10 years (2012-2022) and is currently the gallery director at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT. She is the founder of a nature based artist residency, Zero Foot Hills in Durham, CT. She earned her MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2010 and has shown/performed in NYC, New Jersey, Upstate New York, California, Montréal, and Tel Aviv. Aimée was a 2012 AIR Fellow and was in residence at Vermont Studio Center 2008.
EMILY WEISKOPF
Curatorial & Programing Advisory Committee Chair
Emily Weiskopf (b.New York) is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and curator originally from New York. She received a BFA from the Hartford Art School(CT) and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art & Architecture (Philadelphia /Rome, Italy. Weiskopf’s work has been featured in Artnet, Gallerist NY, DNAinfo, the Contemporist, the Brooklyn Rail and exhibited with M.David&Co(NY); Spring Projects(NY); White Columns (NY); Tiger Strikes Astroid; among others. In 2013, the NYC D.O.T commissioned Weiskopf’s first large scale public installation, Unparallel Way. Weiskopf was nominated for the Rome Prize in 2011, awarded the Robert Rauschenberg Award 2021, Walter Hodes Memorial Award, and numerous fellowships and residencies including the Artist Pension Trust(2013), Vermont Studio Center (2011/2021), the Wassiac Project (2012) the Atlantic Center for the Arts (2023), and ECOCA Keyhole Workspace (2024), Jentel WY (2024) and Albee Foundation NY (2026). She was among the 2021 ReClaim Award winners in Cologne, Germany, selected for Chico Photography Review (2022) and is currently developing a permanent public artwork with the City of Austin, Texas due to debut in 2027.
She has held Faculty positions at Fashion Institute of Technology (NY), Montseratt College of Art(MA), Texas State University(TX) and is currently teaching at the Hartford Art School(CT) and Southern Connecticut State University.She has been the Chair of the Curatorial Committee at the Ely Center for Contemporary Art since 2024 and currently lives/works in New Haven CT with her 3 rescue dogs, Bunny, Banana and Bear.
THE ELY BOARD
CLARA NARTEY
Clara Nartey is a contemporary textile artist, whose work explores cultural identity. Her art has been exhibited both nationally and internationally at venues including the Fuller Craft Museum and Yellowstone Art Museum. Her work is held in private and permanent collections of institutions like Yale University. Nartey is the Founder of Textile Art Insider, a platform connecting textile art professionals and cultural institutions. A passionate arts advocate, she serves as Board Co-Chair of the Ely Center of Contemporary Art, and Board Secretary of Studio Art Quilt Associates.
ADRIANNA HERNANDEZ BERGSTROM
Adriana Hernández Bergstrom is a Cuban American mixed-media illustrator who loves creating charming characters, heartfelt paintings, and sweet imagery for kids and kids-at-heart. She studied art & theatrical set design at the University of Miami and industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design. She loves literacy and languages and speaks English, Spanish, and German.
Adriana's work can be found on greeting cards, wrapping paper, and in books. She is the author and illustrator of ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN (Charlesbridge, 2022), TUMBLE (Scholastic, 2023) and COUNTDOWN FOR NOCHEBUENA (Little, Brown, 2023). When Adriana is not flipping flans or chasing tumbleweed, she’s back in her studio painting and dreaming up new stories!
JOHN O’DONNELL
John O'Donnell is an artist, curator, and educator whose work spans printmaking, performance, and experimental media. He is an Associate Professor of Printmaking at the University of Connecticut and the founder of the performance series Weird Music Night. His creative and curatorial projects often explore themes of simulation, nostalgia, and visual culture. As a member of the Ely Center of Contemporary Art's Governing Board, he is committed to supporting innovative and inclusive artistic programming.
TAMIKO BEY COLLIER
Tamiko Bey Collier is a seasoned development and donor engagement professional with more than 18 years of experience advancing philanthropic priorities across the arts and academic medicine. She began her career at The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 in New York City, then joined NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as a Gift Officer and later Major Gift Officer supporting the urology and women’s health service lines—partnering closely with annual giving and leadership donors, physicians, and senior hospital leaders.
Since 2016, Tamiko has served at Yale School of Medicine as Director of Development for Yale Cancer Center and the Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, and Women’s Health Research, where she helped build a strong prospect pipeline and expand major- and leadership-gift engagement for research in cancer and women’s health. In 2025, she assumed fundraising responsibility for the Yale Child Study Center and the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, continuing to cultivate and steward key donor relationships and manage on- and off-campus events that drive transformative support. She holds a B.A. in Fine Arts/Arts Administration from Baruch College (CUNY) and has helped raise significant funding for the arts, neurosciences and clinical research.
A faithful member of Mount Aery Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Tamiko serves as co-chair of the Sisters at the Well Ministry, fostering community and connection among women. She also enjoys reading, traveling, and quiet time, and values time with her husband, Vernon, and daughter, Ellie.
AARON PINE
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, I earned my Bachelor of Architecture degree from Penn State University in 1984. Over the following decade, I worked in Boston with several distinguished firms on a range of published and award-winning projects, including with Hisaka Associates on an 11-story office building in Washington DC, with Moshe Safdie Associates on a new Hillel for Harvard University, and with deCastro Nelson on the renovation of numerous historic churches throughout the Boston region.
My professional experience in New Haven has included working with David Harlan, a master of classical design, and collaborating with landscape architect Diana Balmori on both design competitions and built projects, including work in Buenos Aires. I also contributed to major projects with Bruce Becker on 360 State Street, New Haven’s landmark 30-story mixed-use tower; with DeCarlo & Doll on renovations and additions to the historic Waterbury City Hall; and with Pozzi Associates on major renovations to Wilbur Cross High School and other New Haven public schools.
From 2005 to 2006, my family and I lived in Los Angeles, where I worked with Peter Mitsakos at West Edge Architects in Marina del Rey. The projects and climate offered a fresh perspective on architectural practice and expanded the depth of my professional vision. After returning to New Haven, I established my own architectural practice, which I continue to lead today.
My involvement with ECOCA began three years ago, and the opportunity to serve on the board and contribute to New Haven’s vibrant arts community has been deeply fulfilling.
AKIYA MCKNIGHT
Akiya McKnight is a multidisciplinary storyteller, producer, and art curator dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices across television, podcasting, and the visual arts. With over eight years of experience in the entertainment industry, she has collaborated with major studios and networks including Tyler Perry Studios, AMC, Warner Brothers, and The Gersh Agency. Her creative portfolio includes the short films SERVED, Black Mask, Drift, Bone Deep, Daddy’s Home, and Monet, as well as branded content for the Recording Academy.
A lifelong lover of the arts, Akiya’s curatorial practice is rooted in a deep appreciation for cultural institutions like Yale, The Met, and MoMA, which she frequented from a young age. In 2015, she co-founded Creative Society CT, an art collective that connected emerging artists with local businesses through curated events. Her debut solo exhibition, Black Love is Liberation: A Visual Timeline Through the Ages (2023), was met with critical acclaim and is currently being developed into a touring show across the U.S. and abroad. She is also curating a forthcoming exhibit on grief, exploring healing, identity, and community.
Akiya’s passion for storytelling extends to podcasting, where she’s carved out a distinct space for culturally resonant narratives. In 2017, she created District Queen, a scripted podcast, followed by Women With The Blueprint (2020), a career-empowerment show for women of color. As a Podcast Producer at Shondaland Audio, Akiya has contributed to several award-winning series, including Go Ask Ali, The Laverne Cox Show, Inventing Anna: The Official Podcast, Bridgerton: The Official Podcast, and Katie’s Crib.
Based in Los Angeles and Connecticut, Akiya remains committed to telling stories that reflect the full spectrum of women's and minority experiences. Beyond her creative work, she is deeply engaged in community service and advocacy. She previously served on the board of Forever Family, a nonprofit supporting children of incarcerated parents, and currently holds board positions at the Michael’s Daughter Foundation and the Ely Center of Contemporary Art.
DAN BURNS
Daniel Burns is a lifelong resident of the New Haven area. He is a staff attorney with New Haven Legal Assistance Association, where he helps indigent and underrepresented people find access to justice in matters concerning eviction defense, public housing rights and fair housing.
AMY KUNDRAT
Amy Kundrat is the Director of Innovation Community at Yale Ventures, Yale’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship leading the marketing and communications strategy for Yale Ventures and working closely with its teams to connect the people, places, and sources of capital for the Yale entrepreneurship and innovation community.
Prior to Yale Ventures, Amy led marketing, communications, and digital teams for mission-driven organizations across sectors—opening a museum for The National Trust for Historic Preservation, branding and launching a Financial Times technology startup, leading digital platforms at Yale School of Management, and most recently, working as head of brand and communications for the electric vehicle startup, REGENT.
Amy holds a B.A. in Art History and Government & Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.B.A from Yale School of Management.She serves on the board of directors for the Connecticut Technology Council, the Ely Center for Contemporary Art in New Haven, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.