Meet the Organizers
Greenpoint Open Studios (GOS) is a grassroots effort led by a team of local artist volunteers with support from local organizations that provides an open platform for local art and artists to build, sustain, and support the thriving creative community in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
A collaboration between artists, volunteers, organizations, and businesses, the mission of GOS is to build a creative ecosystem that provides open access to local art and artists, foster community exchange, and promote the cultural vitality of the neighborhood.
Mary Younkin | Operations
Mary Younkin joined Greenpoint Open Studios organizing committee in 2023. Using her professional project management and event planning skills, Mary is dedicated to making the planning, organizing and cross-team volunteer effort successful year over year. She does a lot behind the scenes and you’ve probably heard from her if you’ve emailed us over the past few years.
Mary Younkin is a Greenpoint-based visual artist and arts educator, creating vibrant still life paintings examining everyday life through the personal lens of motherhood. Originally from California, Younkin received her BFA in painting from the California College of the Arts and also holds an MFA from Parsons The New School. She is a dedicated Greenpointer, also serving on the leadership committee for the community group Greenpoint Art Circle and teaching the next generation at ARTUDIO.
Kelly Olshan | Strategy
Kelly Olshan joined the Greenpoint Open Studios organizing committee in 2022. She works with the team on strategic planning and budgeting efforts, helping answer questions like “What kind of programming would best serve participating artists?” and “How can we ensure this great event keeps going without burning its volunteer organizers out”?
A Brooklyn-based visual artist and arts manager, her 3D paintings, installations, and public art works have been exhibited nationally. Recent solo exhibitions include Chashama (NY, NY) the Garment District Alliance’s Space for Public Art (NY, NY). She is currently planning for a debut solo museum show at Long Island Children’s Museum in Jan 2026. As a reviewer, she serves as a panelist for public art commissions, residencies, and grants, and sits on the NYC DOT Public Art Advisory Committee.
A frequent lecturer and presenter, she has given artist and professional practices talks at School of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, and Columbia University, among others. She has been an artist in residence with Chashama (ChaNorth), and named an Emerging Leader by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). She currently serves as a Program Officer, Career Advice and Training at NYFA, where she manages a portfolio of professional development programs for artists globally. She graduated Valedictorian from UNC Asheville with a BFA in painting, and holds an MA in Arts Administration from Columbia University.
Melanie Reese | Development
Mel Reese joined the Greenpoint Open Studios organizing committee in 2023 and has played a crucial role in the fundraising efforts that make GOS possible. Fundraising for this event allows us to print flyers, print postcards and pay small stipends to our incredible volunteers including event photographers. We hope to raise more in the coming years and expand upon the support we provide artists throughout the weekend and beyond.
Reese (b. 1991) is an obervational painter inspired by formalism. She holds an MFA from SVA and a BS from Skidmore College. She has completed Artist-in-Residencies such as Vermont Studio Center, Elsewhere Studios and JX Farms. Reese recently had a solo show at Warnes Contemporary Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. She has exhibited widely throughout the United States including Untitled Space and Maison 10 Gallery and has been featured in several publications including New American Paintings Northeast Issue 134, New American Painting Featured Artists, Inside Artists, Studio Visit Magazine and New Visionary Magazine. Reese lives and works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Ann Cofta | Communications
Ann Cofta joined the Greenpoint Open Studios organizing committee in 2023. Her efforts have been focused on promoting artist participation, managing volunteers and artist meetup events, and helping grow attendance year over year.
Cofta is a textile artist whose work has been exhibited in six solo shows at NYC venues, and in galleries throughout the U.S. Interviews and featured articles about her art have been in various publications including Brooklyn Paper, Greenpointers.com, Queens Chronicle and the New Haven Independent.
Cofta was recently awarded a Residency Fellowship on Governors Island with Transborder Art. She has participated in other residency programs including Openings in Lake George and AlterWork in Long Island City. Cofta holds a BA in Art from Franklin & Marshall college, and an MA in Art and Art Education from Columbia University. After teaching for over twenty years, she now works full time on her art at her Greenpoint studio.
Loretta Lomanto | Social Media
Loretta Lomanto joined the Greenpoint Open Studios organizing committee in 2024. She manages our overall event promotion on our Instagram and Facebook accounts, including highlighting GOS artists leading up to the event. She also connects directly with artists at our meetup events.
Colombian artist Loretta Lomanto has a BA in Philosophy from Universidad de Antioquia, a BFA degree from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin as well as an MFA from Parsons The New School. Her work has been featured in South America and the U.S. in many group exhititions including BRIC, Soho20, BHQF: The Last Brucennial, The Untitled Gallery and Tiny Dancer Gallery. Special installations of her wok have been curated at the Governors Island Art Fair and cloyingParlor: Her History Dilemma. Loretta is currently illustrating a children’s book. She lives and works in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.