Our People
Board of Trustees
The Manship Artists Residency is a 501c(3) governed by a Board of Trustees. The founding Board and its advisors dedicated their time, energy, and resources to establishing a viable nonprofit capable of launching the Manship Artists Residency. Having accomplished this goal, we look to expand this pool of volunteers to meet developing opportunities and challenges.
Jo-Ann Castano
Board Chair, Co-Founder
A sculptor, community cultural organizer with 48 years' experience as an arts administrator and activist, Castano, was founder and Executive Director of three CETA city community artists residency & training programs, co-established Gloucester’s Committee for the Arts, Society for the Encouragement for the Arts (seARTS), co-chaired City of Gloucester Plan 2000 Arts And Cultural plan, and founding board member of Gloucester Arts & Culture Initiative. She is the Founding Vice-President of Manship Artists (2015-2019).
Fred Groff
Buildings and Grounds Committee Chair
Groff brings over forty years experience as an architect and project manager of important historic sites such as Boston’s Fenway Park, Quincy Market and Dublin Custom House Docks. Groff was a partner in the firm of D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects for 20 years and an associate with the firm Benjamin Thompson & Associates for 18 years. He designed and built his Gloucester home with his wife, Laura, and oversaw the renovation of the Manship residence as an advisor before joining the board in 2019.
Ken Kinna
A long-time and dedicated Manship volunteer, Kinna has filmed several Manship Artist offerings, including Bina Venkataraman’s conversation with Christopher Lydon and Caroline Goulding’s concert in the Manship studio barn. Kinna has an extensive background in photography, film, and media production, including running a local TV station in Lynn, MA, which received awards for its ART617 programming.
Betsy Whittey
Board Vice-Chair, Founding Board Member
A former Assistant Attorney General in Massachusetts and New York, Whittey is now in private practice in Gloucester. Her expertise is in civil litigation, regulatory process, administrative law and consumer protection. She was a close friend of Margaret Cassidy Manship.
Rebecca Reynolds
Executive Director, Co-Founder
Reynolds is a museum professional and arts administrator with some 40 years experience. She served as a curator and art consultant specializing in American sculpture, as the founding director of Forest Hills Educational Trust and its community outreach and public art programs, as Boston's Museum of Fine Arts Sharf Fellow, and as a member of Gloucester’s Committee for the Arts (2016-2019 + 2022-present). Photo ©Sash Ludwig.
Harry Hoglander
Nomination + Governance Committee Chair
Hoglander served several Presidents and brings both governmental and political experience to the Manship Artists Residency Board. He served as a legislative specialist and campaign manager for Congressman John Tierney and has consulted on multiple political campaigns throughout the country. Hoglander is also on the Board of the Gloucester Stage Company and the City of Gloucester's Community Preservation Committee.
Patty Rosenblatt
Rosenblatt has been advising Manship Artists and making organizational and personal connections for this non-profit from the start. As an artist who works with clay and other earths, she has a long view of our impact on the planet and has made a commitment to future generations while working on climate change.
Matt Babson
Treasurer
A Lanesville native and distant relative of the Manship Family, Babson brings an unique dedication to this project as he literally grew up playing and working on the grounds of Starfield. He is the proprietor of the full service accounting firm, Babson and Company, and as Chair of the Manship Residency’s Finance Committee, Babson provides valuable expertise and resources to this nonprofit organization.
Diana N. Theriault
Founding Board Member
The great grand-daughter of Paul and Isabel Manship and the grand-niece of Margaret Cassidy and John Manship, Diana Natti Theriault is a former Gloucester resident who grew up playing on the Manship estate. She has degrees in art and art history from the University of Massachusetts and has studied abroad at the La Napoule Art Foundation artist residency in France. She is currently the Director of Operations at Whitneyville Cultural Commons, a nonprofit event and community space in Hamden Connecticut.
Karen Bird
Development Committee Chair
Karen Bird joined the Manship Finance Committee as an advisor in 2021. In 2022 she was invited to join our Board of Directors. Ms. Bird has been in financial management for over 30 years. Her early career began at Tufts New England Medical Center and Brigham Women's Faulkner Hospital. For the next 16 years she was Chief Financial Officer of Dana Farber Cancer Institute, involved in the numerous financial aspects of running a large institution including building a $450 million state of the art cancer facility. As the Executive Director of Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers, Ms Bird went on to focus her financial acumen in the policy field working with stakeholders in the government to assure quality cancer care and treatment for the sickest patients. Having retired in 2001, Ms. Bird joins Manship Residency Board with a passion for the arts and sciences, a cellist herself, she remains active helping in the leadership role of Manship's future growth and sustainability. She also continues her Board membership work as Chair, Board of Lady Doak College Foundation, Tamil Nadu, India, Financial Advisor, Society of Saint John the Evangelist, and Women's Mental Health Leadership Council, McLean.
Advisory Council: Joanne Avallon; Linda Kennedy Bruce, Founding Board Member; Brian Conway; Peter Van Demark; John Giangregorio; David Hall; Mags Harries, Founding Board Member; Ann Ledy; Suzanne Gilbert Lee; José Mateo, Former Board Member; Anne Olney; Kim Radochia, Former Board Member; Molly Scannell; Nancy Steele; Kristen Wainwright; and Susan White.
Staff & Volunteers
Staff
Rebecca Reynolds
Founder + Executive Director
rreynolds@ManshipArtists.org
David Freilach
Director of Development
dfreilach@ManshipArtists.org
Peggy Calkins
Archivist, Manship Family Papers
info@ManshipArtists.org
Volunteers
The Manship Residency is a volunteer-driven organization. We are grateful to the many volunteers who have contributed their time and effort here at Starfield.
To be contacted about volunteer opportunities, please complete our Volunteer form.
Core Volunteers
Lisa Bouchie
Garden Volunteer Coordinator
Maureen Roeland
Archives Assistant
Cynthia Roth
Special Exhibitions Curator
Susan Erony
Special Exhibitions Curator
Trina Smith
Docent
