Harwood

Get to know the Harwood!

The Harwood Team consists of employees of Escuela del Sol who are responsible for the programming and daily workings of The Harwood Art Center programs. Friedje vanGils is our Executive Director and Head of School. She works with The Board of Trustees to set policy and provide direction for the school and art center. In addition, the Harwood Team enjoys the support, energy and work of a great volunteer corps who help with everything from answering phones to writing grants, from providing tech support to working with the community.

Friedje vanGils, Executive Director
Don Hebb, Facilities Manager
GuruAmrit Khalsa, Administrative Manager
Chris Loss, Business Manager
Elizabeth Marcilla, Assistant Head of School
Vashti Moss, Director of Youth Arts & Education
Jessie Rogers, Director of Communications
Lita Sandoval, Event Coordinator

… and 30 amazing teachers and support staff! 

Brief introductions...

Friedje vanGils is the Executive Director of Escuela del Sol Montessori and the Harwood Art Center. The driving force behind her work with Escuela del Sol and The Harwood Art Center is her passion creating supportive and collaborative environments that provide access to both academia and the arts. Friedje has directed the organization for 30 years, taking the Montessori school from a small one-room preschool to one of Albuquerque’s preeminent early childhood and elementary schools, and making possible the creation of what has become our city’s leading arts organization, The Harwood Art Center.

GuruAmrit Khalsa is the Administrative Manager for the Harwood Art Center. She joined the Harwood team shortly after graduating from the University of New Mexico with a BAFA in Art History and a minor in Business Administration. Guru’s interest in Art History and Arts Administration began as a teen when she worked on the Teen Council of the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston and led her to work with Johnson Gallery at the UNM Art Museum, The Center for Contemporary Arts, and Bon Won Frames.

Vashti B Moss is the Director of Youth Arts for Escuela del Sol and the Harwood Art Center. She is a visual and teaching artist with over 10 years teaching and arts program development experience in schools, cultural institutions, and community centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and here in Albuquerque.  She works to create learning environments that foster literacy, self-esteem, imagination skills, and community.

Darby Photos is the Director of Exhibitions and Art Education. She has a BFA from UNM and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She taught at the college level for 10 years before coming to the Harwood, and has an active studio practice. Darby’s most recent exhibit was at Sheri Crider Contemporary.  

Jessie Rogers is the Communications Director of the Harwood Art Center, and began working at The Harwood after moving to Albuquerque to study massage therapy. Jessie’s entrée in to communications began in San Francisco, while working with the Marketing department of the Trust for Public Land. Creative pursuits outside of the Harwood include writing, playing music, stilting, studying for the MCAT, and keeping up with trends in the social media industry.

Lita Sandoval is a program administrator and events manager who joined the Harwood/Escuela team in March 2011. She holds a BAFA from UNM and brings 12 years experience in event planning and program management for the Astronomy Center and New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.  She is a blogger on DukeCityFix.com, and has won 'Best of' in the Albuquerque Alibi and Albuquerque, the Magazine for her work.  Lita is also a jewelry designer with a passion for music, dance and visual arts.