For the past 10 years, Lisa Golden-Fella has been photographing found hearts. Hearts are everywhere, in rocks, in spills, in clouds, and in her morning coffee. This exhibition focuses on found hearts throughout our city streets and in our everyday food. With this exhibit, Lisa shows us with eyes wide open the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

Lisa Golden-Fella is a Bronx-based artist who primarily works with photography and collage. Her work is influenced by her love of street art and a mission to prove that art is for everybody. She is the mother of two teenagers and a lifelong resident of Riverdale.

Ashley Medina grew up in Westchester County and was raised by her mom. Unfortunately,

Ashley's dad died of cancer when she was only six years old. As a result of this loss, resilience

took root at a young age. Ashley learned that when "life" happens, you can be sad, but you have

to push through. Ashley is proud of her dad's Hispanic heritage and carries his name "Medina"

with her as part of her cultural identity. She embraces her Italian/Irish heritage as well. Ashley is

bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish.

While Ashley has countless memories of family and friends in Westchester woven into her core,

she now calls Riverdale, and all it has to offer, her home. Ashley is a mom of two young

children, ages 2 and 4 who simply light up her world. She moved to Riverdale in 2021 and plays

a key role in fostering community growth. As a dedicated board member of the Riverdale Main

Streets Alliance and the Bronx Community Board 8 - Economic Development Committee,

Ashley is passionate about strengthening and enriching our neighborhood.

Helping people is something that has always brought Ashley joy. She was inspired by her mom,

a special education teacher striving to make a difference in the lives of children who are

overcoming some of life’s most difficult challenges. Ashley recalls watching her mom provide a

caring heart that reached beyond the classroom. Those moments guided Ashley toward finding

her own passion. She wants to help influence the young minds of tomorrow and encourage the

children in her community to develop a sense of wonder along with a kind heart.

Ashley is the founder of The Riverdale Mommy & Me Club, a community-based program that

offers a variety of developmental classes for both children and caregivers. Led by a team of

experts, including behavioral therapists, educational therapists, speech therapists, yoga

instructors, and music & movement specialists, these classes are designed to support early

childhood development. They also provide parents with valuable tools to enhance their child’s

learning and overall well-being.

In addition to educational programs, the club hosts fun and engaging events like live animal

shows, puppet shows, face painting, and birthday parties. Recently, Ashley led the club’s

contribution to the Emergency Relief Drive to support neighbors affected by the Wallace Avenue

Fire, showcasing her commitment to helping those in need during difficult times. She also

organizes seasonal community initiatives, such as the Thanksgiving Food Drive for The Friendly

Fridge and the Toy Drive for New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

Through her work, Ashley is dedicated to creating a supportive, connected environment where

families in Riverdale can thrive together.

We welcome Lois Harr to the Podcast, Liois Harr is a community activist and spearheads Friends of Waldo Sanctuary.

Madeline Ritter and Katie Davis speak about Riverdale Choral Society, RCS has been singing fine choral music since 1964. Based in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, it is a volunteer chorus, independent of any religious or educational institution. Members are a congenial group of people ranging from young adults to senior citizens: students, working people and retirees, singles and couples from backgrounds that are diverse in every way. RCS numbers about 60 members, who come not only from Riverdale but also from other parts of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Westchester County.

At RCS, we value long-term relationships with the musical professionals who lead us. In September 2023, we welcomed Mun-Tzung Wong as Music Director, following 12 years as accompanying pianist and occasional mezzo-soprano soloist. In 2024, David Stech, became co-music director.

Librado Romero, born in Los Angeles, in 1942, has been drawing and painting since childhood, exhibiting both photography and paintings in Europe, Mexico and throughout the United States. In 1965, after art school in San Francisco, he enlisted in the U.S Army and while stationed in West Germany, he was assigned as the Regimental Photographer. This marked the beginning of his fifty-year career in photojournalism. Upon returning stateside he was hired as a staff photographer for the Providence Journal. Two years later in 1969, he joined the staff of The New York Times, but resigned four years later to pursue magazine work. He worked for The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Newsweek and Time Magazines and others. In 1976 he was offered an opportunity to work as a consultant to El Sol de Mexico newspaper in Mexico City which he accepted and then decided to try his hand at painting full time and returned to his home-state of California where he opened and operated an art gallery in Venice. After that, he took a summer job with the Los Angeles Times and then settled into a staff position at the San Francisco Examiner where he remained for the next six years. In 1985 he returned to New York and was rehired at The New York Times where he worked until his retirement in 2013. In 2002, he was a awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News as a staff member of The New York Times’ series on “Race In America”. Lee is a Riverdale resident. He is presently spending his retirement painting full time in his Yonkers studio.

Join us as we meet Rondane Hollar. Rondane was born in Jamaica, and has lived in the Bronx for 30 years. He is a former radio producer & engineer at Whitney Radio in New Rochelle. Rodane has been involved in political & community causes, and has made philanthropic donations to causes such as the Democratic Party & Democratic campaigns, animal rights & causes, the environment & against climate change, women’s rights & causes, causes for children, children’s hospitals, causes for veterans, causes for the disabled, causes for the elderly, donations against diseases like cancer, ALS, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, donations against bullying & domestic violence, donations against poverty & homelessness, support for the Jewish community, etc. Rondane enjoys serving his community and meeting new people. Additionally, in his free time, he enjoys downloading & producing videos, playing video games, watching YouTube videos, going out to events, eating pizza, and most importantly, spending time withn his cat nephews.

Join us as we meet Celia Anzalone Bowers, Mrs. Tennessee International 2024.

Celia is the Founder and President of her non-profit, Lead with Love International, a published author, podcast host and TEDx speaker.