Our Team
Toya A. Lillard
Executive Director
Toya.Lillard [at] 651ARTS.org
Robert W. Henderson, Jr.
Director of Production & Operations
Robert.Henderson [at] 651ARTS.org
Farren Wood
Manager of Programs & Community Engagement
Farren.Wood [at] 651ARTS.org
Farren Wood is a South African/Australian arts manager, creative professional and fierce community advocate. An inherent and culturally inherited love of storytelling has seen her dedicate her career to either telling the story or cultivating a place and space for stories to be told. Farren has worked as an actor, writer, performer, producer, event and artist manager. She has created and produced events for multiple West-Australian arts organizations including Fringeworld Perth. Her most recent work includes events for the capital city local government, the City of Perth. These range from small community gatherings to large-scale commercial music festivals. Wood has a BA in Arts Management from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Ishmael Muhammad
Marketing Manager
Ishmael.Muhammad [at] 651ARTS.org
Ishmael Muhammad is a performer, director, and educator born in Harlem. He earned his BFA in Professional Theatre from North Carolina A&T State University. Most recently, Ishmael performed in and assistant directed NERO, a satirical Shakespearean tragicomedy developed by Kyoung’s Pacific Beat. Ishmael has taught both high school and middle school, specializing in theatrical training, reading comprehension, and facilitation. Before joining the 651 ARTS team, Ishmael served as Producing Director at Kyoung’s Pacific Beat. He currently lives in Brooklyn.
Alisha Delissaint
Program & Executive Assistant
Alisha.Delissaint [at] 651ARTS.org
Alisha K. Delissaint is a Haitian-American multidisciplinary artist born in Brooklyn and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. Alisha’s artistic journey has been shaped by diverse experiences, including two formative years in Tianjin, China. During this time, she immersed herself in new cultures and perspectives, which contributed to her development as a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on visual arts, digital art, and music.
From 2018 to 2024, Alisha curated and conducted interviews for her independent online blog, Paper Koi, where she highlighted unsung artists and creatives, ensuring their stories were shared with the world. After returning from Tianjin to reconnect with her Brooklyn roots, she worked as the Program Assistant for The Woodshed Network, collaborating closely with its founder, the renowned jazz musician DeeDee Bridgewater.
Alisha is deeply committed to educating and reinforcing the importance of Black arts within the Brooklyn community, continuously striving to uplift and celebrate the richness of Black creativity.
Alisha Delissaint
Program Assistant
Alisha.Delissaint [at] 651ARTS.org
Press and Public Relations
Flowers Communication Group
Pro Bono Legal Counsel
Meredith Kane and Ruobing Chen
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Capital Projects
CJAM Consulting, LLC
Landair
Development Consulting
Advance NYC
Accounting Services
Rich & Bander, LLP
Board of Directors
Robyne Walker Murphy, Chair
Lise Suino, Treasurer
Theodore Bennett, Esq., Secretary
Obadele O. Davis, Esq.
Cynthia Gordy Giwa
Johari Jenkins
Claude M. Johnson
China Moses
Bahia Ramos
Malik Yoba