OPEN People
Ben Sisto
Founder
Ben Sisto is an artist and organizer who has been producing engaging, publicly accessible work for 25 years. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art, he was recognized in his 20s as a “Best DIY promoter” in the Boston music scene before moving to Brooklyn, NY where he oversaw multiple live arts and music venues. In his 30s, he led cultural programming for Ace Hotel New York and in 2021, returned home to Providence with his family. Sisto’s works have appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, Observer, Variety, Vice, Daily Beast, Rolling Stone, Boston Globe, etc. He has received grants from helpful local institutions such as RISCA, RI Humanities, Science Sandbox, and currently oversees Awesome Foundation Rhode Island.
Persephone Allen
Advisor, 2025–2026
Persephone Allen (she/her) is a curator, cultural producer, design historian, and educator from Providence. She brings a collaborative and community-engaged approach to creating programs, exhibitions, and courses that catalyze dialogue, connection, and responsiveness, inviting us to examine art, design, and ourselves through multiple perspectives. She learns from and with her students at RISD, where she is an Adjunct Lecturer in Art and Design History. She has also held positions in education, curatorial, and programming at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the American Folk Art Museum in New York, The Frick Collection in New York, Mason Gross School of the Arts - Rutgers University in New Brunswick, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Bard Graduate Center Gallery in New York.
Deidra Montgomery
Advisor, 2025–2026
Deidra Montgomery is a queer Black Rhode Island-based artist who uses sound and text to help people connect to themselves, others, and the world around them. An experimental-yet-reverent musician, Deidra’s works incorporate grooves, melodies, structures, and feelings that reflect their diverse musical influences—soul music, show tunes, disco, German Lieder, free jazz, shape note singing, bubblegum pop, and more. As trombonist since age eleven, Deidra has performed in concert halls and breweries, for gallery openings and weddings, and at birthday parties and festivals. As a vocalist, they have performed at the Newport Folk Festival, opened for Elvis Perkins, and traveled the United States teaching Sacred Harp singing schools. They currently perform with Undertow Brass Band and DakouDakou, in addition to writing and performing as a solo artist and collaborating with artists across the state and region.
Roddy Schrock
Advisor, 2025–2026
Roddy Schrock is a homeopathic healer and arts organizer. As Executive Director of Eyebeam [2015-2025], he guided innovative programs realigning societal relationships with technology. Witnessing unique health challenges faced by creative people, he completed intensive homeopathic training and founded Ultradilute. The online practice helps clients worldwide explore homeopathy's potential for nurturing wellness and creativity. A digital and sound artist commissioned by Meet the Composer and others, he holds an MFA from Mills College. He divides his time between NYC and rural Massachusetts with his partner, writer Joon Oluchi Lee, and their two moderately well-behaved dogs.
Kristen Wawruck
Advisor, 2025–2026
Kristen Wawruck is a cultural strategist, arts worker, and writer based in Cambridge, MA. Since 2024, she is the Associate Director of the MIT List Visual Arts Center, leading organizational advancement, partnerships, and strategic initiatives. She has consulted internationally for arts organizations including Swiss Institute, The World Around, and more, specializing in governance, advancement, and equity. Previously, she was the Deputy Executive Director at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, CA and the inaugural Deputy Director at Swiss Institute, where she led a $5M capital campaign, launched community programming, and tripled the budget and staff. She has held positions at the New Museum, Rhizome, and ICA/Boston, and serves as Board Chair for Teen Arts Salon in Queens, NY.