Yvonne is a graphic designer and multimedia artist. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, she moved to Amherst, MA and earned her Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from Hampshire College. Yvonne completed her Master's degree in Media Studies from The New School (NYC) in May 2007.
In 1987, Ms. Mendez joined the staff of New WORLD Theater first as the Managing Director and then in 1998, as the Marketing Director.
With her marketing staff, she oversees and organizes community outreach activities such as workshop residencies with visiting artists. Yvonne and her staff set up partnerships with youth centers, cultural organizations and social service agencies to engage youth and adults in artist residency workshops. During her tenure at NWT, Ms. Mendez has helped organize and promote various NWT programs including Project 2050 (NWT's youth program) and Intersection (NWT's bi-annual international conference examining current trends in theater.) Both have received national and international recognition. She has worked in many capacities at NWT; helping to shape the scope and direction of the theater.
An accomplished graphic designer, Ms. Mendez designs all NWT printed materials, maintains the NWT website, and oversees all electronic and digital publicity for the theater. She has created a very strong visual identity for New WORLD Theater, helping to develop the most diverse audiences in the region.
She is also a freelance designer, working with local non-profit organizations, artists and social agencies such as The Everywoman's Center, Community Music School of Springfield, the Amherst Cinema Center, A Better Chance, Westfield State College, Office of ALANA Affairs, Sisterhood/Brotherhood On the Move, and many others.
For four years, Ms. Mendez served as the producer for the Bright Moments Festival, an outdoor pan-African music Festival. She served as the chair of the Amherst Cultural Council (a committee of the Massachusetts Cultural Council), the Development Committee of the Amherst Cinema Arts Center in thte midst of a 3 million campaign to construct a cinema/arts center in downtown Amherst. In 2001, she worked at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC as a summer intern working for their Discovery Children's Theater and the Website Design Department.
Yvonne lives in Amherst, MA and is the mother of three, Rafael Jordan, 25; Aisha Jordan, 21; and Amina Jordan 16. She maintains a growing freelance design clientele at www.visualconcepts123.com
