Giselle Manzano Ramírez is a Colombian interdisciplinary artist and cultural worker leading transformational work across two organizations. As Director of Communications and Community Engagement at Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center, she is the first Latina immigrant in director-level leadership, developing inaugural cultural programming and comprehensive engagement strategies to build intersectional sanctuary for historically excluded communities.
As Founder and Executive Director of KRATER, she created a nonprofit platform supporting 30+ queer, BIPOC, women-identifying, and Latinx/é multidisciplinary designers and artists from 10+ countries through free access during New York Fashion Week. Founded in 2023 with support from Creatives Rebuild New York, KRATER has presented work featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and PAPER Magazine. The platform is evolving from event-based programming to year-round support, including workshops, residencies, a podcast, an online store, and international expansion to Latin America.
Her artistic practice explores transgenerational healing and collective memory through experimental textiles, fashion, and healing-centered placemaking. She holds a Domestika masterclass on experimental textile design and is based in the Hudson Valley, NY.
“I’m excited to connect with Latinx/é leaders navigating from grassroots work to sustainable organizations. As a Colombian immigrant building platforms for Latin American artists while leading cultural work at a community center, learning from administrators who understand both cultural vision and operational reality feels essential.”
wearekrater.org / lgbtqcenter.org
Photo Credit: Abigail Tulenko @abigailtulenko