All roles, both artistic and administrative, are equally headed-up by the group’s members. This allows for a better distribution of work and artistic expression. ANIMUS is:

Preston Dane, a 10-year resident of New York City, has a broad background of arts training, including photography, poetry, writing, dance, acting, and painting. He graduated from NYU – Tisch Drama early and with honors. Preston first fell in love with lighting and design when he worked for the world-renowned Ingo Maurer in his SoHo store. During this time Preston gained an in-depth knowledge of lighting, LED and low-voltage technologies, as well as German engineering. He later went on to learn carpentry, rigging, and stage electrics as a professional Off-Broadway stagehand. Preston is currently involved as a writer/producer with the film production company Crazy Quilt Entertainment. He will be attending the Cannes film festival this year and their first low-budget feature film is set to start pre-production in fall 2009.

David Ort, a Brooklyn-based Artist, studied Anatomy and Figure Drawing at the Art Students League of New York from 2002 to 2006, as well as Illustration at the Art Institute of Boston from 2000 to 2002. David has shown paintings, drawings and sculpture, as well as mixed media collages at numerous group and solo shows in New York City. In 2008, Edward Tricomi commissioned David to paint a series of murals for his new Salon in the Plaza Hotel. He has painted murals for restaurants, as well as multiple private residences. Working closely with Action Arts League, David has taught drawing workshops at high schools in Brooklyn as part of the Healthy Halloween program for the past two years.

Annie Vainchenker, a Brooklyn local, graduated from Stony Brook University with a BA in business. Upon graduation she became the director of marketing and licensing for an established Men’s and Children’s apparel manufacturer. In 2007 she attended the Burning Man Arts Festival for the first time. It is there that she discovered her love and passion for the arts. She has a driving creative force within the Animus Arts Collective.