Wendy Black-Nasta, President
Wendy Black-Nasta, founder and executive director of Artists for World Peace, has been a jewelry designer for museums, galleries, and art collectors worldwide since 1977. For many years her work has also included the creation of sacred objects for churches, Buddhist monasteries, and temples in America, Hong Kong, and Europe. Wendy has also designed one-of-a-kind pieces for hundreds of clients through the Diamond District in Manhattan since the late 70′s.
Like jewelry designing, dedication to peace and human equality has been central to Black-Nasta’s life’s work for more than four decades. She founded Artists for World Peace in 2003 as a way to further international peace and unity through the arts. Black-Nasta designed the International Peace Belt, Artists for World Peace’s first major project, as a living link joining all peoples and cultures in a common bond of peace. Fifteen years later the foundation’s work has expanded to twenty-five countries on five continents, where Artists for World Peace has helped build schools, an orphanage, free eye and dental clinics, created safe houses for battered women and children, and sponsored the living and educational expenses of dozens of children.
For Wendy, her work fits into her life, and she views her roles as wife, mother, artist, and peace activist as a unified experience in life’s journey.
A word from our founder, (click here)
Dr. Robert Nasta
Musical Director/Treasurer
Robert Nasta is an educator and a composer/performer.
Katherine Lambert
Katherine Lambert is a partner practicing commercial real estate law at the Hartford law firm of MacDermid, Reynolds & Glissman, P.C. Prior to joining the firm, she was General Counsel to The Simon Konover Company and a partner in other law firms. She is has been a member of the Board of Directors of (and has donated real estate services to) The Hartford Stage Company for over 25 years; is a member of the Board of the Directors of US Horse Welfare and Rescue, Inc.; and is a past President of CREW Connecticut and a past member of the Executive Committee of the Real Estate Finance Association.
Mason Smith
Vivian Schaufler, Secretary
Vivian Schaufler is a Premier Banker with Wells Fargo, and has previously worked at other financial institutions such as UBS, Greenwich Global, BHF Bank and Banca Commerciale Italiana. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University at Albany and has studied Art History at the University of Urbino in Italy. Previously, she has served on the board of Northeast Community Cycles whose mission is to provide bicycles for underprivileged children and adults.
Passionate about humanitarian causes, Vivian has been an admirer of the work of Wendy Black-Nasta for many years, and is thrilled to able to bring her skills to the board of Artists for World Peace.
Sam Samuelson
Sam is an IT professional in the Hartford area who specializes in creating technology solutions that help people enjoy their lives. He loves being able to show people a graphical version of their data that tells a story and inspires new questions and ideas. Sam joined the board in the Summer of 2019 and is passionate about changing the trajectory of someone's life through acts of kindness and compassion. In his free time he likes to golf and play poker with friends, and exercise his artistry through his drum set.
Liviu Vogel
Liviu Vogel has practiced law as a partner in a New York City law firm for over 30 years in various areas of corporate, real estate and commercial law. For the past 10 years Liviu has focused his legal practice litigating (successfully) on behalf of over 1200 U.S. victims of state-sponsored terrorism in U.S. courts. In his spare time, Liviu skis, cycles, hikes, kayaks and enjoys the cinema with his wife Giselle. Now that his children, Gaby and Ryan, are grown, Liviu and Giselle find extra time to volunteer for charitable causes.