Our Team
At Sovern, our team is a collective of people who work, learn, and build alongside one another. We come from different histories, lineages, and lived experiences, and it is this intersection of identities that shapes the heart of our work. Together, we cultivate a space where creativity, healing, and community care are not just ideas but daily practices.
We are united by a shared commitment to challenging the systems that have historically excluded and marginalized so many. Rather than positioning ourselves as experts, we approach our work with humility and accountability, knowing that liberation is a communal effort.
Nicole Sabourian
Nicole is passionate about upending power inequities in the arts landscape through her advocacy for emerging artists and curation of bodies of work with community accessibility and transformation in mind. As co-founder of Sovern LA, Nicole is an artistic director, curator and healing arts practitioner and advocate who colors outside the lines to cooperatively build new systems that support collective care and equity in and through her fields.
As a lifelong creative with a B.A. in Art History from Cornell University and 15+ years as an artist, healing arts practitioner and entrepreneur, artistic practice and spiritual practice living hand-in-hand guide her curatorial approach. She has curated and/or organized 16 solo and group exhibitions for Sovern which serve to anchor the personal and collective healing work that takes place within the center, alongside co-developing community offerings that explore each exhibition’s themes to foster dialogue, introspection and healing.
Co-Founder, Artistic Director
Cinthya Silverstein
A visual activist and cultural worker committed to creating liberatory spaces through art, storytelling, and community-rooted programming, Cinthya assists practioners in developing multidisciplinary offerings that uplift healing justice, intergenerational connection, and collective liberation. Her work at Sovern focuses on building sustainable systems, programming workshops, and nurturing relationships with artists, facilitators, and organizers across Los Angeles and beyond.
Cinthya holds a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA, and her photographic practice currently explores how visual narratives in birth photography can resist medical violence and affirm the agency of Black and Brown birthing people. She also co-directs Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp with her husband Joshua Silverstein, helping lead an intergenerational arts community in Northern California dedicated to cultural connection, accessibility, and arts education.
Director of Cultural Programs
Director of CommunicationsNordia Simmonds
Nordia brings 7+ years of experience in programmatic development within the non-profit sector. With a M.A. in Community, Liberation, Indigenous, and Eco-Psychologies, she grounds her practice as a scholar-activist in Afro-Caribbean traditions and the medicine of community. Her current work explores art-based responses to our current climate crisis.
Gallery CoordinatorMaia Ramirez-Beaver
Maia Ramirez-Beaver is a versatile artist whose work reflects a profound connection to her roots and an unwavering commitment to sustainability. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with a specialized emphasis in painting and a minor in sustainability, forging a unique blend of artistic expression and environmental consciousness.