ABOUT US

East Branch Friends of the Arts (EBFA) was founded in 1996 in Keene Valley, NY, with the intent to enrich the lives of residents and visitors by presenting and supporting a wide variety of arts events, including concerts, play readings, and visual arts events. EBFA is supported by memberships and donations, as well as state and county grant programs. 

EBFA’s programming continues to be stylistically diverse while maintaining high artistic standards. We regularly present artists that would otherwise not be available in our area, as well as supporting regional arts organizations through collaborative projects and concerts in Keene Valley. We present world class performers in classical, jazz, bluegrass, and folk music styles. Our concerts are highly accessible to all residents and visitors with very low suggested donations, and students are always welcomed for free.  
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 EBFA is led by a volunteer Board of Trustees and officers. We also rely on community volunteers. As such, we are extremely efficient in our budget and the vast majority of our expenditures go directly to artists and arts organizations.  
 

 Meet Our Board:

Matthew Dunne is a guitarist, composer, bassist, and was a professor of music at the University of Texas at San Antonio for many years, where he directed a thriving guitar program and organized festivals, concerts series, and community projects in music. He fell in love with the Adirondack High Peaks in the 1980s as a student at the Crane School of Music. He and his wife Liz Coccia moved full time to Keene in 2020 after spending several summers in Keene Valley. He joined the EBFA board in 2021 has served as EBFA President since 2022.  ​​

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Joe Bogardus has been treasurer of EBFA since 2014. Prior to moving to Keene in 2005, he was a pharmaceutical chemist in drug development. Joe is an avid hiker and volunteer for the Adirondack 46ers, and has completed many rounds of the 46 peaks in all seasons. ​

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An accomplished soprano, Amy Nelson has participated in both the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and the Bel Canto Competition, and was a soloist with the Festival Choir of Madison at the prestigious Ost-West Musikfest in Austria. Since moving from the Midwest in 2015, Amy has performed regularly in the Adirondacks as a soloist and as a member of the Trillium Chamber Players.  Amy teaches music at Keene Central School, performs various circus arts in festivals and fairs, and is an accomplished woodswoman. When not busy with other pursuits, Amy can frequently be found in her inholding deep in the High Peaks. Amy has been secretary of EBFA since 2022. ​

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Tom DuBois is retired from a career in Quality Management, and continues to do some part time consulting in the field.  He first became involved in East Branch Friends of the Arts while managing the Kite Fest event. In addition to EBFA, Tom is on the Board for the Keene Valley Library and for the Adirondack Climbers Coalition. Tom and his wife Ellen fell in love with Adirondacks in the early 1980s.  They love outdoor recreation in the form of hiking, climbing, biking, skiing of all kinds, and ice climbing.   

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Ellen DuBois worked in Computer Science and later in Physical Therapy, and continues her career as a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor and Yoga Instructor. She has co-coordinated the Four Winds Nature Program and was involved in the Mentoring program at Keene Central School.  She is a general lover of music and plays guitar for fun.  Ellen and her husband Tom love all sorts of outdoor activities and relocated from Glens Falls to be full time Keene residents in 2013.   
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James Gorman, who lives in Keene, was an editor and writer at the New York Times for nearly thirty years. He loves all music and the arts, but has particular soft spots for opera and bluegrass.  James joined the EBFA board in 2023. ​

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A lifelong Music and Art lover and a membranophonist for over forty years, Nick Gulli has been fortunate enough to have spent, thus far, over half of his life living, playing, and recreating amongst the High Peaks of the Adirondacks in Keene with his loving wife and their daughter. Nick joined the EBFA board in 2021.  
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Carol Kobak joined the EBFA board the summer of 2023 as the membership chair. She and her husband Jim have owned a home in Keene Valley for over 40 years and for many many years have enjoyed attending EBFA performances. She is delighted to now be part of the work involved to bring EBFA events to our community.

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