Meet the Artists

Ife’ Franklin has worked as a professional artist and community activist for over 25 years. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ifé began her education in high school, focusing then on black and white photography.  Ifé entered The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in the late 1980s. Ifé enrolled in “The Art of Africa,"  where she met her mentor, Master Adire Artist, Mr. Stanley Pinckney. Ifé continues to create Adire, traditional West African resist and dying techniques. Ifé owns and operates IféArt®, which produces sculptures, installations, drawing, collage, photography, and fiber arts.

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Rhythm Visions Production Company has been a fiscal sponsor for several of Ife' Franklin's projects in the Boston community.

Ester M. Smith is a portrait and impressionist artist whose work with pastels and mixed media has been exhibited in Dallas, Boston and Washington, DC, in places as varied as the Dallas Public Library, South Boston Open Studio, and Blues Alley in Washington. Ester studied fine arts at Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington. Her paintings draw inspiration from the works of such artists as Lois Mailou Jones, Vincent van Gogh, and Mary Cassatt. Ester lives in the Boston suburb of Milton and currently works for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

 Leslie Salmon Jones and her husband, Jeff W. Jones, are co-founders of Afro Flow Yoga®. Together, they have developed an integrated embodied practice, combining dances from the African Diaspora, yoga, and live healing music. Through their skills and knowledge of African Diaspora music and movements, Leslie and Jeff have connected to their roots and healed the legacy of trauma.

Leslie is an Alvin Ailey trained dancer, yoga practitioner, teacher, and wellness coach. Jeff W. Jones is a professional engineer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, and musical director who has traveled the world. Through music, Jeff creates an intuitive flow with mastery, and his inspired use of an eclectic array of tonal instruments grounds and centers the yoga practice.

Leslie and Jeff have also co-facilitated the Mind Body program at the Cory Johnson Trauma Education Program, offering a safe space for people to share their stories of trauma, healing, hope, and recovery. They are passionate about inter-generational, multi-cultural empowerment, education, healing, spirituality, and the wellness of all they serve. 

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Rhythm Visions Production Company recently became a fiscal sponsor for Afro Flow Yoga.