EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Erik Auerbach found photography at eleven years old and has never turned back. Having witnessed firsthand the power of image-making in a young person’s life he began volunteering with First Exposures for one year prior to taking over as program director in 2005. Until 2013, when the program became independent from its previous sponsor, he taught the program's weekly darkroom-based photography classes. His photographic work has been exhibited and published nationally, and he has taught photography at the Academy of Art University and served as a guest instructor at UC Extension in San Francisco and the San Francisco Art Institute.

In the past, he has volunteered with Rebuilding Together and more recently, the San Francisco Symphony’s All San Francisco Concert Committee that issues the Ellen Magnin Newman Award since 2015 and was a co-chair from 2016 - 2018 and co-presented workshops at the National Mentoring Summit in Washington, DC each year since 2016 and at the European Mentoring Summit in 2020. He participated in the Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring at Portland State University in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Erik attended UCLA and holds a BFA from San Francisco State University.

PUBLIC PROGRAM MANAGER

Rebeca Abidaíl Flores, a Salvadoran and Mexican artist from Fresno, CA, creates compelling stories and narratives that invite audiences to engage in playful exploration. Rebeca’s artwork transforms tools and items used by the working class into objects of play. Her debut solo exhibition featured a giant volcanic yard with sculptural interventions, including paletas, mangüeras, and a larger-than-life camisa.

DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Larry Melton is a Bay Area native, by way of San Jose, CA, who has a passion for harnessing insights and storytelling to build connections, elevate voices, and drive impact. He holds a B.A. in Communications from Stanford University, and an MBA with Distinction from the University of Michigan. His background includes driving communication and fundraising for USA Ultimate, the national-governing body for ultimate frisbee, working in consumer marketing for large corporations like Eli Lilly and Clorox, and serving as an after-school tutor for local middle and high school students.

As the Development & Communications Manager, Larry’s goal is to connect the mission and impact of First Exposures to the broader arts community - in the Bay Area and and beyond - to ensure that local youth from historically marginalized communities continue receiving access to high-quality arts education and mentoring that allows them to discover themselves and their capabilities in a creative, safe, and supportive environment.

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

Jaime is a born and raised Bay Area Californian earning a BFA in Studio Arts with an emphasis in Visual Communications from the University of Arizona. Following graduation, she served as an AmeriCorps member with the Excelsior Action Group in San Francisco to revitalize the business corridor. Prior to joining First Exposures, Jaime extended her love of art and collaborating with the arts community as the Gallery Coordinator at Creativity Explored. There she enjoyed welcoming visitors in the gallery and helping first-time and long-time art collectors find the perfect artwork to take home.

As the Development Associate, she hopes to continue to spread the mission and vision of FX through year-round fundraising efforts. As a graphic designer, Jaime's mind is programmed to create chaos into order. As an extrovert, she also thrives on producing memorable experiences for all to engage. When she's not in the office, you'll see her doing something artsy or watching something sporty.

DARKROOM TEACHING ARTIST

Deena Qabazard is a Kuwaiti-American interdisciplinary artist. She blends photography, textiles, dance, and performance in installations that experiment with the nature of the body, breath, and mortality. Living alternately between California and Kuwait imbues her work with strange familiarity, accentuates her hyphenated identity, and evokes the body in motion across shifting landscapes. Deena’s work has been shown in Kuwait, Riyadh, Beirut, Dubai, and the U.S., recently at ICASF, the Wattis Institute, Root division, SFO Museum, and both Recology and Makaan Arts as a part of the artist-in-residence programs. Deena holds an MFA from CCA, where she taught photography. She is also a certified yoga teacher.

DIGITAL TEACHING ARTIST

Miguel Sarabia is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator from South Central Los Angeles. His work delves into themes of memory, identity, and faith. Rooted in his experiences and community, Miguel’s work reveals layered narratives that reflect both personal and collective histories. He holds a BA in Art with a minor in Education from UC Santa Cruz and completed his MFA at California College of the Arts, where he was awarded the Barclay Simpson Award in 2022. Miguel has taught photography at CCA and Southern Exposures’ Mission Voices program. He resides in San Francisco where he also coaches rock climbing.​​

TEACHING ASSISTANT

Theo Garvey is a Bay Area-based director, writer, and visual storyteller working across film, photography, and mixed media. Their work is grounded in themes of grief, queer identity, and the complexities of coming of age, shaped by personal loss and shared experience. Committed to collaboration, Theo often partners with queer creatives and artists in the Bay Area. They earned a BFA in Film from California College of the Arts in 2024, where they were honored with the Michael and Jeannette Lopez Endowed Scholarship and the Sheldon “Shelly” Fay Undergraduate Videography Scholarship from The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

Bio to come