Artist Statement
Deirdre (Hoare) Rylander was born and raised in Yonkers, where her family has lived for generations. She returned to Yonkers with her husband in 2004 as a first-time homeowner in the Armour Villa neighborhood, and quickly became involved in local opposition to the Ridge Hill development project on Yonkers' east side. This experience led her to become a community activist, establishing Community First! Development Coalition with her neighbor Martin McGloin in 2005 (http://communityfirstdevelopmentcoalition.blogspot.com) Deirdre and Martin were awarded the Community Service Award by the Hudson River Community Association (HRCA) in 2008. In addition to being a founding member of YCSD, Deirdre also serves on the boards of the Armour Villa Neighborhood Association and Yonkers Historical Society. “My goal is to empower Yonkers citizens to fully participate in the decisions that shape our city through sharing knowledge and mutual support. Together, we can achieve government responsiveness, transparency and accountability, particularly in relation to economic development projects that frequently end up short-changing the community and improving only the well-being of well-connected developers and enabling politicians.”
Educational Background
Deirdre holds a BA in Italian and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University.
