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About Us

Mark Marotta is the Founder & CEO of Amparo. His interest in fine arts comes from years of exposure to the arts in various forms at a young age. His mission to work with fine artists began when he enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Discovery Lab at Franklin & Marshall College, where he laid the foundation of Amparo and established relationships with the company’s original members. With ambitions to assist the fine arts community in its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, he seeks to connect Amparo’s artists with art patrons throughout the Northeast region.

Ben White is an arts administrator from Connecticut. His passion for the arts sector comes from nearly 15 years as a musician performing on alto saxophone and bassoon. He is an active advocate for the arts sector through his work with the Connecticut Arts Alliance meeting with individual artists, arts institutions, and legislators to ensure that there is equitable funding for the entire arts sector. Ben received his B.A. in English Literature, Magna Cum Laude from Franklin and Marshall College in 2020.

Joaquin Villarreal is a serial innovator with a demonstrated track record of successfully creating, facilitating, and implementing new business models for maximum impact across industries. Joaquin is currently co-founder at Red Clover Studios, founding Director of Entrepreneurship at Franklin & Marshall College, and advisor or board member to multiple startups and non-profit organizations. Joaquin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Nacional de La Plata (Argentina) and a Master’s of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Katherine Clifford is a Master of Public Health candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health, where she is studying Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Katherine’s interest in art derives from her French immersion studies in Paris, where she enrolled in various art history and cultural studies courses. Another graduate from Franklin and Marshall College, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Biology. Katherine is interested in the applications of art within the context of health promotion through investment in individual and community well-being.

Claire Louise Giblin is a painter and photographer born and educated in New York City. She has exhibited in the US, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, and Turkey in her professional career. Her work is in corporate, educational, museum, and private collections. Her paintings have appeared on covers of scholarly publications, and articles. As Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at Phillips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College, she curated over 100 exhibitions, designed and produced exhibition catalogs. Giblin received her Certificate in Appraisal Studies at NYU. She is an Accredited Member of the Appraisers Association of America and founder of Atlantic Appraisal Services LLC.