Phylisha Villanueva

Phylisha Villanueva is a Belizean-American poet, author, and cultural activist. She is a teaching artist for Arts Westchester, a member of the Jazz and Poetry Choir Collective, and Tesoro, an international women's poet collective. Phylisha's written work, including productions and curations, focuses on identity, colorism, inherited trauma, resilience, women's empowerment, black culture, and mysticism. She specializes in Community Arts Development. She co-founded The Yonkers Writing Group and, as a teen, founded the first teen open mic in downtown Yonkers that lasted for five years. Currently, Phylisha is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Poetry at Saint Francis College while serving as a Board advisor and chairperson for the Blue Door Art Center membership committee in Yonkers, NY. 

She co-founded Uptown Talk, and The Night I Became Untamed open mic series. Currently, Phylli is earning her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Poetry while being a Board member and chairperson for Blue Door Art Center in Yonkers, NY.

Artist Residences include Yonkers Arts 2021-2022, Valhalla Youth Offender Program 2022-2023, and Hope House psychiatric adult population 2023. 

Publications include Out of Africa, Fiber Plus, and On Your Mark. 

Featured performances include the Baha’i Center, John Jay University, NYU, Sunny Purchase, Lehman College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Potters House in DC, the Bowery Cafe, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Arts Westchester, Blue Door Art Center, Yonkers Arts, Untermyer Gardens, and Belize, Central American.

Phylisha’s books are found in Yonkers Public Libraries, on Amazon, and on her website. Also, listen to the Jazz and Poetry Choir Collective on Apple Music.