Artist Statement
Believing in the power of art and building community through collaborations, I work with a most basic concept of placing value on the natural landscape, developing an art practice that is based in dialogue and social interaction, balancing philosophical theories with physical intervention and education.
Considering local issues within the context of global culture, I offer alternative outlooks on these issues. I want to use my artwork as an agent for ecological change. Using gardens, trails, and public common spaces as sites and as metaphors, I consider landscapes as a form of cultural compost. The physical setting is where the resident culture’s histories, belief systems, and social activities combine with geographical and environmental ingredients to form a rich soil specific to the location and time period.
My goal is to deepen the connection between people and the natural world through understanding, compassion, and action.
The products of these concepts are made using natural and recycled materials, poetry, narrative text, mapping, drawing, painting, video, photography, collaborative actions, negotiation, and community planning. I consider the inter-personal work just as active an ingredient to the art making as pencils or paint.
Digging into landscape
Investigating environmental ingredients
Connecting to local histories and current interactions
Uncovering a rich soil for dialogue
Resume Highlights
I am an Eco Artist and Arts Administrator with a passion for integrating the power of arts experiences to enrich and engage communities and learners of all ages with their historical, natural, and artistic environment.
Program Administration, Design, and Consultant Experience, selected
2022 Management Consultant, The Art Studio NY
2017- 2021 Director, Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth State University, New Hampshire
2016-2017 Associate Director, Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth State University
2015-2016 Exhibit Designer, Museum of the White Mountains, Plymouth State University
2013-2017 Director, Karl Drerup Art Gallery, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH
2012-2013 NH Poetry Out Loud Co-Coordinator, NH State Council on the Arts
2010-2013 Independent Presenter/Consultant on integrating curriculum and the arts, working with organizations such as The NH State Council on the Arts, The New England Consortium for Artist Professionals, The Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Arts Learning Network
2008 Art & Nature Project Manager; 2006- 2007 Director of Programs & Member Services, Arts Alliance of Northern NH, Littleton, NH
1995- 2006 Program Director, Friends of the Arts Regional Arts Council, Plymouth, NH, Working with 40 rural schools/communities developing in-school/outreach youth programming
Teaching Experience, selected
2021-Present Online Teaching Artist, The Art Studio NY
2012-2014 Teaching Artist and Coordinator, The Arts Collaborative, Meredith, NH, Developing, marketing, presenting workshops and programs for students of all ages.
2009- 2016 Art Teacher, Madison Elementary School, Madison, NH
2007- 2018 Teaching Eco Artist, Eco Art a la Carte, Visiting artist and artist in residence for schools, after school programs, summer programs, conferences, teacher workshops in NH, serving preschool- adult audiences.
2007- 2010 Art Teacher, Kimball Jenkins School of Art, Concord, NH, Teaching visual art programs for after school & home schooled students
2007- 2010 Art Teacher, The Community School, Tamworth, NH
Board and Committee Experience
2021-present Board of Trustees, Secretary, Madison County Arts Council, NC, and member of the Gallery Committee, Governance & Leadership Committee, Executive Committee.
2018-2022 Board of Trustees, Women’s Caucus for Art New Hampshire.
2012- 2015 Board of Trustees Vice-Chair, The Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire
2008-2011 Board of Trustees Chair, The Community School
2007-2018 New England Consortium of Artist Professionals Steering Committee
2007-2018 NH State Council on the Arts, Arts In Education Conference Committee
2006-2010 NH Children in Nature Coalition Leadership Team
2006-2008 Secretary for Moultonborough Recreation Department Advisory Committee
2000-2004 Plymouth State University Gallery Advisory Committee
1995-2006 Member of Arts Presenters of Northern New England
Education
2003 - 2005 MFA in Visual Art, Vermont College, Montpelier, Vermont
1990 - 1991 MFA Program, University of Delaware
1986 - 1986 Milton Avery Summer MFA program, Bard College, Annandale on Hudson, NY
1981 - 1985 BS in Studio Art , Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY