Education
M.F.A., Boston University, College of Fine Arts, Painting
Graduate Institute at Saint John's College, Santa Fe, N.M.
B.F.A., Kansas City Art Institute, Painting
On a Fulbright Fellowship in Botswana in 1998, I planned to paint landscapes in the remote Makgadikgadi salt pans of the Kalahari Desert. Instead, I felt drawn to focus my energies on sharing my skills as an artist with area secondary school students, a decision that changed my life and my career.
My work incorporates drawing and painting from observation as well as a variety of materials and processes ranging from printmaking and photography, to stitching portraits, powdered pigment "landscape" books, and installation. I have exhibited in both solo and juried group shows in Boston, New York City, Marrakech, Morocco, the Midwest, the National Museum of Botswana, and Texas. My work is in the collections of companies such as Aventis Pharmaceuticals, the Bank of Botswana, Ciccerellitech, St. Joseph's Hospital, and private collections in the U.S., Botswana, Germany, and England.
In addition to exhibiting my own work, I teach painting, drawing, illustration and design, mixed media, installation, and printmaking. Many of my courses incorporate service-learning options that emphasize community engagement as a way to meet learning goals while benefiting local organizations.
Prior to teaching at Saint Anselm, I taught undergraduate and graduate painting and drawing at the University of Missouri, Columbia. I have also curated and co-curated several exhibitions, such as the 1998 National Children's Competition and Exhibition, National Museum, Monuments and Art Gallery, Gaborone, Botswana.
My commercial experience includes photo studio work at Christie's Fine Art Auction, NYC, freelance work for Oxygen Media and Aventis Pharmaceuticals, work at Mademoiselle magazine, and work as a sign-maker in Botswana for companies such as Orient Express' Gametrackers. I also have a long history of interest and involvement in the theater. My scenic painting and design work includes The Flea Theater, the Lion Theater at Theater Row, and INTAR/Jerome Foundation in New York, as well as AG Actor's Studio, Oliver! at the Sermon Center, and TANSTAAFL in Kansas City, MO.